My Crazy Lady's

Chapter 142 (MCL)

Alex was glued to the carpet. He had to relieve his throat before he replied, "How is my wife?"

"It's very good."

Alex walked out of the room and endured the strange urge to hug the great doctor.

When Alex goes to meet Hanna, Hugh approaches the brandy bottle and pulls out a handkerchief to wipe the eyebrows.

The dowager duchess approached Hugh and touched the doctor's arm. "How's Hanna doing?" ask dowager duchess lirih.

"He scares me, My Lady. He lost a lot of blood, but he's fine. Even before the bleeding occurred, at least I had no intention of leaving this place until tomorrow. You know that."

"Of course I know," said the dowager duchess with a faint smile, then succumbed to the urge Alex had ignored, which was to hug the doctor tightly. "Thank you, Hugh," whispered the woman. "I'm so scared." The dowager duchess let out a glance, looking around blankly. "I can barely open my eyes. I think I'll take a break." Continue on to Ema.

"You're right, My Lady. I'm sure, I'll do the same thing" said Ema.

Stuart got up politely and as he lowered his head to land a kiss on his wife's cheek, he saw a puddle of tears of relief gleaming in her eyes. "Well, my dear, I told you there's nothing to worry about. Didn't we?" stuart said with a small laugh. It was he who really wanted to calm her down.

"Yes, you're right" Ema replied with a shy smile.

Stuart leaned past his wife and glanced at Stephen, who looked fifteen years younger than he was a few minutes ago. "Look at Stephen. He's not worried. You ladies are too worried. Labor is the most natural thing in the world, isn't it Stephen?"

"Yes, of course," Stephen confirmed, smiling at Lord and Lady Jhonson. He stood his body walking towards the drink bottle. "I think I'm gonna have a drink before I go to bed to celebrate this."

"That's a good idea," Stuart agreed and immediately joined Stephen at the side table. He saw his wife coming out of the room, and looked around looking for the doctor.

***

Three days after Arthur Claymore was born into the world, Hanna was sitting upright in bed, propped up by a pile of pillows, wondering why her husband and mother-in-law had not come to visit this morning.

Alex came by when the clock showed at three in the afternoon. "Where have you been all day?" hanna asked after returning Alex's kiss.

"I have to go to Claymore" Alex said as he sat to Hanna's left. "How are you feeling?"

"Be happy and well."

"That's great. How's my son doing?"

"Hunger and state it clearly," Hanna laughed. "Mery forced Arthur into the nursery so I could rest, but I wasn't sleepy."

"Good, 'cause I brought you a gift from Claymore."

"You went all the way to Claymore just to get me a present?" hanna. "I'd rather you're here, accompany me."

I'm so flattered to hear that" Alex snatched a big smile. "But I really had no choice, and it turned out that me and mom took a few hours longer than we thought to find what we were looking for."

Hanna will only ask for further explanation when Alex's mother appears on the doorstep followed by the butler carrying a heavy object covered in red velvet.

"I'm the one to blame for Alex's departure" said the dowager duchess, smiling. "I don't remember where I kept this, so Alex had to look for it."

Margaretha looked at the maid and gestured for the man to put the thing on the bed, on Hanna's right side.

"What's that?" hanna asked, looking at Alex and her mother-in-law in turn.

"It's the most beautiful tradition among all the traditions in the family, and it's always given to the duchess of Claymore at rest after giving birth to an heir."

While speaking, the dowager duchess bowed and carefully flicked the red velvet cloth so that it displayed a beautiful wooden chest with gold ties and pearly studs. The box looked hundreds of years old.

"Indeed, but with one difference. After you see what treasures are stored in it, you must add your own treasures, then you must insert your own portraits into it. You'll have to stay with the crate while you rest in bed, and after that the casket will be kept until the next duchess of Claymore rests in bed with the new heir."

"It's not usually my mother-in-law's acting strange and mysterious" Hanna murmured inwardly. Afraid that she could not play a good role in keeping the tradition alive, Hanna just nodded weakly. "Harta? my own portrait?" hanna asked confusedly.

"When we came for a vacation, I didn't expect this to happen. I never knew about any traditions."

