the difference

Chapter Thirty-five

Evelyn smiled to herself before gently running her hand over her stomach "William! I can't keep up with you!" She gleamed as he came rushing back towards her.

William wrapped an arm around her and kissed her cheek "I'm free of duties, you've got to deal with me now" he whispered into her ear before smirking to himself.

"Oh go back! I can't possibly deal with you constantly!" She joked and tilted his chin up.

All he did in response was capture her lips in a kiss "Maybe keep a newspaper on hand? Or maybe a canteen of water?" Evelyn gently traced his jawline with her fingertip before grimacing from a pain in her stomach "Darling? What's wrong?" she let out a groan before feeling something wet trickle down her leg "My love?"

"muffin..." She looked up at him with pleading eyes before clutching onto his shoulders with the last of her strength.

William caught her just before she crumbled to the floor. He spotted some gardeners "I NEED SOME HELP HERE! NOW!" the two men came rushing to him and helped him with Evelyn "One of you fetch for the midwife this instant! The other alert the servants and her grandmother" he lifted her into his arms and ran into the house.

~~~

"You need to push!" The midwife demanded and all Evelyn could do was cry out in agony "That's not enough deary!"

William winced slightly when Evelyn screamed again "Isn't there anything you can do for her pain?!"

"If there was a miracle tonic you know off, let me know alright?" She shot back before seeing blood run through Evelyn's nightdress "I need you to make a decision..." Evelyn squeezed William's hand tightly as another contraction tightened in her stomach "Her or the child"

"what? That's impossible..."

"pick now!"

Evelyn sobbed and looked up at William "Save them...I...I can't Muffin..." he shook his head and kissed her forehead "Save our child..." she wept before kissing his hand "I love you..."

"I love you more" William shot a glare at the doctor and midwife "You'll save them both, do you hear me?" Evelyn let out another cry when she pushed with all her might "You're doing splendidly my love, just a few more pushes then we meet our babe"

"It hurts too much...I can't Muffin..."

"You can, I know you can" He smiled and kissed stared into her eyes "My love you need to push"

Evelyn let out another agonising cry before hearing the cries of a newborn "A son! You have a boy!" The midwife beamed and wrapped the babe in a blanket "Congratulations"

William smiled and brushed his fingers through Evelyn's sweaty hair "A boy...my love we have a son" the midwife came over and laid their son in his arms.

"A-Andrew...Andrew William Tavington" she weakly smiled before closing her eyes.

"Eila..." William mumbled as she closed her eyes. She wasn't breathing "No, no, no, stay with me love! You promised you wouldn't leave me, remember?" he gave the babe to the midwife before resting his hand on her chest. Even when the newborns cries filled the room, William kept looking at Evelyn "save my wife...save her" he looked up at the ceiling for a moment "I can't lose her..." he took off his silver cross and placed it on her chest "Come on darling..."

~~~

William shook his head and kissed Evelyn's cheek "if you want to go...I want you to know its alright" he held onto her hand before kissing her knuckles "our son is asleep, If you want to meet Theodore then let go...I know you're in pain"

"my friend..." Stephen walked into the room and knelt at his side "Is she alright?"

"I don't know..." William mumbled before glancing at him "Why did you bed her?"

"My wife gave birth, I haven't been there in a few years..." Stephen sighed and glanced over at Evelyn "I initiated everything...don't blame her for my mistakes..."

"I do not blame her...I wasn't the best person to be married to"

"I'm sorry friend..."

"I forgive you"

"thank you, where is the little lad anyway?"

"the nursery, what if she doesn't wake?"

"She will, you must believe that" Stephen mumbled before walking towards the door "It's been a pleasure to be under your command..." he dipped his head down before walking from the room.

William looked over his wife before smiling "I love you so much...but if you want to leave you can..."

~~~

A day later, after Andrew had been fed by the wet nurse, William took him up to Evelyn's room and sat there. Waiting. He ended up falling asleep with baby Andrew in his arms. He only awoke when he felt someone take his baby away "Get off my son!" He snapped before opening his eyes. But no one was there. Evelyn was still unconscious on their bed and Andrew was crying once again "I'm sorry, shhh, daddy's sorry" William mumbled and kissed his forehead "I just want your mummy to get better" Andrew eventually calmed down and fell asleep against William's chest again "That's my boy...Shh go to sleep"

Evelyn's eyes fluttered open for moment "Muffin..." she mumbled causing William to spring up in surprise "what happened?"

"My god you're awake!" He gleamed and then Serena rushed into the room "She's awake!"

"I thought we'd lost you darling!" She was on the verge of tears already "oh! I'll take this one, you two can have your private time" Serena beamed and took Andrew from William's arms before exiting the room.

"What happened? Is Andrew alright?" She sleepily spoke before sitting up against the headboard, groaning slightly at the pain between her legs.

"He's fine love, you lost a lot of blood...I thought I was going to lose you..."

"A promise is a promise...I'm not leaving you anytime soon..." She weakly smiled before reaching up to cup his face "We have a family now..."

"I had a family as soon as I saved you from that forest, I love you Eila"

"not as much as I love you...when can I get out of bed?"

William let out a soft chuckle before shaking his head "No, not yet, you're under my care now"

"I love you"

"I know, I love you too, now sleep, we have forever now"

"Forever is an awfully long time"

"With you it shall pass in the blink of an eye" William smiled at those words before kissing her forehead "Sleep my love, tomorrow is a different day"