January 8th 1723

After being told by the doctor I needed a week of bed rest after having the twins I was glad to be stood up and getting on with jobs, the twins keep me busy but I'm glad for it. As planned Jennifer started to be tutored in the study of the manor, still this meant Charlotte didn't have her usual occupier so I had to plan my day so that I could have a spare moment to myself. The beauty to twins was they occupied each other, this was also a curse as soon as one woke they both woke. That's what woke me from my nap, one hungry twin calling for dinner and another twin calling for cuddles. For now whilst they were still tiny it was easy to hold them both, its when they were going to be a few months older that I could see it being a struggle.

After Eliza was fed and Grace was changed I moved them, myself and Charlotte outside. Charlotte was asleep in her new cot, whilst the twins slept on my chest as I sat in the hammock. Edward was working at the docks today but promised that every so often he would come to check on us, it was nice that he had something to busy himself with, he hated feeling useless again. I looked over to where Charlotte lay and remembered going through this with her, it had been a lot easier with one but it also gave us the practise to be ready for two. The women from the prison had doted on the twins since they were born, anything their children had outgrown was passed our way. Soon the twins had their own cribs, although they would scream unless allowed to sleep in the same one. Each night when I'd put them in their bed and watch as they cuddled into each other, a rush of love would hit me each time, then I'd go and do the same for Charlotte and Jenny.

That's when I would finally have a few moments to myself, not long after Edward would come home and we'd both go to bed. It wouldn't be like this for long, it's just in the last month of being pregnant and then for the week I had for bed rest the books had got very far behind. If he could work from home he would, but it wouldn't be fair on Jennifer to disrupt her lessons so he worked as late as he could. Tonight was no different, I slouched on the seat in the hallway and waited for him. I could feel my eyes growing heavier until I eventually succumbed to sleep. I don't know how long I was out for but when I woke I was in bed, I could hear Edward softly snoring behind me and I couldn't blame him for sleeping, we'd be awake soon I had no doubts.

You could set your clocks by the time the twins would wake, groggily I got up and Edward went to as well.

"Don't worry, I've got this one" I lifted the twins and made my way to the far lounge, then at least any noise couldn't reach any of the bedrooms from here. I was sat with them for well over an hour just to get them both settled, when they were back in the crib together and I was happy they wouldn't wake suddenly I collapsed into bed to try and sleep before I was awoken again.

It can't be been long after I had gone back to sleep that I heard a different cry, I was surprised that Charlotte would wake and cry out for me. I ran to her worried that something had happened and I suppose so that she didn't wake anyone else, expecting the worse I was confused when I instead found her sat up in bed reaching for me. I lifted her into my arms and held her there until she fell asleep again, on my way out of her room I eyed the clock and noticed it was three in the morning. Instead of sleeping I sat on the end of my bed waiting for the twins inevitably waking up when Grace woke she mumbled for a bit allowing me enough time to comfort her before she could alert the whole house that she was indeed awake. That's one thing I had noticed about the twins, although they looked identical their personalities were very different. Eliza was noisy and confident, she got ever so excited when she was passed to other people and would gurgle away when they spoke to her. Whereas Grace was quiet and calm, she allowed you time to comfort her and when passed to others almost fell asleep on them she stayed that still.

Seizing the opportunity I fed and changed her before her sister woke, after planting a kiss on her forehead I tucked her back into the crib and waited till Eliza showed signs of waking. I didn't have to wait for long, whether she was taken by shock at how quick I sorted her or she was willing to remain quiet but I managed to feed and change her without her letting out so much as a whimper. When they were both back in their crib and settled I finally got back into bed to get some well-needed rest, I was that tired I didn't hear Edward get up to go.

When I awoke I realised it had been on my own time and not because the twins had woke me, Anne sat in the chair on the far side of the room with Eliza in her arms.

"Morning, I hope you don't mind. I came to see you and she was just waking up, thought you might want some adult company today" I knew what she meant and was grateful for her offer, I suppose it might have helped sway her to come and visit whilst the tutor she thought looked nice would be in our study.

"That would be nice, let me sort the twins and Charlotte out and I'll be right down" I picked up a mumbling Grace and went to change her.

"Why don't I change these two and let you feed them, then I'll go sort out Charlotte and we can meet in the garden by the shade?"

