It wasn't until Charlotte Colbourne discussed her and Lord Colbourne's plans to expand their family did Mary Parker begin to connect the dots.
She should have been well aware of the signs, but Dr. Fuchs had warned her about long-term side effects of having survived the fever. Helping Charlotte and Xander with their wedding plans along with implementing repairs in the old town had also kept her occupied. She had not given the fatigue, nausea, headaches, and dizziness much thought.
But a conversation with Charlotte earlier that day had brought the Parker matriarch to her senses. As she had been providing Charlotte with advice on adjusting to being a newlywed, the conversation had naturally evolved to children. Mary couldn't help but fondly remember her early years of marriage to Tom when they would stare at the stars and discuss their future together; butterflies still formed whenever she thought about those moments. Of course, Alicia then came along almost exactly nine months later after their wedding and honeymoon, and Tom's ambitions to further develop Sanditon came to the forefront of his mind. Romance had been at the back of their minds to some degree.
But ever since she had recovered from fever and he had actually been listening to her thoughts and ideas and making more time for her, their marriage had become more passionate. Very passionate. As in almost daily passionate. Something that had been missing from their marriage for a long time, and one of their last times had brought them James nearly three years ago.
But it made sense. Alicia, Jenny, Henry, and James were approximately two years apart. After James's birth, they had agreed that they were done having children. But now, her cycle was late. A fortnight late.
She supposed she was due for another pregnancy given the spacing of her four other children. Both she and Tom had agreed when they married that they were willing to accept as many children as the Lord blessed them with, but somehow, James's birth felt final. They had two girls and two boys. They were plenty busy with their children along with revitalizing the old town and constructing the new school. Surely, a newborn in the mix would throw them into a tizzy.
The next morning, Mary paid a visit to Dr. Fuchs, who confirmed what she already suspected: the newest little Parker was most likely on the way. Mary left the surgery in a fog with many thoughts running through her mind. Of course, she was excited, but this baby was extremely unplanned, which hadn't occurred since Alicia. Mary wasn't quite sure how, but she somehow ended up at Heyrick Park. When Mrs. Wheatley answered the door, Mary asked, "Mrs. Wheatley, is Mrs. Colbourne home?"
"Yes, she is out in the gardens with Leo," answered Mrs. Wheatley. "I will let her know you're here."
A few moments later, Charlotte appeared. "Mary, what a pleasant surprise."
"May I enter? I have something important I would like to discuss with you."
"Of course." Charlotte moved aside to allow Mary into the house. "Would you like some tea, Mary?"
Mary's stomach churned slightly, but she knew from past experience that not eating or drinking anything was the worst thing to do. "Yes, but either ginger or peppermint if you have it."
Charlotte nodded toward Mrs. Wheatley, who excused herself to go make the tea. The two women went to the garden and sat on the patio, and Mrs. Wheatley brought the tea ten minutes later. "Thank you," said Mary gratefully.
Charlotte did not want to say anything specific, so she asked, "What's wrong, Mary? You do not usually visit unannounced."
"I know, and I apologize," said Mary. "But I need to speak with a friend before I speak to Tom." Charlotte nodded in understanding, and Mary set her teacup in the saucer before she softly whispered, "I'm expecting."
Charlotte smiled and took Mary's hand. "Oh, Mary, that's wonderful. A new baby is always a blessing."
"I know. That is why I feel remorseful for not seeing it as such."
"Given how occupied both you and Tom are currently, I am going to guess this baby is unexpected?"
"Very much so. Once we had our youngest child, Tom and I agreed our family was complete. I am afraid Tom will be upset when I tell him."
"Mary, Tom may have his faults, but one thing I know for certain is that he loves you and your children. He would be lost without you all."
Mary sighed. "I suppose you are right. It is just that we have been in a good place in our marriage ever since I fully recovered from my illness, and now, a new baby will bring monumental change for all of us."
"It will." Charlotte nodded in agreement. "But as you have demonstrated to me, not all change is bad."
