Page 6 of Her Favourite Daughter

On Thursday, the fourth day of August, Thomas Bennet had just returned from Highclere Abbey, where he had been tutoring the four eldest Crawleys. He made for his small study to see if there was anything to which he needed to attend. He had just sat down at his desk when there was an insistent banging on the front door.

Thomas stood from behind his desk and went to go see who was there. He opened the door to find an express rider on his doorstep. Seeing the black edging on the item the man held, Bennet had to force himself to accept the missive. He handed over some coin to the man, mumbled something about the rider going to the kitchens for some food and drink, and closed the door as if in a trance.

He knew it was not someone in Fanny’s family, as the epistle was addressed to him and not his wife. Not paying attention to his walking, Bennet reached the sitting room where Fanny was sitting on the rug playing with their children. She and Jane were placing wooden blocks one on top of the other and James was taking great pleasure in knocking them over each time, saying “Fawl don,” and giggling happily.

Fanny sensed Thomas’s presence and looked up at him lovingly, but her face froze when she saw the look of despair on her husband’s face; it was then that she noticed the letter with the black edging in his hand. “Jane, dear, please ask Nurse to come and take you and James to the nursery,” she requested of her daughter.

“Yes, Mamma,” Jane responded and skipped out of the room to do as her mother asked her.

Within a minute or two, Jane returned, leading Nurse into the sitting room.

Soon, Nurse had scooped up an indignant James who demanded more time to play with Mamma and Janey. Jane obediently followed Nurse towards the nursery, leaving her parents alone in the sitting room.

As soon as the children left the room, Fanny stood and pushed the door closed. “Thomas, what is it?” Fanny asked gently.

“Bad news,” Thomas articulated. “If I do not open it, will it be less real?”

“It is addressed to you, but it is written in Hattie’s hand,” Fanny observed. “Would you like me to read it to you?”

“I thank you, my dearest wife, but I cannot ignore my duty. I will read it. Not doing so will not change the words your sister has written,” Thomas stated. He took a deep breath and broke the seal. Next, he slowly unfolded the page and smoothed it out deliberately. Thomas was aware he was procrastinating because he was clutching at the last few moments when nothing had changed. After another deep breath, he allowed his eyes to fall to the page in his hand.

1 August 1791

Longbourn

Brother:

I am acting as the scribe for this horrendous missive because neither your mother nor Penelope is in a state of mind to write the following words.

On Saturday past, your father and brother travelled to St Albans to attend to some estate business.

There was a terrible carriage accident on the section of the road over the hill before the town to which they were travelling. The wreckage and bodies were not discovered until the next morning.

It is my sad duty to inform you that there were no survivors, neither man nor horse.

The funeral service and interment will be on the morrow. I am sure you understand that, given the heat of the summer, it must be so. Frank and Edward will represent you, while I will be with your mother and Penelope when the ladies come to condole during the service.

Thomas, I pray that you, Fanny, and the darling children make all haste to arrive here as soon as it is possible.

Your mother and sister-in-law are devastated, and you and your family’s presence will help them recover from their horrendous losses, if only in a small measure.

On behalf of Frank, Edward, and me, you, Fanny, Jane, and James have our deepest sympathies,

Hattie

By the time he had read the second paragraph, tears were rolling down Thomas’s cheeks.

Without a word, he handed his wife the page that had just irrevocably changed their lives. Fanny read it in silence, and like Thomas before her, the tears fell freely as soon as she reached the paragraph enumerating the death of her father-in-law and brother-in-law.

“I must ride to Highclere Abbey,” Thomas said without thinking.

“No, Thomas, there is no need, and when Lord Richard and Lady Camille read the letter I will write, I am sure they will understand why you have not come in person,” Fanny insisted as she took charge. She knew she needed to be strong for her Thomas now. “Start to pack up your books, so we may depart in the morning on the morrow. In a little while, I will make for the inn to rent a carriage for the morning.” After seeing a listless nod from her husband, Fanny made for the nursery, where she explained to Nurse the urgent need to depart Grantham.

As all of her family lived in Grantham, Sophie, the nurse, did not want to move so far south; however, she agreed to accompany the Bennets into Hertfordshire, and then once a replacement had been found and trained, she would return to her family. Her sister was the cook at the abbey, so Sophie had no doubt she would find a position with the Crawleys without too much trouble.

Fanny wrote the letter of explanation to the Earl and Countess of Grantham and sent it with the lad who helped around the house as needed. Rather than a reply in written form, the Grantham coach came to a halt in front of the cottage about an hour later. When Fanny answered the ringing of the doorbell, the earl and countess stood without.

“Lord and Lady Grantham, please come in. I am afraid that as we are furiously packing, offering you refreshments will not be easy,” Fanny said as she curtsied to the two.