xli: Mrs.Vernon to Lady De Courcy

Churchhill.

My dear Mother — Your letter has surprized me beyond measure! Can it be true that they are really
separated — and for ever? I should be overjoyed if I dared depend on it, but after all that I have seen how can one be
secure? And Reginald really with you! My surprize is the greater because on Wednesday, the very day of his coming to
Parklands, we had a most unexpected and unwelcome visit from Lady Susan, looking all cheerfulness and good-humour, and
seeming more as if she were to marry him when she got to London than as if parted from him for ever.

She stayed nearly
two hours, was as affectionate and agreeable as ever, and not a syllable, not a hint was dropped, of any disagreement or
coolness between theM.I asked her whether she had seen my brother since his arrival in town; not, as you may suppose,
with any doubt of the fact, but merely to see how she looked.

She immediately answered, without any embarrassment, that
he had been kind enough to call on her on Monday; but she believed he had already returned home, which I was very far
from crediting.

Your kind invitation is accepted by us with pleasure, and on Thursday next we and our little ones will be
with you.

Pray heaven, Reginald may not be in town again by that time! I wish we could bring dear Frederica too, but I am
sorry to say that her mother’s errand hither was to fetch her away; and, miserable as it made the poor girl, it was
impossible to detain her.

I was thoroughly unwilling to let her go, and so was her uncle; and all that could be urged we
did urge; but Lady Susan declared that as she was now about to fix herself in London for several months, she could not be
easy if her daughter were not with her for masters, &C. Her manner, to be sure, was very kind and proper, and Mr.
Vernon believes that Frederica will now be treated with affection.

I wish I could think so too.

The poor girl’s heart was
almost broke at taking leave of uS.I charged her to write to me very often, and to remember that if she were in any
distress we should be always her friendS.I took care to see her alone, that I might say all this, and I hope made her a
little more comfortable; but I shall not be easy till I can go to town and judge of her situation myself.

I wish there
were a better prospect than now appears of the match which the conclusion of your letter declares your expectations of.
At present, it is not very likely

Yours ever, &c.,

C. Vernon