A Rake, A Spinster, And An Arrangement

Chapter 5 : At The Beginning (Ep 2)

June 1790, London, Wiltshire House

Two rooms, side by side. Two very different rooms.

One was dark, the curtains drawn, only a few candles for light at one end of the room, near where the door was open. The other looked into a dark room, but it was filled with light, and men, all awaiting the news of what the dark room held.

The news, given the sounds of the screams, was not good.

Lady Andromeda Tonks Black, newly instated Marchioness of Waterford, was pacing back and forth, her arms crossed under her breasts. She kept looking towards the dark room, towards the woman that lay in the bed, screaming. There was a doctor between the woman's legs, a nurse on either side, and with each urge to push, another scream came out.

Birthing a child was brutal and bloody work, but it should not be like this. Particularly for a woman that had pushed out a number of children before.

Still, none of those children had lived, and if screaming helped to grant the Duke of Wiltshire his long awaited heir, well...

Lucius Malfoy had complained, in the past, about how weak his wife was, complaining during childbirth and labor. Now, he was silent, instead standing at the doorway, glaring, awaiting the news.

It was taking too long. Andromeda had only birthed one child, and she already knew it was taking too long.

"Meda!" came a scream from within the room, and once more, Andromeda moved closer, wanting to go in. She was stopped once more by the Duke, who glared at her.

"You have no experience in birthing sons, my Lady ," he said, spitting out her form of address. "You are only allowed here because the Queen has granted your useless Irish husband a title, thereby elevating you to polite society... as though you have not brought a jackeen into our midst. I have allowed you into my home as a kindness to my wife, provided she give me my heir."

Andromeda bit her tongue, saying nothing, and took in a deep breath, her eyes seeking out her sisters.

Narcissa's eyes locked with hers, her lips shaking and tears running down her cheeks.

And then, she screamed again.

She screamed for so long, that Lucius eventually fell into a chair, growing impatient. She screamed for so long, that they had to get more clean clothes.

She screamed for so long, that Andromeda had become convinced there was no way the child would be born alive.

And then, there was the faint sound of a child's screams in the air, a beautiful sound, given the number of children that Narcissa had given Lucius that never drew breath.

"What is it?" Lucius demanded, stumbling out of his chair and to the door. "What is it!"

Andromeda was a step behind him, her eyes locked on her sister.

"A boy, your Grace. You have a son."

Narcissa let out a sob of relief, and Andromeda pushed past Lucius, going straight to her sister's side. The work was done, the babe was born, and now, she could hug her sister for the first time in nearly a decade and a half. She sobbed out, crying as she grasped her sister's hand, pressing kisses to it.

"A son," came the voice of the Duke of Wiltshire from near the door to the dark room. "At long last, I have a son."

The babe was still making noise, enough that Andromeda knew that the crying had not been false, but she did not look towards her sister's husband, nor to the babe. All she saw was her baby sister, who was wearing a beautiful smile.