The Colonel’s Son by April Floyd

Author:April Floyd [Floyd, April]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-09-17T04:00:00+00:00

* * *

The day came at last for the Bennet sisters and their mother to quit London. Mr. Harley had surprised Elizabeth with his insistence on joining them. “Wherever Master Richard goes, I must go too.”

Elizabeth would not deny him and the idea of an extra pair of eyes and hands on the children assured Lady Matlock that her one and only grandson would be safe until he returned to London with his mother.

Nanny would not be needed in the countryside, but Elizabeth asked if she would care to return to Hertfordshire with them to see her own family until the winter brought them back to Town.

The young lady was delighted and offered to come to Netherfield or Longbourn whenever Elizabeth might have need of her. “You have only to send for me, Mrs. Fitzwilliam, and I shall come straight away.”

Once the carriages were loaded and her family and servants settled, Elizabeth closed the front door of Fitzwilliam House. Most of the servants had gone for the day since the house was closed but several would remain to see that the house was secure and tend the horses in the stable.

Elizabeth had hoped to hear from Miss Darcy before they left, but a letter had not come. If one arrived later, a servant would send it express to Netherfield.

Thomas, the footman, handed her into the carriage with her son. Nanny and Mr. Harley were already settled on the bench across from Elizabeth and young Richard. Her mother and sisters were in the second carriage.

The party left Town in the late spring sunshine and never saw Mr. Darcy as he approached Fitzwilliam House.

The man sighed in deep regret as he watched Elizabeth and her family leave for Hertfordshire. For a moment, he thought to ride after them and ask to speak with her. But he would not for it would be unseemly to chase after her in such a manner.

Instead, he turned his horse for home and thought of the letter Georgie had written Elizabeth. A footman had been prepared to deliver it to Fitzwilliam House but he took it and relieved the servant of the task.

He wished he had arrived only a moment sooner for he did not think he would be able to leave Town with Georgie having her season. He wanted to mend the trouble over Wickham and see Elizabeth and Richard again.

She had given him much to ponder which made him uncomfortable and he had come to see that he was behaving more like Lady Matlock than his cousin the colonel. Elizabeth deserved better.

Perhaps he would write to Bingley and seek an invitation to visit once Georgie’s season was done.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.