Later that night, after Mary had put the children to bed, she entered the master bedchamber, where Tom was reviewing some paperwork. "Darling, you have been working all day. It is time to rest."
Tom sighed as he put the form down on the desk. "You are correct. It can wait until morning."
He joined his wife in bed, and Mary asked, "So, how are the renovations going?"
"Quite well. Colbourne and I are designing plans for the school. I just need to begin estimates for replacing the roofs on the old town houses."
Mary took a deep breath as she took his hand in hers. It was now or never. "I also discovered the need for a new cot or cradle."
Tom looked over at her in curiosity. "As in an infant cot or cradle?" Mary nodded. "Oh, is someone in the old town expecting?"
"No," said Mary truthfully, "it is not for the old town."
Tom scowled in confusion. "Where would it be for?"
"It would…" Mary stuttered. "It would probably reside in here for a while until the baby is older. Perhaps the guest bedchamber next to the children's playroom can be converted into a new nursery."
It took Tom a few moments longer than it should have, but he raised his eyebrows and rolled over to face Mary once it all finally came together. "A new cot and nursery in Trafalgar House? Mary…" he trailed off. A smile began to form on his face, and he laughed aloud despite himself. "Are you sure?"
"I visited Dr. Fuchs this morning, and of course, he could not be one hundred percent certain, but based on my symptoms and the fact that my cycle is a fortnight late, he was ninety-five percent sure. He guesstimates that I am about six to seven weeks along."
"Oh, my dear Mary." Tom leaned forward, took her face in his hands, and kissed her forehead.
A few tears fell down Mary's cheeks, and she asked, "So, you are truly happy about this baby?"
Tom pulled back and looked at her in disbelief. "Why would I not be?"
"Well, we both agreed that James would be our last child, and considering the fact that we are both in our forties now, I do not believe we expected a fifth Parker."
"My dearest Mary, if these past several months have taught me anything, it is that sometimes the best changes come in the form of surprises. But I cannot wait to meet Little Parker Number Five."
When the Colbourne family and Augusta stepped off the carriage, Tom and the Parker children were there to greet them. "Hello, Ms. Heywood." Jenny ran to hug her.
"Jenny, dear, Ms. Heywood is now Mrs. Colbourne," Tom corrected his younger daughter.
"Oh, I apologize, Mrs. Colbourne," Jenny corrected. "Lord Colbourne." Both Alicia and Jenny curtsied.
"Papa, may I play with Alicia and Jenny?" asked Leonora.
"Yes, you may. Would you please watch them?" he asked Augusta.
"Yes, Uncle." She followed the children into the house.
"Dinner will be ready soon. Otis and Georgiana should be arriving any minute now. Our governess will be watching the children while we dine, though Augusta is free to join us," instructed Tom.
Charlotte looked around the drawing room and asked, "Tom, where is Mary?"
"She is preparing for tonight. In fact, she instructed me to have you to go see her once you arrived," said Tom.
Charlotte nodded as she ascended the grand staircase of Trafalgar House. She passed the guest bedchamber near the children's playroom before reaching the closed door of the master bedchamber. Charlotte knocked. "Mary, it's me," she said.
Mary opened the door with one hand while massaging her temples with the other. "I am sorry for not greeting you at the door. I have been at the chamber pot all afternoon. It will be a miracle if I get through supper tonight."
Charlotte handed Mary a bag of ginger candies and said, "I know I cannot speak personally about morning sickness, but they helped my mother when she was expecting my siblings."
"Thank you." Mary unwrapped one, popped it into her mouth, and sighed in relief. "We have not told the children yet because we want to wait until the pregnancy is showing before we do so, which I do not believe will take much longer. The constant nausea and vomiting are making it difficult to hide it."
"Well, if you ever need a respite and your governess is unavailable, I am always willing to take them for a day. Now, Tom mentioned that dinner is almost ready."
