Alessandra

by Ann M Pratley

  "You know not to speak to me in such a manner in public, Alessandra - do not do it!" he said, making her giggle even more.

  * * * * *

  Over dinner in their new surroundings, all family came back together once more and Alessandra was overwhelmed by the difference in her father.

  "And did you know…" he kept saying, sharing every small piece of history he had learned about the location, with great excitement.

  Alessandra heard less of what he was saying in words, than what she saw he was expressing in his mannerisms, and she found herself relieved of some of the stress she had held unknowingly deep within her in previous weeks. She realised then the depth of concern she had had, worried that he was going to give up on life, and leave her also.

  After dinner, Margaret brought the children in, who their grandparents fought over for cuddles and smiles with. Edward watched everyone in the room - the combinations of this child with that grandparent - and wondered how his life had become so full, with so many people around him, after his isolation as a child himself. He looked at Alessandra and saw her smile at him, and silently wondered if she was yet eager to become pregnant once again. Sensing in his body the thought of that having an effect on him, he immediately dismissed the idea, but not before his wife saw it on his face.

  * * * * *

  "Yes," Edward heard his wife whisper to him as they lay naked together, already satisfied from the touch of each other's hands and lips.

  Lying on his back with her cuddling into his shoulder, he moved so that he could look at her face directly, and smiled at her.

  "Yes … what, my lovely wife?" he asked, knowing something was churning around in her mind, and saw her look at him in a particular way that made his body immediately reactive once more.

  "Yes, I want you inside me again, Edward. I want us to make another child - it is time."

  "Are you sure, Alessandra?" he asked and saw her look at him with so much love he almost melted into her immediately.

  "Yes, I am rested, and I love Elizabeth and Isabella, but I do want us to have more children, Edward. Do you have objection?"

  Edward kissed her deeply and then pulled away, revealing his desire in his eyes, and started to manoeuvre himself on top of her. Finding himself stopped, he looked at her in surprise, but then his desire moved to another level as he found himself pushed back onto the bed, and his wife moving onto him, down on him, and then nothing except the sensations she produced in him from her movements.

  Chapter Sixty Six

  In the summer the annual hunt was held at Chisholm Manor Estate. This was the third such event that Alessandra had seen in her lifetime, but for Edward and his parents, it seemed to have always been something that occurred every year, naturally, as if it were the house itself that made sure it happened.

  As Alessandra sat outside under a makeshift tent for cover and protection from the sun, she placed her hand on her belly, feeling fluttering inside.

  "How are you feeling, Alessandra?" Edward's mother asked from the chair beside her.

  "I am well, but this one feels different, like it is moving differently from how Elizabeth and Isabella did."

  Margaret listened quietly without speaking, sitting down nearby on a blanket also in the shade, with the two young children with her - one a baby and one at the age where crawling and exploring were well underway. Now instilled completely in the nursery, and no longer doing any of the household chores she always had done before Alessandra had given birth to Elizabeth, she realised sitting there how happy she was in her work, and being around these people as her employers.

  Suddenly Elizabeth made a sudden move to crawl away, and Alessandra saw her mother-in-law immediately leap up and pick her up, making her granddaughter laugh as she felt herself lifted high off the ground.

  Watching on, Alessandra enjoyed seeing how Edward's mother invested time into Elizabeth. For someone who only had one living child, Alessandra thought to herself, she is so wonderful with children. And the thought made her go on to concede how strong her mother-in-law was, to have yearned for children as she had told Alessandra many times she had, and still go on, raising Edward so well, and being a loving wife to his father.

  Her thoughts were diverted by seeing her own father come toward them with a smile on his face.

  "What a happy scene this is, with five such lovely ladies before me," he said happily, making Alessandra smile sincerely at him. He sat down on the rug next to Margaret and started to talk in baby language to Isabella, before turning and redirecting his attentions to his daughter.

  "How are you, Daughter? Is that little one going to arrive today, do you think?" he asked, smiling while glancing meaningfully at her belly. "It is surely time, is it not?"

  Alessandra smiled shyly at her father. "Father, you know she is not due quite yet."

  "She? Oh, how can you be so sure?" he asked, looking so happy, before turning back to Isabella and resuming his baby talk with her once more.

  Everything seemed blissful and peaceful until suddenly one of the riders came galloping back, right up to them.

  "The doctor - someone must go for the doctor at once!" he said with the greatest urgency in his voice.

  Margaret jumped up instantly. "I will alert the housekeeping staff and ask them to go with you on your horse, if you agree. They can direct you to the physician's location."

  It was agreed and Isabella was passed to her grandfather before Margaret ran to the main house. In the meantime, however, Alessandra and her mother-in-law became stricken by the urgent request.

  "But what has happened?" Alessandra asked urgently, immediately feeling her body tense up at horrific possibilities about Edward, appearing in her mind.

  At the same time, the question that escaped her mother-in-law's mouth was, "Who is hurt?"

