Megan looked out of the drawing-room window. Despite it being February, the grounds still looked lush with evergreens neatly manicured. In the distance she could just make out the white railings of the racing track. Tobias was at the training yard that morning, where he’d gone to meet Dylan. She was pleased for both of them that the yard was such a success. Judging by Tobias’ more relaxed mood, it was obvious the money it generated was contributing well to the Treweham Hall estate.
Megan was looking forward to the Hall being reopened to the public in spring. For her, it made the place come alive. Tobias and Beatrice, she knew, thought it was intrusive and an inconvenience, perhaps because they had always had the Hall to themselves as a home, whereas she’d never known any different. Megan pictured her little cottage that had once been her gran’s. She missed the cosy bolt hole at times, but had grown to like living in Treweham Hall, with its vast history and character, plus its quirky inhabitants. Her cottage, and her granddad’s next door, were both rented out as holiday cottages now.
Her thoughts turned to Finula. They’d spoken a few times since her move and Megan couldn’t wait to go and visit. She let out a bored sigh… Suddenly a sharp pain shot through her lower back, making her cry out loud. Clutching the back of the armchair, she doubled over in agony as another stab ran through her. She felt damp, and looking down she saw a small pool of pink water at her feet. Her waters had broken! Panic stricken, she looked out of the window. Tobias wasn’t here and she was about to go into premature labour! The baby wasn’t due until next month.
‘Ahh!’ Another searing pain hit her hard. She couldn’t walk to the phone, nor even reach the pull for the bell to summon Henry. Megan cried out in torture and gripped the chair again.
*
Meanwhile, Tobias was in the training yard office where Dylan was showing him their feature in Hi-Ya magazine. Tobias threw his head back and laughed, when Dylan told him how badly behaved Phoenix had been.
‘He literally dumped, right at the journalist’s feet.’
‘Good for him. Most journalists deserve it,’ chuckled Tobias. Then he sobered for a second, remembering Sebastian’s proposal for the three brothers to be interviewed together for the documentary until Dylan broke into his thoughts.
‘So, not long to go now, eh? Just another month, then you’ll become a daddy.’
‘We won’t know what’s hit us.’
*
Back at the Hall, Megan knew what was hitting her, sheer agony. She had managed to ease herself now onto the floor, as wave after wave of pain engulfed her. Fear and panic started to set in. She tried to remain calm and started to pant as instructed in her antenatal class. Then, through blurred vision, she saw two black polished shoes.
‘Madam!’
Looking up, she gasped, ‘Henry… the baby’s coming.’
A stricken Henry rang the bell, then crouched down next to her.
‘Don’t worry, help is on its way.’ He reached for a cushion and placed it under her head. Then he held her hand. Megan squeezed his hard and let out another piercing cry. Moments later another member of staff entered the room and stopped short when she saw Megan on the floor and Henry bent down next to her.
‘Quick! Ring for an ambulance!’ he ordered.
‘Tobias!’ Megan screamed. ‘I need Tobias!’
Tobias was sipping on a coffee, reminiscing about the scrapes him, Dylan and Seamus had got into back in the day, when his mobile rang.
‘Just a minute, Dylan.’ He reached inside his Barbour jacket.
‘Sir, you must come quick,’ urged Henry. ‘Madam’s in labour!’
Tobias’ eyes widened. Not bothering to reply, he jumped up.
‘What is it?’ Dylan asked, startled.
‘It’s Megan. She’s having the baby,’ he called over his shoulder as he ran at full pelt to his car.
Tobias’ chest thumped hard, especially when seeing the ambulance pull up behind his car on the driveway. The great door was flung open by a distressed Beatrice.
‘Quickly, she’s in your drawing room.’
The ambulance staff and Tobias tore down the corridor and up the stairs to the south wing. Entering the room, Tobias dashed over to Megan and knelt down. Henry stood up out of the way and left the room.
‘Tobias, it’s coming,’ panted Megan, pouring with sweat. She clutched his hand. Tobias smoothed away the hair on her forehead.
‘You’re in safe hands, Megan,’ he soothed, while the paramedic popped a white sheet under her body and rolled up her dress. After quickly removing her knickers, one of the medics examined her.
‘Not long to go, Megan,’ she said gently. ‘You’re fully dilated.’
Tobias gulped. Hell, his baby was about to be born in his own drawing room. This wasn’t exactly what he’d envisaged. He jumped as Megan screeched and dug her nails into his palm.
‘You’re doing great, Megan,’ he encouraged, petrified inside.
‘I want to push!’ Megan shouted.
The paramedics glanced at each other. One of them took another look.
‘I can see the head,’ she confirmed. ‘OK, Megan, let’s have a big push on your next contraction.’
‘Ah!’
‘That’s it, good girl, and again.’
‘Ahh!’
Tobias closed his eyes and prayed hard.
‘It’s coming. Keep going, Megan.’
One mammoth thrust brought the tiny bundle out.
‘Well done, Megan, it’s a boy!’ the medic exclaimed, taking the squawking baby. They swiftly cut the umbilical cord and wrapped him in a blanket from the emergency bag.
‘Let me see,’ gasped Megan, straining her neck. Carefully the baby was placed in his mother’s arms. Tobias stroked the top of his head, all wet with dark hair. ‘He looks like you,’ she whispered to him, and Tobias kissed her cheek.
‘Well done, my love,’ he croaked, his eyes welling up with emotion.
The medic carried on attending to Megan whilst Tobias took hold of his son.
‘Is he all right?’ He spoke urgently under his breath to the other paramedic. ‘He’s a month early.’
The nurse smiled. ‘We’ll need to get mother and baby to the hospital for a good check-up, but he sounds fine to me.’
Tobias looked down at his crying son, so tiny, so fragile, he wanted to wrap him in cotton wool. Megan had been an absolute star. Outside the drawing-room door he could hear anxious low voices. He walked towards the sound, holding the baby. Beatrice and Henry were waiting desperately on tenterhooks.
‘Meet your grandson, Mother.’
‘Oh, darling!’ Beatrice rushed to his side. ‘He’s the image of you, Tobias.’
Henry waited patiently to be invited.
‘Look, Henry.’ Tobias beckoned him over. Henry gazed at the heir to Treweham Hall and smiled tenderly. ‘Thank you, Henry,’ Tobias said, ‘for being there to alert me.’
‘Not at all, sir. It was my pleasure.’
The ambulance took Megan and baby to the hospital, while Tobias followed in his car. After spending all day there, and having been examined by the doctors and midwife, the new mother and her son were able to come home in the early evening. Although born a month early, the baby still weighed well and hadn’t shown any signs to cause alarm, to the huge relief of both his parents.
Later that night, Megan was tucked up in the four-poster bed cradling her newborn, and Tobias was sitting next to her with his arm round them.
‘What shall we call him?’ he asked her, unable to take his eyes of his son.
‘Edward, after my granddad.’
‘Edward Richard, after my father, too?’
‘Yes. Edward Richard Henry.’
‘Henry?’ laughed Tobias.
‘Yes, if it wasn’t for Henry, God knows what could have happened.’ Megan shivered with the horrific memory of being immobile on the floor in agony, unable to call for help.
‘Edward Richard Henry it is, then.’
That night all the staff and family celebrated by wetting the baby’s head. Champagne flowed, music played and Tobias said a few words of gratitude to Henry, who blushed pink with pride. Upstairs in the south wing, Megan spoke to her elated parents, then rang Finula with the good news. After a light supper of chicken soup, she fell into a deep slumber, while little Edward slept in his Moses basket beside her, oblivious to the commotion his early arrival had caused.