AU Pride and Prejudice

A huge Thank You to anyone who stuck with this story; especially since it's point was not as clear as the others; at least not until Mr. Bennet's remark to Adeilia's friend towards the end of this chapter.

Unbreakable Bonds

"You may find yourself wishing a hangman's noose would have found your neck instead!" His words were hissed and Patricia pulled back, knowing wherever she was, this was not a situation that she was going to come out on top.

Miscarriage and Close to Death

Ch. 24

A strong wind blew outside and rain fell hard against the window of the Philip's home, but that was nothing compared to what Mr. Bennet felt as he paced the parlor floor. Anne was still upstairs, fighting for Adelia's life; the doctor had come but said Mrs. Doyle knew more than he did and had, shockingly, left.

"As a man, it is hard to admit, but whatever it was that Mrs. Doyle's island upbringing taught her, it put her skills far above mine. If your wife has any hope of living, I need to step back and leave your wife in Mrs. Doyle's hands."

"Wearing a hole in the floor will not be a deciding factor on whether she lives or dies." Lady Catherine spoke gently. "Please, for your daughters' and wife's sake, sit down and take a deep breath."

"I cannot lose her." Mr. Bennet sat down and looked physically and emotionally drained. "I cannot. I had no idea one could grow so close to another person so quickly." He was also furious at Mr. Perry's ex-wife's stunt; in his opinion, that lady was stupid if she thought playing crazy was going to get her off the hook for attempting to murder his wife…murdering if Adelia did not survive.

Thomas thought he had been prepared to fight for her if the ex-wife of Adelia's father showed up, but things had happened so strangely, no one had seen it coming. Part of Mr. Bennet told himself not take the blame, after all, no one could have foreseen the odd storm.

Thomas had stopped thinking of the storm. He could only look towards the stairs and cringe at the same time. No amount of fighting he could physically do would save his wife in this case. Therefore, Mr. Bennet prayed harder than he ever had before.

While he was praying, Anne was relieved not only to have stopped any bleeding but to see the fever, which had come out of nowhere, was now broken. "Little Lady, you cannot go dying on us." Miss Doyle took a much-deserved break and sat down in a chair. "We have known each other too long and been through too much for you to pull a stunt like that. Remember when…" Anne paused and shook her head, trying to recall what it was she had meant to say. Was she losing her mind already? Or was she simply too drained from fighting for her friend's life to think straight? Taking a deep breath Anne recalled, for only a few seconds, what had really occurred before it slipped away, for good.

"That is it, I need sleep." Anne double-checked Adelia and was relieved to see Mrs. Bennet was breathing steadily and evenly for the first time since the horror had started. Slipping out the door, Anne ordered one of the servants to keep an eye on the lady. "If a fever starts back up, come and get me and, for crying out loud, wash your hands with hot water or I will get you fired." The servant complied only because Anne's ways were chalked up to her 'island ways'; that and she had the reputation for being able to save more lives than most.

Anne went down the stairs and into the parlor. Mr. Bennet's head shot up at her entrance. "Mrs. Bennet is holding her own." She sighed and hated what she had to say next, but Miss Doyle was not going to lie either. "I know you wanted a son, Mr. Bennet. And I know my friend, she would not say anything if I did not; she would die attempting to give you one before speaking up. But if that were to happen? If she were to try to carry another child… it would kill her. There would be nothing I, or any male doctor, could do; not even one from the island I was born on."

"As disappointing as that may be to hear," Mr. Bennet let out his own long breath of air. "I would rather see my wife alive than to have a son without her around. I will count it a blessing, as questionable as my first wife's intelligence was, her crazy will did include provisions for Mary and Kitty should they not marry." He gave a faint smile. "And as I already told Mrs. Bennet, it even put in a stipulation for Adelia so I will not have to concern myself over what will become of her upon my demise, not to mention what you brought my wife will greatly improve my family's situation. So, in between those two facts it no longer matters who Longborn goes to after my death when it comes to the care of my daughters."