Mary nodded and followed Charlotte down the stairs. When they arrived on the ground floor, Georgiana and Otis had arrived. "Mary, it is so good to see you." Georgiana embraced Mary tightly, causing Mary to grimace slightly.
"It has been too long," admitted Mary.
"How has married life been treating you?" asked Charlotte as she hugged her dear friend.
"It has been better than I could have ever imagined," said Georgiana.
Arthur came into the drawing room and cleared his throat. "Dinner is served."
Everyone made their way to the dining room: Xander, Charlotte, and Augusta on one side of the table; and Arthur, Georgiana, and Otis on the other side. Tom and Mary sat at the ends. "It was lovely for you both to invite us for supper," said Georgiana.
"Yes, is there a special occasion?" asked Otis.
Tom and Mary looked at each other from opposite ends of the table and smiled to themselves a little before Tom said, "Yes, actually, there is. Mary, would you like to do the honors?"
Charlotte attempted to keep her facial expression neutral as Mary said, "We…Tom and I…are expecting."
Everyone was surprised, but made noises of excitement. "How far along are you?" asked Georgiana. "And when are you due?"
"Dr. Fuchs believes around eleven weeks, and I am due at the end of January."
"Well, congratulations to you both. I somehow have the feeling one other person at this table knew." Xander looked over at his wife.
"For a couple of weeks now," admitted Charlotte sheepishly. "But it was not my news to share."
"Well, regardless, this moment deserves a toast." Arthur held up his glass. "To Tom and Mary and my newest little niece or nephew."
"Alicia, Jenny, Henry, James, would you please come to the drawing room? Mummy and I have something we need to tell you all."
The Parker kids all ran into the drawing room, with James being the last to arrive, as he only toddled. "No running in the house," Mary scolded lightly.
Tom had them all sit on the sofa before he went to stand next to Mary. "Children, we have some big news for you. Shortly after Christmas, you will have a new brother or sister."
Alicia and Jenny looked at each other and smiled, as they both knew what that meant. The two boys, however, were a bit confused. "How?" asked Henry.
"Well, son, right now, Mummy has a baby growing inside of her belly." Mary pulled her dress tighter across her midsection to prove her point. When she did so, she revealed a quite noticeable baby bump.
"Will the baby be a boy or a girl?" asked Alicia.
"We will not know until the day I have the baby," said Mary gently. "You know that."
"Oh, right," said Alicia in disappointment.
"I hope the baby is a girl. A little sister would be nice," said Jenny.
"Yes, my dear. This baby will be the tiebreaker on whether men or women rule the Parker family," said Tom jokingly.
"Either way, I think this baby will receive a lot of love." Mary looked down at her youngest child. "James, do you have any thoughts?"
James shook his head. "No. Mummy, may I go play now?" Mary nodded, and the children scattered.
"A little further," said Tom, guiding Mary from behind as he covered her eyes.
"My dear, it would be much easier if you would simply let me see to walk," said Mary.
"Just a few more steps, Mary," said Arthur, guiding her from the front.
The three Parkers stopped in a doorframe, and Tom uncovered Mary's eyes. When he revealed the room, Mary couldn't help but develop tears. The walls were painted a light golden color, and along the far wall was a beautifully built cot. Next to the cot was a hand-carved rocking chair, and on the opposite wall next to the wardrobe was a dresser with supplies for changing nappies. "Tom, Arthur, it's beautiful." Mary strolled around the room, observing each and every inch of the space. "But you know you are supposed to be replacing roofs on the old town houses, not building furniture for us."
"I made sure there was enough money in the budget for both," assured Tom. "I also constructed a more portable cradle and placed it in the master bedchamber. It will be easier for someone to transport it throughout the house."
"Thank you, darling." Mary hugged Tom. "You as well, Arthur."
"Anything for my family," responded Arthur.
Mary felt movement inside of her, and she placed Tom's hand on her abdomen. "I think our son or daughter approves."
"Indeed."
