Copyright to VedaPettigrew
Rosannah watched Henry holding their new daughter, Hebe, on his arm. He was talking softly to her as she surveyed their other children suspiciously, still unsure how she felt about having older siblings. She was the latest addition to their family and had arrived only a few days previous.
Earlier this week they had received a missive from Theodore, telling them that a friend of his, a single father, was no longer able to take care of his daughter and asking whether they would consider taking her in. Although it had come out of the blue, he knew that they were hoping to expand their brood of five and had been particularly hoping for another girl as they only had one, their youngest.
They had replied that they were willing to meet her, though Rosannah was worried that the father might wish to reclaim her, so she decided to think of it as only looking after her until she had to return.
She knew such a thing would not be easy, especially once they got to know her, but she would break her heart to do the right thing for a little girl who needed adults to make good decisions for her.
The next day brought a tiny tot of a thing, trembling on her uncle's arm. Her large solemn eyes continually swept around her, taking everything in silently. It had been wretched to see the worry and confusion on her face, and both she and Henry felt overwhelmed with compassion for her, wanting to help her and heal her and welcome her into their family.
Once Theodore told them her story in more detail, Rosannah knew that little Hebe would be staying forever. She felt relief that caused her some guilt in the face of the sad tale, but she knew that the girl would have stability and love in their family for the rest of her days.
Ned Blakely had been one of Theodore's old school chums. They had become friends despite the fact that Ned had been seen as an outsider. Ned was a sponsored boy, an orphan, unwelcome, and constantly bullied to make sure he knew his place in the world.
Knowing Theodore, Rosannah very much believed that that was the actual reason for their friendship, for he was as thoughtful and kind as the rest of his family.
She snorted a little when she imagined the reactions of their peers if she were to speak to them of Henry in such terms, for even after more than a decade as a husband and father, his reputation was as fearsome as ever.
It was not in truth, entirely unwarranted, for the softer he was with them and those that deserved it, the harder he was upon those who threatened their happiness or peace.
Ned and Theodore had kept in touch over the years, though not fastidiously because Ned associated with some nefarious people. Two years ago Theodore had spoken to Henry, saying that he was at the point of breaking contact because Ned was getting into some terribly dishonest schemes.
But then little Hebe came along.
Her mother died in childbirth and Ned, though not being married to the woman, did the decent thing and acknowledged Hebe as his own.
Theo felt like he could be of some use and, wanting her to have some stability, he began to visit more often to spend as much time with her as he could, titling himself Uncle Theo. Hebe loved her uncle and the feeling was returned, evidenced by the many tales he would tell about her on every visit.
It was a good thing indeed that she had someone she loved and trusted so, for the day of the missive, it turned out that Ned had been caught red-handed in a serious theft and would be going to prison for a long time.
There was no possibility he would get let off, but even if he did, he had asked Theodore to find a good family for Hebe. He knew that his life would never be steady, he had no thought of giving up his criminal ways and loved her enough to let her go.
As she was happier with Uncle Theo being around, they had asked him to stay a few nights and he had readily agreed. He was planning on leaving tomorrow as there was business in London that could not be delayed further, so they decided to practise what life would be like without him nearby. He was currently working in his bedchamber, far away so that he would not feel the need to run to her, should she be upset.
Henry had broached the possibility that Theodore himself could take guardianship of Hebe as they already had a loving relationship, but he had refused, saying, "She will be happier with you in the long run. I am already Uncle Theo and we will always have a special bond. That is enough for me."
Fortunately, he looked enough like Henry, though a little smaller and not nearly as handsome in her mind, that little Hebe had forged an attachment to her husband quite quickly. Rosannah was gracious enough not to be offended and determined to enjoy her moments with the girl when they came.
Henry was an excellent father, wanting to spend time with his children more than most others she knew. Nanny was forever fussing that she never got to do her job properly. She was currently standing at the side of the lawn watching as her charges played happily together, ready to take them up for luncheon when the time came.
