Thursday, January 11, 1951

"Why can't our children decide to enter the world when the sun is shining?" Elsie lowered into a crouching position as she held onto the bedpost, flashes of lightning illuminating the room which was dark with the exception of the soft glow given off by the fireplace as a heavy snowfall swirled outside the window. "Four in the morning and during a thunder snowstorm? A thunder snowstorm. Whoever even heard of such a thing?"

Charles leaned his head back out of the doorway to watch for any sign of visitors at the other end of the house. "I know. I know, honey, but Dr. Clarkson and Phyllis are on their way. Isobel, too."

"And Beryl is coming to stay with the girls?"

"I expect her and Gran Bill any minute."

Elsie pushed her face into the mattress as she let out a moan.

"Oh, sweetheart…" Charles quickly moved to her side, gently rubbing her back.

Gasping for breath, tears ran down Elsie's face. "I don't want to scare the girls."

"You are doing so well, honey, so well."

Beryl's face suddenly appeared in the doorway, a torch in her hand. "We're here, chicken. How are you?"

"In labor and it hurts like a motherfucker."

Beryl raised her eyebrows and bit her cheek to refrain from making an unwanted comment given Elsie's current condition. "I'm sorry, love. I'm just going to light some candles around the house and then we will move the girls upstairs if that suits? And you'll let me know if you need anything else?"

"Thank you, Beryl." Charles quickly took the extra torch she offered and gave her hand a squeeze before returning to Elsie. "She brought me a torch. I don't know where ours is."

"I let the girls play with it the other night. The batteries are dead." Elsie groaned as she pushed herself up to a standing position.

"Right. I am buying ten torches and a thousand batteries next week. Okay, sweetheart. Can you lay down? I'll see if I can see anything."

Elsie had just sat down when another pain struck. Grabbing a pillow, she stifled another groan before collapsing back onto the bed.

"Okay, that was less than two minutes since the last. I'll be right back. I'm going to get the kettle and the scissors and string and Beryl. Bill can deal with the girls because she is going to have to help me."

Elsie lifted her head and managed to smile. "Thank goodness you've done it before."

Charles smiled back, but his stomach suddenly swam with panic and fear as he moved quickly through the dark house.

"Can you stand for a minute if I hold you up, sweetheart? Beryl's going to drape some sheets over the end of the bed and then we'll get you in position."

"I think so." Elsie had just wrapped her arms around his neck, her feet on the floor when another contraction tore through her. Pushing her face into Charles' shoulder, she tried to stifle a moan, but she soon heard the girls crying from the nursery.

"Bill will get them. Don't give it a thought, Elsie." Beryl assured her as she went to close the bedroom door.

The contraction fading, Elsie looked up at Charles with panic. Pulling his hand down between her legs, she watched him register the fact that baby was crowning.

"Okay, okay….it's alright. Let's get you on the bed. You can push against the bed post with one foot and Beryl is going to hold the other."

Elsie wept as Charles helped her lower onto the bed.

Propping the torch between his shoulder and head, Charles smiled sweetly. "I'm so sorry, honey, I know it hurts, but we're almost there. You just concentrate on me and we are going to bring this sweet pea into the world. You're going to push the next time you feel a contraction starting."

"Oh!" Elsie grunted and bunched up handfuls of sheets as she began to push.

"Good, honey! Keep pushing!..Good!..The head is out!..That's perfect, Elsie!...Okay. Rest now. Just rest."

A knock on the bedroom door was followed by Isobel's swift entrance, her attention immediately going to the partially born infant on the other side of Charles. "The head is out?"

Charles nodded over his shoulder. "Just. Where are Dr. Clarkson and Phyllis?"

"There was an automobile accident and they are having to pull people from the wreckage. I'm afraid you are stuck with me." She reached over and took Elsie's hand. "I don't know that you even need me, though. You seem to be in pretty capable hands."

Elsie smiled, "I am, but I am glad you are…" She suddenly curled forward, her face clenched as she began to push.

"Let me hold the torch." Isobel moved behind Charles, freeing him of his awkward and uncomfortable position.

"Good, honey… Perfect...That's it!..You are doing so well, sweetheart."

"Keep pushing, Elsie! You can deliver on this contraction if you keep at it!" Isobel cheered as she shown the light down on the infant Charles carefully turned and maneuvered in the manner to which he remembered Purley guiding him. "That's right, Charles…That's exactly right. Give it every bit of your strength, Elsie!"

