Barely a month after their safe arrival home, Margaret noticed a rather strange and alarming change. While it was true that she had lost her baby, her stomach had continued to grow and her appetite had picked up at a voracious speed. John had no doubt noticed, but under the same belief as herself, he had not commented on her new and fuller figure.
On the other hand, business had been incredible, and the man from Chicago had even offered to pay John's passage to America, with a full stay at their most luxurious hotel and, if he wished it, a tour of the State. Of course John had accepted, though, like his young wife, had still been weary of ships since their last fateful encounter.
In addition to his invitation, he still needed to purchase a new wardrobe as his own had gone down with the Diamond, a fact that he had been grumbling about most loudly. Of course Margaret had also lost her dresses and the contents of her wedding packet that fateful day, but to John the acquisition of, and the hassle of fitting new clothing was a cumbersome, costly, and more or less unnecessary endeavour.
"Really Maggie," he had said that morning as he shuffled around, half blind in their dark bedroom, "I don't see all the fuss. I still have my black suit and all my dinner jackets. What does the color or state of my cravat have to do with my professionalism?"
"You must look the part, darling," Margaret replied patiently from the covers, "to be a professional, you must look it as well as perform the duties of one."
"Oh, I suppose," John grumbled, coming back to their bed, "but suppose I want to stay here all day, what would I need for that?"
"Your wits," Margaret leaned over to kiss his lips, "for I would distract you most horribly." With this saucy intone John flopped down beside her and tickled her through her nightgown. She giggled and batted his hands away.
"You really must go, sweet," she said breathlessly, "you are late as it is already."
"So eager to have me gone eh?" His hands moved from her waist to her shoulders and he nipped her neck. She leaned into he touch and closed her eyes, almost forgetting herself and only collecting herself when he pulled away slightly to tug at her collar.
"You have to go," she insisted, pushing him away gently. John gave her one of his famous, passionate looks but stood and put on his shoes. She watched him as he opened the door and left her, murmuring, "you look beautiful, my dear. I will see you soon."
Not long after his departure Margaret herself stood up, and when her maid placed her stays around her waist, she paused and flattened her chemise against her belly. There was a noticeably bump there, and it felt warm, as if it was alive.
Confused, but not willing herself to believe the impossible, she did her stays and went to visit Fanny. She herself was pregnant with her first child, and was in confinement at her home. When Margaret rung for her, her wet-nurse, Nanny answered and took the young woman to see her charge. In Fanny's spot by the fire sat a chubby blond Fanny, her belly bulging with child.
"Oh Margaret!" Fanny cried, "How good to see you! I hope you are well, after that wretched ship business."
"Oh quite well," Margaret replied, "more now that I was finally able to see you. What are you calling the little one?"
"Stanley if its a boy, named after my dear husband's late father, or Florence, for my grandmother," Fanny beamed. "My dear husband says it will be a boy but I dearly wish for a girl to buy pretty things for."
"Yes," Margaret nodded, "but you are lucky for your baby. John told you how we lost ours."
"But I do not believe it!" Fanny squawked, "I know a woman in confinement, me myself being one, and I was sure you too were. Come, let me touch your belly."
"Oh really," Margaret began,
"Just come," Fanny insisted, waiting until Margaret was near enough to touch. "See now, how your belly turns, you will have a baby too."
"That is impossible," Margaret shook her head, "I just lost mine."
"Come," Fanny patted her sister-in-laws hand, "I don't know how but you may be with child again. Ask the doctor to come and look at you, or perhaps call my midwife Mrs Baker. I will send her over this afternoon. It never hurts to be sure, you know," she added to Margaret's stubborn look, "if it is indeed a baby you must be sure."
"And if it is not?" Margaret replied in a panicked tone, "what if I cannot give John a baby and I am just getting fat? He'll have no choice but to cast me out."
"Gracious me!" Fanny laughed, "how melodramatic you are! You have not been wed for a year and you fret so! If you are worried simply ensure he comes to your bed every night and stays til the morning if you are so concerned." Margaret colored scarlet.
