Edmund wiped the perspiration from his forehead, also hoping the same thing. If Charlotte was here, then he would not have to deal with all of this alone. Someone would also be free to go and get a doctor to help bring his child into the world. “I will go and check now.”
His footsteps were shaky as he moved towards the front door; he felt weak and trembling. As his fingers curled around the door, and he yanked it open, he almost fell into Charlotte’s arms with relief. He had helped her once upon a time, now it was her turn to return the favour.
“Oh, my goodness, I am so glad that you are here.” Edmund looked at Charlotte with sheer desperation flowing from his expression. “I think that Mary is in labour.”
Charlotte stiffened; she was glad that she was here for this. Having gone through it herself, she knew what a nightmare childbirth could be. Much as she trusted Edmund with her sister, he had proven himself a worthy husband over and over again – she did not think that he was capable of dealing with this by himself.
“Right.” She smiled brightly as she stepped inside. “I will take control now. Edmund, you need to do whatever it is that I say, and Richard, I shall leave you in charge of Johnathon. I hope that is alright.”
The men nodded mutely, both glad to have someone else take control of the situation. Richard had never seen childbirth before, and while Edmund had, it was different now that it was his child. He did not know how to act. Luckily, all he had to do now was exactly as he was told. That he could do ...
***
“Look at our little baby,” Mary cooed as she nestled her face into her beautiful daughter’s face. “She is beautiful, is she not?”
As soon as labour was over, she decided that was an experience that she never wanted to go through again. The sheer agony was intense. It felt like her entire body was being torn to shreds, but staring down at her little girl and inhaling her wonderful new baby scent, she knew that it was all totally worth it. She felt that after some time she might even do it again because the sensation of holding onto a darling baby that was all hers was the best feeling in the world.
“She is lovely,” Edmund agreed as he sat by her side. He had felt useless during the childbirth; it was almost as if there was nothing that he could do, but now his child was here, and he would do all that he could to make up for that. “I think that she looks so much like you, aside from her dark eyes that match mine. What are we going to call her?”
“I have been thinking about it a lot,” Mary admitted coyly. “And I think that I have the perfect name for her.” Her eyes fixed on Edmund, and she waited for his permission to go on. She had not meant to come up with this name without him, but it just felt really right. When Edmund did not continue, she decided that was permission enough. “I was thinking, Elizabeth.”
“Elizabeth?” Edmund mused. He was so in love with his wife that he would have given her anything. He believed that he probably would have agreed to any name that Mary suggested, but he could tell that there was much more to this. It was all in Mary’s tone. “That is a lovely name, but why have you chosen it?”
“It is ... it was ...” Mary looked towards the floor. “My mother’s name. Of course, I did not ever get to know her because she died in childbirth with me, but I would love to honour her with this name. I think that naming our first born after her is lovely. What do you think?”
“I am shocked that you were not more concerned while you were pregnant,” Edmund said without really thinking. “I would have thought that you would be panicked that the same would happen to you.”
Mary smiled to herself. Just like Charlotte, she had been very worried about her own demise while giving birth, but also like Charlotte, she kept it to herself. “I had faith in myself,” she told Edmund just because she did not want to upset him with the thought that she had been suffering all the fears alone. “And I was right too, considering I made it. I would also like to honour your mother too since she helped us and supported us with all of this, so I was thinking Elizabeth Iris Smith.”
Edmund had been just about managing to keep his emotions locked away inside up until this point, but the mention of his mother’s name was enough to cause a tear to roll down his cheek. He missed her a lot, but he knew that she would be doing just fine in England alone. She was a tough woman, one who did not care about rumours and gossip. She would be able to weather anything. It was not always easy to do so, but when his business went that way, he sent letters to her, and he got something back. From that, he got an understanding that she was just fine.
Maybe now that she had a grandchild on the other side of the world, she would want to come to America too. Maybe he would suggest that she leave home and come here in his next letter. She could even bring Daisy with her. Edmund’s business was successful enough that he could keep them both here easily. In fact, he really wanted to, but it would be up to his mother. If she did not want to travel, then nothing could persuade her to do so.
“That is the best idea that I have ever heard,” he said while kissing the top of her head. “And I am sure that Charlotte will love it too when you finally let her into the room.”
“Oh, my goodness.” Mary laughed a little hysterically. She was still very tired from giving birth but was also giddy and excited too. She felt like she could sleep for hours, but that she also might never sleep again just so she could look at her baby. Luckily, it already seemed that Elizabeth was going to be much less fussy than Johnathon. “I forgot that she was here. Send her in; she will be going crazy.”
As Edmund walked off to go and get her sister, Mary nestled into her baby feeling sheer contentment racing right through her body. She thought that she was happy before; she thought that being a wife filled her with happiness, but being a mother was another sensation entirely. She felt more like herself than she had ever done previously. Much as she still did not like what Mr. Walter Thompson had done to her when he stole her life, she was glad for where it had led. It had taken her to her brand new life, and now that she was living it, she would not have changed it for the world.
“Oh, my goodness, is it true?” Charlotte gushed with tears already streaming down her cheeks. “Are you going to call the baby Elizabeth after mother?”
Mary stared at her sister, all of a sudden wondering whether or not this might upset her. She had not considered it beforehand, but since Charlotte had memories of their mother, this could be hurtful. “I am sorry,” she said quietly. “Do you mind?”