Chapter 7

N ot that it had been unexpected, but Elizabeth's first night tending Jane, which after midnight became the morning of the seventeenth day of October, was horrendous.

Jane's fever had shot up once again, and she was having terrible difficulty breathing. With the aid of a maid, Elizabeth dabbed her sister with cool cloths but it made no difference. She tried everything she had learnt with Jane's malady's over the years, including having steaming water placed near her which in the past had had the effect of assisting with her sister's breathing.

At just past two in the morning, Elizabeth was so concerned she sent the maid to find one of the footmen on duty so someone could ride to summon Mr Jones. Just after the maid left the chamber, Elizabeth turned to her sister, grasping Jane's hand which was nearest to her. "Please do not leave, Janey. We all need you, me especially. I cannot imagine, I do not want to imagine life without you. You know that you are so much more than my older sister. You are my best friend, the one I turn to in good times and bad, and at times you have been the voice of my conscience. I have begged Him not to call you to His side. Only time will tell whether my prayers have been granted. It is not my place to question His plan, but I am sure all will be well in heaven without you there at this time." Elizabeth had not realised her tears were running down her cheeks in rivers when she spoke to Janey. It was only when some of them dripped onto her arms, she became aware of the fact she was crying .

Regardless of how much she wanted Jane to remain in the mortal world with her, Elizabeth had a foreboding driven by the fact that never had she ever seen Jane as ill as she was at this moment. She had to ask herself how much more of the raging fever Jane's body would be able to fight. Her desire for Janey to remain with her was at war with her not wanting Jane to suffer unduly.

Less than an hour later, a harried Mr Jones entered the bedchamber. "What is it?" he asked with a sense of dread. He was well aware Miss Lizzy would not summon him on a whim at any time, never mind in the early hours of the morning.

"Her fever is higher than I have ever experienced with her, and her breathing has become more and more laboured," Elizabeth reported.

"Will you and the maid sit Miss Bennet up so I may listen to her breathing?" Jones requested. When he placed his ear to his patient's back, the heat radiating off her person almost burned his earlobe. He needed to listen, so he pressed his ear to her back. He heard the last thing he wanted to hear. A gurgling sound indicated liquid in her lungs. Miss Bennet had pneumonia! It would take a miracle for her to survive. "Allow her to lie back down," he instructed.

Elizabeth saw the defeated look on Mr Jones's countenance and she began to wail. "No! No! No! No!" she repeated as she rocked back and forth. "It cannot be!"

"We need to prepare ourselves. Miss Jane has pneumonia. Given the strength of her fever and the sounds I heard, I do not think she will survive, but there is a small chance she may do so," Jones reported sadly.

She grasped onto the doctor's words that there was a chance Janey would recover. That is what Elizabeth would concentrate on. She had just begun to calm when there was insistent knocking on the door leading into the sitting room. Elizabeth took some cold water and washed her face. As soon as she had dried it, she made for the sitting room.

Inside Elizabeth found Messrs Darcy and Bingley, banyans covering their night attire. At that moment no one cared for propriety. "Miss Elizabeth, the footman woke me and informed me you had sent for Mr Jones. How does your sister?"

The feigned equanimity Elizabeth had tried to present crumbled as she began to sob once again. "It is… pneumonia," she managed between sobs.

All Darcy wanted to do was pull her into a hug and comfort her as his heart broke for the pain she was carrying. It was not the time or the place. At least he had a handkerchief, one embroidered by Giana with his initials surrounded by some sweet Williams, in his pocket. He wordlessly proffered it to the lady to whom he was losing his heart.

"Is she…" Bingley did not want to say the word.

"No, Jane still fights," Elizabeth admitted, understanding his reluctance to say what they all dreaded. "Mr Jones says there is a small possibility she will recover, although," the tears fell freely again, "he did…say to…prepare…for the…worst."

"Should we inform your parents so they can be at your sister's side?" Darcy volunteered.

" NO !" Elizabeth almost shouted. "If not for one's machinations and the other's indifference and weakness, Janey would not be at death's door right now. They do not deserve to see her. And Mr Bingley, please keep your sisters away from Jane's room."

"They will not bother you," Bingley promised.

"Miss Elizabeth, regardless of who did what, you will never forgive yourself if you deny your parents the ability to say their goodbyes, and from the little I know of Miss Bennet, she would not be sanguine with that either," Darcy pointed out gently.