"Of course not" the dowager won Hanna over while patting the woman's cheek fondly. "But months ago I made sure Alex found out, and he's got your portrait you can put in the crate."

"But how do I add a treasure similar to the treasure inside?"

"Open the coffin and look at the treasure" said the dowager duchess. "Me and Alex will leave you to see it."

Confused and very curious, Hanna lifted the golden hook, then opened the heavy lid. The excitement ran through Hanna and her eyes sparkled looking at her mother-in-law's smiling self-image." The letter!" exciting Hanna. "Letter and self-painting! Oh, look there's an ivory fan. It must be very special for someone for some reason." Hanna was so happy that she talked to herself, unconsciously her husband and mother-in-law had left the room, then closed the door.

With great care, Hanna took out an object from the crate and arranged it on the bed beside the body.

There were eight letters, most of them yellowed and nearly destroyed by age, which explains why the crate could only be opened for a few days before being stored again for another twenty years.

One of the letters was written on parchment and rolled thickly. Hanna guessed that the letter must be the oldest, then she opened the scroll slowly and realized her conjecture was right.

The letter was written on the sixth of January 1490, with the beautiful and learned handwriting of the first Duchess of Claymore.

'My name is Alicia Gladys Claymore, Duchess of Claymore, wife of Arthur Griffindor Claymore, and mother of Harry, who was born on the third of January. Greetings dear to you..'

It is with amazement that Hanna reads the story of the first Duke and Duchess of Claymore, told in detail by Alicia Gladys Claymore. She wrote about wall competitions, tournaments and the wars her husband was going through, called 'Black Tiger', but instead concentrated on details that would interest men, the duchess explained the facts of the duchess's life to the women who would one day go on the trail as the Duchess of Claymore.

The duchess ended her letter by explaining that she put a self-portrait into the crate with parchment so that her future daughter-in-law could see the duchess's face.

'When I told my husband that I needed a small painting of myself and told my plan to pass it on to the next generation, he paid a painter and gave me this painting. This painting is beautiful. My eyes were not that big, nor was my face that smooth, but my husband swore the painting was very similar to mine. He also decided my name should be engraved on the back of the frame so that if my hopes for this crate came true, it would, then you can find my face among the many paintings of the Duchess of Claymore in the chest. I hope your husband will do as my husband did. I just wish I knew your faces.'

Hanna's eyes blurred with tears. Hanna stared at the blurry self-painting lying beside her, on the blanket. He picked up a painting with a golden frame that seemed to be the oldest of them all, and turned around to see what was behind the frame and smiled as he sobbed.

The notoriously ruthless Duke, called Black Tiger, not only carved his wife's initials in the frame. The man also carved his own initials that interlocked with his wife's initials, then ended it with a heart drawing.

Hanna brought the small painting closer to the chest and then placed it on the side reluctantly.

The next day, Hanna had read and reread every letter and understood the sentiment behind every memory item in the crate.

That afternoon, after Arthur was taken to the nursery to sleep, Hanna told the waiter to pick up the paper and grab the quill pen. He wrote the date at the top of the letter, and then began to write..

My name is Hanna White Claymore, ninth Duchess of Claymore, Wife of Alex Davlin Claymore, mother of Arthur who was born on December 25..

In keeping with the tradition of the letters, Hanna lists details about Alex's efforts to approach her, and about their marriage. While finishing the letter the next afternoon, Hanna looked at Alex who was reading a book in front of the fireplace in their bedroom.

"I've finished my letter" said Hanna.

"According to tradition, I now have to insert a picture of myself with the name behind the frame into the crate. The picture you chose because you think it looks the most like me. You said you brought a picture of Claymore. Do you have time to get it for me?"

Alex immediately put down his book and walked to the bed. "For you I have all the time in the world" said Alex, then kissed Hanna's lips and surprised her by sitting next to her.

"Where's the picture?" hanna asked, curious to know which image Alex thought fit and what Alex carved on the back.

In response, Alex opened the top drawer on the nightstand and smiled gently. Alex hands Hanna a small painting on their wedding day.

The painting is gold-framed. At the back of the frame are the words from Alex that read, "Hanna - my wife and my love."