Martha has promised to return with me, & our plan is to (have) a nice black frost for walking to Whitchurch, & there throw ourselves into a post chaise, one upon the other, our heads hanging out at one door, & our feet the opposite. (Letter 28)

Throwing themselves into the post chaise in such disarray seems so Laura to me but I do not suppose that Martha, being also a desperate walker, should have to be dragged to her fate like Sophia! I can understand the benefit of walking before being closed up in a vehicle for hours. If this is JA’s plan, then they would send their trunks by other means? I cannot see them toting much with them on a walk—that would be silly. Would two ladies have so much to take that a separate luggage cart would be needed anyhow? I guess maybe a better question is would their trunks have been sent ahead of time, either to their destination or to their conveyance? Could the image JA is creating, “one upon the other,” be because the post-chaise is compact and they will be in close quarters? I found a lot about two and four wheels when looking at pictures of carriages and info on post chaises but I am not sure that translates to two and four-seaters. ;D