Page 11 of A Life Diverted

F anny had never been so large as she was now when she was carrying Jane, James, or Mary.

Add to that it felt like this babe never rested; she felt almost constant movement and kicks.

Worse, it was a hot summer, and on days like this, the penultimate day of July when there was no breeze, the heat was oppressive.

Hattie and Maddie were with her. The former had never been blessed with children, and the latter had been blessed with three children so far.

Edward, called Eddy, was seven; next, Peter was five, and the youngest Gardiner was Lilly, who was three.

Maddie knew she was with child again. Also attending Fanny was her very good friend, Sarah Lucas, now Lady Lucas since her husband had been knighted.

Sarah never demanded her friends stand on ceremony with her.

After being knighted, Sir William had sold his businesses in Meryton and purchased the Saltz’s estate, Hollow Run. That family had moved to Devonshire, where Mr Saltz had inherited a much larger estate. Hollow Run had been renamed Lucas Lodge.

Mother Beth would have attended the birth, but Fanny had requested she entertain the children.

Jane was fifteen, Lizzy was twelve, James was recently seven, and Mary was four.

She knew her children were always nervous during times like this, and no matter how much they all loved Mrs Weasley and their nursemaids, having their beloved Grandmama Beth with them calmed their worries most of all .

This was especially true of Lizzy. Even though she did not remember how she came to live with the Bennets, she, more than the others, got very nervous when she was separated from her parents or other family members.

She was aware Thomas was pacing up and down in the hallway outside of the birthing chamber.

It was a balm to her soul to know her husband wanted to be as close to her as possible.

If Fanny did not think she would scandalise the midwife and the ladies attending her, she would have demanded that Thomas be with her in the room.

The waters had broken, and none too soon for Fanny; it was time to push.

“Fanny, you have another daughter!” Hattie exclaimed when the midwife handed the squalling babe to Mrs Hill.

“She is a little smaller than Mary was when she was born, but she looks healthy. There is a full head of dark hair like your mother-in-law and Lizzy,” Madeline related. “She is a lively one. Do you and Thomas have names picked out yet, or do you wait until you know you have a healthy babe?”

“We only choose names once we have a living babe…Owwwww. Mrs Dudley, why am I having pains like I am labouring again? With my previous births the afterbirth never pained me like this,” Fanny demanded. “What is happening to me?”

“Let me look and see what…oh my! Mrs Bennet, I see another head. You have twins!” Mrs Dudley got down to the work of delivering the next child.

Thankfully for Fanny, it was over soon. There was the mewling of a second babe. “This one is much quieter than the first one born. Is everything well?” she asked nervously.

“Your son is well, Fanny,” Lady Lucas assured her friend. “He is a little smaller than his slightly older sister, but other than that, I see nothing over which to be concerned.”

“A daughter and son,” Fanny said in wonder. “Oh my. Thomas?”

“Mrs Dudley is delivering the afterbirth. You will get cleaned up and changed as soon as she is complete, and we can have Thomas come join you to meet his new son and daughter,” Hattie promised her younger sister.

As much as she had dreamt about children of her own, it had not been so ordained.

All Hattie could do was be the best aunt as possible to Fanny’s and Edward’s children.

As her home was less than a mile from Longbourn, she could see the Bennet children whenever she desired.

With Maddie and Edward living in London, she did not see her Gardiner nephews and niece nearly as much, but she loved them no less.

Bennet had heard the babe’s cries, a time with little noise other than muffled voices, and then the babe cried again.

However, it was with less volume than before.

He was concerned because normally this long after hearing the first squalling of his new daughter or son, he should have been summoned into the room already.

His brothers-in-law and Sir William had been trying to keep him calm, efforts which only met with partial success.

Just as he was preparing to breach the door, it opened to reveal a smiling Maddie.

As soon as Bennet saw her joy, he knew that neither Fanny nor his new daughter or son were in danger.

He watched as she, Hattie, and Lady Lucas glided out of the room.

They were followed by the midwife. Hill came and stood at the door.

“Master, the mistress is calling for you,” the housekeeper reported.

