Severance

Severance

3 August 1812 Lambton, Derbyshire

Dearest Sisters,

I can now faithfully report that I know exactly what a true gentleman is. He is precisely as our Uncle Gardiner! For the past three days, Mr Darcy has called several times, asking to speak with myself or our uncle, and we simply burned his cards. However, he is a stubborn and persistent sort, our uncle is not a man to shy away from anyone or anything, and the man finally exhausted Uncle’s patience, so he agreed to meet.

Uncle Gardiner does not hold with the notion that females should be protected from all knowledge of the world; but neither would he sanction my meeting with Mr Darcy without my approval, which was certainly not forthcoming. He suggested I stand outside the door so I could hear what the man had to say without being directly involved. He did not consider it eavesdropping, nor did I, since I was no doubt the topic of conversation.

Their discussion lasted for several minutes, with Mr Darcy asserting that there was some sort of misunderstanding, and he would like to explain himself.

Uncle was unfailingly polite, kind, and deferential—until he had enough. I could hear the moment he lost his temper, as his voice sounded like an axe scraping across a whetstone.

He proceeded to put the man in his place with a set down for the ages .

“Mr Darcy, my nieces know exactly four Northmen. One paid very particular attention to my eldest niece for six weeks, then left without a single word, save a very nasty letter from his sister. The second both slighted my second eldest publicly without ever having met her, and then boasted of arranging his friend’s bout of ungentlemanly behaviour to at least his cousin and who knows who else. The third openly boasted of your perfidy as an everyday occurrence, to the very same niece four months later, not even being aware he was boasting about breaking her own heart to the victim herself. The fourth left Meryton with a mountain of debt that he will never be able to repay, even should he attempt it, which seems unlikely. I believe my nieces have had quite enough of Northmen, and I take that opinion directly from Elizabeth.”

Oh, it was so perfect I kissed my uncle after Mr Darcy left.

It made me reflect, and upon further thinking I believe I am tempted to give up on the gentry entirely. Of all the men we are acquainted with, the only three I truly esteem are Uncle Gardiner, Uncle Philips, and Mr Ellery. You will note they are all men of trade. Yes, I believe I will be most content to leave the gentry behind and join the ranks of the tradesmen. They seem worthier on average.

We leave in two days’ time, and the post is coming soon so I must close.

Your rebellious sister, Lizzy