Like he had the day he had informed his wife of the dire illness, which he realised had been about four and twenty hours earlier, even though it felt like a lifetime ago, Bennet entered his wife’s chambers. Thanks to a sleeping draught she had imbibed the previous night, waking her was not easy, but eventually he succeeded.
Without a word, he handed his wife the missive. The instant she saw the edging, Fanny Bennet began to wail. “This cannot be! Jane was too beautiful to die!NO! This cannot be! This cannot be! This cannot be! This cannot be!”
“If there was a way to wish the truth away, believe me when I tell you I would do just that, but nothing will change the facts. Between us, we killed our eldest daughter,” Bennet stated with much self-recrimination. With all of her false histrionics, his wife fainted dead away. On his way to his daughters’ chambers, Bennet sent Sarah downstairs to summon Mrs Hill and his wife’s salts. He found it ironic that, for once, she actually needed the things.
As soon as Mrs Hill arrived, Bennet made his way to Mary’s bedchamber. He found her sitting in bed crying quietly. He should have known as soon as she heard her mother’s howling, his middle daughter would know what had occurred. It was another error he made in underestimating Mary. She was intelligent, possibly not quite at Lizzy’s level, but not far off.
Mary looked up at her father with her large, moist hazel coloured eyes. “Jane is gone?” When her father nodded, Mary grabbed one of her pillows to cry into it so that she would notattract attention.
Bennet desired to comfort Mary, but he did not know how. Instead he slipped out of her chamber and went to wake his two youngest daughters. They too had been wakened by the caterwauling emanating from their mother’s chambers. Both looked at him fearfully, suspecting what the news was, but not wanting it to be real.
“Our Jane passed in the small hours of the morning,” he stated simply.
Tears coursed down his daughters cheeks. “C-can w-we s-see h-her?” Kitty managed.
“I am to ride to see Mr Kettering to arrange for Jane’s remains to be brought to Longbourn. She will be laid in repose in the larger parlour,” Bennet explained to his daughters. He could see a question forming on Lydia’s lips. “Lizzy was with her until the end, and she will come home when the body is moved here.”
By the time Bennet came downstairs, the staff and servants were already preparing the house for mourning. Very few attempted to disguise their tears. Hill, with the assistance of the footman, was running black fabric around the outside of the front door, and Bennet was sure there would be black fabric on the gate posts by the time he returned from seeing Mr Kettering. After the undertaker, he would have to go see Mr Pierce. The old vicar had christened Jane and now he would bury her.
Lizzy had not laid blame at his or her mother’s feet in her letter, but Bennet had no doubt it would not be of long duration before she made her opinion known.
Chapter 11
Elizabeth watched Mr Kettering direct two of his men to gently place her sister’s mortal remains into a coffin.
When she and the Gardiner parents followed the men carrying Jane’s remains out of the suite, they were greeted by the sight of Messrs Bingley, Hurst, and Darcy standing in the hallway, heads bowed. Jane’s fiancé, albeit for only a few hours, his brother-in-law, and Mr Darcy all fell in behind the Gardiners. The hall was lined by servants as was the way to the front doors where the two Nichols stood.
Between Bingley and Hurst, they had decided Mrs Hurst would remain out of sight until Miss Bennet left the estate. Even though it was not her who had done what her younger sister had, she had not stood up to her. Not even when it had been obvious to her Miss Bennet was becoming very ill.
There was no doubt had Elizabeth Bennet seen the youngest Bingley, she would have at best verbally berated her, and at worst physically assaulted her. The truth was no one would have blamed Miss Bennet. Caroline, with her horrendous actions, could very well have provided the final pieces which had ensured the late Jane Bennet did not survive her illness.
Mrs Nichols had had some of the maids dye one of Miss Bennet’s dresses so by the time she departed Netherfield Park, the oldest surviving Bennet sister was in mourning clothes already.
Before Elizabeth climbed into the lead Gardiner carriage,she looked around and saw all the signs that Mr Bingley had put his house into mourning. All the men, residents, butler, and servants alike, wore black armbands. Aunt Maddie and her cousins each wore a dyed dress. Mr Kettering signalled he was ready to proceed. After sincere thanks to those at Netherfield Park for all of their consideration, Elizabeth and the Gardiners mounted the two conveyances, and with Nellie tied to the rear of the second carriage they were off.
When they turned onto Meryton’s main street, it was plain to see word of who was in the back of Mr Kettering’s carriage had spread. Those out and about paid their respects by standing reverently still, the men all removed their hats or caps. Like the citizens, the officers stood to attention and held their hats under their arms.
When word of why Jane had ridden out that fateful day was made known—by now Aunt Hattie, the biggest gossip in Meryton, had been told all by her husband—Elizabeth had a feeling her mother would not be looked upon with a friendly eye any time soon. Soon enough, the cortege turned at the other end of the main street as they made for Longbourn.
Bennet and the three daughters at home were waiting in the drive when the carriages came to a halt. Standing behind them were the Hills and all the servants, along with many tenants. His wife had been administered laudanum by Mr Jones who had stopped at Longbourn to speak to Bennet after his departure from Netherfield Park. Mrs Bennet had been in the middle of a hysterical episode which had led to her being dosed with the drug.
Elizabeth and her sisters hugged one another as tears fell freely again. The former greeted her father tersely but no more than that. She was not unhappy her mother was not present to try garnering all the attention for herself.
Everyone stood to the sides as the undertaker’s men carried the coffin into the house. Hill directed them to the parlour which had been prepared to receive the body. Therewas no fire in the grate, and the windows were cracked open, so that the room would be kept cold. Once the coffin had been placed on the table in the centre of the room, the lid had been removed.
While her father and younger sisters were with the body, Elizabeth went up to the chamber she had shared with Jane. As soon as she closed the door she almost collapsed as the realisation that she would never share the room or the bed with Jane again slammed into her. She threw herself onto the bed and cried with great big wracking sobs. She could feel Janey’s presence in this place, but she would never see her again, except in her dreams and one day when she was called home, that is if she gained entry into heaven.
Someone was rubbing her back just like Jane would at times. Elizabeth froze. Then she slowly moved and saw none other than Mary sitting on the bed next to her, her cheeks were also tear stained.
“Lizzy, no one can ever replace Jane, and I would never attempt to, but if you will allow me, I would like to be your friend,” Mary proposed softly.
Pulling Mary into a hug, Elizabeth replied. “I think I would like that, thank you, Mary.” She paused as she remembered how Mary had just rubbed her back. “How did you know Janey used to soothe me like that?”
“You do not think you are the only observant sister in this family, do you?”
“No, I suppose I am not.” Elizabeth looked at Mary earnestly. “Do you know why Janey was on Nellie?”
“Yes, we all do. What will you do? If anything?”