Rosannah walked over to tell her that they could all eat together in the family dining room. She was glad to know that Nanny would accept it with ease nowadays, though there had been a great deal of good-natured but blustery huffing back in the day. The very idea that they had a downstairs family dining room was beyond peculiar to most, Nanny included.
According to almost all of her peers, children belonged upstairs in the nursery, out of sight as much as possible. But it was not what they wanted. Their existence was still so miraculous to her and Henry that the idea of hiding away the littlest members of their family seemed utterly ridiculous.
She knew that despite Nanny's blustering, she had very much loved working for parents who actually wanted to be with their children. Over time, Nanny had come to accept, as had all their staff, that she worked for a very unique family.
It amused her when new staff members prompted them all to remember how unusual their ways were, for it was so normal to everyone now. Their shock at seeing such friendly casualness between staff and family, even when visitors came, reminded Rosannah that they were not the customary type of family and Amblethorpe was not the usual type of estate.
Henry had made her feel confident enough that standing out from the crowd no longer bothered her. As he pointed out often in the early years of their marriage, they were rich and titled enough that they would never be cut from society, so why bother fitting in with the crowd and be uncomfortable in their own skin? Especially a crowd that had many people they did not particularly care for anyway.
They were known as eccentric among the ton, but he had been right, their company was often desired, their opinions often sought. An invitation to Amblethorpe was considered a prize, and despite the strangeness of their home, she had heard regularly through the gossip pages, that anyone who came, left feeling delightfully relaxed, and happier than they had in months.
She was glad her parents were no longer a part of her life for they would be furious with her delight at such a thing. She knew some scant details about their lives, for Henry ordered an occasional report on them. The main thing was that although they were both living quiet separate lives, away from society, neither of them had changed in behaviour very much and they had lost many servants due to their tempers. However, she did not concern herself with thinking about them much anymore, apart from a prayer every now and then.
It was their loss, for her life was a grand one indeed.
She smiled as she watched their oldest son Elijah being chased by his four younger siblings across the frozen lawn, shouts and laughter pervading the air. They needed to run, to keep their little bodies warm in this cold winter weather.
"Come on Dot," Nathan called to his little sister, using the name they had bestowed on her when she was a tiny baby, for she seemed too small to be a Dorothea, but perfect to be a Dot. He held out his hand and pretended to run fast, but without going anywhere. She shrieked excitedly and grabbed his hand so they could run after their big brother together.
The sight warmed her heart, as did the way Henry had wrapped Hebe up so much that she looked like a fat bird with two tiny feet sticking out of a round bundle of blankets.
Hebe was close in age to Dorothea, who was three years. She was just ten months younger and Rosannah desperately hoped that they would be close friends, that they would lean on one another throughout their life, laugh and gossip together, and very likely moan about their four protective older brothers.
It would be a big adjustment for an only child like Hebe to come into such a big family - six children including her. Three children born to them, three adopted in. She would need patience and love to get settled in and feel fully part of them.
But it was nothing they had not done before and she was sure that their experience with the twins, Clement and Nathan, would help them through the tricky transition. It had taken quite some time for Nathan to believe he was loved, and more to realise that in his new parents' minds, there was no difference between him and their natural children. They were all equally loved, equally accepted, and equally family.
And if had been a long journey for Nathan, Clement's was even longer. He had been angry at the world for a long time. But no longer. He eventually accepted everything that she and Henry were offering.
The first time he had smiled at someone other than Nathan, Rosannah had serenely left the room and rushed to her study to burst into tears of happiness that her son would not understand. Henry had followed her, wrapping her into his arms and, although he swore it was not true, she was certain he had shed a tear himself.
Elijah was the best oldest son that existed in the entire world as far as she was concerned. He was patient and loving towards his siblings, never getting jealous or resenting the new additions, always teaching them some new thing he had discovered, and often taking them on adventures around the grounds.
She knew that if they were with him, they were safe, and was proud to know that the same could not be said of many ten year old boys.
