You are right when you say that I had already heard about Lydia's escapade from Charlotte, but do not judge her too harshly. She did not tell Mr Collins deliberately, rather she was reading a letter from her mama when Mr Collins was in the room and could not help exclaiming over the news, and then she could not keep it from him. I am sure she would have kept your confidence otherwise.

And now I must go, there is time for no more; Mama is calling me and I must see to the final preparations for my wedding. I will write to you again as soon as I can, but I must now sign myself for the last time, Susan Sotherton

SEPTEMBER.

Colonel Fitzwilliam to Mr Darcy Fitzwilliam House, London, September 2 Darcy, you must be relieved that Wickham is safely married and the whole business is over with. What are your intentions now? Are you planning to visit Hertfordshire? You mentioned something about revealing the truth to Bingley; that you suspect Miss Bennet has feelings for him, but what of your own feelings? Are you going to speak to Miss Elizabeth?

I think she would make a worthy mistress of Pemberley.

Henry Miss Caroline Bingley to Mrs Bingley Pemberley, Derbyshire, September 3 Greetings and felicitations, dearest Mama!

It is raining today and I am full of ennui. Mr Darcy left us a few days ago to attend to business in London. I cannot think what he finds to do in London at this time of year. However, he insisted he must go and that no one could conduct the business for him.

Louisa and I are entertaining Georgiana, but it is not the same without Mr Darcy here. He graces everything with his presence, and notices every time I give his sister a kind word. He should, however, return to Pemberley later today.

I hope his business prospered, for he was not in the best of tempers when he left. I do not believe he was looking forward to it, whatever it was. No doubt it is something to do with the war; it unsettles everything, but Mr Darcy's fortune is large enough to withstand even these turbulent times.

I had hoped to see Colonel Fitzwilliam here, but he has returned to his regiment. There are plenty of other gentlemen, however, even if none of them are as handsome as Mr Darcy, but I have not despaired of fixing him, though Miss Bennet's eyes are so fine.

She was here several weeks ago and had the impertinence to visit Pemberley. The housekeeper had no choice but to show her round, and poor Mr Darcy was quite taken in by her, believing her story of being in the neighbourhood with her aunt and uncle, who wanted to see the house. A likely tale! But luckily Mr Darcy had to leave on business shortly after her arrival, whereupon she and her relatives hastily decamped, their supposed tour of Derbyshire entirely forgotten. What simpletons she must think us!

But I hear the carriage! Mr Darcy has returned. I must go!

Your dutiful daughter, Caroline Miss Mary Bennet to Miss Lucy Sotherton Longbourn, Hertfordshire, September 5 Most n.o.ble Friend, My sister has had the benefit of clergy and is now Mrs Wickham. She arrived here at Longbourn in high spirits, not at all abashed as she should have been by her disgrace. I am very disappointed in Papa. When Lydia arrived, he had an opportunity to tell her how grievously she had sinned, and to extol her to be a better woman in the future, instead of which he laughed at her iniquities and those of her husband.

It emerged that Mr Darcy had been at her wedding, indeed, he seems to have arranged it. That was very wrong of him. He should have roundly condemned Lydia, as Mr Collins did. I think that Mr Collins would have made me a better husband, after all. Mr Shackleton agrees with me. He said that wealthy gentlemen never make good husbands and that the best husbands are often clerks. I was surprised at this, but he a.s.sured me that he had read it somewhere and he has promised to find the pa.s.sage so that I might make an extract of it.

Your devoted sister in morality, Mary Miss Elizabeth Bennet to Mrs Gardiner Longbourn, Hertfordshire, September 5 My dear aunt, I cannot contain myself, I must beg your indulgence and hope you will put me out of my misery. Lydia let slip that Mr Darcy had been at her wedding and that she had been sworn to silence on the subject.

