“Now is not the time. Until after the interment, I will hold my peace.” Elizabeth thought for some moments. “Mary, will you share this chamber with me once Janey’s things are sorted through. Until then, may I share with you?”
“Of course, Lizzy. My chamber is not as large as this one,but we will make do.”
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
That afternoon the calls to come and condole with the Bennets began. First to arrive were the Phillipses and Lucases. Based on the way the callers treated the master of the estate, with barely concealed disdain, it was just as well the mistress of the house lay in a drug induced sleep in her bedchamber.
Once they had spent time in the parlour with the body, and after passing on their sympathies to the Bennet sisters, Sir William and Lady Lucas joined the Gardiner parents. Similarly, once Hattie had hugged and cried with her nieces, she joined her husband with the rest of the adults.
After she had spent some time with Jane’s remains, Charlotte Lucas who had been best friends with the two eldest Bennet sisters could not stop herself from crying when she embraced her best friend. “Eliza, I have no words, I cannot believe it is true, yet after seeing her mortal remains, I know it is. When I saw Jane at Lucas Lodge that night, I never would have imagined it was the final time I was to see her alive. It is too much.” Charlotte stopped herself as she looked into her friend’s sad emerald green eyes. Normally Eliza’s eyes shone with humour and intelligence. Now they were dimmed; only sadness was to be seen within. “Listen to me going on about myself. It may be a trite question, but how do you do, Eliza?”
“I feel like my whole world has just shattered and collapsed on itself,” Elizabeth said, barely above a whisper. “I do not know if I will ever get over this.”
“You remember my Grandmama Lucas, do you not?” Elizabeth looked confused as she nodded. “It is not the same as a sister, but she was like a second mother to me. She was close to all of her grandchildren, but she and I shared a deep and special bond. Do you remember how I was when she passed away when I was seventeen?”
“Yes, you thought your world had come to an end…” Elizabeth stopped as she understood what Charlotte was saying. “How did you know when it was time to begin to live again?”
“That is a question only you are able to answer for yourself. Eliza, you will know when you are ready. All I wanted was for you to realise the pain will lessen. You will get to a point, in your own time, just like I did, when your sadness will no longer consume you. Just like I have never, and will never, forget Grandmama Marianne, you will never forget Jane. At some point, when you are ready for it, she will be a part of your past, not a presence which devours your present. She will always be in your heart, just like my Grandmama is in mine.”
“Did you try to deny the truth of her passing, and then feel anger? I even tried to bargain with God for Janey’s life,” Elizabeth wondered.
“Yes, all of that, not to mention great sadness before I was able to accept the new reality that Grandmama Marianne was truly gone and would never come back,” Charlotte confirmed. “I am not trying to tell you moving on will be easy, or be of a short duration, that is why I said I cannot predict how long it will take you. Each of us mourns in his or her own way.”
Elizabeth leaned forward and hugged Charlotte to herself. “Thank you my friend, you have gifted me something invaluable. I will mourn my sister, but now I know at some point I will be able to move on with my life.”
“Eliza, there is talk in the community that your mother demanded Jane ride the horse even though it was clear it would rain, and your father did not stop it. Is that true?”
“There is some validity to what you have heard,” Elizabeth replied with a hard edge to her voice. “Now is not the time or the place. We will speak about this after Janey has been laid to rest.”
Charlotte nodded. She would not push her friend now; it was not what Eliza needed. She would supply her friend withwhatever support she desired.
The Lucases remained for about a half hour. Before they left, Sir William and Lady Lucas hugged Eliza to themselves and allowed her to cry quietly for some minutes. The Phillipses remained, and the stream of callers had only just begun.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Through the weekend, including church services on Sunday, Fanny Bennet remained ensconced in her bedchamber. She had thought to come down on Saturday two days after her daughter’s death, but the setdown her older sister had delivered still rung in her ears. Hattie had expressed disgust with the forcing of Jane to ride, and no excuses Fanny attempted to deliver had been accepted. Worse, Hattie had told her younger sister of the anger in the area over what she had done.
The sad thing was none in her family repined her absence, not even her youngest daughter. With Madeline Gardiner ably carrying out the duties of hostess and mistress, the house remained calm as would be expected of a house in mourning. None of the neighbours who came to condole with the family commented on Mrs Bennet not being present.
Between Mr Pierce, Bennet, the Gardiner parents, and the Phillipses, it had been decided to hold the funeral service on Tuesday upcoming.
Knowing the time the body would be lying in repose was limited, Elizabeth had spent hours each day sitting and speaking to Jane. She knew there would be no answer, but it made her feel closer to the sister she had lost. It was noted she was becoming rather listless so Madeline told Mary it was time for her and her sisters to walk into the town.
Hence, on Monday morning Elizabeth was convinced by Mary to join her, Kitty, and Lydia in walking into Meryton. The two youngest Bennets were allowed to accompany their older sisters on condition they behaved and remembered theywere in mourning and no longer out, so flirting with officers was not allowed. Their father made it perfectly clear if they misbehaved or did not obey their sisters, it would be a very long time before they would be allowed back in the town. To ensure their safety, Longbourn’s footman would escort the four sisters.
Since other than the day she had escaped her parents at Netherfield Park she had not walked out, Elizabeth had reluctantly agreed to accompany her younger sisters and be away from her vigil over Jane’s remains for a little while. Mary had told her that she wanted to collect some new sheet music from the bookstore, and then they would pay a quiet visit to their aunt.
The walk was at a moderate pace, but nevertheless it felt good to be walking outside again. The day was cold, but not too much so. In addition, it was clear and Elizabeth enjoyed the weak warmth the sun was providing as she walked.
When they reached the main street of Meryton, the sisters, with the footman close behind, turned and headed for the bookstore. They stopped in their tracks as they saw what the merchants and residents of the town had done. Hanging on the doorpost of every business and abode was a black ribbon which reflected just how well loved Jane Bennet had been.
As townspeople passed them, heads were inclined, kind words uttered, and the men all doffed their caps or hats.
The sisters held each other’s hands as they took in the tribute being paid to their late sister. None of them noticed the woman staring daggers at them from across the street as she stood in front of the Red Lion Inn.
Caroline Bingley was already angry before she saw the hated Miss Eliza and her sisters across from where she stood in front of the inn. It had been four days she had suffered in this hellhole of an inn, and still Charles had not called her back toNetherfield Park. Not only that, but regardless of the repeated notes to Louisa, she had not come to visit, had not replied, and had not sent any funds as had been demanded.
It was all that damned Eliza’s fault. Until she distracted him, Mr Darcy had been about to offer for her, and she was sure it was the hoyden who had given Charles the idea to cast his own flesh and blood off. Well, she would not allow the doxy to go without excoriating her in front of all the people in the backwater who were treating the Bennet chits like royalty.
