Part 7 (2/2)

Caroline is offering to mend my pen for me, but as you know, I always mend my own.

Miss Bennet is still indisposed and keeps to her room. Her sister, Miss Elizabeth, has spent most of the day with her but has now joined us in the drawing room, where she is at present busy with her needlework.

Caroline is complimenting me on my penmans.h.i.+p, which reminds me that I must compliment you on your own. Your hand was very fine and flowing in your last letter; it is a credit to you and your tutor.

Louisa has grown tired of watching the piquet and has begun to look through her music.

Caroline begs me to tell you that she is delighted to hear of your improvement on the harp.

Charles is now accusing me of searching for words of four syllables and remarking that his own letters flow so fast that he has not time to express his ideas properly, but it is a boast, for he has always prized the idea of doing anything quickly. I hope you know that quickness is not a virtue and that considered thought is necessary in all things of importance.

Miss Elizabeth takes Charles's side in the argument and Caroline takes mine. I fear it will not be over soon.

You must invite a friend to stay with you in London, for I find I will be in Hertfords.h.i.+re for some time. You have your guardian in London at the moment, and Lady Catherine means to visit next week, but I am persuaded that you would like some company of your own age. I will be writing to Mrs Annesley about it, so pray invite whomever you wish. Perhaps Lady Catherine might be willing to let Anne remain with you for a few weeks. Though there are a good number of years between you, it makes me happy to see how well the two of you get on. Lady Catherine particularly commends you to practise your music, but I know you need no such reminders, as you are always diligent and your performance never fails to delight me.

And now I must go, for I am beginning to neglect Charles's guests. We will have some music, I think, and perhaps I might ask Miss Elizabeth to dance a reel.

Your loving brother, Fitzwilliam Mr Charles Bingley to Mrs Bingley Netherfield Park, Hertfords.h.i.+re, November 16 Dear Ma, When are you coming to visit me at Netherfield? It is all very well saying that you have already seen the house, but you have not seen it in the winter. You must come and stay with us for Christmas, and all my brothers and sisters, too.

I expect Caroline has told you already that we have houseguests, Miss Bennet and her sister. Miss Bennet is an angel, the most beautiful girl I have ever seen. We think alike on every subject, we dance together-upon my word I like her very much. She is not very well at the moment, a cold, but although I am sorry she is suffering, I cannot be sorry that she is here. Her sister walked over to be with her, which showed a very pleasing affection, though Caroline laughed at her for having a muddy skirt.

I believe Caroline does not like Miss Elizabeth very much, no doubt because Darcy is paying her some attention. I am not surprised. Miss Elizabeth does not hang on his every word as Caroline does. Indeed, when Darcy asked Miss Elizabeth if she would like to dance a reel, she refused, teasing him by saying that he only asked her so that he might despise her taste. A reel, you know, is not held to be a very genteel dance in society. Caroline was shocked that anyone should dare to speak to Darcy in such a fas.h.i.+on, but I could see that Miss Elizabeth did not disgust him, in fact quite the reverse-I am convinced he thought better of her for it. I am sure that Darcy does not like to be fawned over all the time, however much he expects it, and I think he liked to find someone who would stand up to him. I saw him watching Miss Elizabeth throughout the rest of the evening when he thought himself un.o.bserved and there was a look of interest on his face. However, Caroline need have no fear, for it will not last. Darcy is not the man to lose his head over a woman. When he marries, it will be to someone whose pedigree is as long as his own. He can trace his family back to William the Conqueror, and there are very few families in England who can do the same. Upon my honour, I am glad I come from humbler stock. I am free to like whomever I will.

Write to me and let me know when I can expect you.

Your son, Charles Miss Elizabeth Bennet to Mrs Bennet Netherfield Park, Hertfords.h.i.+re, November 16 Dear Mama, You will be pleased to hear that Jane is now so much recovered that she is ready to come home, and I am writing to ask you if you will send the carriage for us this afternoon. We have already trespa.s.sed on Mr Bingley's hospitality far longer than we intended and I am sure he must be wis.h.i.+ng us gone. His sister, I know, will not be sorry to see us leave. She is impatient for the day when she can have Mr Darcy all to herself again.

