Chapter 72

Edward watched his wife run

inside the manor house as soon as they pulled up in the carriage.

He could sense Alessandra's urgency to get to the nursery and see

the children. He took his time, going into the drawing room first

to greet his mother and Alessandra's father.

"Edward!" his mother

exclaimed as she ran to him and hugged him in a rare show of

affection. "How are you? And where is your wife?"

Edward laughed, loving how

happy his mother seemed. In fact, to him, she almost seemed to be

glowing.

"Alessandra has gone directly

to the nursery, Mother," Edward said. "I will go and join her

shortly, but I wanted to see you both first, and ask if there is

anything that needs my attention directly."

"No, Edward," he heard

Alessandra's father say. "All is well here. In fact, you probably

could have stayed away longer if you wished it."

Edward laughed at his

father-in-law.

"I do not think Alessandra

could stay away longer than two nights. She was very lonely for the

children while we were away, I believe. I shall leave you both now

and go to the nursery also," he said and started to move away

before turning back to them. "Thank you once again for making our

time away possible."

Alessandra's father looked at

Edward's mother and they smiled at one another, imagining in their

minds how much their children might have enjoyed their time

alone.

~~~~~

"Oh, Edward! Look! I do

believe little Elizabeth and Isabella - even little Charles - have

all grown while we have been away," she said happily, making

Elizabeth smile in pride. Now three years old, she was already

finding her own personality, and particularly enjoyed the times

when she could see and talk to her mother.

Edward looked at each of his

children before kneeling to hug Elizabeth. He then lifted Isabella

onto his knee as he sat down in one of the chairs in the

nursery.

"I do believe you are right, my

lovely wife. My beautiful daughters, in particular, seem to have

grown much over the past two days," he said, holding his youngest

daughter close to him. Although still too young to be able to have

a two-way conversation with, when he held her on his knee and she

looked directly at him and smiled, his heart caught.

"Margaret let me hold and feed

Charles," Elizabeth said shyly in her almost-three language that

took some concentration to understand at times. As she spoke, she

moved tentatively toward her mother, who, as wished, picked

Elizabeth up and pulled her into a warm hug on her lap.

Alessandra looked over at

Margaret, who was smiling broadly at the family scene in front of

her. The two women exchanged an affectionate glance.

"And how did you like that,

Elizabeth? Were you scared?" Alessandra asked.

Elizabeth looked at her mother

with a look of surprise on her face.

"Oh no, Mother! He was a good

baby and did not frighten me at all!"

Edward laughed softly at his

eldest daughter, enjoying watching her start to develop into a

small person. In his current position, surrounded by his children

and the wife that he loved so much, he felt like he must surely be

the luckiest man in the world.