As the weeks kept adding up and growing, so did the love between Charles and Mary. After she allowed him everything, all the pieces of her heart, it seems as though their love for each other turned a new page. It became sweeter and deeper. Their masks have come off completely, which has built a new level of trust.
It's funny because to be at court one is trained in the arts of being fake and disingenuous. Fake is what all the well-to-do, fancy lords and ladies of nobility wear. Everyone is in style. Never trusting anyone. It's hard to trust when all you have is past evidence of why you should not. And that's the key, bringing new evidence to light for reasons why you should. It's chipping away at the past imperfect views, a little bit every day like a master craftsman creating a beautiful work of art.
That's what both Charles and Mary have done for each other. She knows how he broke her walls down, but she doesn't really know how much she did the same for him. One day he'll tell her. Trust is one of the key ingredients in having a real relationship. The other is respect. Without which love cannot live. During their bedroom conversations, at the beginning of their marriage, one of the sweetest things he ever said to her is "I love all the parts of you, even those you refuse to give anyone." That's how she knew she could trust him. They already have a great relationship, but now it's better in so many fine ways.
Another thing that grew is Charles's health. It continued to grow and to improve. By week five the wound was no longer raw. Doctor Pearce praised Mary's care of it as being the reason it's healing so fast. Of course, Charles knew this even before the doctor mentioned it. He wore a smug, proud look on behalf of his wife. By week seven the stitches fell out and the wound is completely healed. Now only a scar will be left, but Mary took to researching how to make scar damage minimal.
When she looks at his scar she sees healing. He was stronger than what tried to hurt him. It's part of his story of survival. It's like he told her "I wear my scars on the outside, but you wear yours inside." He pointed to her heart. And she supposes he's right. Not all scars are able to be viewed. The hurt is over. The wound is closed. It's done with unless you pick at it. Then it opens back up again. That's something she's trying to stop doing, picking at her "dad scars".
After finding what she thought would be the best scar reduction route, Mary traipsed off to the town. At the herb shop, she and Joan scoured the store looking for the item she needed. There, high on a shelf of oils, is the bottle of liquid gold— argan oil. The price is expensive, right up there with frankincense. However it's for a good cause, so she bought it. Then proceeded to encourage her husband to use it and he would, provided she was the one who put it on him. Not because he had naughty ideas, although from the way he looks at her he probably does, but because he is forgetful.
While his scar is fading, her baby bump is growing and growing and growing. Now mid-April, at ten weeks along, her bump is humongous. She's seen pregnant women before, so she knows what it should look like. But this is ridiculous. It looks like she's eaten two large melons. It's disturbing and she can't help but wonder if there's something wrong.
She's been very quiet about it, not sharing these thoughts with Charles. He shouldn't have to worry if it's nothing, but what if it's something? So she worries and wonders alone. Except her husband is an avid reader of all things Mary Brandon, so he sat her on his lap and asked "What's troubling you?" She started to give him some fluff answer, but he shushed her with a finger to her lips. "I can't help you if you don't tell me. So continue to trust me, please. Tell me what's wrong."
Letting out a sigh of confusion, she explained "I can't help but wonder if there's something wrong with the baby. My bump is SO huge. I've seen pregnant women and it's not this large until later in the pregnancy. I worry is all."
Ironically he had been wondering the same thing, especially since he has not had much association with pregnant women in the past. With this being their first pregnancy he doesn't want to leave anything to chance. "Well there's only one thing to do and that's going to visit Doctor Pearce." They both readied themselves to leave within the hour.
Feeling gross, and extremely large, she wore a flowing gown of a mustard color. This had been paired with a long silk brocade jacket of similar hues. She could care less how she looks right now, what matters is what's going on with their baby. Once the carriage was ready the Duke and Duchess were taken to the doctor. They held hands the whole way, trying not to fret.
The minute they entered the physician's building, Doctor Pearce thought something was wrong with His Highness. He tried to usher the man to a table in the back, but the Duke dismissed him saying "It's not me we're here for. It's my wife." The physician looked at the Duchess and began steering her instead.
The tall physician, apprentice, and nurse entered the room where the Duke and Duchess waited. Doctor Pearce asked them questions to determine the problem. Mary came straight out and told them all the same thing she had told her husband earlier. The doctor then acquiesced to "My daughter. She is more studied in the ways of womenfolk and babies. If something is wrong she can pinpoint it with incredible accuracy."
Mrs. Nevitt came to stand beside Mary. She asked the Duchess to lie on the table, which was easily complied with. Charles stood holding her hand. The quiet but capable, wise woman, questioned if she could use the listening device on the baby bump. Mary nodded yes and Mrs. Nevitt began to listen. Then she began to use her hands pressing this way and that, feeling around on it.