Bearing down with all her waning might, Elsie let out a loud groan as the baby slid into Charles' steady hands.

"You did it! You did it, love! Hello, sweet pea! Hello…" Charles pulled the baby to his chest. "The string is next to the scissors in that dish over there. Would you cut the cord, Isobel?"

Her movements as swift and sure as Purley's, Isobel soon had the cord tied, cut, and knotted, as well as the baby's airways checked and cleared. Encouraging Charles to hold the infant against his shoulder, she gave its tiny bottom a pat which garnered her a loud cry. "This baby must weigh at least ten pounds, Elsie!"

Moving to his wife's side, Charles lowered the baby next to her face. "Well, Peter Matthew, say hello to your mum."

"We've a boy?"

"We do. We have a son, honey."

"Hello, precious boy." She stretched her neck to reach the baby for a kiss before looking up at Charles, "Well, we finally got our giant baby. I'm so happy you are here, my big, beautiful boy."

Isobel reached over and held Beryl's hand as both women began to cry.

"Can you help me clean him up, Beryl?"

Isobel moved to the end of the bed as Charles and Beryl took the whimpering baby over to the basins which were set out on the bureau. "I'm going to deliver the placenta, Elsie. Just like the last time you will have a contraction or two and it will come out."

Elsie lifted up onto her elbows and nodded, her hand outstretched to grab Isobel's. "Thank you. Thank you for helping bring him into the world."

Squeezing her friend's hand, Isobel whispered, "It was my privilege, love."

The next morning Elsie's exhaustion seemed to magically leave her body as Charles carried the girls into the room to meet their sleeping brother who rested in her arms. "Come say hello to your baby brother, my sweethearts. This is Peter."

Penelope tried to lunge towards her mother, but was held fast in Charles' arm. "Hold on, Pop. We have to be very gentle and soft with the baby."

Elsie winced slightly as she pushed herself up in the bed. "Come here. You can look, but don't touch. He's night-night."

"Night-night?" Olivia leaned forward to get a better look.

"Yes," Elsie nodded. "He is sleepytime." She smiled as Poppy held her hands up over her head as she leaned as far as she could to see the baby. "That's right. No touch right now. Good girl. Poppy, can you say Peter?"

"Pete!" Poppy hollered.

"Shhh…" Charles grinned as he kissed his daughter's head. "Whisper, sweet pea."

"Pete." Poppy held a finger to her lips as she repeated the word softly.

"Good girl, Pop." Elsie smiled at Olivia. "Livy Loo, can you say Pete?"

"Pete." The toddler raised her finger over her lips as her sister had done.

"Clever girls. We are going to have a big time with Mr. Pete, aren't we? We are going to give him lots of sugar and be very sweet to our new baby." Charles received a nod from both of the toddlers. "Daisy and Andy are here to take the girls over to Bill's for a bit so you can rest."

"I hope you are going to rest with me."

Charles nodded. "I will. Let me get these girlies situated and then we'll nap."

The girls kissed Elsie goodbye before wrapping their arms around their daddy's neck and were almost to the door when Charles suddenly turned around and whispered, "Hey."

"Who me?"

He nodded. "I love you."

"Love you more."

Charles let out a sudden gasp and cry as he choked out the word, "Impossibility."

Elsie was sleeping on her side, a yawning, but newly awake baby Peter tucked up against her as Charles gingerly lowered himself into the empty side of the bed.

"Well, hello, baby bird. Have you decided to wake up for a bit?"

He gently patted the baby's round tummy, smiling and lifting his eyebrows as his son stretched his little arms and legs, his eyes blinking in an attempt to adjust to the sunlight creeping under the window shade.

"That snow makes the sunshine even brighter than it already is, doesn't it?" Charles slipped his large hand under the baby's back and neck, supporting its little head as his other hand cupped Pete's cloth diapered bottom.

"Do you remember me, my little Peter pal? I'm that funny man with the eyebrows who caught you on your birthday. I'm your Daddy." The little baby's mouth formed a perfect "o" as he let out a little coo. "Oh, yes." He adjusted the baby in his arm so that his tiny face was directed as Elsie. "And that gorgeous girl is your mummy. We're awfully lucky to have her, believe you me, and she is so in love with you, it almost makes me jealous."

