26 September 1812
My dear sister Helen, Lord and Lady Longbourn, and all of our Bennet family,
It is with grief and sadness that I write to you to inform you that our dear Papa has been called home to God so he may join our Mama Janet in heaven. His passing was a relief to him in the end as his illness had ravaged his body but never his mind. Time and again he told me how much he loves you, Helen, and how happy he is that you are taken care of by such a good and loving family.
As the weather is warm in Surrey, Papa will be laid to rest Monday two days hence. He will have his eternal slumber next to his beloved wife and our mother.
With deep sorrow,
Timothy Jacobson
Bennet asked Hill to request that his wife join him. When she entered and sat, he handed her the missive. She too knew what it was as soon as she saw the black edging. They had returned the three girls to school just five days previously, the same day that the rest of the party had decamped for Town, Lord and Lady Longbourn had returned to the much quieter Longbourn. Now they had to hie to town to deliver the sad news to Helen and take her to Surrey to go see their son Tim. Bennet told Hill to order a carriage prepared while his wife ordered to pack enough for at least a fortnight. If they were to be away longer, they would send for clothes from Bennet House.
Within two hours the largest and most comfortable Bennet carriage was on the road to London.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Kitty, Helen, and Lydia were enjoying their time at the Greenlake School for Young Ladies. They had been at the school for a little over a month. Kitty was in the finishing school programme while the younger two were in the regular school programme for at least one term. During this time the headmistress would evaluate their progress and if she deemed that they were at the level that warranted it, they would be moved to the final stage of their schooling which would last half of a school year. The girls did not object to the fact that they were boarding at the school. The accommodations were luxurious compared to the room that Helen and Lydia had shared at the Dark Hollow School for Girls. Normally only two girls shared a suite of chambers, but with more than enough room, the three had requested that they share one suite and had been granted their wish, with Lydia and Helen sharing one bedchamber. Georgie would join the finishing school when Helen and Lydia moved to that programme.
After her term, Kitty would then start to prepare for her coming out. She would turn eighteen in November and her curtsey before the Queen and her coming out ball would be during the season that would start in February of 1813. Once Tiffany, and Loretta arrived in Town with all of the families, Kitty would join the older two girls and participate in some private events of the little season as Ladies Tiffany and Loretta would come out with Kitty. The families had wanted to give them separate coming out balls, but the three had elected to have a joint ball as they were as close as sisters.
It was just before they were supposed to go into dinner that they were summoned to Mrs Ponsonby’s office. When they walked in, the three girls became nervous as they saw a very sombre Earl and Countess of Longbourn waiting for them. The headmistress excused herself and closed the office door as she exited.
“Mama and Papa,” Lydia exclaimed, fearing that there was no good reason for her parents to be at the school on that day. “Is everyone well? Are my sisters who are with child well? What…”
“Lydia, girls, please sit,” Bennet cut his daughter off before she thought of every possible reason for their presence at the school. “I, we, will explain all.” The three girls sat on the settee in the office holding hands for support as it was obvious something serious had brought their parents back to town so soon. Once he saw that all three were seated, Bennet proceeded, “I need to tell Helen…” He got no further.
Helen burst into tears and between racking sobs, she asked the question that she knew the answer to but did not want to hear the answer she dreaded. “Is… my… Papa… gone to… be with… my Mama?” Helen tried to take a breath but her grief pressed too heavily on her chest.
“Yes, Helen, God called him home on the six and twentieth,” Fanny replied softly, pressing a silk square into Helen’s hand as she sat between her and Kitty and took the sobbing girl into her arms.
“A-at l-least… he i-is n-n-not… su-suffering anymore,” Helen stammered between sobs, trying to gain some relief from that truth.
“No, sister, he is not, and he is now withhisbeloved Janet, your dear departed mother, in heaven looking down on you and knows that we are grateful for their gift of letting us share you with them.” Lydia spoke softly, empathy mixing so perfectly with love for her sister that Bennet found himself using the spare handkerchief he had brought for his Fanny. Their once very selfish girl had learnt to consider and care for the feelings of others so well, she would be a model for all to follow. She sat and held Helen’s hand and supported her mother and her sisters through such a trial as this. With such sympathy and warmth from her family, Helen managed to calm herself.
“When do we leave for Surrey?” Hellen asked softly with tears still streaming down her cheeks.
“I spoke to the headmistress so she is aware of the situation and we are free to leave as soon as you are ready,” Bennet informed his daughter with sympathy. “We brought your personal maid and companion with us who are packing your trunks as we speak. We will leave for Bennet House as soon as they are brought down from your chambers.”
“On the morrow we will leave right after some mourning attire is delivered for you, Helen,” Fanny promised while she gently rubbed her adopted daughter’s back. “As soon as we received the note from Tim, we sent one of our couriers to London to have the house opened and to inform the modiste, who has your measurements, to make you some mourning dresses and accoutrements. When we arrived at the house, there was a note awaiting us informing us that Madame Chambourg will have the order delivered early in the morning on the morrow.” Then the Countess added, “Like my Thomas told your papa, the rest of us will wear half mourning for a month to respect him.”
It was not too long after that the very subdued party entered the Bennet coach for the ride to Bennet House.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
The new Earl and Countess of Pemberley were surprised to see the Bennet carriage arrive in front of Bennet House and the five passengers alight as they were returning from a walk in Hyde Park. Elizabeth, seeing the obvious sadness, had a good idea why her parents were in Town and her three sisters were not at school.
The Darcys collected Georgie from Darcy House and made the short walk across the square to the Bennets’ townhouse. Mr Thatcher opened the door and bowed to the Darcys. He had been instructed to inform anyone but family that the Bennets were not at home.
As they climbed the stairs toward the family sitting room, they could hear sobbing and in knowing it was Helen’s grief Georgiana began to cry in sympathy for her sister before they had seen the sadness their family shared.
Helen sat enfolded in Fanny’s arms with Kitty sitting next to her mother and Lydia on Helen’s other side holding her hand.
“We are so very sorry for your loss, Helen,” Darcy spoke for his family, “please let us know if there is anything that you need.”
“Please notify the Fitzwilliams who are also in town, William,” his father-in-law requested, then asked whether Lizzy had seen Sir Frederick.
“Yes, Papa, I saw him this past Friday. Why do you ask?”
