January 10th, 1891 — Abbott Household, Somewhere in the UK(?)

Ever since her sister had gotten married the prior September, Octavia Rose had taken to visiting her sister at her new home every once in a while. While she still didn't know Di's husband well, she had no desire to allow this to cause a distance to grow between herself in her sister now that they no longer lived under the same roof.

It was a the day before the clothing charity drive and she'd popped in to help sort through the materials they'd bring as well as dropping off the pieces she'd gathered at her own house. They sat in the sitting room off of Diana's chambers, easily chatting far more than they were actually getting things done. The holidays the past month had kept them both far busier than normal leaving them much to catch up on.

An hour or so in, she faltered, pausing to look up at sister as she gripped the yarn tightly in hand. "Are you okay, Di? You seem distracted. Did something happen?"

Diana Abbott

  

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Lady makes such lovely things.

If anyone told Diana life would settle down after marriage, they were a fool — it was quite the opposite, really. The holidays had come and gone, and Diana was still thinking about the letter she'd received from the healers. She wasn't starting to show at all, which was a relief; she wanted to keep it a secret after all and surprise him at the right moment. When that moment was, Diana figured she might know when the time came. Still, her lady's maid was certainly a decent help, as there was no denying her morning sickness anymore.

Should she keep the secret from everyone else, or would she eventually break and tell Tavie? It's not like Octavia was everyone else, after all...

Her sister's voice broke through her thoughts and Diana looked up. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Tavie," she said, snapping back into her senses. "I was miles away. Don't worry about me." She smiled before looking down at her hands. "I think this should go in the donation box, shouldn't it? After all it doesn't fit either of us anymore and it seems a shame to keep it and let it collect dust."

  

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Di's reaction was enough to tell Octavia Rose that her suspicions were correct, her sister hadn't been paying what she was saying any mind though for how long she'd been spaced out. "It is okay," she replied automatically, not wanting Di to feel bad. "I wasn't saying anything important, just rambling."

For a second she watched the other woman, unsure if she should press her sister further or gracefully let the subject fall, but Di's next comment was easily enough to distract her from the topic on hand - for the moment. She glanced over to see what Diana was holding. It was one of Di's older coats that she had borrowed once, but even then it hadn't fit her. Diana was a fair bit taller than her and she'd had to have it taken in slightly with a few darts to the hems.  "Of course, someone is sure to enjoy it. It is such a pretty color, isn't it? Do you think Momma would let me get a new dress at this time of year in that color? Or is it too dark?"

Once again she suddenly faltered, her face falling from its prior cheerful smile. "What is on your mind, Di? You know you can talk to me. Nothing happened with William, did it?"

  

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Lady makes such lovely things.

After Octavia Rose's first response about her dress Diana focused on the color again. After further inspection, the coat was in fairly good shape, so it would indeed, go to a good home. With a wave of her wand, the coat floated out of her hands and lazily into the donation box.

With a squint that she wouldn't dare execute in public for fear of her mother's retaliation, Diana pursed her lips at the color. Tavie was right, the color was quite dark... "Perhaps it'd be best to save that particular color request for a different time." she said with a gentle air of finality. "You know mother would only think you were preparing for a funeral, after all!"

Turning her gaze to her sister, she noticed Tavie observing her with a worried expression and immediately shook her head in protest. "No, no, nothing of the sort, silly goose." she exclaimed, a soft giggle emitting from her lips as she picked up a pair of hardly worn shoes. "I'm just a bit distracted, is all. Are you planning on using these at all, or have you already outgrown them?"

  

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"Oh!" Octavia Rose gasped, nose crinkling in a manner that made her look a bit like a bunny. A funeral! Their mother would say that wouldn't she? Even if snee didn't n really think Tavie was planning a funeral she'd surely over dramatically claim that. "Oh, nevermind that then. By the time I'll be able to wear it it will not even be in fashion - unless someone courts me by the end of the year." But after she'd come out of her first season a spectacular failure, part of her doubted that would happen.

That was a relief that all was fine between Di and Will. It certainly would have been upsetting to see the two fight when Tavie fancied them so in love. But what else could be bothering her sister so much other than Will?

She glanced at the shoes before nodding. "Pappa just got me those for Christmas! Aren't they lovely? I just haven't had much need for walking boots with all the snow. They stay. Ohh...you are distracting me again. Regardless, I hope you know that I'm here for you if something does happen Di. No matter where you live or what your last name is you are still my sister."

