"Bertie you'll wear a hole in the carpets if you carry on like that, and I can't see Edith or your mother being very pleased with it."
Robert gently scolded from a chair as Bertie continued to pace back and forth across the library
"What did the doctor say the last time he was here? It must have been more than two hours ago. Is that a good sign or a bad sign?"
Robert got up with out answering and poured Bertie a whisky
"This may be your house Lord Hexam but I'm pulling rank as a Major to your Captain and ordering you to take a seat and drink this and stop driving yourself up a wall. The baby will come when it's ready. You trust the doctor and Cora and your mother are with Edith, so just wait until you are needed."
Bertie followed his orders and sunk into one of the plush chairs in Brancaster's library as Robert handed him a generous drink
"I know, but I just hate feeling so helpless."
"At this point unless you are a doctor the men are quite useless. Our only choice is to wait."
Bertie silently listened to Robert's advice and took a few sips out of his glass, fidgeting and restless Bertie switched between tapping his toes and clicking his fingernail on the glass, to Robert's slight amusement
"Robert, what I don't understand is how you went through this three times and managed to keep all your hair."
"It does get easier with time, believe it or not. The first one is the worst, you still feel aniexty and nervousness with the next ones but you are so excited to meet another new child that you forget about all that."
"I am quite excited to meet the little one, I just want everything that's going on upstairs over with." Bertie admitted as Robert nodded his understanding
"Of course you do, I've noticed how protective you are over Edith. But it will be worth it, for the both of you. And it really can't be that long now."
A comfortable silence settled over the two men, both of their concerns on the young woman upstairs most likely going through pain and their excitement for the new life that was trying to make it's way into the world
Bertie broke the silence with a question
"Robert, does the worrying every let up? It's just that from the moment Edith told me we were going to have a baby, I've been terrified that something would happen that I couldn't control."
"I hate to break it to you, but no, it doesn't. For the rest of your life it will always be there. But I can tell you that the joy and happiness children bring make it worthwhile."
Bertie smiled into his glass as he took another sip "I was afraid of that,...I just hope that I can be good enough for Edith and the baby, and Marigold for that matter."
Robert sat up straighter in his chair and turned to face Bertie more directly
"My dear boy you have no need to worry about that, I could not have asked for a better man to be married to my daughter and to raise my grandchildren. I only hope that in the future you can be as happy with your son-in-law as I am with mine."
"Thank you Robert, that is very kind." Bertie humbly said as Robert reclined and set his eyes forward wary of any further emotional outpouring. With a hearty pat on Bertie's fore arm Robert effectively ended the conversation.
After a few moments Robert and Bertie's head whipped around to the sound of someone entering the library.
"Mother, what's going on?" Bertie practically yelled as he rose from his chair
Harriet immediately saw the panic in her son's eyes and held out her hands in a calming manner
"Everyone is fine Bertie. Edith and the baby are perfectly healthy and well. We just finished cleaning them up and they're both waiting for you."
Robert and Harriet could practically see the weight being lifted from his shoulders, Bertie stayed standing in his spot in a bit of a daze until Robert grabbed his hand in a strong handshake.
"Hearty congratulations my boy!"
Unable to speak Bertie nodded his acknowledgement and crossed over to his mother who embraced him in a hug
"I'm so pleased for you my darling, now go see them."
After Harriet gave Bertie a kiss on the cheek and sent him on his way through the doors she turned to Robert
"May I join you for a brandy? I feel like I deserve it, Edith has quite the grip."
"Certainly, I suppose we should send for champagne but this will have to do in the mean time..." Robert said as he filled up another glass "...you never said whether it was a boy or girl."
"Edith wanted to be the one to tell him, but he was such in a daze I don't think it would have mattered what I said."
"Would you mind telling me?" Robert asked as he handed her the drink
"Of course not, shall we drink a toast to your new grandson?" Harriet offered as she raised her glass to his
"A boy?! How wonderful, George will be please to get one on his side. And an heir for Bertie on the first try, well done Edith." Robert proudly said as he touched Harriet's glass and took a big gulp.