Charles leaned down and kissed Pete's head. "One day you won't let me do that, but for the next little bit, I'm going to give you all the love and kisses I can because you're my precious boy. I haven't told your mum, but that meadow is going to turn into a cricket pitch the minute you learn to run. I'll teach you all the finesse and art that goes into the grand game and we're going to travel down the Mississippi with Huck Finn and we're going to fly around the world with Phineas Fogg, you and I. Maybe we'll take your sisters along for the ride, as well."

Charles had to swallow hard before continuing. "Things aren't always going to be easy and people won't always be kind in this life, my sweet boy, but I can promise you this: you are always going to be so loved and cared for, Peter Matthew. Mummy and I are going to take such good care of you just like my mummy and daddy took care of me."

The sudden movement of Elsie's hand to wipe a tear from her cheek drew Charles' attention away from the calm baby.

"Did I wake you?"

Offering a sweet smile, she moved her hand to stroke the baby's before wrapping it around Charles'.

"I've just been listening. I hope you don't mind."

Charles turned his hand to squeeze hers. "What all did you hear?"

"Just my husband proving once and for all that there will never be a better father in this world than him."

Charles smiled. "Is that all?"

"Mmmm…and some nonsense about a cricket pitch…"

Saturday, June 1, 1951

Charles and the twins visiting Robert and Cora's weekend home a few miles away, Elsie had finished all the preparations for the girls' second birthday party to be held the next afternoon while five and a half month old baby Peter took a nap in the nursery. Taking advantage of a rare hour of alone time, she had just finished running a hot bath and was pulling off her dressing gown when she heard a knock at the front door.

"Damn and blast." She hissed before retying her robe and hastily making her way through the house.

Opening the door, she was greeted by a cheerful, "Special delivery for Mrs. Carson." It took a moment, but she soon recognized the once spotty faced teenager who had delivered a telegram to the flat on Chester Street on Charles' birthday just after they had met. Besides his complexion having cleared, he had grown a good six inches and lost his baby fat, resulting in the tall and handsome young man who now stood before her.

"I am she."

Handing over a box wrapped in brown paper, his face was hopeful as he watched the recipient place her parcel on a nearby table and fetch some change from a jar. His eyes grew big as he quickly counted the two pounds worth of coins she had placed in his hand. "Thank you!"

"What's your name?"

"Albert, but everyone calls me Bertie."

"Well, Bertie, spend some of that on your girl, but more of it on your mother."

The young man blushed, "I haven't got a girl."

Elsie gave him a wink, "Then use some of it to get one."

"Thank you, Mrs. Carson." Bertie tipped his cap before practically dancing his way back to his old jalopy of a car.

Closing the door behind her, she held her breath as she noted the name stamped on the corner of the box:

Methuen and Company, Ltd.

She laughed at herself, glancing down at her trembling hands as she moved to pick up the box. "Get yourself together, girl. You knew it was coming any day now." Shaking her head, she used a nearby letter opener to slash through the paper before pulling the lid off of a white cardboard box. Removing a sheet of tissue paper, she let out a little gasp as her eyes danced over the embossed letters below her.

As though inspired by some divine guidance, Barley suddenly trotted in from the kitchen and sat at her feet, his little face turned up and held cocked as though asking, "What have you there?"

"Hello, my sweet boy. We have quite a surprise for everyone, don't we?" Bending down and scooping the little dog under one arm, she removed her parcel before hiding the wrappings in the top of a nearby cupboard. Crossing into the sitting room, she kissed the dog's head before whispering, "It seems rather fitting that you and I look at this together."

The house was empty as Charles made his way inside, Olivia resting her head on his right shoulder as Penelope tugged on his left ear from her place in his other arm. "Mumma? Mumma, where are you?"

Both the girls began bouncing excitedly in their father's arms, each looking around and intoning, "Mumma! Mumma!"

Finding the kitchen and sitting room to be Elsie-less, he carried his precious cargo into the bedroom and quickly spotted his wife standing at the fence with Peter swaddled and resting on her shoulder as she watched Barley, Pearl, Pepper and Peabody frolicking on the other side. "There is your sweet Mumma and baby Pete. Let's go give them lots of kisses!"

"Mumma!"

The girls' exclamation in unison caused Elsie to spin around, a bright smile on her face as she watched her family approach. "Hello, my sweethearts!" The girls having wrapped their arms around her legs, she leaned down and kissed their cheeks and little chubby necks, before stepping closer to her husband and raising her face for a kiss. "I need sugar from everyone, please, Daddy."