She would miss him desperately when he finally went to school. They would keep him home as long as possible, but as Henry said, learning how to build relationships outside the family, and the inevitable alliances he would form at school, would be invaluable for the rest of his life and no amount of tutoring would equal those opportunities, so they would not be able to escape it forever.
It did not mean she was happy about it though, and she knew in truth that Henry felt the same.
It was a comfort to know that Elijah would come back to them, for he would inherit Amblethorpe and needed to learn everything about it. It was perfect that he would be the head of the family one day, for he loved the estate and was constantly trying to emulate Henry. He truly cared about people, he was thoughtful and kind and also very intelligent. He was most definitely following in his father's footsteps,
He had already suggested building houses for all his siblings so that they would always have a home at home. It brought tears to her eyes when he came up with the idea, and even more when he had casually said last night that he knew the perfect place for Hebe's cottage.
She watched as the little fat bundle wriggled in Henry's arms, demanding to be put down.
"I think she will fit in here very well," Nanny said approvingly as she ran towards her new siblings, wanting to join in their games. "She seems quite confident already."
"I hope so, Nanny," Rosannah sighed. "She will have to learn a whole new way of life. But she does have youth on her side - that will help."
"Indeed. Plus, that child needs nurturing, she has suffered a great deal for only being alive a couple of years," Nanny said wisely. "And who better to nurture her than four older brothers and a sister, all bursting with love? Why, even surly Clement dropped his permanent frown eventually, and he only had Elijah and Micah to love him out of his shell. Look at him now," she announced proudly.
Rosannah watched as her son crouched in front of little Hebe and showed her something in his hand. When he first came, she would have worried it was a cruel trick, but no longer.
It was wonderful, and something she attributed to each person in her family and close friends, plus their household, who loved the churlish boy and had infinite patience with him, as they did with all her children.
Rosannah and Henry encouraged everyone in their two households to love and raise their children, to treat them like family, to feel secure enough to speak to them with ease, to laugh and joke with them, even to correct them gently when necessary. In turn the children were shown how to run a household with love instead of lordliness and duty.
Their wonderful household that was always growing, for there was always somebody who needed work. It was their duty, as managers of the Lord's money, to do whatever they could for their fellow humans, and a pleasure to ensure that none of their servants had to work to the point of dropping.
It had been Elijah who drew their attention to the plight of their staff, when he made Lettie, one of their maids, sit down with them when she brought their tea one day. He had been only three and yet had noticed her exhaustion, patting her cheek and saying 'sleepy'. It was discovered that another maid was sick and she was covering both roles.
Letty had been mortified by his noticing, fearing her position, but Rosannah had been so impressed with his compassion that she served the maid herself, much to his delight. The sweet giggles he shared with Lettie made the girl relax, and upon seeing her face lighten, Rosannah decided they should increase the number of servants so they would never have to suffer that way again. Letty was almost a child herself and like everyone, deserved to enjoy life, not merely suffer through it.
When she informed both housekeepers to hire more staff, enough that everybody could work a little less, after the initial shock, which she had been glad to see she was still capable of doing after four years, they had thanked her profusely.
Then she and Henry got a range of beautiful hand-made gifts. Flowers, carved ornaments, drawings, knitted items, and samplers. Their staff showing their honest appreciation of being shown such unique kindness.
It was wonderful.
Though Maisie was no longer her maid, they still close and never hesitated to speak freely with each other, there was no fear of betrayal between them. When Maisie had married five years past, to one of the estate gardeners, Rosannah had hired Clover, one of the children that aged out of the orphanage, to work alongside her so that she could be at home more.
Then, when Maisie's first babe arrived, she finished working at the house. But as she still lived in the grounds, they made a point to visit each other often. Rosannah knew her children regularly went to Maisie's little cottage, having been invited for 'secret' picnics that neither party kept secret from her!
Clover was just as trustworthy as a ladies maid and they had built up a good relationship over the years to each of their delight.
