Epilogue
Longbourn and Netherfield Park were both almost full with extended family members. The occasion which had caused the family to come together was hopefully a very joyous one. The joy, of course, depended on whether both mother and new babe came through the experience of childbirth healthy and alive.
As she had planned, Louisa had waited until she missed her courses in January of the current year before she informed Thomas that she suspected she was with child.
He had laughed and kissed her soundly and told her, seeing that she had never been indisposed since their wedding, he had guessed that she was increasing, but he had decided not to say anything until she felt ready to share her news.
When Louisa had shared her husband’s reaction with Aunt Hildebrand, her aunt had given her a knowing ‘I told you so’ look.
Bennet and Lulu had waited until she felt the quickening in mid-March before the news was shared with the Bennet sisters.
None of them were at Longbourn at that time.
Rather, they all were enjoying time with their sisters and the Gardiners in London.
Letters had been sent to Darcy, Fitzwilliam, and Bingley Houses.
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In April 1812, word had reached the Bennets that Mrs Kingston and her daughters had reached Cornwall only to find her parents were dead and had left everything to Drusilla’s brother.
Given how she had treated her parents, the brother wanted nothing to do with his sister or his nieces.
Evidently, rather than starve in the hedgerows, the four Kingston ladies ended up going into service.
They learnt the hard way that they could not behave the way in which they used to and expect good things to happen to them.
Nothing was ever heard of them again.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
It had been during the early part of the season that Chalmers, Darcy’s steward, had written to say that a neighbouring estate, Castlemere, was for sale.
It belonged to the Duke of Hertfordshire; however, his youngest of three sons, had perished in a riding accident at the estate.
It was the reason that His Grace was selling at a very reasonable price.
Being a very good friend of Chalmers, the agent would hold off advertising the estate for sale for a fortnight.
Knowing it was a very good and well-run estate, about half of the size of his own, Darcy had urged Bingley not to miss the opportunity.
His brother by marriage had agreed, and they had departed—with their wives—the day the letter arrived.
Pushing hard, they had arrived at Pemberley the morning of the third day.
That afternoon, Darcy, Bingley, and Chalmers had met with the agent and inspected the estate.
Bingley liked what he saw, but he wanted Jane to see the estate and manor house before he made a decision.
The next morning, the two couples had arrived early and toured the estate and the house.
All that remained of the old castle was one wall that was incorporated into the current manor.
Jane was very happy with everything, and the fact that there was a shared boundary with Pemberley did not hurt.
Bingley had signed the bill of sale, and a sennight later, once the agreed-upon purchase price was paid into the Duke’s account, the Court of Chancery had been applied to for a new deed, which had been issued a fortnight later.
The Darcys and Bingleys had returned to London, able to report that Castlemere had been purchased.
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In April of the same year, the wedding of Anne de Bourgh to Ian Medford took place. As everyone had been present at Rosings Park for Easter, which had been at the end of March, they had all remained to witness the nuptials between the two.
Again, with Gardiner’s help, the balance of the items remaining which Lady Catherine had hoarded in an attempt to hide her feelings of inferiority because of her birth had been sold and the money netted had been more than enough to redecorate and refurbish the mansion.
Anne had demanded he take his commission in full.
The interior of the mansion was not the only thing which was improved.
So too was the new parson Anne had appointed.
He was in every way the opposite of his predecessor.
He was, in fact, the curate who filled in when the late Collins needed to be away, the same one who had performed the duties after that man had been defrocked and ultimately excommunicated.
His focus was on the parishioners, not on his patroness, and he was universally loved by those to whom he ministered.
The day after the wedding, when everyone was preparing to travel to their various homes, Jane, Elizabeth, and Mary had all separately confided in Lulu that they believed they were with child.
She gave them the same advice Aunt Hildebrand had given her, and that was to tell their husbands, who would notice any change in them right away.
