‘William,’ said Charlotte, reaching for his hand. ‘I love our home. I love our life there,’ and as she said it, she realised it was true. Love was perhaps not the right word, but it was the first place she had ever experienced deep peace, the satisfaction of knowing she had a place in the world. ‘And besides,’ she said softly, ‘Tom is buried in the churchyard.’

Her husband’s eyes shone with tears at that, and Charlotte had to blink back her own. She lifted his hand and kissed his knuckles.

They settled on an apparent compromise, but Charlotte felt safe. The agreement was that they would confer with Lady Catherine, ask her advice on this daring proposal. If she approved – and Mr Collins was not optimistic that she would – then they might consider such an unusual step. But Charlotte knew how to fix Lady Catherine, even though it would have to be done in person. All she had to do was to take steps to ensure her husband made no mention of her suggestion in his letter, in case her ladyship returned a strenuous disavowal of a notion so preposterous. They agreed to say nothing to anyone yet, certainly not in writing, but to wait until they returned home.

Charlotte rose, claiming a need to return to Mrs Darcy’s side, but not before bending to whisper in her husband’s ear: ‘Come to me tonight.’

CHAPTER XXXIV

THE DAYS AND SCENES THAT followed were understandably clouded. Letters had to be written, plans made and unmade. Georgiana Darcy had to be intercepted and instructed to stop in London instead of journeying on to Derbyshire. There was much debate as to whether or not the Collins family should decamp to Longbourn to pay their respects and attend Mr Bennet’s funeral. Mr Collins was set on this at first; for reasons of kinship and friendship, his family was doubly obliged to offer condolences and what support they could. They could all travel in the Darcy carriage, and the journey would take them a good part of the way home. Elizabeth was at first gratifyingly keen on this plan, and Mr Darcy was happy to agree to anything that would soothe his wife in all the freshness of her grief.

However, Charlotte could see all the disadvantages of such scheme. The girls would have to come with them, and she was reluctant to let such a solemn and tiring pilgrimage make an end to their holiday; or to descend with her entire family on Lucas Lodge, no matter how welcome they might all be. Someone proposed that the girls be dispatched back to Hunsford in the care of trustworthy servants while their elders stopped at Longbourn, but Charlotte would not countenance this: ‘If something befell them, and I was not there, I could not endure it.’