“A bit, yes,” Jane agreed. “But it’s not my house any longer. It belongs to them, really. They’re the reason people still know who I am.”

“I can’t believe you wrote all of your novels on that little desk,” Walter said. “And by hand. I think most writers today would give up if they didn’t have computers.”

“It certainly made me think good and hard about what I wanted to say before committing the words to the page,” Jane said. “And it was hell on the eyes.”

“We’ll have a proper honeymoon later,” Walter said. “I just thought this would nice to have a few days on our own before we head back.”

Jane sighed. “We’re going to have to have a wedding all over again,” she said. “I don’t know if I can take it.”

Walter took her hand. “This time we’ll let Lucy and my mother handle everything,” he said. “We had the wedding we wanted.”

“Was it really the wedding you wanted?” Jane asked him.

“You were there,” said Walter. “That’s all I wanted.”

“Byron’s rubbing off on you, I see,” Jane said, kissing him on the cheek.

“Nope. I came up with that all on my own,” said Walter. “Besides, it’s true. You’re all I ever wanted.”

“We’ll see if you say that when the honeymoon is over,” Jane said.

Walter was quiet for a minute, then said, “Where do you think Char—Our Gloomy Friend went?”

Jane smiled. “You catch on quick,” she said. “And I don’t know. She has a way of disappearing and then popping up again when it’s most inconvenient.”

“Do you think she’ll try to use the fake Needle?”

“Not before she tricks some other poor sucker into trying it first,” Jane answered. “She’s many things, but she’s no fool. She won’t try it on herself until she knows it works.”

“Which means someone else will die,” Walter said.

“That’s if she even bothers,” said Jane. “I believe what she said about only wanting it so that no one else could have it. She’s a terribly unhappy person. I’m sure that’s why her writing is so dreary.”

“You just couldn’t let that one get by, could you?” Walter said.

“Sorry,” said Jane. “I know it’s an awful habit.”

“And Joshua?” Walter said.

“Oh, I imagine he’ll go back to doing whatever it was he was doing in the first place,” Jane said. “Something tedious I …” She stopped without finishing the thought.

“What?” asked Walter.

Jane turned to him. “It just occurred to me. We never did encounter the Tedious Three, and nobody we know has ever seen them. I wonder if Joshua could be … He certainly fits the tedious bit to a tee. But no, that would be too peculiar. Still, odder things have happened.”

“How about we leave that mystery for another day?” Walter suggested.

“You’re right,” said Jane. “This is all about us.”

The rain began to fall harder, but still they didn’t move. Walter put his arm around Jane’s shoulders, and she laid her head against his neck. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine herself being any happier than she was at that moment. And she couldn’t. 

Epilogue

Brakeston, New York

Jane gripped Walter’s hand and squeezed it so hard that he yelped.

“Suck it up!” she said through gritted teeth. “It’s nothing compared to what’s taking place down below.”

Lucy held the cup of ice chips to Jane’s mouth, and Jane sucked a few in. “What I really want is a rare steak,” Jane said.

The midwife, peering between Jane’s legs, said, “It won’t be much longer now.”

Jane growled in response as another contraction came.

The bedroom door opened and Byron stuck his head in. He wore a gold cardboard crown with HAPPY NEW YEAR! spelled out in red glitter, and in his hand was a glass of champagne. Behind him, William looked over his shoulder.

“Are we too late?” Byron asked.

“No,” said Walter. “She hasn’t popped yet.”

“This is so exciting,” said Byron, coming into the already crowded room. “I’ve never been to a birth before.”

“Probably because you always left the women when they became pregnant,” Jane snarled.

“There’s no need to be insulting,” said Byron, lifting the sheet and looking beneath it.

“Do you mind?” the midwife said, giving him a disapproving look.

Byron made a face. “I’d forgotten what they look like,” he said. He turned to William. “It just occurred to me—you’re going to be a grandfather!”

“And you a fairy godfather,” he said.

The door opened again and Miriam appeared. She pushed between Byron and William. “Is it a boy or a girl?” she asked.

Jane replied by groaning loudly and uttering some not entirely pleasant words.

“The great reveal has yet to occur,” Byron informed Miriam, who rolled her eyes.

The midwife stood up. “I’m going to go get some more towels,” she said. She pointed at Jane. “Don’t have this baby until I get back.”

“Don’t worry,” Byron told her. “If she does, we’ll just pop it back in and she’ll do it all over again so you don’t miss anything.”

The midwife shook her head and left the room. As the contractions had stopped for the moment, Jane lay back against the pillows and breathed in short, even bursts.

“How is the party?” she heard Lucy ask.

“Wonderful,” Byron answered. “When you’re done here you should all come over.”

Jane opened one eye and fixed him with a stare. “By all means,” she said. “There’s nothing I would like more right now than to jump about with a noisemaker and toast the new year.”

“Oh, do you want some?” Byron asked, holding out the champagne flute.

“No, I do not want any!” Jane bellowed. She followed this with a wild yell. “What I want is for this child to come out now!”

The midwife returned, her arms loaded with towels.

“It’s still in there,” Byron assured her.

“Not for much longer,” said the midwife, assessing the situation. “Jane, are you ready?”

“No,” Jane said. “I’ve changed my mind. I think we’ll just wait a bit if nobody minds.”

“Push!” the midwife commanded as a contraction hit.

Jane obliged, nearly cracking the fingers of Walter’s hand in the process.

“Again!” said the midwife.

Jane heard Walter’s voice in her ear. “You’re about to be a mother,” he said gently.

Jane pushed.

The room was silent for what seemed an eternity. Then a baby’s cry filled the air, followed by cheering.

“It’s a girl,” Jane heard the midwife say.

Walter kissed Jane’s forehead as everyone else crowded around the midwife and the baby.

“She’s beautiful,” Lucy said. “Just beautiful.”

“Looks a bit like Churchill,” Byron added. “Without the cigar.”

“Hello, little one,” said William.

“I’m a grandmother,” Miriam announced. “Finally!”

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