Each had done so during the journey to their respective estates. The news had resulted in three extremely happy men.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
By the time the Darcys and Bingleys joined the Fitzwilliams at Netherfield Park to wait for the birth of the newest Bennet, all three wives were showing little bumps in their bellies. Between the end of June and the middle of July, the three sisters had each felt the quickening.
Anna was not with her brother and sister; rather she was at Longbourn.
The bonds of sisterhood and friendship between her, Kate, and Lydia were as strong as steel, as they had been since the day Lizzy and William had married.
Seeing that Kate would turn eighteen in September upcoming, she would have her coming out during the little season of this year.
Her ball would be at Matlock House, as Aunt Elaine would sponsor her for her curtsey, as she had done for Anne, Jane, Lizzy, and Mary.
Anna and Lydia had already decided they would wait and come out together.
Anne and Ian Medford had arrived earlier that same day.
During her courtship with Ian, Anne had grown very close to Lulu, which was why she was here to support her through her lying-in.
Anne hoped she was increasing, but as her courses were erratic, she would wait another month or two—when she would hopefully feel the quickening—before sharing her suspicion.
On the final Tuesday of the month of August, Longbourn was hosting all the ladies while the men were out shooting to provide some brace of pheasant for dinner when Louisa felt the start of her labouring pains.
She tried to hide them, but as soon as Thomas entered the room after washing and changing subsequent to the hunt, he noticed something was not right with his Lulu. He sent a footman to summon Aunt Hildebrand from the parsonage. He looked at his wife; his eyebrows raised in question.
“I am well…Thomas,” Louisa attempted but a pain hit as she was speaking.
“No Lulu, you are not. You are labouring, and I have sent for our aunt already. It is time to go to the birthing chamber. Hill,” Bennet called out.
“Aye, Master,” the faithful butler said when he entered the drawing room.
“Have the midwife and Mr Jones summoned. Mrs Bennet needs their services forthwith,” Bennet instructed.
Hill bowed and sent a footman to summon the two to Longbourn.
Bennet would not allow another to help his wife up the stairs to the birthing chamber. Her maid helped the mistress change before she and the master helped Mrs Bennet onto the bed.
“Thomas, I know it is not done, but I do not want you to leave me,” Louisa stated.
“Then, I will go nowhere,” Bennet replied adamantly.
Soon, Mrs Brown—the daughter-in-law of the midwife who delivered the five Bennet sisters—and Mr Jones arrived. The midwife asked Mr Bennet to leave while she examined his wife. When he refused, she went about her work. She could easily see this was a battle not worth fighting.
Hildebrand, Jane, Lizzy, Mary, and Anne took turns sitting with Lulu as the pains became more intense and closer together. A little after midnight, when it was already Thursday, Lulu’s waters broke.
Less than an hour later, while her husband held her and whispered words of encouragement into her ear, the midwife told Louisa to push. She was tired, more so than she could remember, her body aching, but she pushed for all she was worth when the midwife exhorted her to do so.
There was a release of pressure followed by the squalling of a newborn babe. Mrs Hill and Aunt Hildebrand took the newest Bennet to be cleaned up as soon as Mrs Brown cut the cord.
“Lulu, you did so very well,” Bennet told his beloved wife.
“What is the sex?” Louisa asked tiredly.
“Lulu, Thomas, meet your son!” Hildebrand exclaimed happily as she brought the swaddled heir of Longbourn to come meet his parents.
Louisa looked at her husband, who nodded. “Welcome to the world, Henry Arthur Bennet,” she said joyfully. Not even the exhaustion could dampen the joy at seeing their son who was made in love.
“Even though we did not need a son to break the entail, as it is no more, I am very happy you have gifted us a boy,” Bennet told his wife and kissed her brow, still covered in beads of sweat.
“Now that I have set the precedent, I have a feeling my daughters are going to demand their husbands remain with them when they give birth. Personally, I could not imagine being anywhere else.”
“That is you, my love, setter of trends.” Louisa smiled.
Once the afterbirth had been delivered, and Mrs Brown and Mr Jones separately assured Bennet that both the mother and his new son were well, they left.