"He's you brother Fanny! How can you speak so?"
"It is precisely because he is my brother that I have license to," Fanny replied, nonplus, "there can be no shame. We're all the same."
"But honestly," Margaret only turned redder, "I am not sure how you can be so matter of fact."
"You wish me to be frank?" Fanny challenged with a playful smirk, "then if you worry, go to bed wearing nothing but your favourite perfume and rose petals on your breasts. He'll see you and you'll barely be able to escape. Not that you would be terribly inclined to. He'll—," she was cut off by a knock on the door, and her midwife, Mrs Baker, popped into the room. "Oh Mrs Baker!" Fanny grinned, "what timing!"
"Yes, well I was on my way and I realized that I forgot my hat. I do apologize."
"Nonsense, old thing," Fanny shook her head, helping herself to a sweet on the coffee table, "say, would you have a moment to look at my sister-in-law?" Mrs Baker's eyes fell on Margaret's slightly distended stomach and she nodded, a tender look in her old eyes.
"Come then dear," she beckoned to Margaret, "Let me take a look."
"You may use the guest room," Fanny intoned and with that the scarlet Margaret followed the lady into the hall and to the guest bedroom. There she helped loosen Margaret's stays and gently compressed her belly, finger probing around her abdomen.
"Yes," she murmured as she finished her ministrations, "there is no doubt, you are with child dear."
"How?" Margaret asked, "I only just lost my first."
"That is fairly common," Mrs Baker replied calmly, "you were pregnant with twins, it would seem and when something, perhaps a stressor, triggered action, you lost one twin, perhaps due to a fall that damaged it. You other should be quite healthy, however." It took Margaret a moment to remember how to breath, and her hands instinctively found the tough little ball in her stomach. She folded her skirts neatly, and she felt herself growing faint.
"How far?" she wheezed, shocked.
"I would say around eight weeks," Mrs Baker looked over her half rimmed spectacles. "I take it you were not expecting this."
"No," Margaret replied automatically, "I just lost my first... twins you say? My lord."
"If you wish, I could help you. I will deliver Fanny's baby, and I could be of service to you as well."
"That sounds so odd," Margaret was barely listening, "I cannot believe it. I was so worried, but I never told my husband. Thank you, Mrs Baker."
"My pleasure," Mrs Baker replied. "Shall we tell Fanny?"
"Yes," Margaret replied, and the two went back to the parlor, where Fanny was sitting with a tray of the oddest looking sandwiches Margaret had ever seen. They appeared to be minced tuna with red jelly and pickles.
"Oh Margaret!" Fanny grinned, patting the place beside her, "what news?"
"I am having a baby," Margaret said in a hollow voice, taking Fanny's proffered seat.
"Have a sandwich," Fanny replied, "you will be hungry."
Margaret took one and without thinking, ate it. The afternoon after that was a muddled blur as she wandered in town. Not willing to believe Mrs Baker, she made an appointment with her own doctor, and after a repeat prognosis she found herself in the hardware shop, picking up a couple things for the house. Just as she was about to leave she saw a little bonnet in soft yellow, and, without thinking, picked it up and went home.
She went about her business quietly, and sat for a long time simply staring at the bonnet. She sobbed for grief at losing one of her twins, but then, when she had dried her eyes, went to the spare bedroom that was to be the nursery. She took the bonnet and placed it on the window sill, watching the grey Milton outside. Not sure how to tell John, she pondered for a long while until she heard footsteps up the stairs with John's familiar tread. He called for her, but when he came to the nursery door he paused.
She felt him come to her and put his hands on her shoulders, comforting her.
"Maggie," he said quietly, slowly, as not to startle her.
She turned about, and buried her face in his chest.
"John," she finally said when she felt him lean over and pick up the bonnet, "I'm pregnant."
"Oh Maggie!" He exclaimed, holding her out so he could look in her eyes, "that's wonderful! But how?"