Nanny had also been a great find. Most nannies took themselves too seriously, had too many rules about how to raise children and got very indignant any time they felt threatened. Not so Nanny Rebekah. She was a treasure of love and flexibility, despite her earlier habit of muttering under her breath at all the strange ways of her employers.
She certainly loved the children, not considering them as merely her job.
They had recently proposed hiring another girl from the orphanage to come and train under her. The six children would benefit from an extra pair of hands, an extra person to play with when one of them was needing more attention than usual.
Nanny had been reluctant until they were able to make her realise it was not a bad reflection on her, but a good one. She had so much knowledge to offer, any girl under her tutelage would be able to get a job easily.
Rosannah snorted to herself at that thought, for nobody ever left. It would be like tearing off an arm to lose anyone, so they never asked them to go. They were sure to have a village by the time the children were fully grown. Especially if Elijah built all the extra worker's houses he was planning alongside his siblings' ones.
Hebe eyed whatever was in Clement's hand and then smiled up at him sweetly and Rosannah's heart bounced. The first smile.
She turned to Henry and revelled in the joy on his face upon seeing the same thing. He turned to her to make sure she was a part of it and grinned excitedly when their eyes met. She went to him and, as always, he tucked her under his arm and kissed the top of her head. It still made her feel tingly, even after eleven years of marriage and she wrapped her arm about his waist.
"Nanny says that Hebe will do well here, she thinks that being cherished by five older siblings is what she needs, despite being an only child," she said softly.
"Well, Nanny is always right," he announced loudly, nodding at her over Rosannah's head, causing Nanny to blush at the high praise.
"That is true," Rosannah agreed, smiling at the women who was helping raise such fine children.
The weather eventually drove them indoors, rushing to the warmth of the family dining room, which in truth was a nursery of sorts. A room that was permitted to be roughed up, spilt on, played in, and generally free to get messy, having been designed with children in mind.
Nobody except family and members of the household had ever been permitted entrance. Its existence was a secret, for they wanted nobody to intrude on their special haven. It was a room of comfort and laughter, and belonged only to them.
In a few weeks it would be bustling. They were hosting Christmas this year and she knew her children were excited to see their cousins.
Sophia and James had been clever enough to have three children around the same time as her and Henry's. Their twin boys were eight, Micah's age, and their daughter was six, the same age as their own twins. And, despite being a girl, she had won them over with her love of tricks and mischievousness. In fact, her influence had greatly helped the boys feel part of the family when they arrived.
Therefore, each visit was highly anticipated on both sides and as her children kept asking how much longer, she had begun a countdown upon the chalkboard.
She was also longing to see dear James and Sophia, for though they were regular visitors to each others homes, each time was so full of laughter and enjoyment that she was writing to see them again almost immediately afterwards.
James was still his outrageous self, full of life, and as Sophia had her own impetuous mischievousness, they matched perfectly.
It was no wonder their daughter was so adorably cheeky.
Grandmama would also come and stay overnight for a week, for none of them wished her to be travelling in the cold night air every evening, even though the dowager cottage was not far.
And finally Theodore would be coming, bringing a few close friends to fill up their home even more. It was jolly good timing, for when little Hebe had to say goodbye to her uncle, he would be able to promise to return very soon.
Rosannah sank in front of the fire, Dorothea in her arms. She looked ready to drop, though they were encouraging her to stay awake for luncheon. In truth, she was of an age to stop her naps, but she still seemed to need them, and there was no hurry, so they would carry on for now.
Hebe eyed Dorothea with suspicious interest, eventually abandoning Clement's legs and tottering over. Rosannah moved Dorothea and made space for Hebe to join them if she wished.
The little tot sat on the floor, supposedly ignoring the offer, but every time Rosannah looked away, the she bumped her bottom closer. Henry caught her eye, amusement twinkling on his face, but she suppressed her own smile, lest Hebe realise her sneaky plan had been discovered.
Eventually, after a good few minutes, she found a second girl on her lap. Hebe thrust her thumb into her mouth and twisted her tiny fingers in her hair, twirling it round and round. Dorothea looked at her for a moment, then leaned forward to touch Hebe's hair as well.