One night, a few months before Mary was due to deliver, Mary and Tom were preparing for bed, though Mary was finishing folding some laundry. "My dear, you should really be resting. You have been doing household tasks all afternoon."
Mary ran her fingers over the smooth wood of the cradle as she climbed into bed. "I know, but you know I cannot help it as I get closer to delivery." Mary's face fell when she said the word 'delivery.'
"Darling, what is the matter?"
"Nothing," she lied.
"Mary, you know how you scolded me for keeping things from you? That philosophy works both ways."
Mary sighed. "It is just a conversation I had with my midwife last week. It is also a conversation we need to have whenever I get closer to delivery which I always dread."
Tom's face fell when he realized where Mary's words were leading. "It won't happen," he said.
"Tom…"
"I almost lost you once. I am not going to lose you. I will not allow it."
"Tom, you know how dangerous childbirth is, and unfortunately, neither you nor I get to decide how it goes."
"You have had four successful deliveries, Mary," pleaded Tom.
"But that does not mean this one will be," said Mary gently, and Tom sighed, knowing his wife was correct. "If something happens to me, I would very much like Charlotte to become the children's primary mother figure, especially to the girls as they reach adolescence." Tom nodded in understanding, even though he hated having these discussions. "Also," Mary gently rubbed his shoulder, "I know you are hard on yourself in regard to both Sanditon and our family, but I want to assure you that you have been the best husband to me and father to our children. All five of them." She rubbed her abdomen for emphasis. "And if I could go back in time and choose a different path in life, even if I knew about the hardships we would face together, I would still choose to marry you."
Tom stroked her cheek and said, "I…I know I can get…occupied with my ambitions for Sanditon, and I know I have taken you for granted for far too many years now. But deep down, I value and appreciate everything you do for me and provide me. I would never want to do life without you by my side, Mary. That is why I hate having this discussion."
"I know," she said with a few tears in her eyes. "As do I. I feel fairly confident and capable of delivering without difficulty, but you never know."
"But I need you around to complete everything we discussed during our courtship that we would pursue in our married life."
"Our courtship was five years. We made a lot of plans." She chuckled.
"It probably would have been shorter if I had come to my senses and proposed to you much earlier than I did," Tom admitted.
"That is all right. I do believe I fell in love with you quicker than you fell in love with me." She took his hand.
"Thank God I did."
On Christmas Eve, Mary was a month away from giving birth. Naturally, she received a lot of questions at services that evening. When Mary found Charlotte and Xander, she approached them and asked, "May I speak with Charlotte for a moment, Lord Colbourne?"
"Of course, you may. I will be waiting by the carriage." Charlotte nodded at her husband and turned to face Mary as Xander walked away from the pair.
"What is it, Mary? Is everything all right with you and the baby?" asked Charlotte.
"Yes, my midwife says everything is just fine. But I wanted to ask you if you would stay by my side when the time comes for me to deliver."
"Oh, Mary, of course. I would be honored to be there for you." The two women hugged. "What is the arrangement to contact me?"
"We will have Arthur ride out to Heyrick Park if it is during the day; if labor begins at night, I will try to wait. Tom will stay with me until you arrive."
"No," Charlotte shook her head, "contact me the moment labor begins. I do not want to risk missing it or you delivering alone."
Tom paced the upstairs hallway in an attempt to calm his nerves. Despite this being their fifth child, the adrenaline rush of being woken up at 1:30 in the morning and being informed by Mary that labor had begun still never ceased to amaze Tom. It was a few weeks early, but given the fact that it was Mary's fifth birth, Tom was not surprised that Mary had gone into labor before her due date. However, with every minute that passed, Tom hoped and prayed that Arthur would be arriving with Charlotte at any moment. He could use some company.
Tom stayed outside of their bedchamber in case Mary needed him, though she was content with laboring alone for the most part, only giving a hint of her presence to Tom when he would hear her moan through a contraction every so many minutes; Mary had never been one to scream her way through childbirth. Finally, his nerves got the best of him, so he quietly knocked and opened the door, only to find Mary pacing the room in near harmony with him on the opposite side of the wall. "Aren't you supposed to be in bed?" Tom asked.
