Alexandra

Chapter Eight

For the next three weeks, Alexandra did nothing but attend whatever social gathering she was forced to and worry as she waited for word from Richard.

She'd written multiple times to his residence, but her letters had gone unanswered for a week until his footman had finally written her a little note explaining that Richard had packed up some things the night he'd received the letter and made for Exeter in a hurry. She could only hope that everything was alright.

"Are you still fretting?" Emily asked grumpily after dinner one night, crossing her arms over her bursting stomach.  The baby was supposed to have arrived nearly a week before, but the stubborn little angel had yet to make an appearance and was putting their poor Mama through more stress than she needed. "I know Richard is a dear friend of yours, but I am quite sure he shall be perfectly fine."

"Thank you for that lovely reassurance." Allie said bitterly, pouting as Cassandra shot her a quelling look across the table. She had not left Emily's side since the beginning of her ninth month, and had even convinced Kit that they ought to stay with the three of them, ready to assist the second she was needed. Allie wished she had a friend as good as that, but she knew that she did not. Richard did not count for he was a man.

"Why is everyone so dull?" Nate demanded as he all but sauntered into the room cheerily, his demeanour entirely relaxed, a stark contrast to the three women, who were wound up and preoccupied, all for various reasons. Kit followed soon after Nate, both his children in his arms as he crooned softly to them. Juliette and Henry fidgeted at the sight of their Mama, and Kit carefully carried them to the settee and put them down by Cassie before sitting on her other side himself, just as Henry clambered into her lap, playing with her hair.

"We all are quite preoccupied, I suppose." Emily informed him, managing her first smile of the day as he sat beside her and pulled her feet into his lap. Both her siblings were lucky enough to have such loving marriages, and Allie wondered if that was something she would ever experience or if all the good men had been snatched up.

"I, for one," Emily continued with a little sigh, much to her husband's amusement, "Am waiting for our son to finally decide to stop torturing his poor mother."

"I am sure our daughter will arrive as soon as she can." Nate replied with a silly smile, making the others in the room giggle.

"I'm sure he will." Emily countered, before widening her eyes and raising a hand to her stomach, "And, Nate, I also believe you are going to have to send for the doctor and the midwife because our son appears to have heard our pleas for him to meet us soon." Everyone paused at Emily's admission for a moment, attempting to process it.

Finally, a moment later, Nate sprang into action and ran for the door, calling for a footman to fetch him the doctor and the midwife. Cassandra beamed and set her son down on the settee before rushing excitedly towards Emily and helping her to her feet, making happy little comments throughout. Kit rose to help Cassie with Emily, while Allie simply stood from her seat, wondering what she ought to do. There didn't seem to be any tasks for her to perform as maids came rushing in at all the commotion Nate had caused and Cassandra barked various orders at them.

Allie hadn't been very helpful during either of her sister's two births. She'd been in the room and held one of Cassie's hands while Kit held the other— although men were not supposed to be present while a woman was giving birth, Kit had refused to leave his wife— but she had not been very helpful at all with the process, apart from lending an encouraging word or two.

Now, Emily would have Nate and Cassandra as there was no chance that Nate would ever let his wife go through something so painful without being by her side throughout. Allie would only get in the way if she was in the room. She and Kit would simply have to wait for the baby's arrival.