When Thomas arrived at the Careys' house, he was informed by Mr. and Mrs. Carey that Mr. Jones had already been there. They went on to tell him about Mr. Jones' diagnosis. The Phillips had some bruises, but no broken bones. They had gone to Mr. Gardiner's house a few minutes before Thomas arrived.

His mother was sore, but she could return with him to Longbourn. However, Mr. Jones was quite worried about Fanny's pregnancy. She had a bump on her belly and had experienced some bleeding. He had recommended that Fanny rest for a few days.

Despite Thomas' protest, the Careys insisted that Fanny should remain at their home until Mr. Jones deemed it safe for her to travel to Longbourn.

Thomas was accompanied by Mrs. Carey to visit his mother and Fanny. As they entered Fanny's bedchamber, Thomas noted Elizabeth was sitting in a chair next to Fanny's bed, reading a novel to her.

As Elizabeth looked up upon their arrival, her eyes met with Thomas', and she blushed slightly before standing up from the chair. After the polite greetings, Elizabeth left the room with her mother so that Thomas could speak with his wife in privacy.

After a long silence, Thomas finally asked, "How are you feeling?"

Fanny had noticed the way her husband looked at Elizabeth and responded, "Ha, as if you care how I feel. I am sure you are secretly desiring my death so you can marry my cousin."

Thomas sighed. He shook his head and replied, "No, Fanny-"

But Fanny refused to listen, and interrupted him, "I cannot understand why you are still in love with her... Elizabeth is boring and she is a bluestocking. Besides, I am more beautiful than her."

Annoyed, Thomas responded, "Stop, Fanny. I don't want to discuss with you -"

She interrupted him again, "And I don't want to see you or talk to you!" Saying this, Fanny closed her eyes.

Feeling frustrated, Thomas decided to leave the room. His mother was waiting for him in the dining room, and they returned to Longbourn together.

Over the next five days, Thomas, his mother and Mrs. Hill took turns visiting Fanny. Thomas visited only once while his mother went to see her twice, and Mrs. Hill visited her on the other two days.

On the early hours of the sixth day, a young man arrived at Longbourn with an urgent message from Mrs. Carey. The message informed Thomas that Fanny was about to give birth, and they needed Thomas' immediate presence.

Mrs. Bennet, who was present when Thomas read the note, realized that if Fanny's child was born on that day, it would not be possible to give it up for adoption without causing a scandal. After having a serious conversation with Thomas, she convinced him to go to the Careys' house until the child was born. However, Thomas was not willing to keep Fanny's child if the child survived.

PPP

Although Mrs. Phelps was an experienced midwife, the delivery lasted more than a day. Fanny was very weak, lost a lot of blood and died several hours after a little girl was born. The girl struggled for a few days between life and death, and finally, everything indicated that she was going to live.

Although Thomas had every reason in the world to despise his wife, he was saddened when he learned that she had died. At his mother's suggestion, Thomas agreed to bury his wife in Longbourn Cemetery alongside his ancestors.

The day after the funeral, Thomas went to the Careys' house to inquire about the girl's health. As he entered the room, he saw that Elizabeth was holding her in her arms, and was singing her a lullaby.

Seeing him, Elizabeth asked him, "Do you want to hold her?"

Thomas frowned and shook his head.

Elizabeth was aware that the baby was not Thomas' daughter, but she had become attached to her. She sadly looked him in the eyes and said, "She is a beautiful and innocent child. She is not to blame for her mother's mistakes, and she deserves to be loved."

He noticed Elizabeth's eyes radiated so much love for that girl, that at that moment he felt that, if Elizabeth loved her, he could make an effort to love the girl.

End Part I