"Would you mind?" I didn't want to push her offer too far, it was kind enough that she had offered to help, I didn't want her to feel used.

"I wouldn't have offered to if I didn't want to, stop worrying I'm here all day. The taverns getting a new roof" somewhere in my memory I remembered her telling me about it. I got to work feeding Grace whilst Anne dug out clothes and a clean nappy for both of them, by the time Grace had finished feeding we swapped twins and I fed Eliza.

"I'll put Grace in here for now and go sort out Charlotte" when they were both sorted I took them downstairs and placed them in the spare cot we'd been given, I'd added wheels to it as soon as I could making it a lot easier to move outside. Making sure they were fully in the shade I lay down in the sun taking in its heat, it wasn't long till Anne joined me with Charlotte.

"Why don't you tell mummy what you had for breakfast?" Charlotte didn't know many words, in fact she only knew five. Those five were mummy, daddy, Annie because she didn't like saying Anne, ship and porridge.

"Porridge" she'd learnt the word rather quickly after deciding she liked it and amused us by saying that when she knew it was breakfast time. The word ship she had learned due to her now loving being out on the sea, although since having the twins Edward never really goes out with her on the ships.

"How are you finding being a mother the second time around?"

"Truthfully, its been a lot harder than last time already but saying that, I wouldn't change anything for the world. Even at night when I've had no sleep and one of them can't stop crying they somehow make me smile, I suppose its when you've stopped them crying or how they know who you are that makes the love and bond I have with them stronger" Charlotte comes back over to us after running around for a bit and sits in my arms "I would have struggled to cope if they had been born first, I'm glad I knew what I was doing in a sense"

"How has Jennifer and Charlotte taken to them?"

"They love them, always asking if they can hold them or Jenny always wants to help out. I think with her being alone for so long she's grateful to have siblings to dote over" Jenny has been brilliant, always making sure I'm okay or that Charlotte doesn't sit playing alone. After her tutoring lessons she always reads to them all, so I make sure that when I tuck her into bed that I read her a story. It's helped us bond a lot better.

"How do you think Jennifer's taken to you?" it's weird answering this question, I'll never truly know how she sees me. If she saw me as this woman that took her father from her mother, or if she does see me as a friend and someone that she can trust.

"I hope she likes me, I'd hate for her to see me as some stepmother who went out of her way to ruin what Edward had with Caroline. I don't know what she was told about me or what Caroline told her about why Edward wasn't there. It's not something to ask a young girl though is it, how was your lessons today and if you don't mind me asking do you like me?" I sigh to myself "I'd like to think everything's okay, if it wasn't I don't suppose she would help me out like she does or talk to me as much"

"I'm happy for you Mary I truly am, its good to see everything sorting itself out and I'm truly grateful to you and Edward for helping me out like you have. You've been better to me than I thank you for, but if I can be blunt" I nod for her to say her piece "I wondered if you would want me to help out more, with the twins I mean" I struggled to find the words to say what I wanted to nicely to Anne

"I can't thank you enough for your offer, I take no offence from it, in fact, I'm honoured you would be willing to help out. But, I don't want your help your my friend I don't want to make you feel like you're only here to help with the kids. I'd like to see you more, as friends though not as a nanny to the kids" her smile lets me know that it's fine "Edward will have the books up to date by tonight so we could always just spend some time together"

"As long as you're sure"

"I'm sure" I moved to hug my friend and we spent the rest of the day relaxing together until the twins wanted lunch, she went into her house just after two. I lay the twins down for their afternoon nap and let Charlotte sleep in my arms. I had sorted lunch out so there was enough for us and Jenny when she had finished for the day. When she was dismissed she came running to where I was sat.

"Is she asleep?" I looked down to Charlotte to find her watching me, either she had just woke up or she had been lying there awake for a while "I thought I could read her some poems I learnt today"

"I'm sure she'd like that" I set her down on the floor whilst Jenny selected which one she would read to her, I smiled at the scene before me. I never thought I would be a mother or even act as a woman again, but I knew that I had made the right choice when I'd moved back to Inagua over two years ago. This island had given me so much more than money and wealth that ships gave me, it had given me a chance at life and I was going to enjoy every minute of it.

Sorry this chapter was all Mary, just wanted to show what she was going through. Edward shall be around more next chapter I promise.