The Wonderful Bouquet

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX: Lady Duncan

For the last few days, Andrew could not let go of his wife. She was to give birth any moment now, and like he had told Elizabeth, he truly feared her life. He might not show it to her or the children, but as the day came closer, his fear grew more intense and it was harder to hide it from them.

He was not certain if Vicky saw it in his eyes, but she did not say anything of it. Mayhap he was still hiding it well enough, or mayhap she was too afraid to hear that he felt the same fear she felt. Although their days had been spent together at every moment, today seemed different.

They were in the bedchamber – for she could not walk too far without feeling pain in her tummy – and Vicky had just called for the children to join them. Andrew would not have found it odd, if only his wife would look at him and not shiver when she spoke.

It did not take Alice and Louis long to come to their mother, for they also felt some fear and wished to spend every minute possible with her – for every minute might be the last minute.

She took them both on her lap and wrapped her arms around them. Without a word, she just looked at them. She tried to fight back the tears, Andrew saw, but the children did not react to it.

"I love you both so much," she whispered before giving them a kiss on their forehead. "And I know you leave each other as well. I wish that, no matter what happens, you will love your sister too."

Louis pushed his lips down. "I do not want a sister. I want a brother. Samuel!"

Vicky chuckled softly, then told them: "but I believe it will be a girl."

"I will love her very much," Alice said. Though her voice sounded certain and stern, there was no smile on her lips. Just like Andrew, she feared what was about to happen.

Vicky smiled at her daughter, and told her: "I know you will. You are a wonderful girl," she said, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"Mama, are you in pain?" Louis asked, worrying about his mother wellbeing like he always had over the past nine months. "Is the baby hurting you again?"

She shook her head and tried to smile, but she was not very good at it. "The baby does not hurt me."

"But she is killing you, is she not?"

Andrew gasped, and feared Vicky reaction, but his wife closed her eyes and told her son: "the baby is not harming me in any way." She opened her eyes and caressed Louis' forehead. "Whatever you believe, I love Sophie as much as I love you. And whatever happens to me, I want you to love her. Not hate her because of what might happen to me."

She looked at Andrew, hoping to find more courage there, but all he could do, was pretend he was not fighting the tears either.

"I will love her, Mama," Alice said, her voice raising as a sob escaped her mouth. "And I will pray that nothing happens to you." She let the tears stream freely, making it even harder for both Vicky and Andrew not to cry as well.

With her thumb, Vicky wiped away Alice's tears before she kissed her forehead. She left her lips lingering there before she turned her head to look at Louis. He too had tears in his eyes, although he probably did not really understand why he had them.

"Take good care of her," Vicky said, "just like you take care of each other."

At any other moment, Andrew would tell his wife that she should not think like this. That there was still a chance – no matter how small – that she might survive. But Vicky had a great gut feeling. From baby genders to sudden occurrences, she was always right. And these words she spoke to her children, sounded awfully lot like goodbyes.