"Yes, so that's one concern out of the way. But truthfully I doubt those two are finished in the child department."
Bertie rushed up the stairs, but slowed down once he got closer to the bedroom, he would hate to startle Edith or the baby. The baby, he only knew it as 'the baby' he hadn't asked whether it was a boy or a girl, or maybe Mother told him but he just didn't hear it. It truly didn't matter to him, sometimes he would tease Edith with a preference for a girl since she was so convinced it was boy, but the only thing he prayed for was that he or she was safely delivered and it wouldn't be too hard on Edith.
He paused as he got to the door, this was what he'd been waiting for so long and had dreamed of. He was about to meet his child.
Some men posture about loathing the thought of settling down with a wife and children, Bertie wasn't like that. During the war when other officers made plans to go visit certain houses in nearby villages it never appealed to him, a few fumbling encounters early on in his military career quenched his desire for those pursuits. He soon realized what he really desired was intimacy, more than just physical actions, he wanted someone to really know him and for him to know her and for them to build a life with each other.
There had been small flirtations over the years, stolen kisses and letters bordering on passionate exchanged during wartime but nothing ever seemed to truly stick. It hadn't helped that he was either just a poor Army officer with no prospects or a land agent with still dismal prospects. After a while he started to accept that he wouldn't find the great love that everyone hopes for and set his sights on just finding a respectable local girl that wouldn't mind spending her life in an agent's cottage.
Then of course he met her and his life changed, just on the other side of the door was everything he could possibly want in the world. A brand new baby that was his being held by a woman he had only dreamed of until fairly recently and both of them waiting for him.
Bertie took a deep breath and hoped he would be able to control his emotions, he softly began to turn the handle and push open the door. He soon saw Edith holding their new baby with her hair in a neat braid over her shoulder, she was wearing a fresh evening gown but he could still see the rosy tint in her cheeks and forehead from the effort of childbirth. The fire was softly crackling and the bedside lamp Edith used for reading was turned on with a small scarf laid over the shade, he assumed to make sleep easier for the baby.
With Edith sitting in the middle of their bed with his child in her arms and the soft light around them it looked like something from a painting. Bertie realized that this was one of the moments in life when the wisest thing to do was just to commit everything to memory as much as possible.
Cora hovered next to her looking down at the bundle and commenting on how cute he looked when he pushed his lips together. Completly engrossed in her new child Cora was the only one who noticed Bertie leaning against the door looking at Edith and the baby with love written all over his face.
"Here he is." Cora whispered to Edith careful not the disturb the baby
Edith looked from the baby to see Bertie standing next to the door with a watery grin spread over his face and she returned a beaming smile.
"Come in, there is no need to be shy." Cora brightly encouraged
"I was just-...Edith you look so beautiful that I couldn't keep myself from, admiring." the new father bashfully said as she shut the door and moved closer to the bed
"I'll let you two be..." Cora said as she soon realized that she had overstayed her welcome "...I'll just be downstairs but I can't promise I'll be able to keep your Papa away for any length of time, you did wonderfully my darling girl." Cora finished and gave Edith a kiss and touched her grandson's cheek again
"And congratulations to you dear Bertie, I'm so happy for the both of you." Cora added as she grabbed both of his hands and placed a firm kiss on his cheek and quickly left the room.
As soon as Cora shut the door Edith smiled up at him
"Whatever are you waiting for? Climb in here with me and meet your son."
Bertie did as he was told slipped in next to Edith where he could get a good look at his little boy
"My son..." Edith couldn't tell if he was asking or declaring
"Yes, your son who took his time coming out, but now he's here and ready for the world."
Bertie put his arm around Edith in order to get closer to her and the baby and used his free hand to gently stroke the newborn's tiny fingers
"Edith, he's wonderful." Bertie reverently said in an almost whisper
"Your mother thinks he already has your nose, and Mama thinks he'll keep his red hair."
