"Seeking the Niceties of Marriage", by Gratiana Lovelace, 2021 (Done)

Ch. 21: Holiday and Baby Preparations

"Seeking the Niceties of Marriage", Ch. 21: Holiday and Baby Preparations,
by Gratiana Lovelace, October 11, 2021 (Post #1419)

(An original Regency Romance story copyrighted by Gratiana Lovelace, 2021;
All rights reserved);  [(1) story cover below left]

[Illustrations: I cast my stories as I write them. So from time to time, I will illustrate my story with actors and such, including: Richard Armitage as Lord Edward Carlisle, Daniela Denby-Ashe as Lady Emily Creighton Carlisle, Blake Ritson as Lord Kittredge Wells, Polly Walker as Lady Patience Creighton the Countess of Stoke, Bill Nighy as Lord Nigel Creighton the Earl of Stoke, Christina Cole as Lady Cecily Englewood Wells, and others as noted.]

[Author's Note: This original Regency romance is a work of fiction, and as such, any character names, scenes or other descriptions were written at the creative discretion of this author. And this is a gentle and tender romance (G to PG-13), but with some frank discussions about love and marriage put to humorous effect. This is my disclaimer.]

Ch. 21: Holiday and Baby Preparations

The next six months or so in the lives of Lord Edward and Lady Emily Carlisle, and Lord Kitt and Lady Cecily Wells proves to be loving and fruitful as they look forward to their first married Christmas together as husbands and wives and soon to be parents. They just have to tussle with their extended families for where [and how] they celebrate the holiday this season.

And with both noble ladies very much with child—with Lady Emily due in early January, and Lady Cecily due in late January—their conditions give them the advantage in setting their own itineraries.

So Lord Edward and Lady Emily elect to celebrate the Christmas Holiday in their own London Townhouse—without them traveling elsewhere, so close to her pregnancy due date is Lady Emily. And her devoted husband Lord Edward will not risk her slipping and falling trying to get to and from places. So they will host Lady Emily's parents and her cousin Lord Kitt and his bride Lady Cecily for Christmas Day Supper at midday and an overnight stay.

Whereas [Lady Emily's parents,] the Creighton's, will host their other daughters and their families for luncheon Christmas Eve day—allowing Lady Emily's sisters and their families to visit Lord Edward and Lady Emily Christmas Eve afternoon, before [the sisters and their families return] home for their own Christmases and their husbands' families' gatherings out of town.

And the week preceding Christmas, Lord Kittredge Wells and Lady Cecily Englewood Wells as the newly minted Earl and Countess of Fielding decide to split their time between Wells Castle as the seat of his Barony of Lakeland and Ellerton Abbey as the seat of his [Fielding] Earldom--before returning to their London townhouse early Christmas Day, from Wells Castle, in order to join Lord Edward, Lady Emily and her parents for Christmas Day luncheon[, and the aforesaid overnight stay].

***

And Lady Patience delights in having her elder daughters and [current] grandchildren around her for a few days prior to Christmas Eve day. She and Lord Nigel Creighton enjoy watching their toddler grandchildren of one boy and one girl glow with wide eyed wonder at their holiday decorations and the many presents for them under their Christmas tree.

Of course little Patty who is only 18 months old—and she is also named Patience after her maternal Grandmama Lady Patience--mostly likes small and soft things to play with. So her gifts from her grandparents are a soft pink pillow, soft fabric dollies, and a soft knitted blankie that she cuddlingly falls asleep upon with her dolly in her Grandmama Lady Patience's loving arms.

And little Patty's cousin Rupert Nigel at three years of age—and also honored with his maternal Grandpapa's name as his middle name—is more enamored of differently shaped and painted wooden blocks and building things. Then knocking them down, of course. And blessedly, he is too little yet for a gift of a pony, or even a puppy think his grateful parents.