Chapter 3

Family

Edith was indeed a surprise to her parents. Each pregnancy after their first child was meant to result in a daughter, but the sons continued. Current medical students were skeptical when Edith told them her mother was not even aware she was bearing twins, much less knowing their sex.

In the 1960s, ultrasound scans were not commonly used, and Mum's ante-natal care was quite perfunctory. She was healthy, had four successful pregnancies and received only cursory examinations by the village GP during her latest pregnancy. The day preceding Edith's birth, the doctor assured Mum she could travel to London with Dad for the opening of Parliament.

Fortunately for Edith, her mother began premature labour between the House of Lords, site of the opening ceremony, and Buckingham Palace, where a reception was to be held. At St. Mary's Hospital, a nervous house officer announced to her startled parents that Mum was carrying twins. One baby was in a breech position with a second baby tucked behind the first. Both babies were in distress. An emergency Caesarean delivery first produced David, at a respectable 2.7 kg, and then Edith, at a worrisome 1.8 kg.

The neonatology staff at St. Mary's was the best in London, and Edith was dispatched to the Special Care Baby Unit suffering from respiratory stress syndrome. It was touch and go for nearly a month, but she survived. Mum and Dad claimed her fighting spirit began at birth.

Medical wisdom at the time recommended isolating low birth weight babies in incubators to keep them suffused with oxygen and in a warm, germ-free environment. On learning the circumstances of her birth, a helpful mentor at McGill suggested to Edith that she may not have properly bonded with her mother. Mum could not breastfeed her, hold her on even touch her for the several weeks she was confined to the incubator. Perhaps this was one reason for Edith's lack of empathy and slight esteem of others.

Her mentor's comment resonated with Edith, and she and Patrick outdid themselves in bonding with Nicholas. She even breastfed him, although it was a bloody nuisance after she returned to the clinic and had to express milk several times a day. For the first year following Nick's birth, Patrick cared for him and prepared to enter medical school. Nicholas was a cheerful, easy baby who became the linchpin of their marriage. However, keeping two people together with so many differences was a daunting task for anyone, much less a baby.

Patrick objected when Walter Zeffren persuaded her to leave Cornell and head one of his fertility clinics in England. After Edith paid his fees for medical school, Patrick had just begun a residency in obstetrics and wished to remain in New York.

It was not only the residency that tied him to the States, but another young doctor who was an intern on the paediatric service. They had been having what he thought was a discreet affair for quite some time. Of course, Edith was well aware of it, and was putting plans in place to ensure Patrick would have no access to her money or Nicholas. Then she would divorce him and return to England.

On the advice of her lawyer, Edith bluntly told Patrick that she and Nicholas were moving to England, and she had no intention of bringing him along. She would file for divorce and settle a handsome sum of money on him. In return, he would cooperate fully in the divorce and make no claim for Nick. Patrick agreed to her terms, as her last proviso was that his residency at Weil-Cornell would be terminated if he failed to do so.

Nicholas seemed a bit upset about the move and leaving his father, but Edith was confident that he would forget Patrick quickly. She has to toughen him up, and St. Benedict's is just the place. Much as she hates to be parted from Nick, it will serve him well.

Now at Larchmont Hall, Teddy is first helping Waycroft from the car and then Nicholas. So much for proper British gentlemen, thinks Edith, as she opens the car door and hands him the key. Her parting comment should mess with him a bit. It is something med students did to each other for a laugh.

Of course, her med school boyfriend – Martin Ellingham - took it seriously and often embarrassed her by diagnosing maladies at every chance. Only walking from St. Mary's to the tube tried her patience with him. Every limp, cough or tremor was subject to his unwelcome scrutiny and comment.

Gazing carefully at the young PA, Edith declares: "You should have that excessive facial hair examined immediately. It appears to be hypertrichosis." Teddy's hand moves to his face, and he looks quite concerned as she continues: "It is very rare but, if treated immediately, you could be saved. I'd get to it today."

"What is this hyper – thing," Teddy weakly asks.

