Page 5 of Gold and Good Sense

Still, if Collin truly did have consumption, there was no real way to save his life. Though it might take months or perhaps even years, the disease always ended in death.

Thomas opened the document and read through it. The will simply stated that, other than a large bequest to Rydley, all Collin’s worldly goods should be divided evenly among Thomas’s children.

“You don’t even know that I have any children,” said Thomas. “How could you do this without consulting me first?” He knew he sounded petulant, but he was beginning to feel overwhelmed with guilt, regret, and sorrow.

“The odds were in my favor, Brother,” said Collin. “I decided to play them. Besides, if you truly didn’t have any children, I was nearly certain the courts would simply give it all to you, so there would be no harm done. I have already seen that you have at least two daughters downstairs, so it seems as though my bet paid off. Now, open the other document.”

Before he opened the other document, Thomas said, “I have five daughters.”

Collin’s tiny smile had a mysterious quality to it as he said, “Excellent. Young ladies can always use a little boost to their dowries.”

Thomas hesitated, another protest on his lips, but he swallowed it. The faster he took care of this, the sooner he could take care of his brother.

The second document was a statement from an investment firm. It listed several stocks as well as a bank account balance. There was also a very large amount in the funds. Thomas didn’t believe what he was seeing at first. He thought that perhaps someone had forgotten to place a decimal where it should be or that extra zeroes had been added.

He felt his eyes grow wider and wider as his gaze traveled down the list where it eventually landed on the final sum.

Apparently, Collin Bennet was worth over three hundred thousand pounds.

Chapter 2

A veritable war raged in Thomas’ mind and heart. Curiosity to know how such a sum had been amassed fought against his need to see his brother taken care of. The latter won, but only just.

“Thank you for letting me know, Collin,” he said. “We can talk more on the subject later, for I have many questions. For now, however, you need to get cleaned up and made comfortable in bed.”

Collin grinned impishly, and for a moment Thomas saw the little brother who had once been a torment to him. The image faded almost immediately, replaced by the sight of a very ill man.

Thomas left to fetch his valet first. Once his man and Rydley were set to work making Collin comfortable, Thomas sent a servant up to build up the fire to keep the room warm, and he sent some thin soup up to warm Collin from the inside.

Only then did he seek out his wife who was giving orders to her maid as to what to pack for herself and for Lydia.

“There is no need for you to leave, after all,” he said. “It is consumption, making it highly unlikely that you or the girls will get ill.”

“You cannot change your mind now,” Mrs. Bennet said. “You told me to go to my brother’s home, and that is where I will go. Besides, there is no guarantee that consumption is the only thing he has. It doesn’t usually cause a high fever like what you saw. Therefore, I will stay my course.”

Honestly, Thomas didn’t really want to keep her here. Collin needed rest, and he wouldn’t get it with the caterwauling that was often to be found within the walls of Longbourn, usually from either his wife or Lydia, though occasionally Kitty was just as loud.

He would need to rethink his decision, though, if Collin survived more than a week. He wasn’t certain he could afford for Mrs. Bennet to be exposed to all the shops in London for longer than that.

“Very well, my dear,” said Thomas. “If it will make you feel better, you may still go. I just thought you would be relieved to know that the situation isn’t as bad as we thought.”

With that, he left his wife to her packing.

~~~~~

Three hours later, the house was peaceful once again. Mrs. Bennet and Lydia had left for London, and Kitty had gone to stay with Mrs. Bennet’s sister, Mrs. Phillips, who lived in Meryton. Mr. Bennet did not believe she was actually afraid of the fever. He suspected she just wanted to be away from the possibility of being asked to assist in caring for a sick man she didn’t even know.

The apothecary, Mr. Jones, had come and gone, leaving behind a chest salve that might help ease Collin’s breathing. A physician had just left, his news stark and unwelcome. At least now they knew what to expect.

Collin’s exertions while dealing with his consumption had caused a secondary case of pneumonia to crop up during his stay in London. While he could have lived for another few years with consumption, the pneumonia would almost certainly take his life within a week. There was little chance of fighting it off with his constitution already weakened.

With a heavy heart, Thomas went back to his brother’s room.

When he opened the door, he was pleased to find Collin awake. Even so, he did not know what to say.

Collin was the one who broke the silence. “It’s not good, is it?” he said.

Thomas simply shook his head.