Chapter 5
The next two days were a blur for the entire Bennet family.
Friends and acquaintances came and went, offering condolences and eating liberally of the trays of treats Mrs. Hill and Sarah refreshed near continuously.
Jane arrived with her husband, Charles Bingley, although they left their three children behind with the nursemaid.
Lydia had also left her twin sons at home with her husband, George Wickham.
“Wicky was simply too busy with work to get away, Papa, but he sends his most sincere condolences.”
Mr. Bennet, who had merely nodded, had been privately grateful for that son-in-law’s absence. “I wish to speak to you at some point, Lydia, about the details of the fall your mother took.”
Lydia had burst into tears. “Oh, Papa, I cannot speak of it even now! All I can tell you is she took a misstep and tumbled down the stairs. I saw the whole thing…it was dreadful!” Her weeping had escalated into full-fledged wailing, and as if on cue, Mrs. Hill had appeared to drag Lydia off to the kitchen for a strong cup of tea.
The last to arrive were Lizzy and Fitzwilliam Darcy in their finest carriage; it was drawn by four horses bearing black ostrich feathers in the headpiece of their bridles and attended by two footmen.
Mindful of the crowded conditions at her childhood home with the presence of Jane, Lydia, and the Gardiners, Lizzy had reserved a suite of rooms in Meryton’s finest inn, much to the disappointment of Jane who told her she had hoped for some intimate discussions with her favorite sister.
However, Lizzy assured her they would be at Longbourn House most of the time.
“Besides, we just saw each other quite recently,” she said in a low voice. “Fitzwilliam and I just need some peace. And you know as well as I that, with Lydia here, peace may be decidedly lacking at Longbourn.”
Mr. Bennet gave his second daughter a long, heartfelt embrace. He could see that the hurried trip from Pemberley had been somewhat arduous, and after a brief chat, he sent them away.
“Go along to your inn and return tonight for supper,” he told the couple. “We have it all well in hand. You need your rest.”
“Well, if you are certain, Papa, thank you.”
She and Darcy quickly greeted the other family members and departed.
***
After dining, the family gathered once more in the parlor.
It was a somber group, made more so by the black clothing everyone now wore.
Even Lydia, who always loved to be the center of attention, was subdued.
She and Kitty quietly played piquet at a side table.
No one spoke. What was there to say, after all?
Yet the silence only seemed to emphasize the absence of Mrs. Bennet.
She could always be depended upon to keep a lively—if sometimes a bit inane—conversation going in the evenings.
Jane and Lizzy sat side by side on the best settee, holding hands while their husbands stood by the fireplace, hands identically clasped behind their backs and similarly unable to think of anything to contribute.
Mary held her Bible, several ribbons marking appropriate passages she was ready to read as a comfort to her family.
Her offer to do so, however, had been roundly rejected, much to her dismay.
So she, too, sat quietly. The ticking of the clock was the only sound in the room as everyone considered their grief over the loss of Mrs. Bennet.
A knock at the door brought an almost audible exhalation of relief from the room, and Mrs. Hill showed Mr. Yarby into the room. The rector went straight to Mr. Bennet and asked how he was faring.
Mr. Bennet nodded slowly. “Thank you, Mr. Yarby, I am fairly well. It helps to have my daughters with me. You have not met all of them, and they are eager to make your acquaintance.”
Mr. Bennet made the rounds, introducing his other children and their spouses.
Then he motioned Mr. Yarby to take a seat.
As it happened, the only available place was next to Mary on the other settee.
Mary clutched her Bible more tightly as he settled in beside her, hoping nobody noticed her sudden nerves.
Mr. Yarby cleared his throat before speaking. “Mr. Bennet, I am sensitive to your request that your dear departed wife not be laid out in your home prior to her burial.”
Lydia failed to smother a hysterical sob and ran from the room, crying, “I could not bear it!” Kitty rose to follow, but catching a glance from her father, sat again, her focus respectfully on the new rector.
After a moment, Mr. Yarby began again. “All the arrangements are in order. Following a short prayer and hymn, we shall process from the church to the graveyard. The rest of the liturgy will be conducted graveside. Is that as you wish?”
