9. Chapter 9 #2
“Do not worry about a bonnet,” Darcy told her as they walked to the entrance hall. “We will go just as we are. The most important thing right now is that we get on our way as soon as possible.”
“Of course,” she said.
When they reached the entrance hall, Bingley was there waiting for them. Mr. Oliver stood quietly to the side.
“I just looked out the door. The wind has not abated at all. I hope the ladies are not out in this,” Bingley said.
“I hope they are not either,” Darcy said.
“If they did go to visit tenants as planned and got caught out in this weather, perhaps we will find that Mr. Bennet went out to collect them,” Bingley said.
Darcy shook his head. “Mr. Bennet is not at Longbourn. He is in London.”
“London?” Bingley asked, surprised.
“He was to escort his wife and youngest daughters to London this morning. They are to remain there for a week. I believe he will return in a day or two,” Darcy said, looking Bingley in the eye.
He could see that Bingley now fully appreciated his urgency to confirm the well-being of Miss Elizabeth and her sisters.
Bingley turned his head to the window, then back at Darcy. “The carriage is pulling up.”
“Georgiana, shield your eyes as you walk to the carriage. There may be dirt blowing around out there,” Darcy cautioned.
Bingley threw open the door. Darcy held his sister’s arm and hurried her down the steps and into the carriage. Bingley followed and climbed into the carriage. Darcy gave his driver instructions, and they were quickly on their way to Longbourn.
When they arrived, the Bennet's butler admitted them into the entrance hall. “Mr. Darcy, Mr. Bingley, welcome. May I help you, gentlemen?”
“Is Miss Elizabeth or one of her sisters at home?” Darcy asked.
“I am afraid not, sir, and we have grown concerned for them since the weather turned.”
“Miss Elizabeth informed me of her plans to visit tenants today. May I ask, is that where you suppose them to be?”
“Yes, sir,” the butler replied with a worried expression.
“Knowing that Mr. Bennet is in London, we came immediately to ensure the safety of the ladies,” Darcy said.
Pointing behind him to the carriage outside, he continued, “I have brought my sister as well to also ensure their comfort. Can you tell me where we might find them, or where we should start looking?”
“Yes, sir, give me a moment.”
He sent a servant to fetch the stable master, who came promptly.
The butler then asked him to provide Darcy and Bingley with suggestions on where the ladies could be found.
After just a few minutes, they were armed with Mr. Anderson’s directions and insight into the area.
He had also given the names of tenant families that might have offered the ladies shelter. They departed without delay.
After driving for about ten to fifteen minutes, Darcy saw white fabric blowing in the wind behind a tree.
As the carriage continued to move forward, he could see it was a woman.
It was Miss Elizabeth! She had her back to him, but he knew it was her.
She turned around and looked at the carriage.
Darcy hit the ceiling with his walking stick, and the carriage halted. He jumped out and ran towards her.
“Are you well?” he asked, raising his voice so she could hear him over the wind.
She nodded. “Yes!”
He gave a quick nod in response. “Come!”
He put his arm around her and began leading her to the carriage. He quickly looked back to Bingley, who had his arms around her sisters, leading them to the carriage as well.
Darcy helped Miss Elizabeth inside. She sat on the empty seat and moved over to the opposite end.
Wanting to sit across from her, he walked around the carriage, opened the other door, and climbed in beside Georgiana and across from Miss Elizabeth.
Georgiana had hold of Miss Elizabeth’s right hand, asking her if she was well.
Darcy grabbed her left hand and squeezed it.
She looked at him, and he felt her squeeze his hand back.
“Are you sure you are not injured?” Darcy asked her as her sisters and Bingley settled into the carriage.
“Yes, I am well, thanks to you,” she said, squeezing his hand again. She then let go of it.
“Miss Bennet, Miss Mary, are either of you injured?” Darcy asked.
Miss Mary shook her head.
“No, we are not injured," Miss Bennet said. "And we thank you all for coming to our aid.”
“How did you come to be here?” Miss Elizabeth asked.
“My brother remembered that you and your sisters were to visit tenants today. When he and Mr. Bingley were caught out in this weather, he realized that you all may have been caught out in it as well, and even worse, on foot. So, we went to Longbourn to ask after you,” Georgiana explained.
“The stable master gave us directions and suggestions on how to find you,” Bingley added.
Darcy rapped again on the ceiling to signal his driver to return to Longbourn.
“We are so grateful to you. It was dreadful out there!” Miss Mary exclaimed.
“Lizzy led us over to that large fir so that we could get a break from the wind and discuss our options. She had just mentioned a few moments ago that she thought she heard something, but it was difficult to say for sure because of the wind. It must have been your carriage.”
“I am so glad we found you!” Georgiana said. “William believes this weather will get worse.”
“Well, it certainly looks as if a storm is in the offing,” Miss Elizabeth agreed.
“It could simply be a thunderstorm, or it may be a violent windstorm,” Darcy replied. “Windstorms can damage homes, fell trees, carry off people and livestock into the air, and drop them miles away.”
Georgiana and the ladies gasped at his words.
“Forgive me for being so blunt, but I want you to know the danger that may be lurking around the corner. We all need to be aware of it. You may have heard them referred to as whirlwinds. That is because as it moves through an area, it does so in a spinning motion,” Darcy said, moving his finger around to mimic the spinning motion of such a storm.
“Many in the scientific community refer to them as tornadoes. A tornado can spin up without warning and wreak havoc, but mostly they seem to be connected in some way to thunderstorms.”
“I have heard of these tornadoes, but are they not rare occurrences?” Miss Elizabeth asked.
Darcy nodded. “They are, however, Derbyshire just experienced one earlier this year.”
“What?” Georgiana asked. “I did not know that. Was anyone hurt?”
Darcy looked at his sister. “No, fortunately, no one was hurt, but there was a great deal of destruction. It went on for six miles, tearing trees up out of the ground and flinging them thirty yards away. The tops of other trees were twisted off and carried as far as a hundred yards. Cows were lifted out of one field, dropped in another, and injured in the fall.”
“Goodness!” Miss Mary exclaimed.
“There is a school of thought that the lower a person is in a house or building, the greater their chance of survival should a tornado pass over. In other words, the lowest level in a home is considered the safest, whether that be the first floor, ground floor, or a cellar. The floor that is the lowest will obviously vary from house to house depending on the construction.”
The ladies nodded in understanding, so Darcy continued.
“Whether the wind picks up speed to the force of a gale, or an actual tornado occurs, keep away from the windows. It is natural to want to look out of the window to see what is happening outside, but even gale-force winds have the power to hurl an object through your window. If a tornado comes through, it can shatter windows from just the sheer force of the winds. It is also prudent to have the curtains drawn to cover the windows. That way, if a projectile comes through or if the window simply shatters, the curtains will help to contain the flying pieces of glass.” Darcy took a breath and said, “I apologize for overwhelming you with information and giving you additional cause to worry.”
“Not at all,” Miss Elizabeth said. “You are merely trying to prepare us for every eventuality, and we are grateful. I think we will be less afraid since we will know how to act.”
“Yes, I agree,” Miss Mary said.
“Hopefully, we will just have a regular, old thunderstorm,” Bingley said. “I vote for that! All in favor?"
“Aye!” they all said, laughing.