When she was finished a smile graced her face. Her soft, kind voice spoke. "Your Highness, I am happy to tell you everything is fine. There is no cause for alarm. I was listening to the baby's heartbeat. It is strong and healthy. I also felt around for the poles. Each baby born, into the world, has two poles— the head and the bottom."
This sounds understandable. Both Mary and Charles felt at ease with this woman. It's clear she knows what she's doing. "Now here's the interesting part. What I heard and felt was not just a baby—"
"So there's something wrong then?" Mary interrupted. Her heart felt sick.
Mrs. Nevitt tried to assure her. "No, no! Everything is quite alright this I promise. The interesting part I was going to say is that I heard not one baby but two. And I felt them both with my hands, four poles. So everything is fine. You're just having twins, as they are called in academia. Right, father?" She looked to her father at that, who agreed with a hearty yes.
Twins! "But aren't twins bad luck? Aren't they thought to be of the devil," Charles wondered out loud.
All three physicians chuckled. Doctor Pearce spoke. "In some circles yes, but only if they are conjoined." Mrs. Nevitt let them know theirs aren't conjoined, she could feel that with her hands as both babes are positioned differently. But the good doctor went on to explain, "In other social circles they say twins are the existence of two fathers. The woman is ostracized because of it. I think we all in this room know that isn't the case. People make up things to explain away what they don't know. In truth, twins are a very rare case. That's why you don't see many of them. But there's nothing wrong, nothing evil about it. It just means you're twice blessed."
Both Brandon's like this doctor and his helpers. In Charles's opinion, he's more knowledgeable than the quack doctor on call for His Majesty. So he inquired, "Is there anything we should be doing that we aren't already?"
The physician allowed his nurse to speak again. "Yes, actually. Since you're having two babes it's important that you eat more."
Mary immediately burst out with "Oh! Thank the Lord." This made the room laugh. "Now are you saying I can eat twice as much? So if I am craving a crepe with strawberry jam and sugar I can have double that?"
Not helping it, Charles rolled his eyes. "No. You cannot have that. The way you pile the jam and sugar on cannot be healthy for the babes." That was weird to him, saying, babes. It hasn't quite sunk in yet.
She glared at him while Doctor Pearce added his thoughts on this. "I won't lie, My Lady, I tend to agree with your husband on this. Too much sweet can make one sick. Now fresh fruit, on the other hand, you can have as much of that as you like."
His Lordship had the nerve to look smug about it. It just chaff's her nerves. Mrs. Nevitt continued telling them all about having two babies. And then she spoke regarding the delivery. "The delivery process is similar but different too. Since you're having two instead of one, it pushes the due date up some. Most doubles are born earlier."
Mary of course wanted to know the harm in that. Since there's not much written about twins they don't really know. This is why Doctor Pearce asked if she would chronicle her pregnancy. Both Duke and Duchess agreed to do so. If they can help other people then that's wonderful.
But the doctor did tell them, "My daughter and I have birthed tons of babies. We've dealt with many things including hard labor, where I had to surgically remove a babe. I want you to know surgery is one of my specialties. But I don't think it should come to that. From the little, we've read on twins they can be born naturally."
The last question of the day was "Not to be sound vain, because I truly am not. But how large will I get? And will this hugeness be easy to take off?" For the second time in the day, Charles rolled his eyes. She's not fat, instead perfectly rounded with their children.
"You will get much larger. But remember you are having two babes, not one. As with any pregnancy, good diet and exercise will help remove any unwanted weight," Doctor Pearce stated.
Of all the information given at this visit, she did not like this answer. Diet and exercise indeed! Naturally, she knew that. Both she and Charles thanked all three of them and paid them handily for their advice. On the carriage ride back to the estate, the Duke and Duchess were quiet. They sat absorbing all the information presented.
Once back at the manor they had some decisions to make. But first, as they lay on the bed, Charles put his hand on his wife's bump. "We have two in there My Love. Two babes," he babbled.
Smiling, all she could say was "Yes." Her hand came to rest on his. And then she thought of something. "Charles, I promise, you're the only man I've ever known. You're the father of both babes."
He rolled over and stared at her eyes. "I know. That is not an issue." His eyes took in her pained expression. He took her hand into his and stroked her knuckles.
"I know I just don't want people saying those horrible things about our children. As the doctor said, they're a double blessing," she admitted. It bothers her that people could say things like that. Also "I've heard men were forced to set their wives aside for reasons of the same nature."
Kissing her hand, he let it be known "Not now. Not ever. Will I set you aside. These are our babies and to hell what people think." And that made her feel a hundred times better and less anxious. Then he added "But we have some decisions to make. Either we stay here in Wales for the duration of the pregnancy, keeping Doctor Pearce as our doctor, or we go home to Suffolk and use our doctor there. Whatever you want to do, we'll do. I want you to be comfortable."
