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.
The next hour was simply a flurry of movement. Allie tried to stay out of the way, while Kit took charge of the children, Cassie took charge of preparing for the birth and Nate ran around without knowing what he was doing as they all anxiously awaited the doctor and midwife. Finally, upon their arrival, they were ushered into the room that had been prepared for Emily, and Nate and Cassie followed them in.
"This shall take quite a while." Kit reminded Allie, "So I think I shall go put the children to sleep. One of the maids can watch over them after. I shall return as soon as possible, alright?"
"Of course." Allie agreed, squeezing his hand. Her brother-in-law was extremely sweet, and treated her like his own sister. The attention and the pampering was always welcome.
Allie knew she would only be in the way if she followed the others into the room. She, like Kit, would have to wait outside. Traditionally, Nate would also be stationed outside the room or, perhaps, in his study with Kit, whiskey in hand to toast the new arrival. However, both her brother and brother-in-law loved their wives far too much. Allie didn't know, however, whether Nate would be able to withstand the sound of Emily's screams without pulling his hair out.
For the next five hours, Allie waited with the Kit in the corridor, anxiously chewing her nails as she shifted constantly in the chair one of the footmen had been kind enough to bring for her. Kit was seated in another chair beside her, appearing considerably calmer.
"How can you be so relaxed?" Allie demanded with a sigh, more nervous than frustrated. Only two weeks before a lady in their distant acquaintance had died during childbirth, her newborn son barely making it through the ordeal. "What if something happens to her?"
"Allie," Kit began in his best reassuring tone, his words as smooth as warm butter and just as soothing. "I lived through this twice with Cass, as did you. It is horrible, it is painful and it is terrifying, but you mustn't assume the worst every single time. You must remain calm throughout and under no circumstances must you allow yourself to be pessimistic of the outcome. That is the only way you shall remain sane by the end of it."
Alexandra tried her best to take his words to heart, and calmed her breathing somewhat. Their vigil lasted an hour longer and, finally, the screams ceased and the sound of a baby wailing filled the air. Allie's heart hammered in her chest once more as she waited with bated breath for one of the others to exit the chamber.
Finally, a few minutes later, Cassie stepped out with the physician and midwife, all three appearing weary. Cassandra bade a quick goodbye to the other two, before turning to face the expectant Allie and the much more stoic Christopher.
Finally, her face erupted into a smile and Allie found she could now fully relax, her worst fears clearly not having come to pass. Cassandra then spoke, her tone light and easy, "It's a little boy. He's absolutely beautiful and Emily is perfectly fine. Not a thing went wrong from beginning to end. The physician recommends that we keep a watchful eye just in case and I offered to sit with her, but Nate refused outright. I can't say I see him leaving her side or the baby's any time soon."
"That's wonderful." Kit said, grinning widely. Allie nodded, her thoughts flying elsewhere as she exultantly considered the idea that she was an aunt for the third time now. He would be as lovely as both his parents, and she could not wait to meet him. Hopefully, she would soon be able to.
"Are they discussing what to name him?" Allie asked impatiently, wanting desperately to see the baby and hold him. She was, of course, ecstatic that Emily was well too but now that the fact was confirmed she could be focused entirely on her little nephew.
"I am not sure." Cassandra admitted, taking a seat on the arm of Kit's chair and allowing him to slip his hand into hers, their fingers intertwining. One day, perhaps, Allie would have that. Unfortunately for her, it did not seem as if she was fated to have true love. "I thought they might like some privacy to celebrate the newest addition to their family, so I decided to leave them be for a little while. When they are ready, I'm sure Emily will send Nate out to tell us anything they might need to share with us."
It was as if Nate's entrance had been cued, for that was the exact moment he chose to quietly step out of the room, a little bundle in his arms that he couldn't keep himself from staring down at with an awe-filled gaze, almost as if he was not able to believe that this was his son.
"Everyone, I would like you to meet Alexander John Whitlock." Nate introduced, and Allie gasped at the sound of his name, "Alex, this is your Aunt Cassandra, Uncle Kit and Aunt Allie. They'll help Mama and I take care of you every moment of your life." He whispered to the baby, and Allie felt her heart expand with love at the sight.
"Alexander?" She inquired, a little gasp escaping from her lips as she watched Nate, who handed Alex over to Cassandra to hold and admire.
"Yes, I think it's a lovely name. Emily and I were, in fact, discussing only a few days ago how our baby's aunts and uncle would forever be prepared to look after him and take care of him and love him and spoil him. That was when we made the decision. Alexander has been named for one of his lovely aunts and his godparents shall be Cassie and Kit. Do you accept?" This made absolute sense to Alexandra for there was no one Emily could ever trust more with her son's life than Cassie.
"Of course we accept!" Kit agreed happily in Cassandra's stead, for she was too overcome with emotion to respond. Her eyes shone with unshed tears of joy and Allie was sure Cassandra was in no state to form a coherent sentence. Not for the first time, Allie wished she had a friend whom she loved and who loved her as much as Emily and Cassandra loved one another.
"Here." Kit said, and she extended her arms, eyes widening as he placed Alexander into them. He was tiny, with a little tuft of Nate's blond hair. She wondered whether, when he opened his eyes, he would have his father's warm brown eyes or his mother's striking grey ones. Either would look lovely on him.
"He's beautiful." She found herself whispering to no one in particular, her gaze not moving from her baby nephew. Nate preened like the proud father he was at the compliment, and Alexandra swayed him in her arms for a moment or two longer before Cassandra gestured for her to hand him over so that she might hold him again. Allie did so without complaint, for Alex was so tiny that she feared she would drop him and he would break.
It was a perfect moment, and it would have been even more perfect if she didn't have her worries about Richard hanging over her head, weighing her down.
All she could do now was spend time with her family and pray that he was alright and nothing ill had come to pass.