"We had twins," Margaret's eyes welled up again, "I lost one, but not the other."
"Oh Maggie," he said again, this time quietly, comforting her, "we are having a baby!"His joy was infectious and he hugged her tightly, wiping away her tears with his thumb. He kissed her on the head, and brushed away her mussed hair. "But you look tired darling, have you been to see Fanny?"
"Yes," Margaret blushed to think of her conversation, "she is well."
"Oh I know," John rolled his eyes, "and eating like a horse. Did you know she ate a jam covered meat pie with sweet cream and sardines whilst I was there?" He shuddered and Margaret laughed.
"You had better not make fun of me when I get like that," Margaret teased, "she gave me a tuna and jam sandwich today, and I quite enjoyed it." John chuckled with her, and she followed him down to the dining room where their new cook, Agnes had just put out the dinner. Margaret was shocked for a moment before remembering that John was home because it was night, and he worked late that day. She glanced at the clock, and realized it was already quarter after six. She had let it get dark while she was in the nursery and had not noticed.
Shaking her head, the two ate and he told her about his day, sneaking fairly obvious looks at her with a proud, happy smile. He seemed not to care that she had lost their first baby, but merely glad they had saved one of their twins and when they went up to bed she was content, rather than cross, with his exultant glances.
In bed she sat up as he tidied up for the night, propped against her pillows, one hand resting on her stomach. She couldn't believe it, and she still felt shocked. When John settled in beside her, he kissed her gentle and looked down at her belly.
"May I touch?" he asked in such a tender, nervous voice that Margaret had to stifle a laugh.
"Of course, John, I will not break." He gave her a look, and placed one hand on her bump. She was amazed at the tenderness in which he bestowed upon their new creation, and when they settled in, he kept his arms around her waist.
She closed her eyes and he kissed her neck.
"Mother will be upset," he commented.
"Why?" Margaret turned around so their nosed were inches from each other.
"She'll expect us to name our child after either her or my father."
"And we will not?" Margaret asked.
"I should hope not," John shook his head, "for if we did our child would bear one of their worst traits by nature."
"What do you suggest then?" Margaret replied, "I would name it after my mother or father but I fear the same."
"I've always liked Walter," John mused.
"So you hope we have a boy!" Margaret said in mock horror.
"What sort of man would I be if I wished otherwise?" John quipped, "but if it is not, she will be the most beautiful girl the world has seen."
Margaret ignored this, and mused some more. "I like America for a girl, I knew one growing up, or Leah. For a boy I like Owen or Timothy."
"Leah Thornton," John said, "that sounds nice. Or Timothy Thornton—the ring is quite pleasant."
"Did you know Fanny wants to name her child Stanley if it is a boy?" John snorted and Margaret turned to him sharply.
"Oh heaven help me!" he laughed, "why would she call him that? Stanley was our dog!"
"You had a dog?" Margaret asked.
"Yes," John was still chuckling. "If she calls him that I fear I will never be able to see him without shouting 'come boy, come!'"
"Oh you," Margaret smacked his arm playfully, "It is for her husband's father or something. Don't be so cruel."
"Should we get a dog?" John changed tacks abruptly, looking at the ceiling.
"If you wish," Margaret replied.
...And so began tale of how they acquired Lewis Thornton.
AN: so a longer chapter. What did you all think? Thank you so much for all the support and story alert subscriptions, they make me want to write! Hehe so here it is and if you are all still interested I will post a new chapter as soon as I can. What do you think of the names? I wanted really traditional ones, and I saw America and Leah and I thought they were kind of unusual. Not that I'm an American or anything, but I thought it had a nice ring to it. And the boy names? Owen, Walter or Timothy...? Ideas? If you want to suggest names just drop me a line! As always, R&R. Plus... in the next chapter... the adventures of Lewis Thornton as a bonus! Oh, also if there are any glaring typos I'm really sorry, I kinda just flew through this. I was really into it :P