  

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Lady makes such lovely things.

Upon her sister crinkling her nose, Diana squinted and pursed her lips again. "Well — an English funeral at least." she added, before giving an unladylike shrug and gesturing still to the 'give-away bin'. With the shoes still in hand, she rolled her eyes. Of course her sister would see straight through her distraction attempts, however it was worth pointing out that Diana was a rather terrible actress anyways.

"Octavia Rose, don't be silly, both Will and I are perfect pictures of health, I hardly doubt anything will happen." Handing the shoes to her sister, the witch moved onto another pair of shoes. "I think I got these as a present from distant cousins — do you want them?"

  

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Her ability to see what her sister was trying to pull was irrelevant when she still fell for it everytime and only caught on in the middle. It still worked..  sort of. "I don't like how you say that. Hardly doubt sounds like you think something may happen." Her nose crinkled as she spoke. "Between how distracted you've been lately and that you can't tell me you don't have something on your mind at least. What is it?"

  

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Lady makes such lovely things.

Another distraction attempt absolutely gone to waste. Diana sighed more exasperated with herself than with Tavie. "I...I haven't told Will yet." she said, knowing she was going about this all wrong. Diana put the shoes down, her hand hovering over her stomach.

A simple action, really but it was the first time it had really hit her what was about to be set in motion. "I'm...." She'd done the worst job at hiding it from Tavie, Diana had to wonder if Will had thought something was up. A likely story, as he often saw through Diana. It was with a fond smile and the thought of her husband that Diana finally said: "I'm pregnant."

  

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A pit of worry opened in the bottom of her stomach as her sister caved and started to speak. She hadn't told Will yet? What in the world would need to be prefaced with the warning that she had told her husband yet? Octavia Rose's picture of the two in her head was very much of the starstruck lovers that told each other everything. Something along the lines that Tavie dreamed to one day have but knew she likely never would receive. She flustered, uneasy about what Di would tell only for her to be suddenly swept the other way.

She dropped the yarn she had held the whole conversation and rushed forward to hug her sister. "Oh Di that is wonderful news! Oh, I'm going to be an aunt! Oh, I hope you have a daughter. I will spoil her so! Why were you so worried, Di? This is wonderful! Oh, you must tell Will I'm sure he'll be so excited to be a father!"

  

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Lady makes such lovely things.

A laugh bubbled up in her chest and Diana hugged her sister back tightly, her hand stroking her sister's hair. "I suppose I was worried I might lose it before I could tell you," she replied with hesitation. "That happens to some women you know, Tavie." She pulled away, hand to her stomach again. "But please, don't tell Will, I wouldn't want him to worry. I shall tell him soon. I just... I need a little more time."

  

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"How far along are you? When are you due?" For a moment her excitement caused her to skip straight over Diana's cautionary statement, her head too full of images of playing with her niece or nephew and watching them grow up to realize anything could happen to break that picture. But that came crashing down as she slowly took in what her sister was saying. Tavie loosened her grip on Diana, falling back to rock on her heels, staring up at her older sister from the floor. "What do you mean you could lose it?"

  

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Lady makes such lovely things.

"Not very far along, but I had a suspicion," she responded, before contemplating on the fact that her sister probably didn't know —

Right on cue, Tavie's expression conveyed the confusion Diana had assumed she held. "Well," she said, not expecting to have these two conversations side by side. "Babies are quite fragile, you see," This was all from what the healer had told her. "And as such it's of the utmost importance that a mother be very careful in the beginning of pregnancy."

  

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That made sense that it was new or else Tavie believed she knew Di well enough that she ought to have spotted the difference in her sister long before. You didn't know someone your whole life without learning how to read them.

But then again,  she also knew little about pregnancy and babies so maybe that would have canceled out get knowledge of her sister. As the youngest, she'd never been that close to pregnancy. Maybe Aumt Hermonie but she'd been far to young at her aunt's last child. Mairda maybe but and never been close to her brother's wife.

"Oh, I suppose that is why most women stay home during pregnancy. I would love children one day but I should miss the balls. Oh but it will all be worth it in the end. They'll be so cute!"

  

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Lady makes such lovely things.

It was true, many women DID stay home during pregnancy. Though that was very much Muggle women. Diana chuckled at how perplexed Tavie seemed to be at this news. "Indeed they will be," she said before picking the shoes back up and waving them in front of her sister's nose. "Now do you want these or not? They were quite comfortable but I just didn't wear them often for some reason."

  

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