My how the time does fly! I'm still not done with Bath, and Manydown, and ..well, whatever. Unfortunately, we have tomove on, because a GR of Northanger Abbey is waiting in the wings. So I'm pressing on to Chawton, in case anyone in a hurry, is but anyone still loitering in the earlier places can do so.

Chawton- marriage prospects over. No money, and Frank, who had been housing them is heading back out to sea. So Edward offers Mrs A the choice of a fairly respectable house on the Godmersham estate, or a rather scruffy old former Inn/gatekeeper's house next to the duckpond in Chawton. Why on earth did Mrs A pick the Chawton one? was it because Edward himself wanted to move back to Hampshire (why, for heaven's sake? Godmersham is a way, way bigger house!) Was it the Austen family drawing back in on itseslf? To be nearer James, poor George and uncle Thomas?

Edward did do quite a lot to the house to make it a bit posher- put in new windows, reapaired the roof, etc. And it's actually a cute house- JAne liked it's ramblingness and multiple levels.
Why did it take Edward all that time to make the decision- shouldn't he have housed them earlier? Or couldn't he?