Madhya Pradesh, India
My dearest, most beloved Jane,
I am returning to England! I am to depart before Christmastide this year, so I am guessing that by the time you read this I will be on my way back to you, or close to it.
I would have loved to be on board a ship sailing back to you now, but it is monsoon season here. There is no reason to take a chance trying to sail, especially as there is a good chance of cyclones until the end of November.
The situations Father charged me to correct have all been made right, and the mine, which is on the Panna diamond belt, is once more back at full production, and the workers are satisfied with the accommodations we have made for them.
The above is nothing without knowing you are waiting for my return. Jane, as much as I told myself I was being noble by not proposing to you before I departed England’s fair shores, I realised now what I should have done. Based on the letters I have received, I can tell your feelings are still as strong, if not stronger, than they were before I sailed. Hence, one of the first things I intend to do is correct that oversight, that is, if you will have me.
As I am sure you understand, there will be no more letters from me unless my sailing is delayed. I do not see why that would happen, and, for obvious reasons, I pray that does not occur. After almost 2 years, He would not be so cruel as to keep me from you and the rest of the family.
Fair warning: as I have been in the sun far more than I am in England, my arms and face are rather tanned. On second thought, most of that should fade with the months aboard the ship on the voyage back.
If you remember, I told you that there were some severe storms in and around the area of the Cape of Good Hope on the way to India, and we had to put into the harbour there for a fortnight. My hope is that there is no repeat of the same sort on the way home. That being said, I cannot fault the captain for making sure all souls aboardhis ship were safe, rather than being cavalier with our lives and forging on through the storms. It is enough that I will be on a ship for six to seven months without further delays.
I will close by reiterating my undying, deep, and ardent love for you. You hold my heart.
Until I see you again,
Andrew
Jane hugged the letter to herself, imagining that it was Andrew she was holding onto. The time could not pass fast enough for her.
At least all of the Cavendishes would be with the Bennets for Christmastide. That included Aunt Connie, Uncle Harry, and their three children. Of course, Henry and Tommy would be home from school, arriving on the morrow from Cambridge and Eton, respectively. If Jane remembered correctly, Grandmama and Grandpapa were to arrive two days after her brothers. The rest would reach Longbourn within a day or two of that.
She placed the letter into her memory box with the rest, smoothed out her dress, and went to find Grandmama Beth and her sisters.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
1811
“Fitz, how could you employ that companion for Giana without either consulting me or, even more importantly, without checking her characters?” Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam demanded as he stood in his cousin’s study across the desk from him at Darcy House. “Do you not know the meaning of co-guardian?”
“Mrs Younge is ideal formysister. It is done and done for the best,” Darcy dismissed his cousin’s concerns haughtily. “I saw truth in her looks, and no one would forge characters from such illustrious families. I was lucky to find her.”
“There is no dispute she isyoursister, but that does not change the fact your own father made usequalguardians. Show me one place in his will where it states you can make decisions without me because Giana lives in your house?” Richard asserted. “Did you discover her through some acquaintances, or did she come and seek the position?”
Darcy looked away from his cousin. “She responded to an advert in the papers,” he admitted.
“You are an arrogant arse, you know that?” Richard barked. “You claim you do not like Aunt Cat and know her claims of a cradle betrothal are false, yet you are so very much like her at times, and no, I do not mean noble because, as you well know, our aunt is anything but noble.”
Feeling stung by his cousin’s rebuke, which Darcy knew was justified but could not admit that out loud, he did not tell Richard he was to accompany Bingley into Hertfordshire to inspect an estate for lease. In the back of his mind, Darcy remembered something about cousins in that shire, but as he had never met them, he pushed the thought from his mind. He assumed they were, at best, impecunious coattail relatives.
“And if that was not enough, you allow this woman to take Giana to Ramsgate without one of us there. What are you thinking, Fitz?” Richard insisted on knowing.
“I will be escorting Giana in early June, and she will only be there alone with Mrs Younge for about four weeks. My intention is to remain for a sennight to make sure all is in order before I return to London. Also, I will join them for the last weekthey will be there in July. What can happen to Giana in a few weeks?”
“For an intelligent man, you are not very clever at times.” Richard turned on his heel and stormed out of his cousin’s study. There were times like this when he had the urge to thrash Fitz, something he was physically able to do, which is why he departed Darcy House before he gave in to the urge. He could not wait until Andy returned home; it had been far too long, and he was missing his brother.
Damn the storms around the Cape of Good Hope.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Thanks to Andrew writing to her from Cape Town when his ship had sought shelter from the storms at the southern end of Africa on his way to India, it was with mixed feelings that Jane opened the missive in Andrew’s hand from that colony. On the one hand, it meant he was safe; on the other, he was delayed.
She took the letter and made for the private sitting room she shared with Lizzy. As soon as she threw herself onto the settee, Jane broke the seal.
