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London, 1895.

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H (1865-), 30: Edric Thomas Appleby (RowenaRavenclaw)
W (1868-), 27: Myrtle Catherine Crenshaw (cher529s)

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S (1892-), 3:

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FN: contains the Anglo-Saxon element ælf (https://www.behindthename.com/element/ae32lf). He goes by a nickname.
MN: like his father's first name, it starts with Ed-.

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? (exp):

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Suggest a name for a boy:

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FN: a name you feel is particularly stalwart and sensible.
MN: Thomas (Edric's middle name).

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and for a girl:

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FN: after Myrtle's favourite fictional female character. Who would it be? Only you can judge, knowing what you do about her personality and upbringing.
MN: has a botanical meaning in homage to Myrtle's love for gardening.

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In the five years since Edric and Myrtle Appleby exchanged vows beneath the modest arches of the Hampstead church, life has unfolded with all the quiet joys and small upheavals that accompany the early years of marriage. Their townhouse has steadily filled with the clutter of daily life: books stacked precariously on every surface, the faint smell of oil paint from Edric's sketches, and vases crowded with flowers from Myrtle's ever-expanding garden.

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The garden, as Myrtle had foreseen, is now a lively blend of practicality and beauty. Myrtle tends to it herself. Edric, when home, finds excuses to join her outside, though he pretends his primary reason is to supervise the structural integrity of the garden gate. In truth, he enjoys watching Myrtle work as much as he enjoys the rare moments of respite from his demanding job.

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Edric's work on the railways continues to take him across the country and occasionally farther afield to colonial outposts. His sketchbooks have multiplied. One shelf of their modest study is now devoted entirely to them, each spine carefully labeled with dates and destinations. The sentimental poems remain hidden between the pages, but Myrtle has long since discovered them and quietly reads them when Edric is away.

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In 1892, Myrtle gave birth to their first child, a boy. He arrived two weeks earlier than expected, an event which Myrtle insists was entirely in character for someone as stubborn as he is. He is an energetic child, prone to exploring the edges of the garden and collecting beetles, much to Myrtle's dismay. Edric is entirely smitten with him, crafting tiny wooden trains in the evenings and painting them by hand.

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In 1893, Myrtle quietly began teaching again - not in the formal sense, but by tutoring the children of neighbors who found themselves struggling with their studies. By the following year, it had become well-known that Mrs Appleby's parlor was a place where one could receive guidance in arithmetic or elocution. The parlor is often full by afternoon, the air thick with chalk dust. Myrtle has no intention of giving up this small vocation.

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Edric, too, has become something of a local fixture. His involvement in the growing railway infrastructure means that neighbors frequently ask his advice about train schedules, routes, and - on one memorable occasion - whether he might petition for a more reliable service to Oxford. While flattered by the trust placed in him, Edric often jokes that his knowledge of engines is far greater than his influence over train timetables.

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Despite the general contentment of their lives, the world beyond Islington is not without shadows. In 1894, news of unrest in distant corners of the British Empire reached their doorstep. He wrote letters to Myrtle from South Africa, describing vast landscapes and the heat of the sun but leaving out the complexities of colonial expansion.

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By 1895, the Applebys found themselves standing at the threshold of another change - Myrtle expecting their second child, due in autumn. Edric's travels have slowed in anticipation. Ever sentimental, be has already begun sketching cradles and tiny wooden trains once more. They have agreed that Edric shall name the child if it's a boy, and Myrtle shall if it's a girl.

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masculine list: https://www.behindthename.com/pnl/191050/124079
feminine list: https://www.behindthename.com/pnl/191050/124080