You may readily comprehend what my curiosity must be to know how a person so unconnected with any of us, and (comparatively speaking) a stranger to our family, should have been amongst you at such a time. Pray write instantly, and let me understand it-unless it is, for very cogent reasons, to remain in the secrecy which Lydia seems to think necessary; and then I must endeavour to be satisfied with ignorance.

Your loving niece, Lizzy Mrs Gardiner to Miss Elizabeth Bennet Gracechurch Street, London, September 6 My dear Niece, I have just received your letter, and shall devote this whole morning to answering it, as I foresee that a little writing will not comprise what I have to tell you. I must confess myself surprised by your application; I did not expect it from you. Don't think me angry, however, for I only mean to let you know that I had not imagined such enquiries to be necessary on your side. If you do not choose to understand me, forgive my impertinence. Your uncle is as much surprised as I am-and nothing but the belief of your being a party concerned would have allowed him to act as he has done. But if you are really innocent and ignorant, I must be more explicit.

On the very day of my coming home from Longbourn, your uncle had a most unexpected visitor. Mr Darcy called, and was shut up with him several hours. It was all over before I arrived; so my curiosity was not so dreadfully racked as yours seems to have been. He came to tell Mr Gardiner that he had found out where your sister and Mr Wickham were, and that he had seen and talked with them both-Wickham repeatedly, Lydia once. From what I can collect, he left Derbyshire only one day after ourselves, and came to town with the resolution of hunting for them. The motive professed was his conviction of its being owing to himself that Wickham's worthlessness had not been so well known as to make it impossible for any young woman of character to love or confide in him. He generously imputed the whole to his mistaken pride, and confessed that he had before thought it beneath him to lay his private actions open to the world. His character was to speak for itself. He called it, therefore, his duty to step forward and endeavour to remedy an evil which had been brought on by himself. If he had another motive, I am sure it would never disgrace him.

He had been some days in town before he was able to discover them; but he had something to direct his search, which was more than we had; and the consciousness of this was another reason for his resolving to follow us. There is a lady, it seems, a Mrs Younge, who was some time ago governess to Miss Darcy, and was dismissed from her charge on some cause of disapprobation, though he did not say what. She then took a large house in Edward Street, and has since maintained herself by letting lodgings. This Mrs Younge was, he knew, intimately acquainted with Wickham; and he went to her for intelligence of him, as soon as he got to town. But it was two or three days before he could get from her what he wanted. She would not betray her trust, I suppose, without bribery and corruption, for she really did know where her friend was to be found. Wickham, indeed, had gone to her on their first arrival in London, and had she been able to receive them into her house, they would have taken up their abode with her. At length, however, our kind friend procured the wished-for direction.

He saw Wickham, and afterwards insisted on seeing Lydia. His first object with her, he acknowledged, had been to persuade her to quit her present disgraceful situation, and return to her friends as soon as they could be prevailed on to receive her, offering his a.s.sistance as far as it would go. But he found Lydia absolutely resolved on remaining where she was. She cared for none of her friends; she wanted no help of his; she would not hear of leaving Wickham. She was sure they should be married sometime or other, and it did not much signify when. Since such were her feelings, it only remained, he thought, to secure and expedite a marriage, which, in his very first conversation with Wickham, he easily learnt had never been his design. He confessed himself obliged to leave the regiment on account of some debts of honour, which were very pressing; and scrupled not to lay all the ill-consequences of Lydia's flight on her own folly alone. He meant to resign his commission immediately; and as to his future situation, he could conjecture very little about it. He must go somewhere, but he did not know where, and he knew he should have nothing to live on.

Mr Darcy asked him why he had not married your sister at once. Though Mr Bennet was not imagined to be very rich, he would have been able to do something for him, and his situation must have been benefited by marriage. But he found, in reply to this question, that Wickham still cherished the hope of more effectually making his fortune by marriage in some other country. Under such circ.u.mstances, however, he was not likely to be proof against the temptation of immediate relief.

They met several times, for there was much to be discussed. Wickham, of course, wanted more than he could get, but at length was reduced to be reasonable.

