Epilogue

Twelve years later

"P apa?" eight-year-old Rebecca said as she walked up to her father.

Phillip was sitting at a table on the terrace and could tell by the expression on her face that she had some weighty question to ask him. "Yes, pumpkin. What is it?"

"Are we rich?"

He blinked twice. That wasn't the question he'd anticipated her asking.

"I'm not sure I know the answer to that question, pumpkin."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm not sure I know what rich is. What do you mean by ‘rich'?"

"Well, do we have more money than anybody else?"

"Oh, that's a much easier question to answer." Phillip lifted his daughter onto his lap and wrapped her in his arms. "No. We don't have more money than everybody else. There are many people with much more money than we have. Why did you ask that?"

"Because Thomas said we are the richest people in the world."

"Then Thomas is incorrect. We have enough money to live comfortably, but that doesn't make us rich."

"How do you know if we have enough money to live comfortably?"

"Well, have you ever gone hungry because we didn't have enough food to eat?"

"No, we always have more than enough to eat."

"Have you ever gone without shoes because we couldn't afford to buy you shoes?"

"No, I have more than enough shoes."

"Did you ever have to stand on the side of the road to beg for money to buy something you wanted or needed?"

"No, because—" Rebecca stopped. "Would you ever make us stand on the side of the road to beg for money, Papa?"

"No. Absolutely not. You will never have to beg for money."

"Then we have just enough money to live comfortably, but we're not too rich."

"That's correct. We are very blessed to have just enough money."

Phillip looked at his daughter and saw a frown still on her face. "Did you have another question, pumpkin?"

"Yes, Papa."

"Well, what is it?"

"Is Mama going to have another baby?"

Phillip almost choked on his tea. "Well," he said, struggling to come up with an answer. "I don't know. Why do you ask?"

"Because if she is, I have a request to make."

"You do?"

"Yes."

"What is it?"

"Well, would it be possible for her to have a girl this time? I would really like a sister, and all she has is baby boys."

"I see."

Just then, Violet walked onto the terrace. "Oh, Lettie," he said with a smile on his face.

"I see you have the boys out on the lawn playing," she said with a smile in return. "Promise to keep them out there long enough to wear them out so they sleep for Mrs. Rumble tonight. She said she had a difficult time getting them to go to sleep last night."

"Very well," Phillip said as Violet walked over to where he sat and gave him a kiss on the cheek, then leaned down to give Rebecca a kiss.

"Hello, pumpkin," she greeted her daughter.

"We're so glad you're here, Lettie. Pumpkin has a question she wants to ask you. Well, actually, it's a favor she would like to ask of you."

"What is it, sweetheart?" Violet sat down in the chair next to them.

"I want to know if you are having another baby, Mama."

Violet stammered and laughed. "Well, Rebecca, it's possible that I am. I'm not positively sure yet, but it's possible."

"Then I would like to ask you a favor. Would you please give me a sister this time? I don't think it's fair that Thomas always gets another brother to play with and I never get a sister."

"Do you think you have too many brothers?"

"Yes, don't you?"

Phillip couldn't help but laugh. His daughter looked so serious, and for the first time in his life, he noticed that his wife looked at a loss for words.

"Well, Mama?" he countered. "What do you think? I think Rebecca has a valid complaint."

"Yes, Mama," Rebecca agreed. "Thomas has four brothers, and I don't have any sisters."

"Yes, Lettie. That is quite a disparity," Phillip teased.

He burst out laughing when his wife gave him a look that could have singed the hair from his head.

"I agree," Violet admitted. "That doesn't seem fair, does it?"

"No, Mama. Not at all."

"Except for one thing," Violet said. "I am not the one who determines whether you get a baby brother or a baby sister."

"You're not?" Rebecca said with the biggest frown her parents had ever seen on their daughter's face. "Who does?"

"God does, precious," Violet answered.

Rebecca thought for a few moments and said, "Then I'll just have to talk to God about that. I'm sure he'll agree that I need a sister and give me one. Don't you think?"

"I think it would be wise of you to ask," Phillip said. "He has been known to give us numerous blessings when we ask Him for them."

"Yes," Rebecca agreed with a huge smile that lit her sweet face. "I'm going to go talk to God right now," she said.

Phillip watched his daughter run into the house. "What are you going to do if you have another boy?" he asked his wife when Rebecca was out of earshot.

"Oh, I'm not worried, Markham, and you shouldn't be either. You just need faith."

Seven months later

"Is Mama all right?" Rebecca asked.

Phillip turned to the door and watched his daughter step into the room. "What are you doing out of bed at this hour, pumpkin?"

"Mama's having the baby, isn't she?"

"Yes, she is. Which is why you should be in bed. This is no place for you to be."

"But I want to meet my sister."

"Pumpkin, you know Mama can't promise you that her baby will be a girl. It might be a little boy."

"No, I talked to God, and He told me He would give me a sister."

"If you say so," Phillip said. "Just don't be too disappointed if Mama doesn't have a little girl."

Just then, there was a tiny wail from above the stairs. "That's my sister. I told you, Papa."

Phillip waited with his daughter for one of the staff to come down to tell them they could go up, but before anyone came down, another baby cried. This baby's cry was louder than the first one.

"There are two babies, Papa. I got two sisters!"

Poor Rebecca. She was going to be crushed if she got two brothers instead of two sisters.

Phillip stood close beside his daughter and placed his arm across her shoulders. He would be there for her if the news devastated her.

A short while later, an upstairs maid came down for them. "Her ladyship said for you to come up," she said, and stood by the open door.

"Come on, Papa! Let's go meet my sisters."

Rebecca's excitement was becoming contagious. Phillip was excited to meet another Markham offspring, even if it was a girl.

He and Rebecca walked to Violet's room and opened the door. His wife lay in bed with a newborn babe in each arm.

"Are these my sisters?" Rebecca asked, stepping as close as she could to the babies.

"Yes, pumpkin. These are your sisters," Violet replied. "Evidently God thought you were so far behind Thomas, he decided to send you two sisters so you could catch up."

"You don't have to have any more babies, Mama. As long as I'm not the only girl, I'm happy."

"I'm glad, pumpkin. Would you like to hold one of them?"

"Which one was born first?"

"This one," Violet said, lifting the baby in her right arm.

"Then I'll hold her first. Can we name her Annie?"

"Annie is a wonderful name. Don't you think so, Papa?"

"Wonderful," Phillip said through the tears streaming down his face.

"And what should we call your second sister?"

"I think Zoe. One with the first letter of the alphabet and the other with the last letter of the alphabet."

Phillip and Violet broke out in laughter.

"That's very ingenious of you, pumpkin. You take after your mother in more ways than one."

Rebecca held Annie, then held Zoe until her eyes struggled to stay open. When she drifted off to sleep, Phillip picked her up and carried her to bed.

"Thank you, Mama," Rebecca said sleepily. "Thank you for giving me two sisters."

"You're welcome, pumpkin."

Phillip carried her to her room, then returned to be with his wife. "I think Rebecca has an excellent idea concerning more babies. I think you've provided me with enough spares. I can't ask any more from you."

"I didn't do that just for you, Markham. Remember, I told you I wanted a houseful of children."

"And you have a houseful, Lettie. I think it's time you sat back and enjoyed the children we have."

"Perhaps you're correct," she answered. "If only I didn't enjoy making them so much."

Phillip burst out laughing. "I know. Me too. I love you, Lettie."

"And I love you, Markham."

"Thank you for buying me. This has been the best life imaginable. I couldn't have asked to spend my life with anyone better than you."