Could Mr. Reed's death be the reason for Mrs. Reed's cruelty towards Jane Eyre?

When Jane is taken to the Red Room, she talks about what Mr. Reed would say if he knew how Jane was being treated. Later, in chapter 4, Jane brings up this idea to Mrs. Reed when she overhears a conversation between Mrs. Reed and John about how Jane is unfit to associate with the other children. When Jane says to Mrs. Reed, "What would Mr. Reed say to you, if he were alive" (Bronte 27), it causes Mrs. Reed to hesitate or stutter with her answer which lead me to believe Mrs. Reed might not have always been so mean. It is mentioned once or twice how Mr. Reed, close to his death, told Mrs. Reed to treat Jane as if she was her own daughter. Mrs. Reed could associate Jane Eyre with the death of her husband, leading her to treat Jane so cruelly.