Everything being settled between them, Mr Darcy's next step was to make your uncle acquainted with it, and he first called in Gracechurch Street the evening before I came home. But Mr Gardiner could not be seen, and Mr Darcy found, on further enquiry, that your father was still with him, but would quit town the next morning. He did not judge your father to be a person whom he could so properly consult as your uncle, and therefore readily postponed seeing him till after the departure of the former. He did not leave his name, and till the next day it was only known that a gentleman had called on business.

On Sat.u.r.day he came again. Your father was gone, your uncle at home, and, as I said before, they had a great deal of talk together.

They met again on Sunday, and then I saw him too. It was not all settled before Monday: as soon as it was, the express was sent off to Longbourn. But our visitor was very obstinate. I fancy, Lizzy, that obstinacy is the real defect of his character after all. He has been accused of many faults at different times, but this is the true one. Nothing was to be done that he did not do himself; though I am sure (and I do not speak it to be thanked, therefore say nothing about it) your uncle would most readily have settled the whole.

They battled it together for a long time, which was more than either the gentleman or lady concerned in it deserved. But at last your uncle was forced to yield, and instead of being allowed to be of use to his niece, was forced to put up with only having the probable credit of it, which went sorely against the grain; and I really believe your letter this morning gave him great pleasure, because it required an explanation that would rob him of his borrowed feathers, and give the praise where it was due. But, Lizzy, this must go no further than yourself, or Jane at most.

You know pretty well, I suppose, what has been done for the young people. His debts are to be paid, amounting, I believe, to considerably more than a thousand pounds, another thousand in addition to her own settled upon her, and his commission purchased. The reason why all this was to be done by him alone was such as I have given above. It was owing to him, to his reserve and want of proper consideration, that Wickham's character had been so misunderstood, and, consequently, that he had been received and noticed as he was. Perhaps there was some truth in this; though I doubt whether his reserve, or anybody's reserve, can be answerable for the event. But in spite of all this fine talking, my dear Lizzy, you may rest perfectly a.s.sured that your uncle would never have yielded, if we had not given him credit for another interest in the affair.

When all this was resolved on, he returned again to his friends, who were still staying at Pemberley; but it was agreed that he should be in London once more when the wedding took place, and all money matters were then to receive the last finish.

I believe I have now told you everything. It is a relation which you tell me is to give you great surprise; I hope at least it will not afford you any displeasure. Lydia came to us; and Wickham had constant admission to the house. He was exactly what he had been when I knew him in Hertfordshire; but I would not tell you how little I was satisfied with her behaviour while she stayed with us, if I had not perceived, by Jane's letter last Wednesday, that her conduct on coming home was exactly of a piece with it, and therefore what I now tell you can give you no fresh pain. I talked to her repeatedly in the most serious manner, representing to her all the wickedness of what she had done and all the unhappiness she had brought on her family. If she heard me, it was by good luck, for I am sure she did not listen. I was sometimes quite provoked, but then I recollected my dear Elizabeth and Jane, and for their sakes had patience with her.

Mr Darcy was punctual in his return and, as Lydia informed you, attended the wedding. He dined with us the next day, and was to leave town again on Wednesday or Thursday. Will you be very angry with me, my dear Lizzy, if I take this opportunity of saying (what I was never bold enough to say before) how much I like him? His behaviour to us has, in every respect, been as pleasing as when we were in Derbyshire. His understanding and opinions all please me; he wants nothing but a little more liveliness, and that, if he marry prudently, his wife may teach him. I thought him very sly-he hardly ever mentioned your name. But slyness seems the fashion.

Pray forgive me if I have been very presuming; or at least do not punish me so far as to exclude me from P. I shall never be quite happy till I have been all round the park. A low phaeton, with a nice little pair of ponies, would be the very thing.

But I must write no more. The children have been wanting me this half hour.

Yours, very sincerely, M. Gardiner Miss Lucy Sotherton to Miss Mary Bennet Bath, September 14 Hail!

