Five years after the wedding

“We will be taking the children for a promenade around the estate. Please have them dressed accordingly, Mrs Markle. I should take the baby carriage, James may tire and need a nap,” the Duchess of Redditch spoke to the nanny.

It was just after breakfast, Ginette had gone to the nursery where her two little ones were playing. The nursery was a place where Ginette loved to be, where she could enjoy the children’s playtime before her work as a Duchess took her away to perform duties at charitable events. Although, most days now, she refrained from too much activity as her children were her priority, and she did not want them growing up without knowing her.

Little James, who was now two, was sitting on Ginette’s lap with his thumb in his mouth. He seemed content to not move, but Ginette was conscious of the fact that is could be dangerous for her and the child she was carrying. Ginette was  expecting another child. And she could not be grateful enough.

“Would you like to go and play in the gardens?” she asked her boy. James took out his thumb, and nodded enthusiastically. Ginette smiled lovingly at him and ruffled his blonde hair. She kissed him on the forehead.

“Mama, can I go too?” Charlotte asked, who was playing with her doll in the nursery.

“Of course, darling. We all are going for a promenade in the gardens. James, Papa, you and I. It is such a beautiful day, I do not see why we should not enjoy the gardens. Your Papa is not working today and he is eager to come and play with you.”

Charlotte had grown into a fine little girl of three, full of amusement, charm, and loved extravagant things. The two children were Ginette and Douglas’ delight and happiness. Whilst Charlotte looked like her father with his nose and mouth, James took on Ginette’s hair colour and eyes.

Charlotte, although sweet and adorable, was certainly the Duke’s soft point, and she could have anything she wanted when she asked him. Ginette chided her and her husband when Charlotte threw tantrums when her wants were not met. Ginette would not tolerate such behaviour.

“Do not be so hard on the girl. She is yet a child,” Douglas said one day when Charlotte was very upset as she was not allowed to go out.

“Perhaps so, but if we do not teach the children some obedience now, they will stray from being good people in the days to come,” said Ginette.

Douglas was the virtuous parent in Charlotte’s eyes. He was very soft to her demands, which Ginette strongly disapproved of. She may seem like an unreasonable parent, but that was all right.

“You will have a grand day,” the nanny said, smiling at Ginette. “And I shall have the bath ready on your return.”

Ginette smiled appreciatively as she and the nanny knew the children would have dirtied their clothes by the end of the day.

They all were dressed in their finest summer clothing, waiting in the hallway when Douglas appeared from his study. He smiled broadly at seeing the children, scooping young Charlotte into his broad arms as she ran to him.

Ginette held James’s little hand as he insisted on walking. The children were impatient and could not wait to be outside.

“I must admit I am looking forward to the promenade,” Douglas said to Charlotte. “I do not remember when we last enjoyed the gardens.” He leaned towards Ginette and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

It was June and pleasantly warm as was to be expected. Ginette worried the children would tire very quickly and decided to stay in the shade. They would not go far today as they had the children with them.

“It was last year, I believe, my love. Do you not remember when we planted the trees and the foliage? We chose the flowers at the plant nursery. I believe you even dug up some soil. I feel like it was just yesterday. You spent all day with the gardener and would not stop until the day was over. You were so fatigued.”

“I cannot deny I do not love creating the garden, the fragrance of new, wet soil and the young plants. The experience warms my heart,” Douglas smiled. He placed a free arm around Ginette’s back, still holding Charlotte with the other.

“How are you feeling, my love?” Douglas asked. “You seem a little fatigued. Perhaps you should rest?”

“For a woman who is with child and six months along, I am quite well as expected to be. I do not want to rest, and prefer to promenade.” Ginette looked at her stomach. “I did not imagine it to be so immense this time. But this child will be a challenge,” Ginette frowned, thinking of the time of delivery.

“Perhaps you may have two children, twins?” Douglas said in a thoughtful manner.

“Oh, I should hope I do not.”

“Did you not tell me once that you wanted a big family?” Douglas grinned.

“I admit I did, but one is allowed to change her mind, is she not?” Ginette rubbed her stomach lovingly. “If we have two more children, so be it. And I will love them just as I love Charlotte and James.”

They began the promenade along the path towards the gardens. Douglas put Charotte down and she tottered off in her small shoes, and her little brother decided to join her. Douglas linked his arms with his wife, enjoying the fine weather as Ginette pushed the empty baby carriage. Leafy trees ruffled in the little breeze the air offered and roses sent their scent over to their visitors.

Ginette breathed in the sweet air as they came off the path and to the rose garden she and Douglas so lovingly planted last year. She stopped and bent down towards the plants, flowers, and foliage of the garden and took in their fragrances. Douglas snipped a white rose off its stem and tied it on Ginette’s hair. She smiled at him gratefully.