Your affectionate daughter, Lizzy Mrs Bennet to Miss Elizabeth Bennet Longbourn, Hertfords.h.i.+re, November 16 Dear Lizzy, You are quite wrong when you say that Mr Bingley is wis.h.i.+ng you gone, for I never saw anything more promising than his att.i.tude towards Jane when I called at Netherfield. Another few days will do the trick, you mark my words. I always intended Jane to stay at Netherfield for a week, and as the week will not be up until Tuesday, you may have the carriage then.

Your loving Mama P.S. If Mr Bingley presses you to stay beyond Tuesday, then you must accept, for I can very well spare you for as long as he wishes.

Miss Elizabeth Bennet to Miss Susan Sotherton Netherfield Park, Hertfords.h.i.+re, November 16 Dear Susan, I owe you a letter. I would have written to you sooner but I have been busy looking after Jane, who was taken ill when she dined with the Bingleys at Netherfield some days ago. She was too ill to be moved-do not fear, it is only a cold, but she is very poorly with it-and so I came to look after her, for there is nothing so miserable as being among strangers when one is indisposed.

And that, you see, is why my letter comes to you from Netherfield Park. In fact, I am writing to you from your old room.

It seems very strange to be here without you. The company was much better when you were here, for, apart from Mr Bingley, there is not one person I wish to see again, and I am glad that we will be leaving this very day. Mr Bingley's sisters have been kind to Jane, to be sure-who could not be kind to someone so good?-but they have done everything in their power to make me feel unwelcome. They laughed at my taste and despised my occupations. But despite this, Miss Bingley fears me, I think. She sees me as a rival for Mr Darcy's attention.

Why she should have such an absurd notion I cannot imagine, for he never looks at me but to find fault. And yet she asked me to take a turn about the room with her one evening in order to try and catch his attention; then, once it had been caught, she did everything possible to keep his attention on herself.

He saw through her at once, however, and refused her when she invited him to walk with us. I suggested we tease him when she wanted to punish him for it, but Mr Darcy, arrogant, conceited man that he is, agreed with Miss Bingley that he was impossible to tease since he has no faults-except, perhaps, that his good opinion, once lost, was lost forever, but that is not a fault I could laugh at, and I said so.

He merely gave a superior smile, and Miss Bingley, tired of his attentions to me, suggested we have some music.

She need not have worried. As if realising that he had been too agreeable-agreeable by his own standards, though not by anyone else's-Mr Darcy relapsed into a hostile silence, which he has preserved ever since.

We are now waiting only for Mr Bingley's carriage to be brought round to take us home, and I hear it below. I will write some more when we are back at Longbourn.

Lizzy Miss Susan Sotherton to Miss Elizabeth Bennet Bath, November 17 Dearest Elizabeth, I have been hearing so much about Netherfield from you and Charlotte that I feel almost as though I had never left. I am very glad that Mr Bingley is such an agreeable gentleman-and already halfway in love with Jane, Charlotte says. I think Charlotte is right, Lizzy: if Jane likes him, she should encourage him. Jane has always been of a calm and equable temper and, not knowing her as we do, he might mistake her gentleness for indifference. It would be a good match for her and I would be happy to see her so well settled in life.

What a pity that all young men cannot be as pleasant as Mr Bingley, for I hear nothing but bad reports about Mr Darcy. However, I know you will tolerate him, for Jane's sake. Perhaps he will return to town, leaving Mr Bingley behind. That would be better for everyone.

We have our own share of conceited company here. There are two t.i.tled people in Bath, and they expect the rest of us to give way to them in all things. Luckily, we do not see them very often, for it is tiresome to be always having to bow and sc.r.a.pe to those who have nothing to recommend them but their ill.u.s.trious name.

There are some interesting people here, too, however, and we meet them regularly at the a.s.semblies and concerts. Mama and Papa do not particularly enjoy going out, but Mama makes sure we attend all the entertainments because she is hoping that my sisters and I will find wealthy husbands and so relieve her of our keep. It is for this reason that she thinks the expense of all our outings worth it.