As soon as Mrs Hill stood aside, Bennet practically ran into the chamber. The sight which met him would be burnt into his consciousness for the rest of his days. Fanny was sitting in the bed, propped by pillows, and she had a swaddled babe in each arm!

Suddenly the different-sounding crying made sense to Bennet. They had twins !

“Come meet your son and daughter,” Fanny invited tiredly.

“You have done very well, Fanny, my love,” Bennet stated as he advanced into the room. “Have you thought of names?”

“If you agree, we can name her,” Fanny cocked her head towards the slumbering girl, “Lydia, after my late grandmother. And her slightly younger brother,” she inclined her head towards their new son, “we can name him for your late brother.”

“Those are fine names. I think Lydia’s second name should be Fanny for her wonderful mother. For Henry, I leave it up to you.”

“If Lydia is partially named for me, then Henry’s second name should be Thomas, just like his father, whom I love to distraction. I think Henry Thomas Bennet is a fine name.”

“I have no objections to our second son bearing my name.” Bennet paused as he thought. “What say you to me bringing the children in to meet their new siblings?”

“That is a capital idea, Thomas. That way they, and especially Lizzy, will be able to see that I am well. You know how concerned Lizzy gets when she does not know how I fare after not seeing me for a while.”

Bennet nodded and made his way to the drawing room where his mother was with the children.

“The ladies told me that you have both a new son and daughter; I am so happy for you both,” Beth enthused as soon as she saw her son.

“May we see Mama?” Lizzy asked nervously. She had been told that Mama was well, but until she saw her for herself, she could not be sure. Adults, at times, tried to protect children by shielding them from the hard truth.

“That is why I am here; your mother and I want you all to come and meet your new sister and brother. We have named them Lydia and Henry,” Bennet stated.

“That is a very good name for a boy born at Longbourn,” Beth said as memories of her late son washed over her. She refused to give in to the melancholy. After all, there were new grandchildren to meet. “Come, children.” Beth stood and led her four grandchildren out of the drawing room.

“Mrs Bennet is correct,” Sir William opined before Bennet followed the four children. “Those are good names.”

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

The instant Lizzy saw Mama sitting up in the bed and smiling, she was able to relax. Mama would be well, and she would not be leaving her.

She was aware she was not a Bennet by blood, but as she had no memories of her former parents, Elizabeth could not explain from where the worry of her being removed from her family came.

All of her memories of living with the Bennets were positive, and never, not even for the smallest measure of time, had they ever made her feel anything but loved and wanted.

It was not only the Bennets who treated her like she had always belonged with their family, but also the Phillipses and Gardiners. That she was a foundling was common knowledge in and around Meryton, but that had never caused anyone in the neighbourhood to treat her as less than.

As she hugged Mama and met the sleeping Lydia and Henry, Elizabeth began to think of the treat she would have in a few months.

She was to go be with Aunt Maddie and Uncle Edward at their house on Gracechurch Street for two months beginning in October when the heat and attendant odours of London had lessened considerably.

It had been Janie’s turn after this past Christmastide.

It used to be both Jane and her until Lilly had been born. With three children of their own in the house, the Gardiners had begun to host them one at a time .

Like he had after James had been born, Bennet wrote to Clem Collins to notify him of the birth of another son. The letter he received back was not written for his distant cousin, but rather from his son, William.

The writing on the page did not show any more intelligence than his sire, but at least the son could read and write.

He informed Bennet his father had passed away a year prior to the date of the letter.

The son used ten words when one would have done and told of how he intended to study so that he could enter the church.

There was some nonsense about the Bennets stealing his birthright, and how could Bennet rest easy when he had stolen Longbourn from the Collinses?

Seeing the twaddle William Collins put into his letter, Bennet decided that he would not attempt to write to Collins again. Fanny heartily endorsed his decision.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

The Wendells did not keep a house in London, but when they did go to Town they were hosted at Matlock House in Grosvenor Square, across the green in the middle of the square from Darcy House.

If the Fitzwilliams were not in residence and Wendell needed to go to London for business, he would be invited to reside at Darcy House.