"Lying flat does not get the job done," said Mary. "Besides, walking helps with the pain."
"How bad is it?" he asked.
"On a scale of one to ten? About an eight." she informed honestly. Forget pretending it was only a two like when Tom asked the same question the previous four times she was in this situation.
"It cannot be that bad, can it? You always said it was not that painful."
Mary ceased her movement long enough to glare at Tom incredulously. "Says the man who acted like he was dying when he injured his leg. And no, I just downplayed my pain levels because you always invalidate them anyway."
"I would never do that, Mary."
"You just did." Mary sucked in a sharp breath when a spasm went through her back. "Ow."
Tom absorbed Mary's words and humbled himself when he realized he once again had put his foot in his mouth. It was the least he could do since Mary was delivering his child and was clearly suffering greatly. "All right. I'm sorry. I just hate imagining or seeing you in this much pain." He went over to her and kissed her head. "Do you want water? Do you want a flannel? Do you need fanned?" asked Tom, not having a clue how to help.
"No, I just want you to be silent." Mary leaned against the bed and rocked her hips as another contraction started building.
"Tom?" Arthur called from downstairs.
"Thank the Lord," Tom muttered to himself. There was a reason men weren't supposed to be in the delivery space.
Charlotte appeared and patted Tom on the shoulder. "I will take it from here, Tom," she said.
Tom nodded and went over to Mary's side. "Good luck, and just remember: you are strong, you can do it, and I love you."
"I love you too." They kissed before Tom left the room. "Thank you for coming. I know it's early."
"I promised I would be here. Do you need anything?"
"Just the ability to labor undisturbed and how I please, which Tom was not allowing me to do."
"I am sure he is just worried and hates to see you suffering. I know I would be in his position. But I will trust that the woman who is about to deliver her fifth child knows what she is doing and what she needs."
Mary couldn't help but chuckle a little before another contraction took hold of her. "On second thought, a hand to squeeze would be nice."
"Tom, if you are going to pace, would you please quit pacing in a circle? I am getting dizzy just watching you," said Arthur.
"Sorry, Arthur," said Tom as he stopped and took a deep breath.
"As someone who has been in Tom's position before, I understand how he is feeling," said Xander.
"I just wish I could hear something. I know Mary labors quietly, but honestly, screaming would give me an idea as to what is occurring upstairs. Maybe I should check on them."
Xander stopped Tom and escorted him to the sofa. "Tom, my wife is the eldest of twelve. I believe she has an understanding of the process."
"How about we play cards or something to keep your mind occupied?" asked Arthur cheerfully. Xander gave him a look that was a combination of being grateful for the suggestion and giving a warning that it would probably not be successful.
"All right." Tom sighed in defeat.
"That's it, Mary, breathe and sway in rhythm," Charlotte coached the older woman as Mary and Charlotte stood on opposite sides of the bed with the former breathing and rocking her hips while squeezing the latter's hand.
Once the contraction ended, Mary said, "That one was the strongest one yet."
"How bad is the pain on a scale of one to ten?"
"May I be honest, or do I have to be ladylike and downplay it for meekness's sake? Because Tom told me it 'it cannot be that bad' this morning." Mary mocked her husband's voice.
"It is just us women. You may be honest."
"Ten. The pain in my back is excruciating." Another contraction began, and Mary shouted, "Press on my back, please." Charlotte immediately went to do so, only for Mary to shout, "Harder! No, wait, I'd rather squeeze your hand."
Charlotte went over to Mary's vanity and found a few fine-toothed combs. She handed them to her and said, "Here, hold these combs with the teeth facing your palms and squeeze them during contractions. It helped my mother when she was delivering my siblings."
"Thank you." Mary nodded and went back to pacing again. "Why do Tom and I have to be so in love? Four children were plenty."