I am sure I would like to find a wealthy husband as well as the next person, as long as he should happen to be young, handsome and agreeable as well. Alas, the young men in Bath are poor and the wealthy men are disagreeable, so much so that the thought of dwindling into an old maid seems positively welcome next to the thought of marrying any of them. But we are expecting an influx of new visitors next week and must hope that some of them are more inspiring.

Do not forget what I have said: tell Jane to encourage Mr Bingley. If anything could reconcile me to the loss of Netherfield Park, it would be knowing that my dear friend was living there.

Your friend, Susan Miss Mary Bennet to Miss Lucy Sotherton Longbourn, Hertfords.h.i.+re, November 18 Most n.o.ble Friend, Our family circle has been much improved by the arrival of Mr Collins, one of Papa's cousins and the heir to the Longbourn estate. He has made clear his intention of marrying one of us, in order not to deprive us of our home when Papa dies. Jane must be his first choice, she being the eldest, though she is perhaps as good as betrothed to Mr Bingley. Elizabeth must be his next choice, but she is unsuited in every way to being a clergyman's wife. Were it not for the fact that I have foresworn the nuptial veil, I might be prevailed upon to marry him. He is a man of taste, refinement and solid worth, as evidenced by his company and his letter to Papa. His ideas were well expressed, if all of them were not new, and I have used them, as well as my brief knowledge of him, to make a thorough a.n.a.lysis of his character.

He is a clergyman with a pleasing gallantry not unbecoming to a man of his profession; indeed, his comment that he did not doubt of seeing us all well disposed of in marriage in due time was delicately expressed, for he could not be expected to know that I have foresworn the state of matrimony.

He is a man of some ability, for he has won the patronage of a very great lady, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. She is a woman of sound understanding and intelligence, as Mr Collins himself has said. She is thought proud by many who know her, but Mr Collins has found her to be all affability-no doubt because she appreciates his superior powers.

He is a man of foresight, for he prepares elegant compliments with which to compliment Lady Catherine and her daughter, Anne, when the chance arises.

He is also a man of great perspicacity, for he looked with disapproval on Kitty's novel and chose to read from Fordyce's Sermons instead.

As befits his calling as a clergyman, he is full of the milk of human kindness and Christian charity, for when Papa apologised to him for Lydia's inattention, he remarked that he bore her no ill will.

If I were ever to abandon the ways of Intellect and embrace the Fleshpots of Matrimony, I believe it would be with a man such as Mr Collins.

Your sister in the pursuit of learning, Mary Miss Lucy Sotherton to Miss Mary Bennet Bath, November 19 Hail!

The clarion call of alarm sounded in my bosom when I received your last epistle. Although it was written in no less erudite a style than that which I have come to expect from you, it showed a disturbing wavering in your devoutly held principles, never to forsake the path of Learning and succ.u.mb to the Lure of the World. Take succour from me, dear friend, and let the strength of womanly sisterhood flow into your veins from a fellow ardent supporter of Athena. The owl sees all but flies alone. Pray rea.s.sure me that Mr Collins has not ensnared you with his masculine charms.

Your ardent friend, Lucy Miss Mary Bennet to Miss Lucy Sotherton Longbourn, Hertfords.h.i.+re, November 19 Most n.o.ble Friend, Your letter made me think, for I must own that I was considering whether or not it might be my Duty to forsake the path of spinsterhood in order to spread my gifts amongst the paris.h.i.+oners of Rosings. But your remark about the owl gave me pause, for it was very well expressed; indeed, I have copied it into my book of extracts. With your help, dear friend, I have seen that I can best spread my wisdom by helping Mr Collins to write his next sermon. I have given him the benefit of my thoughts on the Iniquity of Frivolity and the Wickedness of Vanity. My sister Lydia could gain much by such a sermon. It would prevent her from running after the officers, a habit which has grown worse since the arrival of Mr Wickham, a handsome young man from London. But as I said to Lydia, a handsome face does not always auger a handsome heart. She only laughed and continued to trim her new bonnet, but Mr Shackleton said the thought was well expressed.

If not for the fact that he is a man, I would invite him to join our exclusive group of Learned Women.

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