Elizabeth fell back onto the settee behind her. "What you say is accurate about Janey, Mr Darcy. Can we wait until it is light to send someone to Longbourn? I will write a note and inform them about how sick Janey is. I will not remonstrate with them yet; I will write it in a fashion of which my tender hearted sister would approve."

Neither of the men attempted to gainsay Miss Elizabeth. "As soon as your note is ready, have Gladys give it to the footman in the hall. I will leave instructions for it to be sent to your parents at first light," Bingley requested.

"The Gardiners!" Elizabeth suddenly remembered.

"Do you mean Edward Gardiner who lives on Gracechurch Street?" Darcy verified.

"Indeed. Uncle Edward is my mother's older brother, and he and Aunt Maddie are great favourites of Jane's and mine." She began to cry again. "I am afraid even if I send an express in the morning, they will not arrive in time to see Janey."

"Write your letter," Darcy suggested. "As soon as it is ready, I will send my courier. There is a moon tonight and he is used to riding in the darkness. The missive will arrive in about three hours or less after Jimmy leaves. They will be able to depart with the dawn. If they need it, I can place a coach and four I have in London, at their disposal." Seeing the confused look on Miss Elizabeth's countenance that he had asked about her uncle, Darcy elucidated. "I am one of your uncle's investors and have had the pleasure of knowing him for some years now. You and Miss Bennet must be his two favourite nieces about whom he speaks so fondly."

"Thank you, Mr Darcy. That is most gracious of you." Now that she had a purpose, Elizabeth's crying ceased. "I will have the letter in your hands as soon as may be. And as to your generous offer for a conveyance, I do not believe Uncle Edward has need of it."

"Excuse me, I will have Jimmy woken so he may prepare his horse," Darcy stated as he gave a half bow and exited the sitting room.

"The footman will have clear instructions about what to do with the note for your parents," Bingley related before he too left the room after a bow. He found the footman and conveyed the relevant orders.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

At a little after six on Wednesday morning, there was an insistent knocking on the door at 23 Gracechurch Street in London. The Gardiners' butler had just begun his day, when he approached the door with a footman—just in case. He could not imagine a reason someone would be banging on the front door at such an ungodly hour.

He opened the door a crack with the footman ready behind him. As soon as he recognised Mr Darcy's man, he opened the door all the way. "Very urgent for Mr Gardiner," Jimmy stated as he handed the butler the letter addressed to the master and mistress of the house.

Edward Gardiner was not one to sleep late, but he was somewhat disoriented when he felt someone shaking him out of his slumber. He saw it was Jamison, and he knew if his butler came into the bedchamber he shared with his beloved Maddie, it had to be something of great importance.

"Please pardon the need to wake you, Sir, but Mr Darcy's courier delivered this minutes ago and said it was of extreme urgency you read it at once," Jamison intoned.

"Light the candles and then leave us," Gardiner commanded.

Madeline was awake but kept herself covered and did not move until the butler lit some candles and exited the room. "Edward, what on earth has Mr Darcy sent you that necessitated your being woken so early?" she enquired as soon as the door was pulled closed.

"This is in Lizzy's hand, not Darcy's!" Gardiner exclaimed. "It is addressed to both of us." He broke the unknown seal and held it so they could both read it.

17 October 1810

Netherfield Park

Aunt Maddie and Uncle Edward,

This is a letter I dread writing to you, yet it must be done. I will not apportion blame in this missive, there will be time enough for that later.

Janey is deathly ill! She has pneumonia. Mr Jones has said there is a small chance she will be well again, but he has warned me that the most likely outcome will be that we will lose Janey.

"No, Edward, this cannot be true," Madeline blurted out as she felt an immeasurable sadness.

"Maddie, as much as I would prefer that be so, Lizzy would not write these words unless they were the absolute truth." Gardiner responded gravely. "You know our niece as well as anyone, this is not something about which she would ever jest. Look at the time this was delivered, that means Darcy's courier rode at night. He would not send the lad unless it was an absolute emergency. Let us read the rest."

With an ashen look on her face, Madeline nodded.

It could be hours; it may be days, until the end, if Janey does not make a miraculous recovery. I urge you to come hither as soon as may be.

In sadness,

Lizzy

"We must depart as soon as we dress and the carriage can be made ready," Madeline stated as she jumped out of the warm bed. She had to get to Janey, so she ignored the cold in the room as the fire had not been built up yet.