"Werewolf Syndrome. Eventually, your face will be covered with hair just like a werewolf. Hopefully, you won't turn into one."

As she walks away, the churlish boy is staring into the car mirror and gingerly touching his face. With the other hand, he is frantically scrolling through his mobile, likely for the number of the village GP. Good, she thinks.

Edith hears her sisters-in-law, Charmaine and Helen, squealing her name as they rush to her with out-stretched arms. Oh God, what she does for her mother!

Smiling tightly, she first allows Charmaine and then Helen to hug her. In her own affected way, Helen places a kiss on each of Edith's cheeks and coos: "Welcome home dear Edith." However, their true welcome is for Nicholas. Turning quickly away from her, they embrace him and sprinkle him with kisses and questions. He looks a bit terrified, but Edith gives him their secret wink to soldier on.

Following behind the two women are Charmaine's six young children and the three diffident teenagers who belong to Simon and Helen. Edith is delighted as she notices three pierced eyebrows and one pierced nose. Helen must be beside herself!

She is a local village girl who snared Simon the summer after he completed law school. He was working in Dad's office before taking a post in London, and she was managing her mother's tea shop. One year later they were married and moved to London where Helen attended a posh cookery school.

After the birth of their first child, they returned to Larchmont, and Simon soon stood for Dad's seat in the House of Commons. Repeatedly elected, he has been a most effective MP and is inching toward a leadership post. Helen owns a wedding catering business that is very popular with Londoners who fancy the village as a picture-perfect site for weddings.

Helen hints frequently that Larchmont Hall is ideal for such events, but Mum has resisted the idea. Edith wonders if Helen and Charmaine have it in mind to turn the house into a wedding factory when Mum and Dad are gone. Perhaps that is why David agreed to all the renovations. To each his own. Edith wants nothing more to do with marriage!

Charmaine herds everyone into a sitting room off the terrace where her parents await. Edith nods to Nicholas, and he hurries to his grandmother who bends to hug him for a long minute. After kissing his cheek and forehead, she wipes away tears saying: "Edith, come to your mother."

As she embraces Mum, Edith feels the thinness of her shoulders and chest through the pouffy blouse concealing her gaunt body. Her brown hair is only streaked with gray, but she seems much older and frailer than two summers ago when she and Dad visited New York. It was just after their return to England that his Parkinson's was finally diagnosed by a neurologist at Hammersmith Hospital.

Sitting in a wheelchair nearby is her father who is staring at the ceiling and murmuring to himself. Edith barely recognizes him and even the horrid photos bore no hint of how the disease has ravaged him. Edith takes his hand and stoops to kiss him. He looks blankly at her and mumbles what sounds like "doctor" but could also be "daughter." Either way she hopes there is some recognition of her.

Edith recalls finishing sixth form at St. Paul's when all the fathers gathered with their daughters before a formal dinner. As her father fastened a single strand of pearls around her neck in the tradition of the school, he did not tell her she was pretty as the other dads were doing. Rather he said: "Use your brain, Edith, and the world will be yours." She has proven him right.

Mum pats Dad's shoulder saying: "Henry, we are taking tea now. Later Edith will bring her son, Nicholas, in for a visit with you."

Nicholas steps forward: "I want to say hello to my grandfather now. I've come from New York and know he's ill. I'm not a baby and only want to see him. Raising her eyebrows in surprise at Nick's emphatic behaviour, Edith gently leads him to her father. Nicholas holds out his hand as Patrick taught him: "I'm Nicholas. It's good to see you again, Grandfather." Her father grips his grandson's hand and Edith thinks he says "boy." Then he drops Nick's hand, closes his eyes and bows his head.

As everyone stares at her father, Edith claps her hands loudly. "Come now, all of you. We shall see Grandfather after tea." She must get out of the room and away from her father. There is only so much one can endure.

Continued . . .

Note: David's birth weight of 2.7 kg is equal to 5 pounds, 9 ounces

Edith's birth weight of 1.8 kg is equal to 4 pounds