It was a sweet moment as the tiny tot not only accepted the touch, but returned it. Rosannah treasured it as another small part of Hebe's transition into their family.
Within minutes, the two girls were fast asleep against her breast. Hebe's noisy sucking had diminished but her hand was firmly trapped in Dorothea's hair, while Dorothea returned the favour with one hand, the other still gripping her mother's dress.
"Luncheon will have to be delayed somewhat," Henry announced softly.
"Pshht," Nanny said. "We could have an indoor picnic, the two tired babes can eat when they wake."
"Tot and Dot," Rosannah chuckled softly.
"Tot and Dot?" Henry asked.
"I keep thinking of Hebe as a little tot, and as it matches Dot so well, I think it to be a perfect nickname," she explained, smiling down at the pair in her lap.
"Good idea," Henry approved. "I think it might help her feel part of the family, to have a rhyming name with her sister."
He moved to sit behind her, leaning on the sturdy Chesterton chair so that he would be able to support her, then wrapped his arm around her, careful not to disturb the babes.
She caught a few rolling eyes as her children watched the oft-repeated gesture. They were torn between loving their parents' open affection and finding it weird, as all children do.
He looked over her shoulder. "Seeing them like this is wonderful," he murmured in her ear.
"I know," she whispered, "I could watch them forever. Though I am very thankful that you are there," she relaxed against him, resting her stiff body. He hummed contentedly and kissed her hair.
In no time at all, the children were adding occasional groans to their rolling eyes as Henry hand-fed his wife, who had no hands to spare. He laughed at their attitudes, not so loudly that he woke the girls, but in good enough humour that the boys were soon laughing along with him.
"Just you wait boys, this will be you one day. Just make sure you marry someone you respect and love, and this life will be yours."
"Eeww, no way," Nathan groaned. "I am never getting married."
Nanny and Henry laughed, promising him that they would indeed see him wed one day.
"Here you are Mama," Micah, their second oldest said, bringing the plate of figs closer to Rosannah. "I know you love these the most."
"Thank you my darling boy," she smiled at him, trying her best to hide her revulsion for the fruit that Henry had forced upon her throughout her three pregnancies. When she had been carrying Dorothea, Micah had noted the frequency that his father had brought them to her, and mistakenly believed it was because she enjoyed them so much.
She would never disabuse the notion, for she prized the way he cared for her when it was not forefront in his nature. Unlike his older brother, Micah was wild and would live in the gardens all the time if he could. She could never let him look after the little ones alone, not because he did not love them, for he truly did, but he was more forgetful and prone to think about what was directly in front of him.
So when he showed any thoughtfulness, she revelled in it. She was not worried about his nature, she knew that his well of love ran deep, it was just that his mind was full of mud pies and treehouses, foxes and flowers.
He smiled at her, shovelling in his mouth a piece of beef that should have been cut three times at least before being eaten, and love flooded through her. It regularly did when she thought about her children. He rolled his eyes at her expression, though he smiled secretly as he bowed his head, and nudged closer to her.
Her heart swelled at the gesture.
"We have a fine family, wife," Henry murmured in her ear.
She leant her head against his, "That we have, Grayson. I am so happy. I never believed it possible to be this happy."
He discreetly kissed her neck, "I am glad my beloved, for I adore you and want nothing but the best for you." He planted another kiss. "I am happy too, as you must already know. I knew it was a brilliant idea to marry you, but it is so much more perfect than I ever imagined."
He brought his lips to her cheek, hiding his affectionate caresses from the rest of the room.
"I love you, Rosie," he added huskily.
She sighed dreamily, he was still her favourite person, not including their children who ranked equally alongside him. It was an incredible thing, to be married to the person you liked as well as loved.
She turned her head and met his lips briefly, not wishing to torture their children too much.
"I love you too Grayson," she hummed dreamily, then giggled. "Though you know you are taking at least half of those dratted figs."