Offerings

[Hannah Pettigrew]

July 17th, 1887
@'Lucy Pettigrew'
@'Helena Macmillan'

The daily visits with the children were a little bit of a chore for Hannah. She would never admit as much out loud, but it had been difficult to grow too attached to Odessa and Alex, as much as she’d tried. They were both so young, with so little in the way of personalities. At least Odessa could properly talk, but even then Hannah got the distinct impression that her stepdaughter hadn’t particularly warmed to her, either. The awful truth was that, though she would do her best to be a dutiful mother to them for Thom’s sake, it just wasn’t the same as if they were hers.

Or, at least, she thought that was why she felt so awkward with them. She supposed she wouldn’t know for sure until she delivered her own child. Even so, after telling Thom the news, visiting her stepchildren was now accompanied by a strange sense of anticipation, as if Hannah were meant to be practicing for some grander test of motherhood. It was thrilling and intimidating and exhausting all at once, and Hannah always felt drained afterwards. Or maybe that was just due to her advancing condition?

Lucy had joined her in the parlor today with them, so that at least removed some of the pressure to perform. The hour had drawn to a close, and Miss O’Fannon shut the door behind her as she ushered the children back to the nursery. Now that they were gone, however, Hannah was left with a different elephant in the room: she’d yet to tell her mother-in-law she was expecting. She’d have to before she started really showing, or Lucy would start thinking she was just putting on weight or something equally insulting, and Hannah already had a hard enough time getting along with the woman as it was. It wasn’t as if she tried to antagonize Lucy, but it just seemed that Hannah could do no right in her eyes.

Some days, though, the elder Mrs. Pettigrew was actually pleasant. Hannah suspected that this was mostly due to Lucy mistaking her for her late daughter, but she would take what she could get. Merlin, she hoped today would be one of those days. Perhaps bearing her a grandchild would be the way to her good graces?

“They are darling, aren’t they?” Hannah ventured, curling up on the chaise lounge now that they were alone.

  

[Lucy Pettigrew]

After her recent bout of indulgence – which had culminated in her sleeping for a good long while and taking little food – Lucy was feeling better rested and sleeker than she had in some time. She had felt perfectly rotten for some time of course but that was par on course with aging as far as she knew and thus far she seemed to be doing quite well at the whole thing: certainly better than most of the women she had shared schooldays, motherhood and now middle age with. Olivia Pendergast was dead for Merlin’s sake and Helena’s figure had never quite recovered from her pregnancies and both states were ones Lucy congratulated herself on avoiding!

The recent culling was almost enough to make her cheerful – not because of the death of course, but rather that she and all her family had survived relatively unscathed. Even Arthur had been a wonder and she would now actually consider honestly defending him in public, not just to placate his mother. She wouldn’t go so far as to make it obvious of course but if he came up she would certainly credit him with resourceful bravery at the very least. And an excellent foresight of mind when it came to carrying spirits about his person.

And Hannah…well, Lucy would admit that she had been glad to hear of her safe delivery from the terrible tigers if only for Thom’s sake. He was so lost without a woman telling him what to do after all and, with no one suitable in the pipeline, Hannah was as good as it got for now. And she was rather good with the children and, unlike other women Lucy had known, did not ignore them because of their lack of blood relation which was at least a good mark against her kindness.

“Of course they are,” she said with smug pleasure, her lips twitching merrily. “They carry the very best characteristics of us all do they not?”

  

[Hannah Pettigrew]

Encouraged by Lucy's agreement, Hannah smiled. Yes, all grandmothers loved their grandchildren -- at least when they were so young and innocent and full of possibility. Regardless of whatever failings her mother-in-law might see in her, surely she would not be so cold-hearted as to extend that scrutiny to her son's children.

"Grandmama always says the same thing," Hannah replied. Of course, Jena could be rather overly dramatic and exhausting -- but she loved her family fiercely, as Hannah knew all too well when she hadn't cast them all aside after Sebastian's death. "Odessa, especially -- I see so much of Thom in her. I suppose Alexander must take after his mother?" It was difficult to say when he was so young, but Hannah didn't think the boy particularly resembled his father.

  

[Lucy Pettigrew]

It would have pleased Lucy no end if neither of her grandchildren had even the slightest hint of their lowborn mother in them. If there had been a potion to give them that would have eradicated all hint of her from them then Lucy would have ordered its brewing forthwith and administered it herself if necessary – on the other hand it seemed that Alexander in particular was becoming less and less like his mother every time she saw him. He was shorter for one thing…

The thought left Lucy’s mind as quickly as it had entered it and she smiled beatifically at her daughter-in-law, sportingly ignoring the mention of a woman she disliked heartily.

“One can only hope he will grow out of it.” Even Hannah was a better bet as a mother. “We can but hope that in the fullness of time he will look to you alone as his mother.”

@'Hannah Pettigrew'
sorry!