I am not surprised at your father's behaviour, nor your mother's, for I see such things all about me in Bath. There are but a handful of Learned Women in the whole of England, dear Mary, and you and I are two of them. Nor does it surprise me that there are vile seducers everywhere. Men are slaves to their evil l.u.s.ts and we must be ever on our guard, for they will a.s.sail our virtue if we give them any encouragement.

One such gentleman is returning to Netherfield Park, no doubt with the intention of seducing your sister Jane. Yes, Mr Bingley is to once again take up residence. I know this because Papa, hearing of Mr Bingley's absence, hoped we might be able to let the property to another tenant, whilst at the same time keeping Mr Bingley's payment. Such are the low standards I live amongst! But Mr Bingley replied that he will be taking up residence once again on the seventeenth of this month. Your sister must take care. Let her walk nowhere unchaperoned. Having had an opportunity to propose to her in the usual manner last autumn, he did not do it, no doubt because he has designs on her virtue. We are not so very far from Italy after all.

My sister Susan has succ.u.mbed to worldly lures and is now married to Mr Wainwright. She has not written to us yet, and I must hope it is because the post is slow and not because she and her husband have been slain in the mountains and eaten by wolves or banditti (eaten by the wolves and slain by the banditti, I mean; even the worst of the banditti do not, to my knowledge, eat their victims, although nothing would surprise me about the inhabitants of the Pyrenees).

Your dear friend, Lucy Miss Mary Bennet to Miss Lucy Sotherton Longbourn, Hertfordshire, September 21 Most n.o.ble Friend, Mr Bingley has indeed returned to the neighbourhood. He called on us yesterday with his friend Mr Darcy, though, as Mama says, she does not know why Mr Darcy called, for no one wants him here. He said very little, only asked after my aunt and uncle Gardiner, though he made no enquiries after our cousin Mr Collins and his wife, Charlotte Collins. I did think at one time that Charlotte might have become a Learned Woman, since she showed no sign of frivolity and occasionally opened a book, but she was lost to us when she succ.u.mbed to the lure of Mr Collins's masculine charms and walked along the bridal path with him as her chosen mate.

Mama believes that Mr Bingley means to make Jane an offer, and in an endeavour to hasten the courtship she remarked that when Mr Bingley has killed all his own birds he must come and kill Papa's. But I believe it will take more than an invitation to deal out death to our winged friends to ensnare Mr Bingley, who is a slippery customer: as I said to Mr Shackleton, we have been down this path before. I only hope that Jane is not too disappointed when Mr Bingley disappears again.

Mary King has also returned to the neighbourhood. She was taken away by her relatives when Mr Wickham began to court her, having been alerted to his infamy by their cousin, Mark Haydock, who, as the rector of Kympton, knew something of Mr Wickham's past. But now that Mr Wickham is married to my poor sister Lydia, Mary King is safe and so she has taken up residence here again.

Perhaps she might be persuaded to join our select circle.

Your vestal sister in humility, Mary Miss Elizabeth Bennet to Mrs Susan Wainwright Longbourn, Hertfordshire, September 22 Dear Susan, By now you will have returned from your bridal tour. I hope it was everything you wished for, but I am glad, selfishly so, that you are back at home-that is to say, your new home-because I need someone to turn to, and only you will do.

Everything is in turmoil here. Mr Bingley has returned to the neighbourhood and I believe he is as much in love with Jane as ever. He called on us the day before yesterday, bringing Mr Darcy with him, and I think he is waiting only for his friend's approval before proposing.

Jane, of course, says that he is just being friendly and that she expects nothing from him. She declares that, now the first meeting is over, she will never be embarra.s.sed by his coming here again, and says that she is glad he is to dine here tomorrow, so that everyone can see that they meet only as common and indifferent acquaintances.

So common and indifferent that I believe he will propose to her before very long, even if he does not have Mr Darcy's approval!

