Page 4 of Gold and Good Sense

“Why would your brother bring disease and illness into my home? I will not have it, Mr. Bennet!” she said in one of her shriller tones, one that he could seldom tolerate for long.

This time, however, Thomas was firm. “Yes. You will,” he said in a voice that was quiet but hard as stone. “Collin is my brother, and I am the only family he has. He will stay here until he is well. If you are afraid, you may go stay with your sister or even your brother, but I will see that he gets the care he needs.”

Thomas was disappointed, though not surprised, to see a little light of greed in her eyes when he mentioned going to stay with her brother. Mr. Gardiner, Fanny’s younger brother, had set up shop in Cheapside in London fifteen years ago and had since been quite successful.

Mrs. Bennet frequently asked to go visit him, but Thomas had never had much patience with the city, nor had he wished to argue about how much money she would likely spend there.

Now, however, he was practically ordering her to go, and he would willingly pay whatever it took to keep her happy and, most importantly, quiet while Thomas did what was necessary to take care of his newly returned brother.

“Very well, Mr. Bennet,” she said. She attempted to look resigned, but he could see the anxious happiness that seeped through in the way she stood and the shape of her lips. “I will make arrangements to leave this afternoon, but I must insist on taking Lydia with me. She is too young to be left in a house full of fever.”

Lydia was fourteen, and she would probably handle it just as well as her other sisters, but since she was the loudest of his daughters, he agreed willingly.

“Fine, fine,” said Thomas. “Any other of our daughters who do not wish to be exposed to fever may go stay with your sister in Meryton. Now, make your arrangements, Mrs. Bennet, and leave me in peace so that I may find out what is actually wrong with Collin.”

He moved to climb the stairs, but he was forestalled by his eldest daughter, Jane, saying, “Is there anything we can do to help?”

He paused to think before replying. “I don’t know exactly what is wrong yet, so I am uncertain what is needed. However, I do know that we will need Mr. Jones’ assistance as well as a physician. Will you send the stable boy to fetch Mr. Jones and have Mrs. Hill send for the physician?”

“Of course, Papa,” said Jane.

Then, he was finally able to head upstairs to find out what was wrong with Collin and how serious it might be.

When he entered the bedroom, he found Collin lying down on the bed on top of the covers. He hadn’t changed his clothing. He hadn’t even removed his boots. He just lay there, forcing himself to breathe.

“Collin, whatever is the matter?” Thomas asked.

“Consumption,” Collin replied weakly. “It wasn’t too bad until the last fortnight of my journey, but this past week has been rather torturous. All I could think was to keep breathing long enough to get home.”

“But consumption doesn’t run in our family,” said Thomas.

“Which is why I didn’t realize what my cough meant until I was halfway across the Atlantic. The ship’s medical officer heard me coughing, and he told me what it was. By that time, however, no matter how bad I felt, it was easier to keep making my way home than to stop or turn back.”

“If you felt so awful, why did you stay in London for so long?” asked Thomas. “The air must have made it quite difficult for you. You could have come straight home, you know.”

Collin shook his head. “I knew no such thing. After you didn’t reply to either of my letters I sent from America, I assumed you never wished to hear from me again.”

“But I never received any letters,” said Thomas. “I had a letter ready to send to you once I had an address. In fact, I think it’s still in my desk somewhere. But I never received anything from you, so I didn’t know where to send it.”

The corner of Collin’s mouth quirked up in a rueful smile. “So many years of separation simply because two letters went astray.”

The two men fell silent and mourned all that they had lost due to their separation. Finally, Collin said, “Still, I do not regret leaving. I had a wonderful life with my Emilia and my son, Bertram. He was just becoming a man when his life ended.”

There was a pause. Then that little smile reappeared. “I also had some rather interesting luck while I was there.”

Before Thomas could ask about his luck, the footmen and the driver brought two trunks and a valise into the room. The footmen left almost immediately, but the driver set about opening the trunks and unpacking them.

“That is my manservant, Rydley,” explained Collin. “Rydley, before you unpack, will you fetch the papers from my valise and give them to Thomas?”

The man nodded and did as he was bid.

“Collin, we don’t need to take care of any business right now,” said Thomas, trying to forestall the servant. “What we need is for you to be made comfortable and for a physician to look you over.”

“Wait, please,” said Collin. “I promise with all my heart that once you look at the papers, I will submit to any treatment. But please read them first. Those papers are the main reason I stayed in London far longer than I should have.”

Reluctantly, Thomas accepted the two folded documents which Ridley handed him.

The first one he opened was Collin’s will. Thomas wished to drop the cursed thing as soon as he realized what it was. He wanted to prevent it from ever going into effect, simply because he did not wish to face the idea of his brother dying so soon after they had reunited.