What they found was astonishing. Bed linens were scattered across the stairs and the railing. Artwork, candelabras, and cushions were littering the floor. Not one piece of furniture was standing where it should have been. Some pieces were not standing at all. And every window they came across was shattered.
Darcy and Bingley looked at one another with grim expressions. Once the staff had all assembled, Bingley addressed them again.
“Some of you may have noticed the house seemed to shake when the storm passed over us. I felt it, too. As my good friend Mr. Darcy has pointed out, it means there is a distinct possibility that the structure of the house has been compromised. That being the case, the ground floor is now potentially the most dangerous floor in the house to be on. I would ask that no one go down there without express permission from Mr. Oliver. He will coordinate any efforts needed to acquire necessary items from the ground floor. We also do not know how sound the upper floors are. So, unless you have been asked to help upstairs, do not go up there. Please keep to this area. That way, if somethinghappens, you will be able to run out the front door. For now, I would like for you all to think about where you can go for the night. Do you have friends or family nearby who can take you in? For those of you who have no options, we will do our best to find somewhere for you to go. Whatever your situation, please inform Mr. or Mrs. Oliver of it. Thank you.”
Bingley walked over to Darcy.
“Well done, Bingley.”
“Thank you. We three need accommodations as well. I have an idea of where we could go, but I do not know how you will feel about it.”
Darcy looked at him closely. “I have also given thought to where we could go, and I feel like we probably have the same idea.”
“Longbourn?” Bingley asked.
Darcy nodded. “Longbourn. The fact that we will have Mrs. Annesley with us lends respectability to the situation.”
“Good enough for me. Hopefully, it will be good enough for the ladies.”
“Yes, hopefully. I also hope they are well and did not endure what we did. Else, we may all need to find somewhere to go.”
Bingley called Mr. and Mrs. Oliver over to them. He told the couple that his party would be going to Longbourn to beg shelter for themselves and their personal servants. They informed him they had plans to do the same since Mrs. Oliver and the Bennet’s housekeeper were cousins, and they were well known to the family.
“Also, please start transporting the servants to their destinations as soon as possible,” Bingley said.
“Right away, sir,” Mr. Oliver said, then went away directly.
“Mr. Bingley,” Mrs. Oliver said, “if I may make a recommendation?”
“Of course,” Mr. Bingley replied.
“I would like to recommend Cook be kept on for at least several days until we know more of what will happen. For one thing, the stables were not damaged, and neither were the lodgings for the stable master, grooms, and gardeners. They will all still be here working for Netherfield Park and needing meals cooked for them.”
“Yes, I see what you mean. Keep Cook on for now. Have her accompany you. If she has an assistant she relies on, keep her, too.” Bingley said.
“Thank you, Mr. Bingley.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Oliver.”
Elizabeth, Jane, and Mary were in Jane's bedchamber, reading and drinking tea. The brandy was having a decided effect. They each had acknowledged feeling significantly calmer. Elizabeth was sitting in the window seat under a blanket. Brandy-laced tea in one hand, Shakespeare in the other.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the front door. They looked at one another, stood, and left the bedchamber in time to hear Charles Bingley say to Mr. Hill, “Please, forgive our intrusion. May we speak to the ladies of the house?”
“If you will wait here, sir, I shall inquire,” Mr. Hill replied.
With expressions of shock and worry, Elizabeth and her sisters glanced at each other, then hastened to their respective bedchambers to dress.
Mrs. Hill came upstairs with the message that Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy were downstairs requesting to speak with them. She also brought Sarah with her to help the ladies ready themselves more quickly.
When they descended to the entrance hall, Jane spoke first. “Mr. Bingley! Mr. Darcy! We hope you are both well?”
“Yes, thank you, Miss Bennet. We are well," Mr. Bingley replied. "Are you ladies well? We could see evidence outside that the tornado came through here."
They nodded, and Jane said, “Yes, we are well. Thank you.”
Mr. Darcy looked at Elizabeth. “Were any of your servants injured?”
“No,” Elizabeth replied. “Fortunately, there were no injuries.”