I hope he does, for I cannot bear to see Jane unhappy and I wish Mr Bingley would put her out of her misery sooner rather than later, for there is no denying that his company is very uncomfortable for her whilst the situation is unresolved between them. It would not be apparent to anyone who does not know her well, but I can see that she is anxious and uneasy, whatever she might say. And small wonder, when everything she longs for in life is so near and yet so far away.

Mama increased her misery by fawning over Mr Bingley in the most embarra.s.sing manner, and increased mine by treating Mr Darcy with the scantest civility. If she only knew what she owed him, for it was he who forced Wickham to marry Lydia, and without his influence I dread to think what would have happened to Lydia. But all Mama does is to revile him, saying she hates the very sight of him; whereas I find myself longing to speak to him, so that I can thank him for his kindness.

Susan, I do not know what to think. When Mr Darcy came to Longbourn, I found myself hoping against hope that his affection was unshaken and that, despite everything, he still loved me. But he did not speak to me, not even about commonplace things; in fact he scarcely opened his mouth. I was so embarra.s.sed I buried myself in my needlework, but I could not resist glancing at him from time to time; however, his eyes were fixed on Jane more often than on me. On seeing this, I was overwhelmed with disappointment, and then was angry with myself for feeling that way, for how could I expect him to love a woman who had rejected him, and in so vehement a fashion?

And so I determined to treat him like any other guest. I summoned the courage to ask about his sister, but once he had told me that she was well, he lapsed into silence again, and at length both he and Mr Bingley went away.

Why, if he wished to see me, did he not speak to me? And why, if he did not wish to speak to me, did he come?

Did you ever have such moments with Mr Wainwright? Did you ever feel so painfully embarra.s.sed that you wished never to see him again, whilst hoping with all your heart that you would?

Tell me, Susan, what do you think he is about? For I cannot live with this uncertainty.

Your dear friend, Lizzy Mr Darcy to Colonel Fitzwilliam Darcy House, London, September 25 Henry, I am sorry it has taken me so long to reply to your last but I have been in Hertfordshire, making amends for the wrong I did Charles in deceiving him about Miss Bennet. As soon as I told him that I suspected she had feelings for him, and that she had been in London earlier in the year without his knowledge, he returned to Netherfield Park at once. He paid a call at Longbourn straightaway, where he was warmly welcomed by Mrs Bennet. She is as vulgar as ever, but I believe he would tolerate ten such Mrs Bennets for the chance of marrying his beloved Jane; as I would gladly tolerate a hundred Mrs Bennets if I thought that Elizabeth might marry me.

I had hoped, when I went to Longbourn, that I would find Elizabeth welcoming; that the warmth of our meetings in Derbyshire would be continued in Hertfordshire; but instead I found her ill at ease in my company.

Henry, I do not know what to think. I was sure we were coming to know each other in Derbyshire, and that she was starting to forgive me for my former rudeness. I could see that she was surprised by my courtesy to her aunt and uncle, but nevertheless pleased by it, and I felt sure that she looked more kindly on me, realising I had changed. If not for her wretched sister eloping with Wickham, I am certain we would have come to an understanding. But the mood was broken when she was forced to return home-forced to it by the elopement of her sister, whom I could have protected if I had only made Wickham's character known.

And now I do not know if I have any hope of ever winning her affections, or if I have disgusted her too much for her to forgive me.

I fear the latter. If she had given me any encouragement, any hope when I visited her in Hertfordshire...but there was none. She scarcely looked at me, let alone spoke to me, and I can see no reason to return.

I fear my chance of winning her has gone forever.

Darcy Lady Lucas to Mrs Charlotte Collins Lucas Lodge, Hertfordshire, September 29 Dearest Charlotte, We all hope you are taking care of yourself and not working too hard; also, make sure you eat well. You must look after yourself. Your father talks of nothing but the happy event and is looking forward to introducing his grandchild at St. James's.

