Chapter 3

Longbourn

13 th February, 1812

Dear Jane,

Your last letter gave me much to ponder. You are, I believe, correct in your conclusions regarding the Bingleys. Though I still think that Mr. Bingley was sincerely attached to you, he certainly did not respect you enough to defy stronger wills than his own. I believe that Miss Bingley, the Hursts, and Mr. Darcy followed Mr. Bingley to Town for the express purpose of convincing him to stay away from Netherfield. It gives me no pleasure to agree with your assertion that it would be better to sever all acquaintance with the family.

I acknowledge your other point as well, that it would be no shame for a gentleman’s daughter to encourage an acquaintanceship with a fine man of trade. After all, is not our own mother the daughter of a solicitor? And Uncle Gardiner, himself a man of trade, is all that is admirable in a man – clever and intelligent, a man of integrity and great kindness.

Nonetheless, dear sister, I would caution you. Respect is necessary in a marriage, of course, and financial concerns are to be thought of. But it would be a bleak marriage indeed, and a bleak life, where love never blossoms. Pragmatic reasons are certainly to be considered, but they are not the only criteria. Our aunt and uncle Gardiner are happy because they do both love and respect one another.

Should you find that you could be happy with a man in trade, a good man who would value you, I would advise you to encourage the relationship.

There is little news here to relate. The weather holds cold, save when it thaws enough to become muddy. I walk about Longbourn, tramping in the snow and the mud alike. Our other sisters remain inside, along with our mother, finding scant appeal in the outdoors. We sometimes walk to Meryton, but the company there has dulled. Mr. Wickham’s attentions have turned elsewhere – do you remember Miss Mary King? She has a grandfather who died and left her a tidy ten thousand pounds. It is, no doubt, quite an allure to any young man without means of his own.

Have no concerns on my account, dear sister; my own heart was but barely touched, and I am not prostrate with weeping as one might fear, and indeed, as our sisters seem to think I ought to be! Lydia and Kitty are especially indignant on my behalf. For my own part, I foresee any heartache being entirely assuaged next month. Sir William Lucas and Maria are traveling to Kent to spend some time with Charlotte Collins and her husband, and I have been invited to join the party. I am eager to see Charlotte again and can, I think, tolerate even her husband’s foolishness to have the pleasure of her company once more. No less will be my joy in seeing you, for we plan to overnight in London, at Gracechurch Street, and I eagerly anticipate a comfortable and lengthy chat with my favorite sister.

Love,

Your Lizzy

/

16 th February, 1812

My dear Miss Darcy,

I was so grieved to hear from my brother that you were ill over the Christmas Season. I hope that you are nearly fully recovered and look forward to seeing you again when you and your brother journey to Town for the upcoming Season. What wonderful times we will have together, my dear friend! I declare there is nothing like London in the spring, with all the parties and balls and visits to the opera!

I have only a few minutes before I must dress for a dinner party, but I wished for you to mention something to your brother, if you would be so kind, that is. The details are not greatly important, but it is enough to say that Miss Jane Bennet is currently residing in Cheapside with her tradesman uncle and called on me within a week of her arrival. I waited three weeks to return the call, and I am confident that she understands that her attempt to win my brother’s hand in marriage is at an end.

Until we meet again, Miss Darcy.

Sincerely,

Caroline Bingley

/

2nd March, 1812

Dear Richard,

I write with unfavorable news; an influenza epidemic has invaded our little area of Derbyshire, and Georgiana has fallen ill again. My poor, dear sister, to have such a stretch of bad health!

Given that many tenants are sick and our ward is as well, I cannot commit to joining you at Rosings. I apologize; it will doubtless be an unpleasant time for you, and you will be required to attend to some of the duties I usually take on my shoulders. Lady Catherine often overspends, as you well know, and your father always asks for my view on the state of Rosings after our annual visit.

I am certain that you do not resent me, though, as I know we both care deeply for Georgiana, and given the difficulties of the past year, I am confident it is my duty to stay here and care for her.

God bless you,

Fitzwilliam Darcy

/

Hunsford Parsonage

8th March, 1812

Dear Jane,

My heart is yet glad within me for seeing your sweet face a few days ago in London. I will confess, now, to fears that perhaps your dejection in heart over Mr. Bingley had depressed your health, but I am delighted to know that it has not.

I fully embrace your endorsement of Mr. Russell. It was good of Aunt Gardiner to invite him to dinner on the night of our visit. I was thankful for an opportunity to observe him, and I found your assessment was entirely correct. He did not ogle you, as we both are aware that men are wont to do. He seemed to be of grave and sober mien, but he did not hesitate to smile at some cleverness in the conversation and was ceaselessly courteous to every person at the table, and, perhaps most importantly, he truly listened when you spoke. My impression could hardly be more favorable, dear sister.

