“But…?” Rowena glanced down at Georgie’s stomach. “What happened?”
“I lost it,” she said bluntly. “The same day that Sophia lost hers. We had both drunk your tea, which tasted bitter… well, Ithought so, and Mr Fothergill said it was tainted, so I wondered if it had caused the problem, but you’ve been drinking it forever, so it couldn’t be that, could it?”
Rowena was silent for such a long time, her breathing laboured, her hands twisting convulsively, that Georgie wondered if she had offended her all over again. When she spoke, her voice was low.
“I wonder if that was why… I thought… we all assumed I would conceive again very quickly after Caroline. But when it did not happen… month after month I hoped… and nothing happened. Once or twice I was late, and I was so excited, but nothing came of it. It made me so cross and bad-tempered, I even shouted at you, my very best friend in the world. And now I wonder if it was the tea that caused me not to conceive, because now that Hester keeps it locked up I am with child again. That is strange, is it not?”
“Oh, no, no, no!” Georgie cried. “We did wonder, for a while, but even Jamie now accepts that the tea had nothing to do with it. Just a coincidence, and you know how reluctantly Jamie admits to such a thing. Rowena, I’m so happy for you. And I think… IhopeI am with child again, too.”
“Goodness! And so is Sophia! Heavens, there will be three babies all born together. Just think what great friends they will be. This is wonderful, Georgie. You must be thrilled.”
“I shall be thrilled when I hold my child in my arms,” Georgie said firmly. “Not before.”
***
SEVEN MONTHS LATER
Jamie crept into the bedroom on stockinged feet, just in case Georgie or the baby was asleep. He found Georgie sitting up in bed, the baby contentedly suckling at her breast.
“She’s a natural, your wife, Mr ’Ammond, sir,” said Mrs Trout, the village midwife. “Took to it like a duck to water, she ’as.”
“It’s the baby who’s taken to it,” Georgie said, gazing adoringly at the infant’s face.
“Babe’s allus know what’s best for ’em,” Mrs Trout said. “Right, I’ll be off now to get my Jack’s dinner, but my Sally’ll be along in a while. She knows as much as I do now, so you’ll be fine wiv ’er. Back tomorrer.”
She was a large lady who waddled rather than walked to the door. As soon as it had closed behind her, Georgie said, “Tell me all about it. What name have Richard and Rowena chosen?”
“Jane, after Rowena’s mother. Also the duke’s second duchess, but that is not such a happy association so it was not mentioned. No other name, just‘Jane Merrington’and the date of her birth written into the family Bible. The duke does like his little ceremonies.”
“Champagne?”
“Naturally.”
“And the baby? Was she there, too?”
“She was, and very contented. Not at all put out by the many loud voices. She is quite different from her sister — a mass of dark hair, and such big eyes. Strange how much bigger she looks than this little fellow, yet there is only three weeks’ difference between them.”
He gently touched his son’s cheek with one ink-stained finger.
“Are they very cross with me?” Georgie said. “Poor Rowena! Two girls, and I manage to produce a boy at the first attempt.”
Jamie laughed and shook his head. “Oh, they jest about swapping the babies over, but no one minds very much. Rowena is young enough to have a dozen more children, if she needs to.”
“Poor girl!” Georgie said with feeling. “Have Sophia and Mr Payne settled on a name yet?”
“Mary, after Mrs Payne’s grandmother. No ceremony for them, though, not until the Baptism. It will not be until the spring, at the earliest, so that the Payne family can get here in comfort. January is no time to be travelling anywhere except for a life and death emergency.” A tiny fist broke free of its swaddling shawl, and Jamie laughed. “Look at his tiny nails!”
“He is perfect,” Georgie said with satisfaction. “If you offer him a finger, he will grasp it.”
“Really? Like this? Oh, my goodness, he has an iron grip.”
“Mrs Trout says a baby can be lifted clean into the air like that, but it’s not something I’d want to try.”
“Have you thought about a name for him?”
“What do you say to Richard, after the duke?” she said.
“There are already two Richards in the house, and very likely another one to come, if ever Rowena is blessed with a son. What about Claud, after your uncle?”
