] 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?

Since you pose the question, Caroline, about George, I thought I'd ask here (risking that I missed a thread earlier on.)

Again, I end up thinking of the Nokes bio since that's the only one "I read, but I almost the impression that the only siblings to ever even have known George may have been James and Edward. But George was removed from the family by the time Cassandra was born (maybe before Henry was born?), and never returned, and so I even wonder whether Jane ever even met her brother, George. Any thoughts on that? Would she have ever met 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?