Chapter 18 #2
“I will take you to Liverpool,” Bingley volunteered.
“I suggest we request the captain of the ship lock your bank draft in his safe. The first thing you should do when you arrive in Boston is open a bank account and deposit your money,” Bingley posited to his sister.
“I have heard there are many hucksters who like nothing more than to separate people from their money. Please take care of yourself; you will be on your own there.”
“Thank you for accompanying me,” Miss Bingley stated sincerely.
The two sisters hugged and cried as they said goodbye. Hurst grunted something unintelligible, and then Bingley and his younger sister boarded his coach. Louisa Hurst stood watching until the equipage turned a corner and it was lost from view.
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Georgiana received an express from her brother, one in which she hoped to read that he was coming to London.
13 December 1810
Pemberley
Giana,
I had hoped this letter would be to let you know I would be coming to London, as I had decided to join you and the Fitzwilliams for Christmas. After hearing so much about your wonderous friend, Miss Gardiner, I could not stay away; I had to meet the creature who has helped you recover so fully.
You know what is said about the best laid plans, do you not? I was about to write my letter informing you I would be leaving Pemberley in a few days, but I am afraid that is impossible now.
Do not worry, sweetling, I am hale and healthy.
There has been a devastating fire in the north village.
It seems the Blacks forgot to extinguish a bedside candle when they went to sleep.
Mrs. Black must have knocked it over, because when Mr. Black awoke the fire was on his wife’s side of the bed.
She urged him to get the children. As you know they have four little ones.
He had just gotten them out of the house when the roof over the bedchamber collapsed, with Mrs. Black inside. It is not known why she did not follow Mr. Black out of the bedchamber. Doctor Jackson speculated she may have been overcome with smoke, but we will never know what actually happened.
The cottage was a complete loss and by the grace of God we were able to stop the fire spreading to other cottages in the village.
Mr. Black and his four children are at the manor house until Chalmers and I find a temporary situation for them.
I have already told my steward to start rebuilding the cottage as soon as Mrs. Black’s body is recovered and the rubble cleared.
When the Blacks move into their temporary dwelling, I will send a maid with them. Mr. Black is devastated at the loss of his beloved wife and I do not want him to worry how he will keep the house and care for his children when he needs to work his farm.
I pray you understand why I cannot in good conscience leave now.
Easter is on the fourteenth day of April, but I promise you I will arrive in London by the beginning of March.
It will give me time to plan the spring planting with Chalmers, and as long as there are no more disasters, I will be there.
Please know how much I miss you Giana. I am so happy you have recovered as you have. I owe debt of gratitude to your friend Miss Gardiner, that I will never be able to repay.
In addition, I vow I will not mope around as I did before I departed for Derbyshire.
You did not tell me if Richard’s application to Sir William was successful.
With much love and missing you very much,
William
Georgiana was sad her brother would not be joining them for Christmastide, but she understood why. In her opinion, which was of course not biased, he was the best of brothers, landlords, and masters.
She immediately wrote back to her brother expressing her sorrow for Mrs. Black’s death and requesting he pass on her deepest sympathies to the grieving father and family.
Georgiana warned her brother he would need to arrive a little earlier, as Richard was to marry towards the end of February; she told him to expect a letter about the wedding from Richard.
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Elizabeth listened as the Fitzwilliams expressed their understanding of Darcy’s reasons for not coming to London for the festive season and lauded him for putting others ahead of his own desires.
Her feelings for Mr. Darcy had already undergone a massive change from the way she felt about him in Hertfordshire. As she listened, she had to admit the qualities everyone attributed to him seemed to be accurate. He was the opposite of what she had imagined him to be when she was still a Bennet.
He was honourable, caring, honest, a good brother, and an excellent master and landlord. It struck her that, ever since she had the discussion with Tiffany and Giana about his letters from Netherfield Park, she had begun to admire him.
Her admiration was growing. She was not willing to give it a name yet, but she did think about him at various times of the day when she was not occupied, and he had begun to intrude on her dreams.
She understood why he would not join them for Christmastide, but she was sad she would not see him. She looked forward to Charlotte’s nuptials as she expected he would not wish to miss his cousin’s wedding. Lizzy knew that they were as close to each other as brothers-by-blood would be.
Charlotte had asked Elizabeth to stand up for her at the wedding and Richard had written to Mr. Darcy with a request to do the honours for him. Elizabeth was not sure what their first meeting would be like, but she knew she anticipated it.