Emma spent one very happy week at the Castle after her engagement; which was not the less agreeable to every one concerned because both Lord Osborne and Miss Carr left it. He quitted his house immediately after the conversation above recorded; and she then decided that her visit had been long enough to such dreadfully dull people as Rosa and her husband were become: so she took leave of her dear friends and returned, unsuccessful, home.
At the end of a week, Mr. Howard found it necessary to go too; there was business connected with his new living which must be attended to, and unwillingly he tore himself away.
Mrs. Willis still continued in Wales, for though Charles was better, and indeed daily gaining strength, the physicians had so strongly recommended sea air for the re-establishment of his health, that his mother had decided on spending the summer on the sea-coast there.
Howard's departure proved, however, only the prelude to Emma's return to Croydon. Elizabeth's marriage was fast approaching, and she pressed to see Emma again before that event. The idea of again becoming an inmate of Robert's house was so very repulsive to Emma that she demurred from that reason alone, and she was much more inclined to accede to Miss Bridge's repeated invitations to return to Burton. But this Elizabeth urged would be doing no good at all; fourteen miles would as effectually preclude daily meetings as forty, and would be only tantalizing instead of comfortable. The affair was at length arranged through the intervention of Mr. Bridge, who invited both his sister and her young friend to take up their residence for a time in his Vicarage at Croydon. And so it was settled at last, and after a hundred kind words and caresses from Lady Gordon, and the most cordial good wishes from her husband, Emma left the Castle, travelling, be it recorded, in one of Sir William's carriages half the way, where she was to be met by Miss Bridge's chariot, to convey her the latter half of the journey.
With no accident and no adventure she reached Croydon, and of course received a far warmer welcome than when she had formerly made the same journey.
Elizabeth was waiting to receive her—her face was seen through the flowers in the drawing-room window, and she reached the entrance door, and ran down the steps to open the carriage before the fat, well-powdered footman had time to put on his livery coat. She led her sister into the house, and in the passage pushed back the bonnet and the dark curls from her cheeks, to see if she was as pretty as ever. Then, before leading her into the drawing-room, she paused again to make her guess who she would find there.
Emma suggested Mr. and Miss Bridge.
"You little goose," replied Elizabeth, "as if I should have thought it worth while to make you guess that!"
Then throwing open the door she ushered her in, and in another moment Emma was clasped in the arms of her dear brother Sam. This was a very unexpected pleasure—she had hoped to see him certainly, but never for a moment anticipated meeting him so soon. It was the joint kindness of Miss Bridge and Elizabeth; the one well remembering the affectionate terms in which Emma always spoke of her brother had been suggesting the possibility of his coming, and the other eager to carry out the plan had persuaded George Millar to ask him to his house for the week preceding the wedding. He had arrived that very afternoon, and after an introduction to his future brother, had accompanied Elizabeth to meet Emma.
Emma had much to communicate to Sam; besides her own prospects she had matters which must be interesting to him as concerning himself. A farewell visit which she had paid to the Edwards had brought another engagement to her knowledge. Mary Edwards was soon to be married to Captain Hunter. She found them tête-à-tête in the parlour when she entered, and appearances were so very suspicious, that even without the direct information which Mrs. Edwards subsequently whispered to her, she would have concluded her brother's cause to be lost.