"With pleasure." Charles wrapped his free arm around his wife before leaning down to fulfill her request before moving to his son. "How about my Pete. Daddy needs a kiss from you, too, sir."

"How was everyone? I hope you explained why I couldn't make it."

"Everyone is wonderful. Mary is as tiny and perfect as a one month old can be and, of course, they understood that you had an awful lot to do. They'll be here at noon with everyone else for the party."

"Good."

"Now, what is left to do?"

Elsie watched the girls stick their hands through the slats in the fence to pet the goats as she shook her head. "What's left has to be done tomorrow. Andy and Bill are going to bring out the tables, chairs, and linens from the tea room and Beryl has the food in hand. Anna and her beau are bringing the balloons and Bill will bring up that pony for the children to ride and we can take them into the meadow to play with the goats."

"How about supper? I thought I might pop into town and bring something back."

She climbed onto her tiptoes and kissed him, "You are my hero."

"Remember that later when we go to bed." Charles gave her a wink before turning back towards the house.

"Convince all three of your children to sleep through the night and we'll talk." She called after him before adding, "Oh, I'm going to bring out an old quilt so we can eat out here. Keep the kitchen clean."

"Sounds like a plan."

Charles returned to find Elsie sitting on a quilt with Peter propped up in her lap, his little fists shaking as he giggled at the sight of his sisters chasing Barley who was intent on retrieving the small yellow ball Elsie had just thrown across the garden.

Looking up at her tall husband, she shielded her eyes. "Hello."

A brown carrier bag stamped with a familiar name at his side, Charles gave her a knowing smile before offering, "Hello. I don't mean to bother you, only I just moved in. I suppose we're neighbors?"

Elsie let out a small chuckle as she instantly recalled the cold day long ago when he had first uttered those words to her. "I suppose we are." She shifted the baby in her lap and offered her hand. "Elsie Hughes."

"Charles Carson."

Their exchange was interrupted as Barley dropped the yellow ball in front of her. "And this is Barley."

"Hello, boy." Charles reached down and scratched behind the little dog's head.

"He doesn't usually take so kindly to strangers, Mr. Carson. You should be quite chuffed."

"Ah, well then, I am, although I think it might be my fish and chips that are earning his favor." Charles shook the bag and gave her a playful smile as he lowered himself to his knees and gave each of his daughters a kiss as they toddled over to him and began climbing up his torso. "I don't mean to be presumptuous, but there is far more here than I should eat by myself. Would the…" He glanced down at the beautiful little girls now wrapped around him, "…four of you care to share?"

Elsie reached out and cupped his cheek. "That is incredibly kind of you, but I am afraid I don't have much to add." Her eyes suddenly lit up as she fished her hand into the pocket of her apron and produced a small red apple she had left over from treating the goats. "I do have this."

Charles shook his head at the odds of her having an apple in her pocket as she had three years before. "A perfect ending to our meal…and who knows? Maybe we'll fall madly in love and make beautiful, giant babies."

"Maybe. It all depends. Tell me, Mr. Carson, do you like books?"

"I like girls who like books."

Elsie shifted a fussing baby Peter onto her shoulder before leaning over and kissing her husband soundly. Running her hand over the front of his shirt, she whispered, "Hey."

"Who me?"

She nodded. "You want to get married?"

Placing a sweet, soft kiss on her lips, Charles cupped her cheek and leaned his forehead against hers. "I do."

Sunshine graced another day of the Halifax countryside as the two-year old twins' birthday party was happily proceeding. Lily and Beryl got along beautifully in the kitchen as Daisy and Anna watched on in awe of the two born cooks; Ellen Littlewood smiling sweetly from the corner of the room as she recalled bygone days of the bustling kitchen of Tipton Hall. Andy followed GranBill, Purley, and Edgar Linton around like an anxious puppy as he listened to the three older men discuss everything from pig breeding to grass trimming to carpentry before assisting in giving the smaller party guests pony rides.

Charles and Robert had volunteered to mind the smallest members of their respective families from the porch swing with JoMo and Anna's suitor John sitting nearby. Poppy and Livy, along with their friend Sylvie, ran, giggled and played in the meadow among the elder statesman Peabody and the playful junior goats Pepper and Pearl who were quite happy to chase and try to chew the back pants pockets of Sylvie's older brother Peter as their sister JoJo dressed Barley in a baby bonnet and diaper before wrapping him in a blanket; insisting on calling the dog "Shirley," she made Dr. Clarkson give him an exam.

