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“I think—ohh!” Lydia gasped as she jerked in her chair again, this time so harshly that she rose to her feet. Alice immediately grabbed hold of one of her arms as Helena grabbed the other.

“Is it the baby?” Helena asked, her excitement growing as she looked down at Lydia’s belly.

Lydia nodded, her pale face turning red as a contraction seemed to ripple through her body.

“Oh, my goodness, it is time,” Alice sang, a smile breaming across her face.

“Teresa, find a footman to send a message down to the men. Ezra needs to know,” Barbara insisted.

“Helena, come, we must get her upstairs.”

“I shall go fetch the boys myself,” Helena decided, moving so that Barbara could assist Lydia.

Helena flew towards the doors of the salon and threw them open wide so the others could bring Lydia through. She was smiling widely as she ran to the butler who was stationed by the front door.

“Is all well, Lady Helena?” the servant asked as Helena hurried towards him, her face flushed pink with excitement.

“Everything is perfect,” Helena said in a rush. “Send someone immediately to fetch the midwife. She is currently at the Stanton’s country residence checking in on their new little boy. Bring her here posthaste.”

Joy eclipsed the old man’s worried expression, and he bowed quickly in acknowledgement.

“I will at once, madam,” he replied readily. “Oh, what joyous news! Finally a new baby Fernside child!”

Helena hurried off in the direction of Ezra’s study on the far side of the house. Upon opening the door, she was greeted by a familiar sight that only made her laugh harder. While Ezra and Duncan were leaning against the fireplace — drinks in hand as they smiled — Morgan and Ambrose were wrestling on the floor, with Ambrose holding Morgan in a defensive move.

“Oh, for heaven’s sakes,still?”Helena asked, throwing her hands up in the air. “You are all either in your thirties or nearing it, and you are still playing at this?”

“He must admit that I am the strongestandthe oldest,” Ambrose insisted, shrugging nonchalantly from his position.

“Never,” Morgan grunted beneath him.

Shaking her head, Helena smiled as she crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.

“Well, I am happy to see that you are all…bondingagain,” she giggled. “But I come with important news.”

At once Ambrose got off Morgan and helped him up as Duncan and Ezra dropped their drinks on a nearby table and stood up. Ezra walked to her, his ice blue eyes pinning her with his usual deep stare. Helena had looked into those eyes nearly all her life, and while most had felt fear upon looking at him, she had only felt a rush of sibling love. She drew closer and put her hands on his upper arms.

“Is it time?” Ezra asked steadily.

Helena could feel the soft tremble running through the otherwise stoic beast of a man. He was the toughest of the four of them, or at least he had been until he had fallen in love with Lydia. Now, just like Ambrose and Duncan, he turned into an excited pup every time his wife was mentioned.

“The midwife has been called, and Alice, Barbara and Teresa are helping her up the stairs,” Helena replied, reaching up to give his arms another squeeze.

Excitement filled Ezra’s eyes as his face drained of all color. He suddenly whirled on his feet to face Ambrose and Duncan.

“What do I do?” he asked them quickly, his voice brimming with panic.

“Easy, old boy,” Ambrose laughed, grabbing him by the shoulder as the man stared at him, utterly petrified.

“All will be well,” Duncan assured him next.

Ezra did not wait to hear any more words of encouragement before he bolted from the room, calling Lydia’s name as he made his way to the stairs.

“We had better go with him,” Duncan suggested, looking at Ambrose as he nodded his head towards the door. “That man does not deal with fright very well.”

“Do any of us?” Ambrose chuckled, but he and Duncan were both already heading out the door to catch up with their friend, leaving Helena and Morgan behind.

“So, it is time for a new bundle of joy to join the family, is it?” Morgan asked, walking up to Helena.