We have been in Kent for two days now. It was a pleasant journey, with good roads and clear skies. It is wonderful to be with Charlotte again, which mitigates the necessary irritation of spending time with Mr. Collins. But perhaps I wrong him. He has been kindness itself and attentive since our arrival. Indeed, he and Charlotte were waiting to greet us as we pulled up to the parsonage, and he needed only to inquire after the health and doings of all the Bennets and all the Lucases, as is quite right and proper, before escorting us to the door with no further delays but those necessitated by him pointing out how neatly appointed the entrance is, and disclosing to us Lady Catherine’s role in arranging it.

Once we were inside, he made himself busy welcoming us to his humble abode. It is a nice place, Jane, very cozy – I do think I detect Charlotte’s hand at work, there, between all of Lady Catherine de Bourgh’s suggested improvements. Mr. Collins was not backwards in reiterating Charlotte’s offers of refreshment, but we had little time to respond, as he was eager to draw our notice to all the great advantages the drawing room had. He looked most often to me, that I might see what I gave up in refusing him, but I flatter myself that I did not betray anything but indifference. And anyway, such behavior in front of his own wife was quite rude! I do not think she was entirely insensible of it, either, for ever and anon I would see her blush very faintly at some of his most ridiculous utterings, but overall her composure was beyond admirable. We were not seated for terribly long – just time enough to admire every piece of furniture, the carpets, the drapes, some especially fine pieces of molding, the bookshelf and its contents, and the view from the window – and she suggested that he show us his garden.

He is justifiably proud of it, though we gained little pleasure by the viewing. It would be lovely for a wander, but his scrupulous attention to drawing to our notice every possible detail, so that there was nothing for us to discover of our own, diminished the experience. I would endeavor to describe it to you, but I find myself entirely sick of it for now. I shall describe the paths and trees and fields in a future letter when I have had time to make a proper acquaintance with them.

Charlotte brought us inside while he was still in his outdoor domain, less Sir William, for his boots were more fit to the mud than our shoes. Charlotte remarked that gardening is a very healthful pastime and owned to us that she encourages her husband to attend to it as much as possible. The parsonage really is comfortable when one does not have Mr. Collins droning incessantly in one’s ear, and we enjoyed quite a refreshing tea with Charlotte.

At dinner we heard a great deal more of the redoubtable Lady Catherine, and our cousin believes that we will shortly be the recipients of her fabled condescension. For, as he pointed out, we could expect to be invited to tea presently, as the residents of the parsonage often are. And, of course, they are never allowed to walk home, for Lady Catherine always calls for one of her many carriages to return them to their domicile. Charlotte says that she is a sensible woman and attentive neighbor, and with that description I must be content until I rest eyes on this august personage myself. I confess, dear Jane, my curiosity grows ever greater!

I have had the opportunity of seeing Miss de Bourgh, scarcely less impressive than her mother, if our cousin is to be believed. She looks sickly and peevish, to me, but then, I was merely peering at her from a window at Maria’s behest, and perhaps could not see well. It fell to Charlotte and Mr. Collins to stand out in the wind to converse with the young lady and her companion in her phaeton. Charlotte says that it is rare indeed that she will deign to come inside, so perhaps she is more aloof than her gracious mother. Still, she has brought us an invitation to dine at Rosings, so I must be grateful. I shall write and tell you all about it afterwards, dearest.

With much love,

Your Lizzy

/

12 th March, 1812

Cheapside

Dear Lizzy,

I am glad you like Mr. Russell. I find myself respecting him more and more as the days go by, and he has formally asked to call on me two days after you spent the night here.

I gave him my permission and have seen him three times since. He is, of course, not a gentleman of leisure, and thus has substantial duties which keep him away much of the time. I find I do not regret that. Mr. Bingley’s courtship was a whirlwind affair, and I well remember declaring my deep admiration for him within hours of first meeting him. Why did I like him? Because he was handsome, and a good dancer, amiable, and a charming conversationalist. Those are desirable attributes, I suppose, but I have come to the conclusion that under that pleasant facade is a man without sufficient backbone. I have thought long about Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst. Now that I understand they despise me, I realize that many of their remarks about us and others held a hidden, unpleasant meaning.

I have grown up at least a little, Lizzy. I know that you have long decried my tendency to look through the world through rose-tinted glasses, while I thought you rather too cynical. I have come to realize that your view is more correct than I knew; many people show a face to the world which conceals their true nature.

I took our little cousins to a nearby park yesterday, and it was such a delight! There were ducks, and new greenery, and beds of daffodils. The children ran and played with balls, while their nursemaid and I kept careful watch over them, especially Timothy, who greatly desired to fall into the pond and was rather indignant at our insistence that he stay on terra firma.

Lovingly,

Your Jane