Standing at the fence, Elsie, Violet, Isobel, Phyllis, and Cora cheered and refereed the motley crew of playmates until Beryl and Lily appeared on the porch with two large pink birthday cakes each topped with two candles.

Having sung the Happy Birthday song and gorged on cake and ice cream, the party was beginning to swing again when Elsie motioned for Charles and baby Peter to join her inside.

"I think we have a sleepy bird." She held out her arms into which Charles placed the fussy baby, stopping long enough to kiss Elsie's forehead before turning back towards the door. Hesitating briefly, she suddenly called out, "Honey? I need to tell you something."

Smiling with interest, Charles leaned against the doorframe as Elsie began to nurse their son. "I am all ears, my sweetheart."

"Top drawer, under the stack of bibs."

Moving to the pale yellow bureau, he soon found a small red book resting just where she had directed. "What's this?"

"Open the cover." The small spine making a cracking noise as Charles opened it, Elsie watched her husband's eyes scan over the page three times before lifting to meet her gaze.

"It's…you…it's your…you never said. Honey, why didn't you say anything?"

Elsie took a deep breath. "I wanted it to be accepted on its own. I didn't want some friend of Violet's or some connection of Robert's to be doing them some sort of favor by publishing their friend's wife's silly book. I wanted it to be bought on its own merit."

Charles shook his head. "But you never said anything. I thought you were taking a break from drawing and painting while you were pregnant with Pete?"

"I worked on it when you were at school and when the girls were taking naps or out and about with Beryl or Bill or Isobel. I had the story in mind so it was just a matter of putting the illustrations and words together. Murray handled all the legal details and negotiated the money once I received a contract from Methuen…"

"Methuen? They published Milne! They published Winnie the Pooh!"

Elsie laughed. "I know. I still can't believe it."

"Barley and the Babies written and illustrated by Elsie Carson." Charles held the book to his chest. "I can't begin to tell you how proud I am, Elsie."

"Thank you." She held out her hand which he took into his own before surprising her by kissing it.

"So what happens next? You said something about money?"

"I received a five thousand pound advance in exchange for a promise of three more books if this one sells once it goes into circulation next month."

Charles lifted his hand to his mouth, his eyes huge in response to her news.

"And they want me to travel around the country giving readings to children in libraries and book shops."

Charles took a deep breath. "School..."

She smiled up at him. "I have it in my contract that I only attend readings on the weekends and that my entire family be given accommodations when we have to travel. They know I have a baby and toddlers and a tall husband who needs plenty of leg room on trains. Murray worked it all out."

"I still can't believe I didn't know a thing about it."

Elsie bit her bottom lip before asking, "Are you upset? I started to tell you so many times. I mean, it was your idea and without your encouragement…"

He smiled down at her. "No. I am not upset in the slightest, honey. I'm too happy and proud. Amazing Elsie strikes again." Looking back down at the book, he lifted an eyebrow as he smiled and asked, "May I read it?"

She laughed. "Of course."

"To the party?"

Elsie squinched up her nose, but gave a reluctant nod. "Just don't make a fuss."

Opening the window to the nursery after she put Pete down to sleep, she was enjoying the gentle breeze when a small yellow butterfly landed on the sill next to her hand. "Hello."

She remained still as the delicate creature briefly danced upon her fingers before setting off in the direction of the party. Moving away from the window she nodded and whispered, "Alright, sweet girl. I'm coming."

Elsie leaned against the doorway at the side of the porch as the entire party gathered around on an array of quilts that were spread over the back garden; the children encircling Charles in the middle of the group. Waiting until he spotted her, she cheekily called out, "Are you going to do the voices?"

Giving her a wink, he nodded. "I will do the voices."

Her husband's rich voice rang through the air as he read:

Barley and the Babies, written and illustrated by Elsie Carson

He turned past the title page and was about to offer the dedication, when he had to stop, his gentle eyes becoming misty as he digested the words. Looking at her with tremendous love, he cleared his throat before reciting the words he had just read.

For Charles and my pretty babies: my heart, my happiness, my everything…

For all the encouragement, kindness, and love, I thank you. XO Jen