The Pearl Of Great Price

Chapter 23: Fate

As time passed into summer, life for the Duke and Duchess was easier. Well, easier in terms of security and living in Wales. Life was not more comfortable, however, for Mary. She grew more significant with children, making her large and miserable. The heat of the summer, and especially of August, was dreadful. One of the hottest summers yet, or so Lady Flora claims. Not only is she huge or, as she says, "As gargantuan as Lady Molten's big mouth."

This is true. The lady is the biggest gossip in England. Everyone knows this and tries to stay away from her. Another disturbing thing Mary has found is that she is also sweaty.

"Huge and sweaty are not attractive. It just isn't," the Duchess told Charles one afternoon. In the afternoons, she's taken to lying upstairs on their bed to escape the horrible heat. All of the windows are raised, so the breeze can drift through. She sheds her day dress for the comfort of a short cotton nightgown and a cold rag on her forehead. It's heavenly.

Ever since his wife's baby belly grew great, Charles has taken to being more supportive. He and Doctor Pearce had a "woman's pregnancy" conversation not too long ago. The doctor told him many things he would not have otherwise known. For instance, never say aloud, "Don't you think one serving of custard is enough?"

The Duke learned that lesson the hard way at dinner one evening. At the dining table were his wife, Lady Dot, Anthony, William, and himself. The footmen brought dessert plates of vanilla custard laden with summer berries. His Highness spied the settings around the table and noted Mary's was a generous helping, unlike everyone else. This is understandable as she's been eating a lot cause there are three people she's feeding. However, the trouble arose when she called for another generous serving.

Charles's eyebrows rose at her words. Then without thinking, obviously, he asked the infamous question, "Don't you think one serving of custard is enough?" You would have thought he had kicked her puppy by the response he got.

In horror, his wife plopped her fork down onto the table. And her eyes narrowed at him. He thinks her head grew three sizes because she announced, "You called me fat!" Then the tears came, and her voice rose to that shrilly pitch all men hate. "You think I'm fat! That's what you meant!"

The Duke tried to tell her, "No, I did not, in fact, call you anything of the sort," but before he could say any words, the Duchess had fled the room in tears.

Lady Dot shamed him and asserted, "Why did you have to say that?" Then she took off after Mary.

This left his two friends who laughed at his problem. "Oh, man! Thank God I'm not you. You might be sleeping out with the horses tonight," William joked. To show his annoyance, Charles threw a dinner roll at him.

The wise doctor also told His Highness more things to refrain from saying, if possible. They are as follows: "I know how you feel." "Why are you crying again?" "It seems like you've been pregnant forever." "Childbirth should be easy for you." "Did someone draw on your legs with blue dye?" To be clear, he had no idea varicose veins were a thing until he saw them one day. Other things to not say. "I had an excellent sleep last night." "Try to keep up and walk faster." And finally, "Let's have more babies after these two."

Charles would like to add to this list another little gem of truth. One day he had come back from a morning ride. Upstairs he glimpsed his wife directing servants in and out of a family room close to their own. They were busy moving furniture, rugs, and other such stuff. He asked what was happening, and she let him know she was overseeing the decorating of the twin's room.

"Everything has to be in place. There's just so much to be done, especially since there are two of them," Mary stated. Then she turned back to instruct where to put the chest of drawers.