Chapter 20

Brighton

24 th April, 1813

Dear Mr. Darcy,

We have settled into our rented house here in Brighton. Mr. Russell will stay until next week, and then return to Cheapside. My sister does feel a little better here, though she still is not well. She has expressed some guilt over dragging me away from London and you, but I assured her that you entirely understand my commitment to her well-being.

While I wish that we had been able to see one another frequently in London, there are aspects to a courtship by correspondence which are beneficial. As much as I enjoy dancing – and I do dearly love to dance – I find it difficult to learn about someone’s character and interests on the ballroom floor. These missives flying back and forth have permitted me to evaluate my beliefs about marriage and courtship, to ask questions, and to answer questions in return.

Would you be willing to tell me about your own childhood? I know your mother was delicate; did you often see her, or were you largely raised by nursemaids? What of your father? I am aware that a large estate requires substantial time and attention.

In the interests of providing information about myself, I will say that I was raised primarily by nursemaids until I was about seven years old, as my mother found me overly noisy and rambunctious. After that, my sister Jane, whom my father taught to read, instructed me in the art of the printed word, and I in turn taught Mary, and so on. It is odd that we never had a governess, though perhaps we would have had one if we did not all learn to read with ease. We did have masters to teach us arithmetic and I will confess, immodestly, that I was a quick study and thoroughly enjoy sums and the like.

My father is, regrettably, a lazy man, though he does love his books and his chess board, and I am grateful for the many hours I spent with him in our cozy library. All the same, my desire is to spend more time with my own children if I am blessed to have them. I know that if I am mistress of an estate, I cannot care for my children every hour of the day, but I wish to be part of their lives and not merely consider them dull sprouts to the family tree until they are old enough to talk. I know that may be shocking to you.

I do not know if you have ever been to Brighton before or even to the ocean. I find it truly marvelous, Mr. Darcy. I had read of it and even seen paintings of the sea, but to actually see the blue and green waters, and distant sails on the horizon, and the curve of the very earth to the south fills me with wonder.

Jane is sitting nearby and insists that I inform you that I do not walk alone in Brighton, but with a tall and husky footman. He shadows me wherever I go, and I am confident that no man would dare approach me with questionable motives.

God’s blessings on you,

Elizabeth Bennet

/

15 th May, 1813

Rosings

Miss Bennet,

I have departed London for the foreseeable future and am settled in Kent. My aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, chose to cause a tremendous fuss at Rosings, pulling all of the extended family into the crisis, including the Fitzwilliams, of course, along with Lord and Lady Matlock. It has been a challenging time, and I do not wish to discuss it at length, but suffice it to say that Georgiana and I are ensconced at Rosings, with Georgiana keeping Anne company during the latter stages of her pregnancy, and Richard and I working to manage Lady Catherine.

Before I answer your most recent letter, may I say that I was impressed with your friend, Mrs. Collins? She is a sensible and sedate lady, but she also works hard to care for her parishioners. Mr. Collins is very fortunate to have gained such a woman for a wife.

I did not see much of my mother for the first five years of my life. Sadly, she lost several children to miscarriage and stillbirth, both before and after my own birth, and was often unwell. Lady Anne obviously loved me dearly, but her health was sufficiently fragile that she never played or walked with me.

My father did visit me on occasion in the nursery, and I even have a vague memory of him sitting on the floor as I rode my rocking horse. He was himself an only son, and I know he was proud of me and grateful for me.

We are not so very far from Brighton now; I could ride there in a few hours. But I do not believe I should leave Rosings at this moment, as Lady Catherine is poised to cause a ruckus. Legally there is nothing she can do, but no one wants a scandal, and Richard is, not surprisingly, anxious about both the estate and his wife, whose pregnancy has been a challenging one.

I know we will see one another again. For now, we can continue to write, and like you, I find our conversations by letter to be instructive and, yes, charming.

God’s blessings,

Fitzwilliam Darcy

/

Brighton

7th June, 1813

Mr. Darcy,

I am not yet quite ready to accept your offer, but I am increasingly comforted by our exchanges. You are without a doubt a most honorable man – intelligent, kindly, diligent, and, of course, wealthy and well-connected. The latter two attributes are not of the greatest importance to me, but I would not be so foolish as to accept a man who could not support me and any future children.

I do not approve of my father’s indifference to the well-being of his wife and children. Longbourn earns a full two thousand pounds per annum, and if he had saved even one hundred pounds a year since the beginning of his marriage, he would have a substantial sum laid aside for our care. My parents assumed, sincerely, that they would eventually have a son who would cut off the entail. Moreover, my mother has always been extravagant, and it would have taken energy and determination to rein in her spending. He chose instead to tease her over her concerns about the entail and primarily hide in his library instead of taking firm control of the situation.

I am exasperated by that, but to give my father his due, he has kept us out of debt. That is no small thing. Many a young man, and some older ones as well, have run up terrible debts. It is far better that my father has kept us at least solvent. For that, I am grateful.

I would very much enjoy a visit from you whenever you can steal away, but I also admire your devotion to your family. Lady Catherine is a most difficult woman, and I am thankful that the Fitzwilliams have your assistance in managing her.

God bless,

Elizabeth Bennet

/

20 th July, 1813

Rosings

Dear Miss Bennet,

My cousin Anne was delivered of a healthy son three days ago, named Lewis after her father, and is recovering well. We are all greatly relieved!

I pray that Mrs. Russell is doing well also.

I plan to stay here for another fortnight so that I can oversee Rosings while Richard spends time with his wife and infant son. Lady Catherine has, for now, been cowed by having her carriage taken away so that she is, more or less, imprisoned in her house. Of course, you would not be deterred by such a thing; the mansion is only a mile away from the Dower House, and the Hunsford parsonage is closer than that. But my aunt, while hale and hearty, would no more walk such a distance than she would ride a camel.

If you are agreeable, I will journey to Brighton in early September to visit you for a few days. Then I will need to return to Pemberley, as I have been away for far longer than usual.

I hope that Mrs. Russell continues to keep well, and I very much look forward to seeing you in person.

God bless,

Fitzwilliam Darcy

/

27 th July, 1813

Dear Mr. Darcy,

Please give my congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Fitzwilliam. I am so thankful for the birth of their healthy little boy.

I would be delighted to visit with you here in Brighton whenever you feel it appropriate to leave Rosings.

You are entirely correct that I would not be intimidated by a walk of a mile, but I am aware that I am a rather unusual lady in that regard. My own mother stays home when the carriage is not available.

Jane has improved significantly, thank you. She misses Mr. Russell, who has only been able to visit two times in the last months, and then for only a few days, but they are both determined to endure the separation for the sake of the child. With the heat and the inferior air, London is not a particularly healthy place in July.

I look forward to seeing you very much.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Bennet