"You will forget all of this the moment you are holding your new baby in your arms," comforted Charlotte, though she didn't believe the advice stuck as Mary leaned against the bed and started moaning loudly.
"Just have Arthur or anyone else get the bloody midwife."
Arthur was sent to retrieve Mary's midwife, but it was taking much longer than anticipated. "What is taking Arthur so long?" asked Tom in frustration.
"There is a lot of snow on the ground; maybe that is contributing to the extended time lapse," said Xander.
Soon, the gentlemen heard a knock on the door, and Tom whispered to himself, "Thank God." He was gobsmacked to find Arthur standing with Dr. Fuchs. "Arthur, why is Dr. Fuchs here? You were supposed to summon our midwife. You know, the same one who delivered our four other children?"
"Bad news: the midwife is currently stricken with influenza. The good news is that Dr. Fuchs is available."
Tom knew that Mary would probably rather have an unassisted birth than have Dr. Fuchs deliver the baby, but Tom could not help but think about all of the factors that could complicate things, and he figured Dr. Fuchs was better equipped to handle medical emergencies than he was. "Very well. Mary and Charlotte are in our bedchamber. It is the fourth door on your left." Dr. Fuchs nodded and went upstairs.
"How much longer until the bloody midwife gets here. If my sac ruptures before she does so, you will probably be delivering this baby, because my children come quickly—like within an hour quickly—after it does," shouted Mary in frustration.
"I am certain she will be here soon," Charlotte tried to comfort, but at that point, in wasn't of much use. Mary had been in labor since midnight, and the agonizing pain was starting to take its toll on her, as evidenced by her unkempt, stringy blonde hair tossed up in a messy bun; the sweat pouring down her face and her body; her moans of distress every time a contraction took hold of her; and her vulgar mouth—or at least as vulgar as Mary Parker would ever succumb to having.
The two women heard a knock on the door, and Mary muttered, "Oh, thank God." She was greatly irritated when she saw Dr. Fuchs enter the room. "Where is my midwife?" she shouted.
"She is ill, Mrs. Parker; she has influenza. Your brother-in-law brought me back instead."
"No, I would rather deliver this baby…" Another contraction began. "Myself," she squeaked out.
"I can assure you, if you follow my instructions…"
"I do not need your instructions. I think I know what I am doing."
"Perhaps if you just lied down on the bed…"
"Same suggestion as Tom. You men act like you all know what's best for me; surely, the woman about to deliver her fifth child does not know how to labor and give birth," said Mary sarcastically.
"It's been a long day, sir," said Charlotte apologetically.
"Mrs. Parker…"
"If it will make Tom feel better, you may come in and catch the baby when the time comes, but until then, how about you just leave me alone and let the women do the one thing we were born to do that men will never experience," said Mary snippily, both her pain and frustration doing most of the talking. Charlotte looked at Dr. Fuchs sympathetically, but she somewhat agreed with Mary.
"Very well," said Dr. Fuchs. "Come get me when the delivery is about to occur." Dr. Fuchs left the room.
"Thank God," Mary whispered and squatted closer to the ground to attempt to ease the pain. "Tom cannot ever do anything right."
"If the midwife is ill, I do not believe that it is Tom's fault," said Charlotte.
"Just be silent and go get me some water, towels, scissors, and the sheets which we purchased to dispose of after delivery. It is not going to be much longer."
Fourteen hours after the onset of labor had Tom staring at the time every thirty seconds. Dr. Fuchs had arrived at noon, and he had informed everyone that Mary was progressing well, but it would still be a while before the baby was born. Tom had an innate feeling that he had been correct in his assumption about Mary not wanting Dr. Fuchs's assistance given the fact that the few times Tom had gone upstairs to listen to how things were going, Dr. Fuchs had been outside in the hallway. "I'm sure she is all right, Tom. Dr. Fuchs or Charlotte would tell us if something was wrong," comforted Arthur.
"I know. You would think with this being our fifth child, I would not be as nervous as I am," Tom admitted.
