Notes: I added some dates in some chapters, and made some editing/corrections in chapter 5.

This is a summary:

Late-March (Early April) 1878: Pregnancy

Early May: Assembly

Early June: Wedding (5 days later they consummated the union)

Late June: Thomas' father died.

PPP

October 1778

It had been over three months since Thomas had inherited Longbourn, and he was still overwhelmed with the enormity of the responsibilities that had fallen on his shoulders. Fortunately, his mother had been involved in the administration of the estate, and her advice was invaluable.

Even though several months had passed, he still longed for the loss of his dream of marrying Elizabeth. But he was trying to improve his relationship with his wife; he recognized that Fanny tried to please him and be a good wife, and she was affectionate towards him.

On the other hand, Fanny and Mrs. Bennet's relationship was strained. They had different personalities and interests, and they struggled to find common ground. Fanny had not the skills required and expected of a mistress of an estate while Mrs. Bennet could not forget how Fanny had trapped her son into marrying her.

Furthermore, in the last few weeks, Mrs. Bennet had observed that Fanny's belly was growing. She had a feeling that Fanny was pregnant before marrying her son, but she was uncertain. She knew she could not accuse Fanny without evidence. She had seen a tenant's wife before who had given birth to twins, and her belly was abnormally big. She had also heard of an acquaintance who gained more weight than usual during pregnancy. So, she planned to wait a few weeks and request the apothecary, Mr. Jones, to examine her.

As time went on, Fanny's anxiety and apprehension increased with each passing day. She was almost seven months pregnant and faced the difficult challenge of concealing the truth from her husband and mother-in-law. She stayed most of the time in her bedchamber claiming dizziness and nausea, and wore loose gowns and shawls to try to hide her pregnancy. Furthermore, she was aware that for her sake, her mother-in-law and her husband must believe her child was a Bennet.

Fanny had heard that children born prematurely were often smaller and had a higher chance of not surviving. This knowledge had led her to take drastic measures to ensure that her unborn child would be born as small as possible. As her meals were often brought to her bedchamber, she decided to eat as little as possible. Her sister, Maria – who visited her almost every day - had agreed to help her dispose of most of her meals without arousing suspicion. Two months after their marriage, Fanny had informed Thomas that she might be expecting. Since then, Thomas had not visited her bedchamber, believing his duty was done.

Three weeks before Maria and Mr. Phillips' wedding, as every day, Maria paid a visit to Fanny to have an important conversation with her. After checking the doors and windows of Fanny's bedchamber were securely closed, Fanny expressed her deep concerns, "Oh, Sister, you have no idea how nervous I am. The baby is due in a few months, and Mr. Bennet will find out that it is not his! Then, he will throw me out… What will become of me?" Fanny's voice broke as she began to sob.

Maria tried to calm her down, "Please, don't cry, Fanny. You know that Mr. Phillips and I have been thinking seriously about your situation. Just yesterday, he shared with me a brilliant plan. Would you like me to tell you about it?"

Fanny's face lit up slightly and replied, "Yes, please. You are so lucky Maria. Mr. Phillips is so clever, and he loves you so much…"

Maria nodded with a slight smile, "Yes, I know. Well, since our wedding is just a few weeks away, my fiancé suggested that we go to London on our wedding trip and visit Edward for a few days."

Fanny cried as she exclaimed, "I didn't even have a wedding trip! And I have never been to London! I don't understand, what does that have to do with me?"

Maria gently squeezed Fanny's hand and explained, "You see, Mr. Phillips will request Mr. Bennet to allow you to accompany us on our wedding trip. We will tell him that we will be in London for a few weeks, but we will stay there until your child is born." She sighed, "Unfortunately, you will have to put your child up for adoption, and you must pretend you have had a miscarriage."

Fanny opened her eyes very wide, until that moment she had not thought of the possibility of giving up her child. But it made sense. She smiled, but then frowned, "It is a good plan. But I am not sure if Mr. Bennet will allow me to travel in my current state."

"Don't worry, Fanny. I am confident my fiancé will be able to persuade him. Besides, there are very good doctors in London, and your husband thinks you are only three months pregnant."

A few days later, Mr. Phillips and Maria approached Thomas and asked for permission to take Fanny with them on their wedding trip to London. At first, Thomas refused, arguing that Fanny was pregnant, and it was unwise for her to travel. However, Mr. Phillips and Maria argued that it was an excellent opportunity for her to be examined by a doctor since her mother had died during childbirth. In addition, they assured Thomas that they would stay in London only for a few weeks.

Fanny begged him to allow her to go with her sister as she had always dreamed of visiting London and wanted to see her brother, Edward. After seeing Fanny's sad face and red eyes, and listening to her pleas, Thomas eventually relented and gave her permission to go with her sister.