Chapter 24 #2
“I spoke with Mr. Yates when we received the notification. I hope you will not be disappointed with me that my first reaction was indeed guilt over our parting.”
“That is understandable,” Elizabeth assured her. “But it is not good to dwell on such things until you drown in the despair and regret.”
“And I am not,” Jane promised. “My affections are so twisted and bruised that looking at him now, I feel only relief that I will not have to fight him for possession of our daughter or her estate. We had decided that the best way to avoid a contretemps would be to offer Charles a yearly allowance if he promised to basically leave us in peace.”
Elizabeth’s mouth twisted in displeasure. “It seems maddening that he should be rewarded in such a way. Being a woman is such a disadvantage, but you have a great deal of support as well.”
“I do…” Jane acknowledged, pondering the coming changes as she watched Bingley’s chest rise and fall with painful shallowness.
“Will you follow mourning?” Elizabeth inquired, though she knew the answer.
“Mourning customs say more about the people left behind than the deceased. I will not add to the gossip by not stringently following the expectations of society. Even if I hated him, rather than just having lost all respect and affection, it would likely be more difficult, but I still would do it.”
“You are a better woman than I, my beloved sister.”
“I do not know. Had you been in my shoes, I believe I could only respect you more for standing by your principles and refusing to show respect for a faithless man.”
“You might, but the rest of society would pass judgement as you said. I would likely have done it, but I would have been fighting against the confines like an unbroken horse while you will be as calm and sincere as any other widow.”
Jane smiled commiseratively and they fell silent.
Elizabeth eventually left to visit with her sons before bedtime, but Jane remained dutifully by her husband’s side, hoping that he might wake, even for a moment, so that they might clear the air between them.
It was not to be, however. She was joined near ten of the clock by Kitty carrying Ellie.
“She was missing her mama,” Kitty told her as she entered, kissing her niece’s chubby cheek and making her gurgle in happiness.
Jane accepted the babe and cuddled her close. “There is my sweet babe. Did we travel to a new place and then leave you to get acquainted without your mama?”
“She enjoys watching Ben and Tommy as they roll and scoot about. She would get so excited when they would capture their desired toy. I nearly expected that she would laugh at any moment!”
Jane smiled and tickled the babe, earning a gummy smile.
“Did you try to laugh at your silly cousins? Yes, you did!” she looked to Kitty, “Not quite yet, though she is quite close, I think. Lizzy said that Charles woke earlier while you were with him. Did he say anything? Perhaps something I can tell Ellie when she is older?”
Kitty flushed a bit and cleared her throat, “He— he did regain his wits for a moment only. And he must have, er, seen my hair and assumed I was you…”
“Oh?” Jane gave her a disbelieving look.
“Yes, and I was able to comfort him by giving him forgiveness— your forgiveness after he apologized over and over for not treating you as he ought.” She was gaining energy, “He also begged me to promise that I, er, you, would not mourn him unduly and that you would find happiness again.”
“Indeed!” Jane kissed her daughter on the forehead before turning to face her sister fully and forcing her to meet her eye. “Catherine Marie Bennet, you have never been one to twist the truth. Now tell me the truely young lady!”
Kitty flushed and looked away. “I ought to have just hidden away from you until you left,” she moaned. “It was everything horrible, Jane. I do not wish to tell you. Please do not make me say it!”
Jane was even more assured now that she needed to know what he had said and told her so. She sighed heavily and flopped down in the chair beside them.
“Oh, Jane!” she sighed again. “It was— I cannot believe that any husband would demand such promises from his wife.”
Jane was horrified that he might have said something untoward in his pain-induced confusion, but as Kitty began to reveal it piece by piece she was relieved and mortified by the truth. When she told her about the promise to fire Mr. Yates, she rolled her eyes.
“What was his obsession with my steward!” Jane cried.
“He thinks that he is in love with you and that you will marry him,” Kitty admitted. “Do you love him?”
“Of course not!” Jane exclaimed automatically. “He is a dear friend and has been an enormous support, but he has never acted in any way that would have been overly familiar. If anything, he is staunchly aware of propriety!”
Kitty rolled her eyes, “Well Charles was horribly upset by the idea that you would marry anyone, ever, most especially Mr. Yates, and he demanded over and over until I thought he would fall from the bed that you would mourn him forever and never stop feeling regret and despair! What kind of husband does that!”
“A selfish one,” Jane replied with disgust.
“And he demanded that you let Caroline move in and that you support her through her grief! Elizabeth told us what she had done. I cannot believe that he would demand such a thing after all of that!”
“I shall certainly not be doing so. He meant more than holding her hand, likely he wished for me to provide her with funds hand over fist, which shall never happen. She would bankrupt the estate within the year.”
Bingley jerked suddenly, just once, and then breathed out a long, rattling breath.
Kitty jumped, gasping out her shock, and Jane just watched, detached, until it was obvious that he was gone, before stepping to the bell-pull to ring for a maid to sit with the body.
She had wasted enough time on the man. She would honor herself in his passing with her actions.
“Come, Kitty. Let us put Ellie down for the night and then I had best send an express to the Hursts, who might actually be able to attend the funeral, unlike Caroline, who is likely in London.”