"If you were not nervous, I would question how devoted you are as a husband and father," said Xander.
Augusta and the Parker's governess came in from the garden where they were watching Leo, Alicia, Jenny, Henry, and James play in the snow. "Has Mummy had the baby yet?" asked Henry.
"No, not yet, Henry. But it will hopefully be soon."
"Breathe, Mary; you are doing great," coached Charlotte as the older blonde woman squeezed her hand and trembled in pain. At this point, Mary did not have enough energy to stand, so she was lying on her left side for some rest. Not that she could rest, as contractions were long and strong and coming quickly with only fifteen or so seconds of rest in between them.
"I do not know how much longer I can take this pain or if I can do it. Just please, Dear God, let this end and bring this baby soon."
"You can do it. You have four beautiful children downstairs who prove you can," said Charlotte.
Mary noticed the look on her friend's face and asked, "You are hiding something. What is it?"
"I think we should wait until you are no longer occupied with other things," said Charlotte.
Another contraction began, and suddenly, Mary felt the baby drop, so she said, "I feel pressure. I think I need push." She instinctively got up on her hands and knees.
Charlotte got Dr. Fuchs, and Dr. Fuchs performed an examination. "You are not quite fully dilated, Mrs. Parker. You just need to lie back down and wait a bit," instructed Dr. Fuchs.
"I just need to be in the position I want to be in to deliver this baby, and that is the position I am currently in," Mary snapped. "I also need to do what my body is telling me to do, and that is pushing this baby out of me."
"Mrs. Parker, it could be dangerous…"
"I can assure you that if you were in my position, you would agree that pushing is involuntary and less harmful than not pushing." Mary grunted in between words as she felt her baby pushing down.
Charlotte looked at Dr. Fuchs, indicating he should not be messing with a laboring woman in unimaginable pain. "All right, but I still need you to spread your legs further apart, Mrs. Parker. Deep breath, and push!"
At this point, Mary produced a few loud shrieks, howls, and growls that were heard by everyone downstairs. Tom would clench his fist with every noise. "Please, God, let Mary and the baby be okay," he prayed.
"Another push, Mrs. Parker," coached Dr. Fuchs. "The head is beginning to crown."
"Your baby is almost here, Mary," said Charlotte excitedly. She grabbed a cloth and wiped Mary's face and gave her a sip of water.
"Push again," said Dr. Fuchs, though Mary ignored his instructions and panted instead as she allowed everything to gently stretch. Mary dug her fingernails into the sheets and let out a loud roar as the head was delivered. "Last contraction, you will have this baby out," said Dr. Fuchs.
"It's almost over," encouraged Charlotte, rubbing Mary's back and offering another sip of water. Soon, Mary gave one final growl of effort, and then…
"Congratulations, Mrs. Parker," said Dr. Fuchs as he carefully passed the baby up, and Mary took the baby into her arms.
"Oh, thank God. It's over," Mary whispered in relief as she carefully lifted the baby out from underneath her and into her arms as she sat on her haunches. She would gladly take four pushes in twenty minutes over the three-and-a-half hours of pushing with Alicia. "Hi, sweetheart." Mary checked the gender and announced it to Charlotte, but then didn't even notice Charlotte quietly leave the room to announce the little one's arrival.
After some tense moments downstairs, everyone finally heard the sounds of a baby's cries. They all smiled and laughed, and Arthur shook his brother's hand. "Congratulations, Tom." The two men hugged, and Xander shook Tom's hand as well.
Charlotte came down the stairs and gave the biggest smile. "It's a girl."
"Yay! A baby sister!" Alicia and Jenny began jumping up and down excitedly. Henry and James, however, looked a tad disappointed. Charlotte caught her husband's glance and gave a soft smile to him, and he had a twinkle in his eyes, knowing exactly how she was feeling at the moment.
While Tom did sort of want a boy, if only because of his own memories of having two brothers, a new little girl was wonderful as well. "May I?" asked Tom.