Meryton is full of news, though none so good as your own. The Bennets are insufferable because Jane Bennet is engaged to Mr Bingley. Mrs Bennet can talk of nothing else, and grows very tiresome, for you know what a gossip she is. It is 'Jane and Mr Bingley this,' 'My future son-in-law, Mr Bingley, that' and 'My daughter, who will be Mrs Bingley.'

She was less pleased to play hostess to Mr Darcy, who accompanied his friend, although no one knows why he went. It is not as though he can have anything to take him to Longbourn. Poor Elizabeth! She had to entertain him whilst her sister sat with Mr Bingley, though he has now gone back to town on business, but everyone says he plans to return and Mrs Bennet is quite put out. 'What does he come here for?' she asks. 'I quite detest him.' But as the friend of Mr Bingley she has to tolerate him.

You have been lucky in your choice of husband, Charlotte, but I do hope he is not plaguing you too much. Remember to encourage his hobbies. I have always encouraged your father to take up outside employment of one kind or another. I cannot be doing with him under my feet all day long. Press upon Mr Collins the advantages of gardening. A man can never be too much in the garden.

Your loving Mother Mrs Charlotte Collins to Mrs Susan Wainwright Hunsford, near Westerham, Kent, September 30 Susan, how glad I was to hear of your wedding and your bridal tour, and it seems that one wedding has brought on another, for you will have heard by now that Jane Bennet is betrothed. Things happen in threes, so they say, and I think there will be another betrothal in Meryton before long. Mr Darcy has been often at Longbourn, so my mother says, and if I do not miss my guess, he will propose to Elizabeth very soon. I thought, as long ago as last year, when we were all together in Meryton, that he was attracted to her, and I counselled her to make herself agreeable to him. She would not do it, but her impertinence did her no harm with him; indeed, I think it attracted him more. To be sure, things did not look so promising when he went away, but now that he is back, and visiting Longbourn for no reason, I think it certain that he intends to marry her. I am glad of it. I like him. His manners are not prepossessing to begin with, but they improve on acquaintance. I have seen him many times, both in Hertfordshire and Kent, and I believe he would make Elizabeth an excellent husband, as well as being an excellent catch.

Your dear friend, Charlotte

OCTOBER.

Miss Anne de Bourgh to Miss Georgiana Darcy Rosings Park, Kent, October 1 Dear coz, Mama had a letter from Colonel Fitzwilliam this morning and he mentioned that you were unwell and so I write to cheer you. He sent us news of his deployment and I was glad that his injuries have healed so that he will soon be where he wants to be, back on the Continent and fighting Napoleon. I fear for him each time he goes into battle but I am glad for him nonetheless: he came to Rosings when he was injured and he was frustrated and bored, unlike his usual self. I only hope we may see him again soon.

We have more excitement here than usual. Mrs Collins is expecting a child in the spring and Mr Collins is very proud of the fact, though I fear he is more delighted because the news has pleased Mama than for his own sake. Mama has already told Mrs Collins what she must eat and what exercise to take, as well as how to raise the child and how to educate it. She has also suggested the child follows Mr Collins into the clergy and said that by the time it is grown, Mr Collins will no doubt have inherited Longbourn and so the child may have the living he now holds. Mr Collins was very grateful, as you can imagine, and bowed most profusely, though whether he will be so humble when he inherits his own property I do not know.

Having been in favour for a few weeks or so, even since the Collinses gave Mama the news, Mr Collins is now very markedly out of favour, however. He happened to say that Mr Bingley is to marry Miss Bennet, a circ.u.mstance which held no particular interest for Mama, and which Charlotte learnt in a letter from her mother, for it is the talk of Hertfordshire. He then went on to say, most unluckily, that Mr Darcy had accompanied his friend to Longbourn on several occasions and that he was on the point of proposing to Miss Elizabeth Bennet. I felt my heart soar at the news, for although I like Darcy very well as a cousin, you know my heart is elsewhere. But Mama sat as one stunned. She quickly recovered and said it was unthinkable that Darcy, descended from kings and related to earls, should offer for a woman with neither family nor fortune to recommend her. Seeing that he had displeased Mama, Mr Collins quickly remarked that the news was unreliable, mere gossip, and as Lady Catherine was so gracious as to remark, it was unthinkable, preposterous, ludicrous, and a dozen other such words.

