Chapter 14

Longbourn

Hertfordshire

28 th October, 1811

To my most revered, esteemed patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh

My lady, I hope that you will excuse my temerity in writing to you, but I have news which I am certain will bring you great pleasure.

I had the very great honor of meeting your exalted nephew, Mr. Darcy, and your lovely and charming daughter, Miss de Bourgh, here in Hertfordshire. They are visiting Mr. Darcy's friend, a Mr. Bingley, who is renting the nearby estate of Netherfield. That estate shares a border with Longbourn, which will come to me when my cousin Bennet passes on to his reward.

Both Miss de Bourgh and Mr. Darcy seem to be in good health. Given that they are both guests at Netherfield Hall, I daresay they will soon be joined in the union of marriage, which I know is your fondest wish and desire, and rightly so. As excellent as both your daughter and nephew are, they are still not nearly as wise as you are, my lady!

I wish to assure you that Mr. Darcy is not paying undue attention to any of the other young women in the neighborhood. I was startled when he asked my eldest cousin, Miss Jane Bennet, for both the first and supper sets for an upcoming ball, but my cousin declined the supper set, and assured me that Mr. Darcy is merely assisting his friend Bingley who, I think, may have some interest in my eldest cousin.

Both of my elder cousins are very pretty ladies, and I daresay one of them will prove an excellent wife for me and mistress of the parsonage at Hunsford.

With great respect and, indeed, awe for your munificence.

Humbly,

William Collins

/

Gracechurch Street

Cheapside

28 th October, 1811

My dear Elizabeth,

Thank you for the gift of the spencer for Adelaine. She feels very grown up in it and parades around the house with her nose in the air. Since she is but nine years of age, it is entirely adorable.

You mentioned that Mr. Darcy is reputedly master of a great estate in Derbyshire. My dear, he must be master of Pemberley, which is but five miles from Lambton, the little town where I grew up! The Darcys are the great people of the area, and Mr. George Darcy, now gone these five years, was an excellent landlord, along with being very generous to the poor. He and his wife, Lady Anne, who died at least a decade ago, were reputed to have a caring and loving marriage.

I know nothing about the younger Mr. Darcy, who inherited long after I left Lambton. He is definitely one of England's most eligible bachelors, but I am not aware whether or not he is a rake; I certainly hope not, but one has only to look at our king and his eldest son to know that a faithful father may sire a dissolute son. I think it wise for all of you to be careful, my dear niece.

I am grieved that your father is still so very poorly. You will soon be one and twenty and therefore of age, and if you feel the need to escape Longbourn and spend a few months with us, I hope you will take it.

With much love,

Madeline Gardiner

/

London

Denny,

I have finished up my business here in London and will be journeying to Meryton in the next few days.

Many thanks for telling me about the militia regiment. I think that I will greatly enjoy my time in the country, away from the smoke and noise of Town, and my duties as an officer in a regiment will, I trust, give me plenty of time to enjoy your company and that of the fine people of Meryton.

Sincerely,

George Wickham

/

Netherfield Hall

Hertfordshire

My dear Amelia,

The dinner at the Scofields' house sounds delightful, and I wish that I could have been there. I know that there are those who venerate the countryside, but for my part, I think it a most boring place, especially this area of Hertfordshire!

Netherfield Hall is well enough, I suppose. It is large and grand and well kept up, though the furnishings are from at least five years ago, as the mansion has been largely unoccupied for some years except for a skeleton crew of servants.

The society is the most significant problem. There are some twenty families who comprise the gentry, but none of them are worth speaking to or about. They are not at all sophisticated, and their conversation is largely dull. As for the accomplishments – well, none can hold a farthing to Miss Darcy or, if I may be so bold, myself when we perform on the pianoforte.

There is one local family, the Bennets, with several pretty daughters, and they are the best of the lot. At least we have some neighbors whom we can welcome to dinner on occasion. I do worry about Charles a trifle. The eldest Miss Bennet is a blonde, blue-eyed beauty and exactly the sort of woman who can enrapture my silly brother. But I am confident that Mr. Darcy, Louisa, and I can keep Charles from actually offering for Miss Bennet. She is well enough as a companion, but not as a sister-in-law! She has no money, her family has connections in trade, and their estate is entailed away to a distant cousin!

I mentioned Mr. Darcy of Pemberley in Derbyshire. He is here along with his sister, Miss Georgiana Darcy, and his cousin, Miss Anne de Bourgh, who is the heiress of Rosings, a great estate in Kent. As much as I dislike spending time in this backwater, I am pleased to be able to provide the superior sorts of meals and conversation which the Darcys and Miss de Bourgh deserve.

Speaking of that, I must speak with the housekeeper about the meals this week. She is a reasonably competent woman but has little knowledge of the extra delicacies which elevate a mere dinner into a delightful experience.

Sincerely,

Caroline Bingley