Thomas spent the rest of the afternoon locked in his bookroom. Feeling distressed and agitated, he refused to even talk to his mother when she brought him a tray of tea and sandwiches.
To ease his troubled mind, he resorted to drinking several glasses of brandy, which he hoped would help him forget about his detestable wife. It was ironic that the only times he had drunk too much in the past was because of her.
As the hours passed by, Thomas began to feel drowsy. Before he knew it, he had fallen asleep while sitting in his chair with his head resting on the desk. It was not until he heard a noise at the door that he half-opened his eyes.
The room was dark, and his head was throbbing with pain. The door creaked open, and his mother entered the room carrying a tray of coffee and food. She lit the three-candle candelabra on his desk, illuminating the room with a soft glow. She looked at him carefully, her eyes filled with concern, and lightly admonished him, "Thomas, you already know that getting drunk is not going to solve anything. All you get is a headache."
Mrs. Bennet poured him a cup of coffee and handed it to him to drink. Thomas took a sip and responded with a mix of sarcasm and sadness, "I know, Mother. But for a few hours, I forget that I have lost forever the woman I am in love with, and I am tied for life to a woman who is a liar and has very low morals."
She sighed, and placed her hand on his shoulder, and spoke softly, "I know it is an unfair, Thomas. You are tied for life to your wife, and it is quite difficult and expensive for you to obtain a divorce. However, it does not have to mean that you must raise a child that is not yours."
Thomas grimaced as he recalled Mrs. Phelps' statement; agitated he responded, "You are correct, Mother. I refuse to raise a child that is not mine! Tomorrow I am going to throw her out of Longbourn! I do not want to see her again-"
Mrs. Bennet, however, interrupted him, "I do not think that is the best course of action, Thomas. Mrs. Phelps estimates the child will be born in two or three months, and Fanny's sister is getting married in just a few weeks. Fanny has already been invited to go to London with her and Mr. Phillips, and I intend to accompany them. Once the child is born, I will ensure that a family adopted it, and I will return to Longbourn with Fanny."
"But I don't want her to come back, Mother. I do not want to have anything to do with her any more!"
"Thomas, I understand your frustration, but Fanny must return to Longbourn. It is important to remember that you are married, and you must have an heir..."
PPP
Shortly after talking with his mother and drinking two cups of coffee, Thomas went to his bedchamber. His head still hurt, but he was no longer under the influence of alcohol.
As he approached his bed, to his surprise, he saw his wife was lying there. Upset, he grabbed her shoulders and shook her awake. Fanny woke up with a start and protested, "You are hurting me."
Ignoring her, he took her arm tightly and forced her to get up from his bed, "I told you never to enter my bedchamber without my permission. Leave right now before I shove you out."
Between sobs, Fanny begged him, "Please, Thomas. Mrs. Phelps is wrong; I swear to you that this child I am expecting is yours." She tried to hug him, but Thomas stepped back. Even more desperate, she added, "Don't you remember the night we consummated our marriage? I was a maiden! Please, ask Mrs. Hill…she cleaned my bedchamber the following morning…"
At her sister's suggestion, the first time she was intimate with her husband, Fanny cried and left some bloody cloths on her bed for the servants to see.
"I do not believe you. You are a liar!" He took her arm again, opened the door that connected their respective bedchambers and pushed her to her room. Then, he locked the door.
Even though the door was thick, for several minutes Thomas heard her sobs and pleas, assuring him that he was the father of her unborn child.
Thomas had trouble sleeping throughout the night, as he kept thinking about the possibility of Mrs. Phelps being mistaken in her estimates. The next morning, he arranged a meeting with his mother and Mrs. Hill to discuss Fanny's claims in greater detail.
Mrs. Hill disclosed that she had seen some bloody cloths in Fanny's bedchamber, but no bloodstains on the sheets. Mrs. Bennet, who had also heard Fanny's claims, suggested that Fanny's sister might have given her those cloths to place in her bedchamber, so that the servants would see them and talk about them.
After some deliberation, Thomas concluded that he would proceed with his plan to give the child up for adoption, unless it was born nine months after his marriage.