Mama was for the moment mollified, but she kept returning to the subject and she has now announced that she means to go to Hertfordshire and make sure that Miss Elizabeth has no intention of marrying Darcy, and to tell her that she forbids the match. I think Mama is mistaken in thinking it will have any effect, for Miss Elizabeth has a decided personality and I believe she will not be browbeaten.

Mama means to take me with her, and I must confess I am looking forward to seeing the battle, although I am less happy at the thought of the rest of Mama's plan; for after she has visited the Bennets, Mama intends to make sure that Darcy offers for me. She has never been in a hurry for the engagement before, since she likes to have me with her-or, perhaps it is better to say, she likes to have someone with her-but now I believe she is beginning to think that if the engagement is not formalised, Darcy might look elsewhere.

I am sending you a sketch of the park, which I have just completed, and I console myself with the thought that, if Mama is determined to visit Darcy, then at least I will have the consolation of seeing you.

Your dear coz, Anne Miss Georgiana Darcy to Miss Anne de Bourgh Darcy House, London, October 2 Dearest Anne, I think your sketch is beautiful, I have sent it to be framed and I intend to hang it by the fireplace in my bedroom. I do hope you call here, for I would so love to see you again.

How I wish the rumours might be true, and that my brother will marry Miss Bennet! I liked her very much when I met her and I know that she is special to him. He told me a great deal about her before I even met her, and all of it good. That is not like Fitzwilliam, for you know he is easily bored and has very little time for the women who cl.u.s.ter around him. But I know he was taken with Elizabeth. There, I am calling her Elizabeth, quite as if she were my sister already!

I am sure Fitzwilliam would like to marry her. I can think of no other reason for him introducing me to her, and being so pleased when we got on well together. He introduces me to very few people, thinking that I am too young to come out, which in general is true, and in the past he has only introduced me to young women who are related to his friends, like Miss Bingley.

Oh dear, poor Caroline: I know she would like to be Mrs Darcy, but it will never happen, even if my brother does not marry Elizabeth. He does not like her very much. He admires her accomplishments and he thinks her a suitable companion for me, and of course he likes Mr Bingley a great deal, but Caroline is not always wise and does not see when her amusing remarks become spiteful. Fitzwilliam sees it and hears it, though. He is ill-humoured himself sometimes-you see, I know my brother, and much as I love him I know that he is not perfect-but there is a generosity and kindness at the heart of him that I think Caroline lacks.

Elizabeth does not lack it. When I met her in Derbyshire she put me at my ease and went out of her way to protect me from some comments that Caroline made about George Wickham.

It seems odd to me now that I was ever betrothed, however secretly, to George. He ran off with Miss Bennet's sister Lydia, you know. It was all hushed up but I could not help seeing that my brother was very agitated, and I could not help overhearing the directions he gave to his coachman, nor seeing what was in one of my guardian's letters, for my brother was so distracted that when he gave it to me to read, he forgot to remove the sheet which had been intended for him alone. By the time I realised what I was reading, I had already learnt the truth: that George had preyed upon another young woman and that, having ruined her, he was refusing to marry her.

I do not think that he would have refused to marry me; indeed, I think that was his intention, but only because of my fortune. And if I had not been an heiress but had been foolish enough to believe him-which I am ashamed to say that I would have been-then my fate would have been the same.

Fitzwilliam had to pay George in the end to marry Lydia-and it is that, I think, which has persuaded me that my brother is really in love with Elizabeth, for he would not have sought out George Wickham for anyone else.

I do hope he is about to propose to her, and I do hope she says Yes. I would love such a sister. But whether it will ever come to pa.s.s...we must just wait and see.