"I agree," Gardiner said. He tied his dressing gown and then went to issue orders to the butler. "What of the children?" he asked on his return to the bedchamber.

A maid bobbed a curtsy to the Gardiners, and proceeded to build up the fire, and left once it was crackling back to life. "They must come. You know how much they love their cousins. I know not if they will be allowed into the sickroom, but I dare say we will need them with us if Lizzy is correct in what she believes we are to face."

Gardiner issued further orders for the older, smaller carriage to be prepared for their two youngest, the governess, and a nursemaid. Before the hour of seven, two Gardiner conveyances were on their way to Hertfordshire.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

At about the same time the Gardiners were leaving their home, a Netherfield Park groom was delivering a note to Longbourn's cook. She handed it to Hill, who delivered it to Mr Bennet. The latter had just arrived in his study.

Bennet sat and stared at Lizzy's script for some moments. Knowing that procrastination would not change her words of admonition, he was sure were contained for not stepping in when Janey requested the carriage, he broke the seal and began to read. A second page in an unfamiliar hand fell out. He placed that one to the side.

17 October 1810

Mother and Father,

This past night, Janey was in a terrible way which necessitated my summoning Mr Jones to attend her. The result was that in his opinion my sister has a bad case of pneumonia. Although he opines there is a small chance Janey will get well, he has advised us to steel ourselves for her passing.

I suggest you come see her as soon as you find the time as it may very well be the last time you will see your eldest alive.

Your daughter,

Elizabeth Rose Benne t

If only it had been an admonition! Anything but this. All he could hope was that Lizzy was exaggerating, even though Bennet knew his second daughter was not prone to do so. In a daze, he picked up the second sheet.

Mr and Mrs Bennet,

It is my sad duty to confirm Miss Lizzy's words are nothing but the truth.

Yours,

Thadius Jones

He sat frozen in place as he stared at the sheets of paper before him. Bennet was at a loss about what to do next. Was his inability to stand up to his wife about to cost his eldest daughter her life? It seemed the most likely outcome. He forced himself to stand. He had much to do.

First, he had to wake his wife, and then before anything else he needed to send an express to Hunsford telling his witless cousin due to an illness in the house, his visit was postponed indefinitely. As soon as that was done, to Netherfield Park he would go. Thinking of what needed to be accomplished, he did not remember how he arrived at his wife's bedchamber door. He knocked once and entered.

Fanny was still asleep. It was her habit not to wake until after nine each morning, except Sundays in order to attend church. She felt herself being shaken and was about to complain vociferously when she saw it was her husband. Her eyes snapped open, and became as large as saucers, while she tried to imagine what Thomas was doing here. The last time he had been within was before Lyddie had been born.

"Before you ask, read these, Lizzy's first," Bennet handed his wife the note from their second daughter.

"Jane has nothing but a trifling cold," Fanny waved the words away dismissively. "Miss Lizzy is simply trying to punish us for Jane getting wet and now having a cold." Before she could say any more, Bennet thrust the second page into her hand. Fanny read, and then reread the short and to the point missive. Her mouth flapped open, but no words were emitted.

"Lizzy is not one to make a joke of a subject like this. Even before I read what Jones wrote, I knew it was true," Bennet stated as if in a daze. "I suggest you dress as soon as may be."

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

While his wife dressed, Bennet woke his two youngest daughters. The two who shared a bed complained loudly, but were silenced with the angry look their father shot them. He told them to be downstairs in minutes.

Mary was already awake reading some bible passages in her chamber. She began to dress without complaint when Papa left her room.

By the time his wife and daughters joined Bennet in the drawing room, Fanny was crying silently. The three youngest Bennets could not comprehend what afflicted their mother until their father shared the reason with them. "As we are speaking, food is being placed in the dining parlour. We will break our fast and be off to Netherfield Park as soon as may be," Bennet commanded.

"La, you may drop Kitty and me in Meryton, so we can go see some officers…" Lydia began to say, but closed her mouth when she saw the thunderous look on her father's face.

"You selfish child! There will be no officers! Do you not understand there is a better than good chance Jane will pass away soon?" Bennet thundered.

"That was not one of your jokes?" Lydia swallowed hard as she saw the looks from both of her parents.

"Lydia, that is enough!" Fanny barked. "You have been told what we are to do, no exceptions."

Having neither experienced her mother denying her anything she desired, nor her father's unbridled anger, Lydia kept her mouth closed.