  The rider took in the picture before him and instantly regretted having ridden in quite as he had. In particular, knowing that Edward's wife was so pregnant, he immediately worried what would happen when he gave the news, but knew he had to.

  He dismounted and came up to the women, both fearful of what they would be told, but where he settled was in front of Edward's mother.

  "I'm so sorry," he started and Alessandra saw her mother-in-law go white. "Mr Chisholm - your husband - has fallen … it does not look good."

  Alessandra's father was now on his feet, with the baby in his arms, facing Edward's mother who was still holding Elizabeth. Immediately he handed the baby to Alessandra and took Elizabeth from her grandmother's hands. At that moment, Margaret ran back to them with a footman beside her, and addressed the rider.

  "This is Paul. He will ride with you and direct you to the physician so you can request he come."

  The two of them quickly mounted and soon had disappeared, leaving everyone in the group silent in shock of the news, and the unknowing.

  Alessandra suddenly felt a pain in her belly but desperately tried to keep it to herself, knowing Edward's mother must be most distressed in that moment. After a few minutes, however, she could not help but let out a cry. Immediately Margaret was with her, taking Isabella from her, and Elizabeth from Alessandra's father. With one child in each arm, she looked desperately at Alessandra's father, trying to encourage him to help with either of the women in front of him, but soon saw he might not be able to help.

  Surprisingly, seeing her daughter-in-law in pain seemed to wrench Edward's mother from her daze and she was then with Alessandra, helping her up and encouraging her to walk to the manor. By the time they reached the front door, it was evident the baby was coming, and chaos descended as housekeeping staff quickly readied the birth chamber and Alessandra was made comfortable. She found herself in a daze, with the pain, like something was not right with this child, and others watched as a fever seemed to catch on her, and she started to drift off in and out of a fitful sleep.

  Meanwhile, downstairs in the foyer, the doctor arrived but as yet there was no sign of Edward or his father.

  "
Where is Mr Chisholm?" he demanded, having believed he had a patient in the manor who required urgent attention. The rider, who had initially alerted them to the fall, appeared once more and immediately left to take the doctor to the location where Edward's father was.

  * * * * *

  "Alessandra," she could hear a voice calling to her from far away, and when she found the strength, she saw her mother-in-law beside her, with the midwife standing behind. "Wake up, child. You have a job to do."

  Alessandra tried to process the words but could not understand what was being said to her, and all she wanted to do was sleep.

  All of a sudden she felt a strong pain rip through her body and she was reminded sharply of where she was and what was happening - she was in labour.

  The midwife came forward and talked to her sternly.

  "Come, now, Mrs Chisholm. You have done this twice before and you know what needs to be done. This little one is eager to come into the world, and is waiting for you to deliver him. Now gather your strength and push!"

  * * * * *

  Edward's mother was torn between wanting to support her daughter-in-law and help her grandchild into the world, but having a feeling inside of her that before the day was out, she would be heartbroken over whatever had happened to her husband.

  Downstairs she waited at the window of the drawing room, looking with the hope of seeing someone - anyone - come to the house to give some news. Behind her, Alessandra's father sat quietly, bringing her cups of tea and small amounts of food to try and help her relax, but in her mind and in her heart she knew the love of her life was already gone from her.

  Suddenly in the distance she could see people - the guests who had come for the hunt, and in front Edward, all riding their horses slowly. As they came closer, she could see her husband - in front of Edward, but slung over, not sitting up.

  "Oh!" she cried out, driving Alessandra's father to jump up from his seat and move to her side. He did not try and tell her everything was going to be alright, as even from where he was standing, it looked as if the worst had happened.

  Shortly afterward Edward walked in alone, having requested the guests to go to their rooms for a short time so he could talk to his mother alone. He immediately walked straight to her and put his arms around her, and she could see he had been crying.

  "Oh my son, is he…" she ventured to ask and Edward pulled himself together, raising strength to look directly at her, and nod in response to her question.

  "Oh Mother, he was doing so well one minute and then a fox jumped out in front of his horse and I don't know why it was startled by it, but it reared and Father was thrown backwards," he started to say, feeling himself start to sob once more.

  "Where is he, Edward?" his mother asked, preparing to see the body of her loved one.

  "He has been laid in a bedroom upstairs."

  Edward held out his hand to his mother and she took it - something that had not happened since Edward had been a small child. Now, though, she let him lead her to the bedroom, and upon entering, immediately her eyes fell to her husband and the physician beside him.

  "Mrs Chisholm," the doctor said as he walked toward her. "I am so sorry for your loss. He was a great man."

  She walked up to the bed and looked down. He looked so peaceful to her, and she stood there for a long while, remembering so many wonderful things about their life together. Even right back to being told by her family in Italy that she was to wed a gentleman in England, and the moment she first laid eyes on him. A part of her wanted to be angry that he went out on the hunt this year, given his increasing age, but it was something that he loved, and she argued with herself that she could not be angry over that.

