“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.
Chapter 10
After delivering the ladies safely back to Longbourn, Darcy returned to Netherfield with his sister and Bingley. Georgiana excused herself and went to her bedchamber.
"Mr. Bingley, may I ask if you were able to locate the Miss Bennets?" Mr. Oliver inquired.
"Yes, we located them and assisted them home. They are well," Bingley replied.
"I am glad to hear it," Mr. Oliver said.
Bingley and Darcy went to the drawing room and walked to a window.
"Shall I order tea, sir?"