Bertie moved the blanket away from his forehead to discover a small whisper of blonde hair with a slight red tint
"Another red head I'll have to deal with?" Bertie chuckled to himself as he caressed the baby's chubby cheek with his finger, then his attentions turned to Edith
"I hope it wasn't too terrible for you darling, I was so worried."
"I knew you'd be, but it was as expected. Patience was required, I think he'll be a stubborn one..."
Edith trailed off as she brought the baby closer so she could put a gentle kiss on his forehead
"Are you ready to hold him?" Edith asked a clearly nervous Bertie
He nodded that he was ready and Edith shifted the baby into his waiting arms, Bertie couldn't help the smile from spreading across his face as he commented
"He's so light, I'm afraid I'll hurt him"
"It seems you're a natural. And look he's smiling, he already loves being held by his Papa."
The baby was in fact hinting at a smile as his little mouth turned up on one side as Bertie held him and Edith leaned against Bertie's shoulder, watching their son, and watching her husband watch their son
"Edith, I know we wanted to wait until we got to know him to give him a name but I think I know what we should, at least what I'd like to call him."
"Alright, what were you thinking?"
"If you agree, of course. I thought it would be nice to name him after my father..." Bertie trailed off worried that Edith would reject his idea
"James? James..." Edith said to herself as she looked at her son who had since fallen asleep in his father's arms
"...he does look like a James, and even more like a Jamie. I like that, little Jamie. What about his middle name?" Edith asked Bertie who was pleased that she agreed with his idea
"Well if named after a grandfather once is good, why not do it twice?"
"James Robert?"
"James Robert."
"James Robert Pelham. Our Jamie. I love it."
Bertie looked over and smiled at his wife just as Jamie began to stir and let out a whimper, Edith instinctually tried to calm him with a hush and Bertie could tell that she wanted him back in her arms
"Alright James we'll send you back to your Mama, I'm sure you're already missing her." Bertie softly said as Edith accepted the baby back into her arms and settled him against her chest as Bertie put his arm around her once again.
"Edith..." Bertie started as she was gently rocking the baby from side to side "...Now that I'm an adult I know that my parents must have loved me, but as a boy I never really felt it. I don't want to raise our children like that, I want him and Marigold and anyone else that comes along to know, without a doubt, how deeply cherished they are."
Edith had stopped rocking the baby and was looking deep into Bertie's eyes as he spoke, he was wearing the painfully earnest expression that she loved so much, and the only reply she thought to make was to lean into him and give him a deep and meaningful kiss. After they pulled apart she rested her forehead against his for a moment before speaking
"Oh, Bertie you sweet man. If anyone is capable of making someone feel loved it's you. I have every confidence that our children will know you to be a wonderful and loving father, I just hope I can be the mother they deserve." Edith said as little James captured her finger in his hand
"Despite what you sometimes think of yourself or what your sister may have led you to believe in the past I know you to be a caring, devoted, sweet, and exceptionally loving woman. Plus you're protective, wildly intelligent, sensitive and extremely thoughtful. All those qualities add up to be a wonderful mother, not to mention the best wife I could dream of."
"Do you really think all that?"
Bertie placed a kiss to her temple and spoke softly into her ear
"You know I do, and since I'm your husband, logically I know you best of all it so has to be true and you wouldn't call me a liar would you?"
"Of course not, but as you know...sometimes I need reminding."
"And as you know I'll always be here to remind you."
With that Edith smiled once again at Bertie as he leaned in to give her a tender kiss. Edith readjusted her body to lay her head on his shoulder and the two of them cuddled their new born son and continued their wonderful life together.
A/N; Ok that's it for this one! Don't know if I got Robert's rank right but oh well.
Hope you all enjoyed this, really loving the minor explosion of Bedith fics. Keep them coming!