  Looking at his face - much changed now from when they had first met but still so handsome in her eyes - she leaned down and kissed his lips one final time. And wondered why she had wasted so much time worrying about all the silly little things that she had, when time together was so brief. At least she had Edward and his family…

  Suddenly Edward saw his mother look up, and turn to him, a desperate look of urgency on her face, combined with horror at the realisation of having forgotten about her daughter-in-law.

  "Edward - Alessandra!" she exclaimed cryptically but that was all it took for him to leave the room and run down to the drawing room, expecting for some illogical reason to see her there, even though she had not been there minutes earlier.

  "Edward," Alessandra's father said as he walked in, surprised to see his son-in-law again so soon.

  "Where is Alessandra?" Edward commanded, visibly distressed.

  "She is in the birthing chamber…" her father began and had to say no more as he watched Edward run from the room without looking back.

  Running up the grand staircase Edward found himself overloaded by emotion. It was one thing to lose his father, but was he going to lose his wife on the same day?

  Chapter Sixty Seven

  Through a misty mind, Alessandra could hear voices, like they were in the distance, talking … mentioning her name, which meant they must be talking about her, she thought to herself.

  "She is very weak, but with enough sleep she may recover well enough," one voice said and Alessandra, in her daze, tried to comprehend what they were talking about.

  "He is a healthy lad," said the second voice, sounding happy but concerned at the same time. "But what a sad day to have arrived in this world, with his grandfather…"

  Just as Alessandra was letting herself drift off to sleep once more, she heard the door open forcefully, a third voice talk loudly. This voice reached her and she started to try to call out to it, but her mouth would not speak.

  "My wife is in labour?" the male voice asked loudly to anyone who would listen, before a softer, quieter one replied.

  "Sir, she has already done her work," Margaret replied.

  Edward suddenly really noticed her and realised that the bundle she was holding was not Isabella at all, as he had immediately assumed. He peered into the face of the little person being enveloped, and felt his emotions overflow once more. He looked up at Margaret, who answered a question that had not been voiced.

  "It is a boy, Sir, and he appears to be very healthy. But the mistress…"

  Edward's eyes tore away from the angelic face of his newly born son and turned suddenly to the bed in the room. Seeing his wife looking so lifeless, he immediately thought the worst, but sensing his thoughts, the midwife spoke up.

  "She is exhausted but she will recover. She needs to sleep now. This little one does need to feed, though, so with your permission I do think we should try and let it."

  Edward tried to concentrate on what was being said to him, and eventually nodded in full understanding.

  "Yes, of course. Shall I take him?" he asked and Margaret handed the baby into his arms, wondering again at how much of a loving, hands-on father he was, compared to most other men.

  Edward looked at the small face before him once more as he carried him over to the bed. Sitting on the bed, Edward gently undid his wife's night gown, to allow just enough access for the baby to feed, and held both of them in his arms to facilitate it. Looking at his wife's face he could see how much the birth had taken out of her, and found himself holding back tears, determined to remain strong, at least until his son had fed.

  As the baby started to suckle, Alessandra felt the familiar sensation and pulled herself out of herself to look down. Coming back to reality, she realised that Edward was right there with her, and this was a new baby at her breast. It took her several minutes to remember that she had given birth.

  "Edward," he heard her breathe out as her hand came up and touched his face. "I'm sorry, I seem to have rushed…"

  He smiled at her through tears.

  "Oh my love, we have a son and look at him. He is beautiful."

  Alessandra indulged in the new knowledge and the new feeling of love inside of her, before remembering how the day had begun.

  "Edward, someone said that so
meone was hurt," she said and looked into the eyes of the man she loved, now being fully awake and noticing how sad he looked, and how red his eyes were. "Oh no! Your father?" she asked and he nodded before breaking down completely.

  "Margaret, can you take him please? He has fallen asleep," she called out so the baby could be put down in his bed. "And could you please both leave us alone, and ask that no-one disturb us?"

  After they were alone in the room, despite the strong exhaustion she felt inside of herself, she put her arms around her husband and let him cuddle into her like a small child, weeping heavily and loudly now.

  "Oh my love, I am so sorry," she said and then sat silent, letting him speak - or not speak - as he wished.

  Edward found himself wrapped in his wife's love, and indulged in it. Having watched her go through the same thing when her mother had died the year before, he knew she had a sound understanding of what he was feeling, but it was more the strength he could gain from her through her holding him that soothed him.

  After a long time, he pulled away from her, with a conflicted look on his face.

  "My mother…" he started to say but immediately felt disloyal about leaving his wife.

  "Your mother needs you, Edward. Go to her … please."

  She saw a look of relief pass over his face before he kissed her deeply once, started to walk away, and then returned to kiss her even more deeply again. When he finally left the room Alessandra was wide awake and saddened by the news of her father-in-law. Then she remembered the small person lying in a tiny bed not too far from where she was, and she smiled at the realisation of what his name was meant to be.

  "Charles."

  Chapter Sixty Eight

  News of the extraordinary day at Chisholm Manor Estate spread quickly, and people came from around the entire area to pay respect to both the new master on the birth of his son, and to say farewell to the old master.