Chapter 10 #2
A sen’night later, all of the neighbors had been farewelled and the last wagon of their goods had begun the long drive to Staffordshire.
When they climbed into the carriage, Jane was comforted by the sight of the burly Nichols brothers, the nephews of Mrs. Nichols, who had agreed to work for her as footmen, as well as support for the fight she knew was coming.
When she had informed her husband of the people she had hired, Bingley had informed her of all of the servants his sister had hired already and sent ahead, which steamed her that he, yet again, did not think to speak with her about something that was by rights her responsibility.
She had already written to Mrs. Francis Toole explaining the situation, as mortifying as it was, and that she would sort things out when she arrived.
She just prayed that Mr. Timms was not sent ahead or she would not be answerable for the Nichols brother’s actions.
They had been quite vocal about their plans should they ever see the man again though, so she was quite hopeful that, out of self-preservation alone, he had moved on to greener pastures.
“Who is this now?” Bingley cried, looking up at the box from atop his mount.
“He is my coachman, Charles,” Jane smiled winningly as she leaned toward the window to address him. “Papa let me hire Mr. Hulls away. He was worried that I would not be safe so far from home without the support of those who had known me all my life.”
“Ah, I see. Very kind of him! Shall we go?” Bingley kicked his horse and led the way down the drive and on to Longbourne.
Mrs. Bennet was in full cry when they arrived.
As if their previous discussion had never happened, she was suddenly insistent that she had never had a problem traveling and surely it was her responsibility to support Jane at such a time.
Mrs. Hill, her housekeeper, stood nearby with a cordial in one hand and her smelling salts in another.
As soon as the carriage rolled to a stop, Mary and Kitty were reaching for the door, hoping to escape as soon as feasibly possible.
Mr. Bennet watched it all with a sardonic smile and only intervened once Mrs. Bennet began pulling at the trunks which had just been lashed, sure that some important thing had been left and that she must immediately tear them apart to discover it.
“Come my dear, they needs must be off.” Mr. Bennet pulled his babbling wife away from the carriage and gave a wave over his shoulder before pushing her back through the open front door.
“Well!” Bingley exclaimed as he settled between his wife and his sister, “Is this not comfortable? It is not even snug with the three of us on the seat. We could even fit another if they were a smallish sort of person!”
Jane smiled in reply but Kitty burst into speech, unable to hold back the tide of her excitement. “It is so comfortable, Mr. Bingley! And the most beautiful carriage I have ever seen! I cannot wait to leave Hertfordshire. It is to be such an adventure! I have never been farther than Eastbourne!”
“Please, you are my sisters, call me Charles!” Bingley beamed. “I am pleased to be able to escort you on your first adventure!”
They continued chattering for over an hour until Bingley’s need for movement got the better of him and he got out to ride his horse for the rest of the day.
It was nearing dinner time when Kitty, who had been strangely quiet, suddenly stood and shoved her head out of the open window to cast up her accounts.
Caroline screamed in disgust and outrage.
“Oh Kitty!” Jane cried, digging out the thicker man’s handkerchief she had been working on in her work bag. “You poor thing! Why did you not tell us you were feeling unwell? We could have stopped sooner or at least had you join us on the forward bench.”
“I refuse to sit beside her!” Caroline screeched. “What if she ruined my clothes? The other carriage is just behind us, we will stop!” She pounded on the side of the carriage.
Bingley opened the door and Jane spoke before he could comment, “Kitty has become ill from the motion of the carriage and Caroline kindly offered to ride in the second carriage so as to allow Kitty more room on the forward bench.”
“I am not leaving the—" her screech was interrupted by Kitty who made a heaving noise as she covered her face with her reticule. Caroline jumped from the carriage without even waiting for the step or her brother’s hand.
“I believe I shall ride with Caroline as well,” Mary declared, looking a bit green about the gills.
Bingley assisted her down and up into the other carriage while Caroline stomped about and complained of the smell. Jane had to fight a giggle when she heard the woman demand that Mary ride on the rear facing seat as she entered the carriage.
“As the person of higher standing, by rights this is my seat,” Mary replied with aplomb. “Though I do not mind if you wish to sit beside me. There is plenty of room for the both of us.”
“I have a dowry of ￡20,000!” Caroline cried. “And I attended a premier seminary in London!”
“Where they apparently failed to teach you precedence, apparently, or perhaps you have forgotten in the many years since you left them. I am happy to review it with you.” Mary’s voice sounded calm and assured, but Jane could hear the sarcasm beneath the politeness.
“It is also quite gauche to speak of money, but as we are sisters of a sort, I shall ignore the lapse. Now, the royals are of course at the top…”
Their voices faded away as the carriage door was closed and Kitty peeped up at her older sister. “I believe I shall make it to the inn without embarrassing myself again. I feel ever so much better after emptying my stomach.”
“Did you gag to remove Caroline from the carriage,” Jane snickered. “That was too bad of you, but I thank you all the same. It saved us several uncomfortable harangues, I am certain.”
“She almost flew from the carriage,” Kitty sniggered. “Like a witch on her broomstick.”
“Kitty!” Jane cried, before breaking into giggles.
The rest of the trip passed uneventfully and after it had received a thorough scrubbing by the footmen, all of the ladies returned to Jane’s carriage the next morning.
The hours in Mary’s unyielding company had apparently done some good for Caroline made an effort to keep her usual vitriol-laced conversation to herself.
It amused Jane that she likely thought she was punishing them with her silence; Caroline could not have been more mistaken.