Notes: There is an interesting question: But I don't understand why anyone should be hanged for that?
If the child is a boy and Mr. Collins discovers that he is not Mr. Bennet's son, he can sue him for fraud and illegally take away his inheritance.
Many thanks to my wonderful beta reader and co-author Sam. H.
PPP
Once in London, Jane spent most of the day in the nursery with her little cousins. If the Gardiners' few servants were suspicious of Jane's condition, they remained discreet.
In early February, Mr. Gardiner sent an urgent but brief letter to Thomas, requesting that he immediately remove Jane from his house since it was no longer possible to hide her condition.
For her part, Fanny had continued to complain constantly about her 'pains' and demanded to go to London to be examined by a good doctor. She was 'anxious' and adamantly told her sister and Lady Lucas that she was certain she would die if she remained at Longbourn under the care of only Mr. Jones and the midwife.
Mr. Bennet, for his part, pretended to be nervous that something would go wrong during childbirth. So, he shared his concern for his wife's health with Sir William and Mr. Phillips. Mrs. Phillips was extremely concerned about her poor sister's health, and was deeply upset with her brother-in-law for being inconsiderate and impregnating her sister. She offered to take care of her nieces while Mr. Bennet went with Fanny to London.
Not long after receiving Gardiner's note, Mr. Bennet called Mrs. Hill into his study for a conference. Without preamble, he said, "Mrs. Hill, you are the only person who knows everything that happens in this house. Could you please tell me if any of the servants are suspicious about Jane's or my wife's condition?"
"Not at the moment, Mr. Bennet. All the servants believe Mrs. Bennet is increasing. However, if you do not travel to London soon, it is only a matter of time before they realize she is not."
"And do you think Netherfield Park's housekeeper suspected the truth?"
"She is a discreet woman, and the only thing she knows for certain is that Miss Bennet was in the library with Mr. Willow for a few hours."
Mr. Bennet nodded. "Mrs. Hill, you have been a loyal and dedicated servant for the last three decades, and I am going to tell you something important in strict confidence. Could you please promise that under no circumstances you will repeat this information? Can you give me your word on this?"
"Mr. Bennet, you can trust me with your family's secrets. Your father literally saved my mother's life, and mine as well. I owe a debt of gratitude to your family for the rest of my life." She looked him in the eyes. "Do you intend to pass off Miss Bennet's child as your own? Is that what you are after? I am not mistaken, am I?"
Mr. Bennet closed his eyes, and nodded.
"Mr. Bennet, I know it is not my place to question your decision, but forgive me for speaking frankly, are you certain of what you are planning to do?"
"No; but I have already made the decision. I need your help, Mrs. Hill." He took a deep breath. "You assisted my wife in all of her deliveries, and I know you also assisted two maids' deliveries. I need you to assist my daughter."
Mrs. Hill's eyes widened, and Mr. Bennet continued, "Mrs. Hill you are the only person I fully trust with this secret, and I would prefer not to involve anyone else in any way. Can you help me?"
After discussing the matter for several more minutes, Mrs. Hill finally agreed.
In late February, Mr. Bennet travelled with Fanny and Mrs. Hill to London to fetch Jane. Then, Mr. Bennet rented a house on the outskirts of London for a few weeks. From there, Fanny wrote two letters to Mrs. Phillips about her 'pregnancy', and Jane continued writing to Elizabeth about her life in London - as she had been doing every week.
Additionally, both Fanny and Jane gave Mr. Gardiner a few letters to send to Mrs. Phillips and Elizabeth respectively in the next few weeks. It was imperative that their neighbors in Meryton remained completely ignorant.
In late March, they left for Scotland. The trip was long and arduous due to bad weather. It took them several days more than anticipated to reach their destination. Jane was not feeling well either physically or emotionally; Despite being in her eighth month of pregnancy, she was extremely thin. She was melancholic over what had happened to her and was afraid of what was to come. Her parents were risking much to save her and the family from ruin and her father would barely meet her eyes. She has felt so alone these past months, even opening up to Mrs. Gardiner about Mr. Willow's actions was beyond her capabilities. That day was clouded in fog and some of the details still eluded her.
They reached their destination in Scotland by early April and did their best to settle in. Communication with the locals was not easy, as the accent was difficult for them to comprehend.
In their quietude, while in anticipation of the unhappy event, Mr. Bennet took advantage to speak with his wife of what happened and how things were going to dramatically change at Longbourn in the future.
He made it clear to Mrs. Bennet that her nerves would no longer run their household. They would save for her future, and ensure all their children's safety. During all their long, many conversations they discussed the multitude of ways life might be better at Longbourn.
A calmer Mrs. Bennet sat with Jane to offer whatever comfort she could. Jane would not discuss with her what had happened that day, and her mother would not press. However, Mrs. Bennet was very worried about her dear daughter and feared for her wellbeing and for her future.
In mid-April, Jane began having contractions. The labour was complicated, and after 20 strenuous hours, a very small male child was born. Due to her great effort during the birth and blood loss, Jane was unconscious for several hours, but she slowly and eventually recovered.
Mr. Bennet hired a wet nurse for a few weeks to assist, and between her and Jane they fed the child until their planned return to England. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, Jane, Mrs. Hill and the new baby made the journey back to London, where the child was registered a month after his birth, with the name Thomas Bennet.
End Part I