"I am tired. I am going to go lie down in one of your guest rooms. Hopefully, Mrs. Bennet continues to improve. If your wife takes a turn for the worse, come and get me."

Thomas stood up and walked to the bottom of the stairs relieved to hear Adelia was holding ground. "I am going to see my wife and then turn in myself." His daughters followed suit.

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Thomas had been unable to sleep much and was now standing by the foot of the bed where his wife lay. Adelia looked so frail. He could easily picture her in some light island dress, laughing and dancing. His other thoughts were kept under wraps; no one would believe him and, he suspected, the fever that had racked Adelia's mind would cause her to forget the ring and necklace shown to him, or the origin of the jewelry sets they had Mr. Darcy sell for them. No, he would keep them between himself and Mary. She appeared to be the only one out of the group- other than Lady Catherine and himself- who appeared to remember the true accounts of Adelia's trip; as even Anne no longer brought up the subject. His thoughts would prove him to be one of the unique ones of whom Lady Catherine had spoken of.

"You need to live, my darling. We make quite a team…even if we make our elder daughters despair over our lack of interest in society. I am sure they think us to be mad with all our discussions over the books in my library, one of which you spend just as much time in as I do."

"Almost as much time." Adelia's voice was weak, but her eyes opened. "I cannot afford to spend as much time as you; the household and the girls would suffer." His wife then gave a tiny smile and said, "When I am stronger, we can try again."

Thomas's heartstrings were pulled and he went to sit by her side and spoke words he wished he did not have to speak. "No, I think it is best if we do not." He picked up her hand and stroked the back of it with his fingers. "Your health is too frail and I am getting too old."

"But Thomas." Adelia's eyes might as well have held the ability to kneel as her eyes and mouth turned downward with a pleading look. "I have not even had one child. I so want your baby."

"There is another way to be the mother of a child, our child." Mr. Bennet said, recalling overhearing Lady Catherine talking about an unfortunate girl who had been taken advantage of, one who was now looking for someone to take the baby when it was born. Therefore, he explained the situation to his wife. "I think…" He held Adelia's hand while brushing her hair aside. "We should talk to the young lady and take her baby in as our own."

"You could really accept the child as your own? I mean, really as your own? Boy or girl?"

"Yes, I could." Mr. Bennet, for the last time, thought of all the details of his late wife's will. He was never going to divulge any that he had not already told Adelia. No, all that mattered was that even if Mr. Collins moved into Longbourn, the small part that had been sold allowed any of the Bennet women, single or widowed, to have a comfortable home upon his demise and no male heir could remove them from their home. "I promise, I would treat the child as if it were of our blood; yours and mine."

Epilogue

Once again, the day was cold and windy over the local cemetery, but this time it was not Mr. Bennet standing over a grave; it was Mary standing over two, and she had her foster sister, who she considered just as close to her as any blood sister could be, with her.

"She never did like being away from him." Mary sighed as she put her arm around Abigail, the infant girl Thomas and Adelia had taken in and raised as their own. She was now twelve. "I guess once Father met his demise, Mother could not continue on, though she tried."

"I think she did it for me." Abigail, whose dark hair was done in a braid, said. "Her eyes never smiled though; I am glad she is with him. Honest, I am." Looking at Mary, Abigail asked, "Will you be able to carry on without your captain?" Abigail asked, biting her lip, recalling the news they had only recently received of Captain Wheelwright's ship going down at sea.

"Yes, Abigail." Mary hugged her sister. "I have a son at home to raise and a sister who needs me. Let us keep those bonds Mother talked about unbreakable, shall we? And your other sisters who have been there for you before will not stop now." And with that, the two sisters headed to Colonel Fitzwilliam and Anne who were patiently waiting to take them back to their home before heading back to their own place, which was now just outside Longborn for neither wanted to be far from Mary or Abigail.

And no one ever talked about Crazy Patricia who had been found not only to be a lunatic but guilty of attempted murder; she had been committed to an insane asylum and had only lived there for two short years before succumbing to death due to diseases caused by unfit living conditions; ones her body had not been prepared to fight.