Wales or Suffolk... it's a difficult choice. Either way, she has to give something up, but "I think I'd like to stay here for now. Doctor Pearce and his daughter know what they're doing, especially with twins it seems. I don't know how much Mr. Hill knows about them or the midwife. The only thing is I really miss is Dot, Lady Flora, and Lady Ashdown."
He stroked her face with his finger. "Lady Dot is easily reconciled. I'll send for her. But Lady Flora and Lady Ashdown are not so easily available. You can letter write as much as you want."
She did not like those words about Lady Flora and Lady Agnes. She misses them. They're the closest thing she has to a mother, notwithstanding Lady Enid (whom she has become close to). But in truth, she just misses her mother, especially right now with being pregnant. They should be sharing in the joy together. Her mom should be telling her all the things a mom should about babies and birth, but instead, her mother is banished to the More. That makes her sad.
Charles knew this was not only about the two older ladies. He knows she misses her mother. There's not much he can do about it, except to write Henry a letter. He can do that immediately. Rather, he tried to get her mind off of it by talking about the ball. They decided to have it the first week of May, which is two weeks away. So the two of them lay there cuddling and discussing the Springtide Ball, as they're calling it.
Over the next two weeks, supplies poured in for the ball. Wine, cases of wine were delivered. His Highness does not want to use up all the wine in the cellar. Response letters from various Welsh and English nobility also arrived. Even King Henry himself responded only to say he could not attend, due to his wife's pregnancy, but "I wish for the success of the ball and for the Welsh territory. May the time be fruitful and frivolous, but also prosperous." Likewise, the other vicious snakes, Wiltshire and Norfolk declined. The fewer of them the better!
Charles continued to ramp up security along the borders. He also strengthened them by rebuilding places that were crumbling or broken. In order to do this, he petitioned The Crown for funds to help the project. Mary assisted him in writing a letter of petition. Between the two of them, the letter was crafted with ease and all the words were eloquent. Within a week's time, the rebuilding proposal was accepted and funds were sent. This is amazing because the Duke did not have to use any of his own private money.
By the beginning of May, the Grand Duke and Duchess had established themselves in Wales. The people approved of them and accepted them as their heads of state. In fact, Charles had copious amounts of men volunteer time to work on the border rebuilding project. Their governance decisions were known to be wise and just. As in Suffolk, the people would come out in droves to air their own petitions and grievances. It is all really encouraging.
With the ball a few days away, Mary received a surprise on Wednesday afternoon. A carriage arrived at Hapus House. In the sitting room, Mary sat perched on the sofa with her feet up on an ottoman reading a book. No sooner had she turned the page than her longtime friend, and lady in wait, Dot burst into the room.
Her blonde hair curled to perfection and her smile lit up her whole face. When Mary rose to greet her, Dot couldn't help but say "Oh my lord! Look at you! You're pregnant! Not that I didn't know this, as you talk about it in your missives, but actually seeing it is different." She really wanted to say her friend looks huge but refrained from doing so. She knows Mary is sensitive about it (as evidenced in the language of her letters).
The two embraced and sat down together, to catch up. Dot told her everything regarding Suffolk and how she loathes Catherine Willoughby. "She's such a whiny, complaining twit. She tried to take over the craft fair and take credit for it. Lady Agnes and I didn't let her. Also, I think she's mental because there's a deep-seated desire for your husband. I mean everyone knows he's handsome, but the way she talks about him almost crosses the line. As Lady Flora says you need to marry the girl off soon."
This made Mary pause. She hadn't thought too much about their ward. In truth not at all. Charles was planning a week's visit to Suffolk at the end of the month. It would not be good for the girl to be around her husband, especially since she (herself) cannot go. What to do with her?
Mid-thought, Dot declared "This is the largest house I've ever seen. I think it's larger than some of your father's palaces. Will you show me around?" Mary did but first introduced her to Duke. When Dot saw him she squealed. "He is cuter than you described in your letters!" She bent down to pet him and Duke, who loves affection, begged to be picked up. So Dot did and carried him around while touring the house.
The blonde-haired friend marveled at all the rooms and architectural elements. Mary introduced her to Lady Enid, and Sir Glyn, who took a liking to Lady Dot straightaway. Once the tour was over the two ladies sat and talked some more. This time they spoke about the ball and the ambush at the border.
Agreeing with the Grand Duke, Dot remarked "I think your husband is right. I wouldn't put it past the Boleyn's and Howard's to plan an ambush. Let's just hope word of your pregnancy doesn't reach their evil ears. If it does we'll have to worry even more about your safety. We can't let anything happen to the babies."
Mary agrees with her friend. Although she just doesn't understand how people can be SO cruel. One has to have an awful lot of hate and live a truly miserable life to want to act unjustly towards their fellow man. That's a sad, sorry state if ever there was one even more so than poverty. The poverty of funds can be amended. However, to be impoverished of the soul is irreparable. Mainly because pride lives there which is disguised as riches and imaginary goodness. Even salt looks like sugar.