"Of course." Charlotte gestured for Tom to follow her. By the time they reached the room, Mary had readjusted her position to lying on the bed, a blanketed bundle now snuggled in her arms. Tom went over to his wife's side and observed the tiny bundle: she had soft, blonde hair; beautiful, bright, green eyes; a delicate little nose; ten fingers; and ten toes. She was perfect. "Mary, she's beautiful." Tom was speechless. Five times, and he was still speechless in this moment.
"Isn't she perfect?" Mary asked, gazing up at her husband before watching her infant daughter wrap her tiny hand around Mary's pinky finger, making her heart melt with adoration.
"She is," Tom said and kissed the top of Mary's head. "Thank you so much for giving me another beautiful daughter. I know it was difficult, and I know I could not have handled it as well as you did. And thank you for helping Mary through the birth," he acknowledged Charlotte.
"She did great. She made it look easy," said Charlotte.
Mary smiled at her dear friend in gratitude. "I could not have done it without you. With my other children, I was alone other than my midwife."
"Really? You had no one?" asked Charlotte.
"The only other women close to me were Tom's sisters, and they are both hypochondriacs," said Mary.
"Well, I am glad I could be here for you," said Charlotte. "Just as I hope you both will be there for me and Xander when the time comes."
Tom nodded, but didn't say anything. Suddenly, Mary looked back up from the baby to Charlotte and asked, "Wait, Charlotte, are you…" Charlotte smiled and nodded. "Oh, congratulations, but why did you not tell me?"
"I did not want to take away attention from you. It is still early, so Xander and I can wait to announce until after the baby's christening."
"Nonsense," said Mary.
"Mary, you have done so much for me. At least let me allow you to have your moment." Mary nodded, not much in the mood to argue since she was exhausted from a long and hard labor. "So, what is her name?"
Tom and Mary looked at each other, and he nodded in agreement. "We wanted to name the baby after her Godparents: Charlotte Alexandra Parker."
A look of surprise overtook Charlotte's face, but Charlotte soon said, "It is a beautiful name. And I am sure Xander would agree."
After the confinement period, Mary and Tom held Charlotte's christening ceremony. They had a celebration at Trafalgar House, and several individuals attended for the special occasion. "Mrs. Parker, Charlotte is so beautiful," said Esther as she side-hugged Mary, as Mary had baby Charlotte snuggled in her arms.
"Thank you, Lady Babington. And George is getting so big." Mary observed the toddler now holding his mother's hand.
"He started walking recently," said Lord Babington proudly.
"If I could have everyone's attention," Tom announced as he came up beside his wife and youngest daughter. "Thank you all so much for attending today's ceremony. It means the world to me and Mary. Just like you all play a special role in Sanditon, I know you will all play a special role in Charlotte's life."
"And speaking of lives, I do believe Alexander and Charlotte Colbourne have some news they wanted to share after baby Charlotte was christened," said Mary, looking over toward her friends.
Xander looked down at Charlotte and nodded his approval for her to say something. "We're expecting."
Everyone in attendance naturally swarmed the Colbournes with excitement. After the celebration, everyone went home, though Charlotte, Xander, Augusta, and Leonora stayed behind. "You know you really did not have to put me on the spot like that," said Charlotte to Mary.
"You promised you would announce after the christening," said Mary, looking down at her infant daughter.
"I'm sure little Charlotte and the new baby will be the best of friends," said Charlotte. "I would also appreciate any assistance and advice you could give me."
"Charlotte, you have always been there for me. It is time for me to be there for you."
After Mary finished feeding Charlotte, she gently placed the babe in the cradle beside her and Tom's queen-sized bed. She snuggled next to Tom and said, "Let us enjoy the rest before she awakens again."
Tom climbed out of bed and walked around to the other side to observe his infant daughter sleep. "But she is worth it. We were wrong about James. He did not complete our family; Charlotte has."
Mary took her husband's hand. "Yes, she has. And I would not change my life for anything."