As he went away to play with the children, Ginette sat on the bench put in specially among the flowers for Ginette to enjoy. She sighed, contented, placing her hand on her stomach. She felt a small pain on her back and massaged it. The pregnancy felt quite different this time, and she worried. The doctor had been called once and he reassured her that the child and she were in good health.

Ginette decided to ask him if she was having two children, when he called in next to see her. Now settled, she watched her husband run slowly after the children, laughing and playing games with them. He went on all fours and let James and Charlotte climb on top of him, and he pretended to be a horse or an elephant, making the right animal sounds. She laughed, enjoying the show.

Charlotte and James clearly adored their Papa. They wanted to play all the time with him, but sometimes it was just not possible. The children meant a lot to Douglas, perhaps because he did not have a happy childhood himself.

“I will be the greatest Papa for these two children. They will only see happy parents. When we bicker, it must be done in privacy. I will not have them see us disagreeable.”

Of course, Douglas was reflecting on his own childhood when he saw his own parents arguing.

“And we shall not bicker at all, but if we did, it would be when we are alone,” Ginette said delicately, agreeing wholeheartedly.

They did have arguments as any couple, but they were very discreet. However, when the Duke went away on business, sometimes for a whole month or two, she insisted she and the children go with him.

“James and Charlotte will not do without their father. They will miss you too much, my love,” she tried to show him the reason.

“And I shall miss them and you too,” Douglas emphasised. “You must see I will not be able to spend any time with you or the children. I will have to attend many meetings and entertain the gentlemen. It is no place for you and the  children.”

“Then, you must promise to write to us. We shall await your letters.”

When the duke returned with gifts and plenty of kisses, the household fell into a pattern of work and play, and many dinner parties. Ginette organised the parties and saw to the arrangements herself now since the Dowager was quite unwell these days. And with Penelope deciding to study art in Paris, accompanied by a distant, older cousin to chaperone her, Ginette was left quite alone. However, she visited her parents often, and they adored having the children to keep them occupied.

Hermoine and Lord Walker had bought a house in Yorkshire where they had settled with their three children. They would come down to London for holidays during the winter months as it was too cold in Yorkshire. Charlotte and James enjoyed their visits and especially loved playing with their cousins.

And Masie and Lord Bailey were travelling in Europe. She envied them as she too, wanted to travel. However, Douglas did not want her pregnancy in any danger and asked her to wait until the child was one years old. He would gladly take his family on a tour of Europe. Masie had not forgotten her and wrote to her many times telling her of her adventures. Ginette could only imagine them. It was not feasible to write back as her friend was constantly moving from country to country.

When the Duke was away, Ginette busied herself with running of the household with the advice from her mother-in-law, and liaising with the butler and the housekeeper. The Dowager Duchess was only too pleased to take a step back in all household matters, giving Ginette her blessing as she retired to her chambers most days due to feeling unwell. Over the years, Ginette and her mother-in-law became much closer, and Ginette worried about losing her to ill health.

“One must go when the Lord calls,” The Dowager Duchess said wisely as Ginette and she had tea in the drawing room. “Douglas handles the estate as he should and you are looking after the household as you should. I could not be any more joyful about that. You have also given me lovely grandchildren, and I feel I am truly blessed, my dear.”

“Oh, Mama,” Ginette had tears in her eyes.

“Do not pity the old. I have had a full life. I was fortunate to see my grandchildren. Their grandfather was not. Now, I feel like more tea and more cake.”

“Charlotte, I cannot see you. Where are you hiding?” came the voice of Douglas, pretending to not notice his daughter hiding behind a tree. Ginette heard a giggle. “Ah, there you are!” he laughed as he picked her up and threw her in the air, catching her in time. Charlotte laughed more.

James seemed to be bored as he came back to Ginette. He thrust his hands out.

“Hello, my darling,” she smiled. She picked him up carefully and placed him beside her. It would not do for him to sit on her stomach. He yawned, it seemed the play had already tired him. She waved at Douglas to come to her.

“Will you put James in the carriage and rock him to sleep? He seems to be quite tired now.” Ginette smoothed his silky hair over to one side. I would ask the nanny, but…”

“She is not with us,” the Duke completed her sentence with a smile. He gently picked James up from Ginette’s side so as not to awake him as he had already fallen asleep, and placed him in the carriage. James curled up onto his side. He did not need to be rocked.

“You do make a wonderful father,” Ginette praised him as they began to promenade back to the house. “I love you more than my words can express, my dearest. You have made me the happiest woman. My love, had you ever considered when we first met that we would be so joyful together?”

“I had not, but my heart told me to not ignore my love for you. You were the one for me when I first set my eyes on you.”

“I, too, felt the same, my love.”

Ginette and Douglas both agreed they were blessed to have found one another, and that the future promised to bring them even greater happiness together.

The End