Notes: Due to some comments, I remind you that this story has an E&D HEA and is marked as Tragedy/Drama. This chapter is sad.
There are only two chapters left to finish the first part (Elizabeth's POV). The story has four parts.
December 1814
As soon as Colonel Barton received Lizzy's letter with the sad news, he asked his superiors for permission to leave London for a few days. But the General only gave him a week to attend the funeral since he had been away for his wedding trip a short time ago.
He then went with his mother to Redstone to comfort his wife and cousin. They were very difficult days; Elizabeth was devastated and Frederick fell into a state of utter despair.
He constantly reproached himself for having married her; he knew Jane's health was fragile, she had been very ill and had survived because of Elizabeth's devotion and care. He knew it! However, he was not careful, he did not measure the consequences, and now Jane had died because of him...
He wanted to love his daughter and not blame her for what had happened to Jane, but every time he saw her and tried to hold her, he remembered that because of her birth, the person he loved most in the world had died.
He spent most of the day locked in his office staring into space and thinking about Jane. His joy and desire to live had been extinguished with the death of Jane and he had a hard time finding reasons to move on with his life and do his duty to his daughter and his estate.
Contrary to what Frederick thought and felt, Elizabeth did not blame him for Jane's death. Elizabeth spent several hours a day with Lizzy-Rose - her little Rose. Perhaps it was the deathbed promise she made to her sister, or that the girl looked so much like Jane, but she immediately loved her as if she were her own daughter.
Within a week of Jane's burial, Lizzy regretfully returned to London with her husband and mother-in-law.
February 1815
Despite Patrick's efforts and unconditional love, Lizzy was very depressed and cried every night. They made love almost every day, he held her tenderly before going to sleep and repeated to her endlessly how much he loved her... But it takes a long time to mend a broken heart, and there are no miraculous remedies to heal it…
One cold February afternoon, the Bartons received an express with the sad news that Frederick Harrington had died. They immediately left for Redstone where they found out that since Jane's death, Frederick began to drink excessively. At first, he only drank at night so he could fall asleep and not have nightmares, but as the days went by, he began to drink during the day to forget about his sorrows and not feel guilty.
The fateful day that led to his death was just two months after Jane's death. He was sad and depressed that day, and he went horseback riding in the morning. Before Jane died, he was very fond or horseback riding and used to ride his land every day.
Probably because he had drunk three glasses of brandy before leaving the house and had eaten very little - as was his custom in the last months -, he fell from his horse while jumping a fence that he had been jumping for twenty years without difficulty. He hit his head hard and was knocked unconscious for several hours. That day was particularly cold and it even rained heavily in the afternoon... When some farmers found him, he was frozen and three days later he died.
Two days later, the Bartons and Frederick's younger brother arrived at Redstone. The following day after the funeral the will was read.
There were no big surprises in the will: it stipulated that Redstone was now owned by Frederick Harrington's brother. In addition, he left his daughter Elizabeth Rose £12,000 and appointed the Bartons as her guardians.
Two days later, the Bartons returned to London with little Rose and the wet nurse – Mrs. Shaw – who agreed to move to London with them. Mrs. Shaw was a few years older than Lizzy and was married. Her husband was a soldier and he was fighting on the Continent. Unfortunately, her son - who was born a few days before Elizabeth Rose - died within hours.
That same night, as Lizzy and Patrick watched their goddaughter sleep, Lizzy began to cry.
Patrick hugged her tightly, "Lizzy, please don't cry. I feel so helpless when I see you cry."
"I am so sorry, Patrick. I am so tired and sad."
"I understand, my love. Many sad things have happened in such a short time."
"I am afraid I won't be a good mother to Rose…, no one can replace Jane"
"Lizzy, you don't have to be like Jane to be a good mother." He kissed her softly, "I am sure you are going to be an excellent mother. I have never seen a woman with your ability to love and protect the people you love."
Lizzy smiled through her tears, "You are the best of men, Patrick. The best thing that ever happened to me was marrying you. I love you."