“Yes, Mrs. Bennet would not have wanted a big fuss.”
Mary caught a brief but amused glance exchanged by the Darcys. She knew what her sister was thinking: a big fuss was exactly what Mrs. Bennet would have chosen. She started to say so, but her father interrupted.
“No. A simple burial would be best.”
“Then, with your permission, sir, following the prayers but prior to lowering the casket, I should like to say a few words about Mrs. Bennet. It is a new thing many rectors are doing these days—sharing a few anecdotes about the deceased. Often it brings a sense of peace to those left behind, as it can be pleasant to end on some happy memories. However, since I am new here, I did not have the pleasure of knowing her. I thought you might all share a few thoughts to help me.”
There was a long pause as the family waited for Mr. Bennet to speak. When he did not, Mary said piously, “She always enjoyed Sunday church service.”
“Mostly to dress up in her best and get the latest gossip,” added Lizzy with a small grin.
Mary was shocked at this comment and grateful when Jane jumped in.
“That may be true, Lizzy, but she did care very much about our estate tenants. Why, I can remember helping her put together Christmas baskets for them from my earliest years.”
Lizzy, Kitty, and Mary nodded in agreement.
“She…” Kitty began. “That is, Mama also greatly enjoyed socializing. She was quite proud of the number of families she and Papa dined with—four and twenty!”
“Even if she had to nearly drag Papa from his study to do so,” said Jane in a loving voice. There were soft chuckles all around.
“And balls and assemblies were the highlight of her year,” added Lizzy. “Even after she gave up dancing herself.”
“She was devoted to her girls,” Mr. Bennet finally said in a husky voice.
“Devoted to finding us all husbands, you mean,” said Kitty. “Mary, you and I must depend upon our older sisters for a match now.” She snorted. “Not that you ever show any signs of interest in the opposite sex.”
Mary blushed furiously and lowered her eyes. So like Kitty to say something thoughtless like that! She opened her mouth to respond, but to her surprise, Mr. Yarby reached over, patted her hand gently, and spoke.
“Two such lovely girls from as fine a family as this will have no problem securing eligible matches. I have no doubt.”
Mary turned her face to Mr. Yarby in gratitude. His kind words lifted her heart. In the corner of her eye, she caught Kitty also staring at the new rector with a queer little smile.
It struck Mary that her sister’s face was just like a cat who had spied a dish of cream.
***
Five days passed in what seemed a heartbeat, and Elizabeth now sat with her father in his study.
“Papa, I hate to leave you so soon,” she said softly. “But Fitzwilliam is determined we shall leave on the morrow. Every day we delay makes the journey that much harder on me, and he fears for our unborn child.”
“Pay it no heed, Lizzy, I am still somewhat amazed and grateful that you made the difficult journey at all.”
“Well, of course I wished to be here—we both did. You could come back with us if you like. It might be good to have a change of scene after such a…difficult time. And we would love to have you.”
“Thank you, but not just yet, my dear. Longbourn would seem every bit as empty coming back after time with you as it does now. Besides, I cannot abandon Kitty and Mary completely. And I have much to do to help Mr. Yarby and his sister settle in.” He gave her a wan smile.
“But know that I do not make this decision lightly or without significant regret; you know how much I enjoy your husband’s fine library. ”
Lizzy nodded. “I also offered to take Kitty back with us, but to my surprise, she said no. I thought she would jump at the chance to spend time at Pemberley; she always loved to do so in the past. But she told me she would rather stay here at Longbourn for now.”
Mr. Bennet smiled. “Could it be my second youngest is growing a sense of responsibility? One can only hope. She asked me whether Mr. Yarby and his sister could be invited to dine with us tonight. I told her yes, and she fairly ran from my study to go invite them.”
“Well, he does appear to be better company than poor Mr. Dudley ever was. But perhaps it signals a noble reason? Perhaps Kitty is taking an interest in doing some good works for Meryton’s less fortunate.”
Mr. Bennet chuckled. “Even I cannot raise my hopes quite that far, my dear.”