Louisa approached him and put her hand on his shoulder. “Do you love her?” she asked.
“I did; I think I do,” he cried. “I have loved her since we first met in Hertfordshire. If I had not allowed myself to be persuaded, if I had not asked everyone for advice, if I had followed my heart in the first place, this could never have happened. Not that I completely blame myself … but she should have trusted me enough to tell me before we were married.”
Louisa only stood there, her hand on his shoulder, providing what comfort she could. “I would suggest that you do not make any rash decisions; that you think things through carefully before making any decisions that will impact your lives. Perhaps she could have this baby far away, and it could be raised as someone else’s, and then you could begin your life together again.”
Charles nodded in response, and after some time, Louisa left to return to her own home and to speak to her husband about events.
Late that evening, messages were received at both the Darcy and the Hurst households asking for their immediate attendanceat Bingley’s home. Both couples arrived within minutes of each other to find Charles there, distracted and upset.
“Jane is having the baby now. It is far too soon! The doctor is already in there with her, but she has asked Elizabeth and Louisa to attend to her. She said she would like to speak to both of you,” Bingley said as soon as they were there.
Darcy was reluctant to let his wife go, but something in his friend’s eyes made him put aside that feeling and grudgingly release his wife.
Elizabeth allowed Louisa to guide her up the stairs to Jane’s bed chambers. Jane was lying in bed, very pale and obviously in pain. Most concerning was the blood staining the bed at Jane’s pelvis, causing Elizabeth to rush to Jane’s side.
“Oh, Jane, how are you?” Elizabeth said soothingly as she approached.
“Lizzy,” Jane said weakly. “I am so glad you came. I … I need to apologise for what I have caused. I was … I never should have listened to Caroline or trusted anything she said. I have … I have hurt you beyond what you should forgive. Instead of being happy for you … I have made such a mess for everyone.” She began sobbing once again and then cried out with pain as another contraction came.
Elizabeth took her sister’s hand in hers. “I forgive you, Jane. I cannot say I understand why you have acted as you have, but I do forgive you.”
Jane looked at her sister in appreciation. “Thank you, Lizzy,” she said weakly. “Thank you.”
Elizabeth could do nothing but sit beside her sister and hold her hand. Quietly, she asked the maid for a cool towel, which she used to wipe her sister’s brow as she continued to labour and struggle. Louisa, on the other side, spoke to her sister-in-law soothingly, as well as the doctor and the maids continued as they had been. There was honestly little to do for anyone except to change the towels being used to absorb the blood. It became apparent that Jane was growing steadily weaker from the loss of blood. Elizabeth and Louisa continued to dab at her face with the cool towels until Charles entered.
Jane woke at the voice of her husband, so the two ladies exited the room. “I am so sorry, Lizzy; I love you,” Jane whispered as they left the room.
Elizabeth immediately went to her husband and wrapped her arms around his waist. He embraced her shoulders and pulled her tightly into his embrace. “Oh, Will,” she sobbed into his chest. “She apologised; I still have no idea what was behind everything, but she … she looks … oh, Will!” Once again, she burst into tears and sobbed into his waistcoat.
Recognising that she was close to losing control, he picked her up in his arms to take her into another room and sat down with her on his lap. Attempting to comfort her, he continued to whisper words of love and comfort into her ears as he rubbed his hands up and down her back.
When the tears subsided, she tried again. “I do not know if she will survive this night. She has apologised for how she has treated me, but I still do not understand.”
“Can you forgive her?” he asked softly.
“Of course, I can forgive her. I forgave her long ago, but I was still so hurt by her treatment of me. And now we may never be able to repair any part of our relationship if she does not survive,” she whispered into his chest.
“Charles spoke to Hurst and me while you and Mrs. Hurst were with your sister,” William told her as she calmed. “She and Charles spoke earlier today after the doctor had come to see her. The doctor’s news revealed that the babe was not Charles’s, and Jane confessed that it was the result of an encounter with Wickham,” he said the name with great distaste. “He seduced her in July, right before the militia left when she was feeling particularly low and missing both you and Bingley. She was terrified to tell anyone as it had not been against her will, although she had not understood what he had persuaded her to do until it was too late. She realised she had been stupid and naïve and had allowed things to go too far. She was too afraid to tell Charles, and she did not realise that she was with child until after he returned and proposed to her. I am still not certain about some of the rest of the details, except that somehow Miss Bingley was aware and was threatening her. Jane’s behaviour toward you was at her direction, as some sort of blackmail. I do not know what Miss Bingley thought she would accomplish with any of this; the woman truly is fit for Bedlam, and Charles means to see her put away.”
Elizabeth continued to try to control her tears and her breathing. When she had gained a semblance of control, she picked her head up from William’s chest. “Will she die?” she asked in a tiny voice.
William did not know how to respond. Based on what Charles had said the doctor had told him, it appeared likely. Jane had not been able to eat much in several weeks, even before they arrivedfrom Netherfield, and had been steadily growing weaker. That afternoon, she had begun having pains, and the doctor had been called when she had started to bleed.
His silence was answer enough for Elizabeth, who took a deep shuddering breath. They both stood when they heard the door open and saw Charles standing there. “Jane is asking for you again, Elizabeth. She asks that both you and Darcy come to see her. It is … it is almost over,” Charles choked.
They nodded, and the three made their way up the stairs once again. Elizabeth entered ahead of the others and returned to take her sister’s hand and wipe her brow with the cool cloth.
“Lizzy,” she whispered, struggling to speak. “I am so sorry. I was cruel to both you and Mr. Darcy. I hope, sir,” she said, looking toward him standing by the door, “that you can forgive me for my foolishness someday. I … I was stupid and jealous and … allowed myself to be used to hurt others because I was not strong enough to tell the truth.” Her voice trailed off as she spoke until it could barely be heard at the door.
William looked at her lying there on the bed, looking so weak and pale. He agreed to her request and walked forward to stand by Elizabeth’s side and place his hand on her lower back in support. Finally, he responded, “We forgive you, Jane.”
Bingley went to stand on the other side of Jane and leaned down to press a kiss on her forehead. She looked up at him and spoke once more. “I do love you, Charles. Forgive me for my stupidity and my lack of faith in you. I wish I would have been honest with you from the beginning. You should not blame yourself for any of this.”
“I loved you as well, Jane. Forgive me for my lack of faith in you,” he whispered, pushing her hair back from her forehead. “I am so sorry,” Elizabeth noted the tears in his eyes and knew he would mourn for his wife and his marriage. He would always regret what his marriage could have been.
The three continued to stand there as Jane drew several more shuddering breaths. The breaths first slowed and then stopped altogether. Elizabeth turned into William’s chest and sobbed while Bingley sat heavily on the bed next to his wife. “My dear Jane,” she heard him say as he caressed her cheek.
Jane’s body was taken to Meryton and buried in the cemetery at the Longbourn church. Elizabeth and William travelled to Netherfield for the funeral, breaking the promise never to return, although they stayed only briefly. Georgiana and Mary travelled with them, and they were all to return to Pemberley soon after. At the funeral, Darcy received Mr. Bennet’s written permission to care for Mary for as long as he was willing and to approve marriage or whatever else may be necessary before she came of age. Mr. Bennet was enjoying his peace, having little to do at Longbourn with his family gone. The house ran itself with Mrs. Hill in charge, and there was little for him to concern himself with other than his books, a circumstance that pleased him greatly.
