He remained silent for a long moment. He could not exactly know how it felt to be in his brother's predicament; indeed, he hoped he never would. Even imagining seemed decidedly short of the mark. It was not the first time Aldous had felt inadequately prepared to counsel his brother, but probably the first time that such a feeling was merited. He did not care for it.

"You will need a midwife," he said at last, his voice conveying a bit more confidence than he felt, "to ensure everything is progressing as it should, for both Mrs. Crouch's sake and that of the babe. Perhaps, when you feel comfortable telling her, you might ask November for recommendations; both of her pregnancies, to the best of my knowledge, went quite swimmingly. You'll need a nurse as well, once the child is born, though obviously bachelor lodgings will no longer suit and you will likely have to invest in a larger second residence."