1810

Longbourn stood still.

Complete silence reigned over the usually lively household as news so horrible, so utterly life shattering washed over the homes occupants.

Grief. Shock. Anguish. Despair. These were but a few words to describe the emotions of those that stood in the parlour of Longbourn felt.

Even the normally energetic Mrs Bennet, who was usually in the midst of an attack of her nerves was silent, so severe was the news.

Occasionally a small drip could be heard; the tears of one of the rooms occupants hitting the floor. The shedder of those tears to numb to care enough to wipe them away.

Suddenly a young woman with brown curls and usually lively dark eyes sprung from her seat and ran for the door. Her entire form shaking as she ran into the silent hallway and out of the house.

Inside the parlour a beautiful young lady watched her sister, her dearest Lizzy run through the garden. Desperate to remove herself from the suffocating atmosphere of the shocked household. Jane Bennet removed her gaze from the window, shifting it to the letter that remained on the floor by the fireplace.

The letter that had caused all this.

The letter that contained news so awful she could scarcely believe it.

Shifting her gaze to her mother, her sweet yet incredibly silly mother, who was for the first time that she could remember silent. She wasn't even crying, her face ashen and her hands trembling. Jane winched internally; the shock would soon subside and then the grief would hit and when it did their sweet yet incredibly silly mother would crumble.

And with that another part of their family would be broken.

"I'm going to go get Lizzy…" Jane's announcement faded out as she realised the rooms occupants were too emotional to even hear her statement. She briefly wondered if they had even noticed Elizabeth's departure.

Her legs were shaking as she stood up, surprisingly they didn't give out as she walked. She managed to make her way out of the house and through the gardens. It failed to escape her notice how dreary the morning was, clouds loitered the skyline and even the birds weren't chirping. It seemed that the entire world had been plunged into darkness because of that letter.

The sparkle had left their little world.

Her legs carried her to a small rose garden on the edge of the Bennet Estate where she could vaguely make out a huddled form on their knees, crouched over the newly bloomed roses. Their shoulders shaking and short gasps could heard.

"Elizabeth"

Elizabeth Bennet started slightly at the gentle calling. Her dearest Jane was standing but five feet from her. Her usually serene continence marred with the grief that Elizabeth felt.

"Oh Jane how could this have happened?" Elizabeth asked in despair, anger creeping into her voice.

"I don't know Elizabeth, I really don't know"

"Before you came I was thinking… that maybe this was a nightmare. A horrible nightmare that I'll wake up from… but it's not is it?"

Jane sadly shook her head as tears made their way down her cheeks. She couldn't respond to her sister's question as there was a giant lump in her throat that forbid her from doing so. Something in her heart didn't want her to say that it wasn't a nightmare because then she would have to admit out loud that it was all true.

"Why did this have to happen? We are a good family, we don't harm anyone. We go to church, we are kind to our neighbours, we help those who need it, and we give to the poor. We are good people who do not deserve this!" Elizabeth's voice rose throughout the speech, nearly cracking by the sheer force and conviction in her tone.

"I honestly don't know. There is no rhyme or reason to this, there is no point"

"I apologise for running out, it was inconceivably rude of me"

"Don't apologise, You did nothing wrong dearest" Jane murmured as she kneeled done next to Elizabeth, running her hand up and down her sisters back soothingly, trying in vain to give her the smallest amount of comfort.

"Oh Jane you are too good! I behaved badly, at least let me own it" A humourless shaky laugh escaped Elizabeth as she turned her head to look at her elder sister. "How are they?"

"Shocked but I suspect the grief will set in soon"

"Lydia is dead"

Elizabeth couldn't believe she had said the words out load. From the moment her mother had uttered those words this morning, after reading her father's letter from London, she had repeated those words over and over again in her head. But she hadn't dared say it out load. Doing so would mean it was true and it couldn't possibly be true.

However deep in her heart she knew it was true: She could feel a little piece missing. Lydia was gone. Her baby sister, the little girl she used to chase around when she was little, the young lady who had stolen her bonnets and refused to give them back was dead. How could that be?

She was but 14 years old. Fifteen next month. A young lady on the cusp of womanhood. But not anymore as she was so cruelly snatched from the world too soon. She was gone and that alone was enough for another wave of grief to wash over Elizabeth.

She bowed her head and sobbed. Sobbed for the injustice of it all, the shear wastefulness of such a life. Why Lydia?

Lydia was the typical younger sister. Annoying, loud and brash. Elizabeth had often found herself taking a deep breath before dealing with Lydia but not once had she wished her little Liddy harm. Because she was her baby sister. Lydia had taken her first steps towards Elizabeth. Her chubby little hands reaching out for her big sister, waiting for her to catch her and she would have. If Lydia fell Lizzy would always be there to catch her, as would Mary, Kitty and Jane, because they were sisters and sisters protected one another but no one could catch Lydia now, because there was no one left to catch.

She was gone and they were broken.

You could say many things about the Bennet's. Loud, opinionated, in some cases crass and embarrassing but you could never say they did not love each other. They loved each other fiercely and whilst they might have their disagreements, usually among the girls whilst Mr Bennet looked on fondly, they were incredibly loyal and supportive of one another.

"What is going to happen now?" Her sister's question caused Jane to frown for she didn't know the answer.

What would happen now? They would bring Lydia home and bury her. Give her the send-off she deserved. But when all the commotion died down, then what? Who would walk to Meryton with Kitty or gossip with Mama? Who would Mary share half a scone with because for some reason she couldn't eat the whole thing and Lydia was always more than willing to take the other half. Who would Jane drag away from young men after she flirted shamelessly with them? And who would Lizzy chase around the garden with her hands cupped, teasing that there was a spider contained inside, just waiting to throw at Lydia whilst she screamed the whole of Meryton down in fright? And who would Papa look at with such a strong mixture of exasperation and affection whilst they talked about how she was certain a young men whom she saw for a moment two days ago would surely ask for her hand any moment now?

"I don't know but I do know we have got one another and we much lean on each other. Lydia wouldn't want us sad. You know how she hated it if we were anything other than happy. No, we will grieve for Lydia but we will also remember her and the good times, the times she made us smile and laugh" Though Jane's voice was quiet there was still an undercurrent of strength. Strength that she hoped would help her sisters and parents in their time of need.

"We shall never forget our Dear sweet Lydia" Elizabeth breathed as she rose her eyes to the sky. Tears silently making a path down her pale cheeks.

"But Lizzy… we must never tell" Jane's voice was just above a whisper. She peered nervously into the shadows of the neighbouring trees as if there was someone lurking.

"Jane please..." Lizzy sighed, resigned, though she knew that Jane was right, they couldn't tell.

"No Elizabeth for Lydia's sake we must never tell. Think of what would happen if we did. Our beloved sister's memory would be tainted forever and she doesn't deserve that. Even though Lydia isn't here that doesn't mean we need to stop protecting her. Now we are protecting her memory. If it ever got out then what would people think? We failed to protect her once. We must not do it again." Jane simply had to convince Lizzy to do as she said. It was the only way.

"Oh Jane, I promise I shall never tell, not unless we agree upon it. But until that time I swear to you that I shall never utter a word. It will be our secret"

"Our secret for our dearest Lydia"

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