I am sending you one of my own sketches and I hope you find it pretty.

Your loving coz, Georgiana Mr Collins to Mr Bennet Hunsford, near Westerham, Kent, October 2 Dear Sir, I must congratulate you on the approaching nuptials of your eldest daughter, whose beauty is matched only by her modesty and elegance. As a clergyman it is my duty to encourage the inst.i.tution of matrimony and I am sure that the marriage of your uniformly charming daughter to so estimable a man as Mr Bingley will bring joy to all who know them.

Having thus offered you the sincere congratulations of Mrs Collins and myself on this happy event, let me now add a short hint on the subject of another; of which we have been advertised by the same authority. Your daughter Elizabeth, it is presumed, will not long bear the name of Bennet after her elder sister has resigned it, and the chosen partner of her fate may be reasonably looked up to as one of the most ill.u.s.trious personages in this land. This young gentleman is blessed, in a peculiar way, with everything the heart of mortal can most desire-splendid property, n.o.ble kindred, and extensive patronage. Yet in spite of all these temptations, let me warn my cousin Elizabeth, and yourself, of what evils you may incur by a precipitate closure with this gentleman's proposals, which, of course, you will be inclined to take immediate advantage of. My motive for cautioning you is as follows: we have reason to imagine that his aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, does not look on the match with a friendly eye.

After mentioning the likelihood of this marriage to her ladyship last night, she immediately, with her usual condescension, expressed what she felt on the occasion; when it became apparent that, on the score of some family objections on the part of my cousin, she would never give her consent to what she termed so disgraceful a match, I thought it my duty to give the speediest intelligence of this to my cousin, that she and her n.o.ble admirer may be aware of what they are about, and not run hastily into a marriage which has not been properly sanctioned.

I am truly rejoiced that my cousin Lydia's sad business has been so well hushed up, and am only concerned that their living together before the marriage took place should be so generally known. I must not, however, neglect the duties of my station, or refrain from declaring my amazement, at hearing that you received the young couple into your house as soon as they were married. It was an encouragement of vice; and had I been the rector of Longbourn, I should very strenuously have opposed it. You ought certainly to forgive them, as a Christian, but never to admit them in your sight, or allow their names to be mentioned in your hearing.

And now, dear sir, I must give you some news of my own which I am sure will delight you. My dear Charlotte is in an interesting condition and she will soon grace us with a young olive branch, which, if we are blessed with good fortune, will be a boy, a son and heir to come after me and to come, if I may so put it, good sir, after you; a child who will inherit Longbourn and continue the n.o.ble tradition of elegance and hospitality so charmingly begun by your own grandfather and so estimably continued by your father and yourself.

I remain, sir, your humble servant, William Collins Mr Darcy to Colonel Fitzwilliam Netherfield Park, Hertfordshire, October 5 Henry, direct your letters to Netherfield Park, as I am once again with Bingley. I have hope, hope at last! My aunt sought to interfere in my affairs and in so doing has done me an unexpectedly good turn.

Having heard a rumour that I was about to propose to Elizabeth-it seems that Mrs Collins's mother suspected my feelings and guessed my reasons for going to Longbourn-Lady Catherine visited Longbourn herself to tell Elizabeth that she must not marry me. When Elizabeth refused to give her any undertaking that she would never marry me, my aunt bore down on me like a Fury and demanded that I give her an undertaking never to offer my hand to Elizabeth. I did not give it. I would not have given it anyway, as she has no right to interfere in my affairs, but I was in no mood to even contemplate it when I learnt that Elizabeth had refused to put paid to the rumours.

My spirits lifted, for I knew that Elizabeth would have been only too happy to declare her intention of never marrying me if she had decided definitely against me, and so I set out at once for Hertfordshire. And now here I am, with hope in my heart, and tomorrow I must put that hope to the test.

I mean to ask her to marry me again. One way or another, tomorrow my fate will be sealed.

Pray for me, Henry.

Your cousin, Darcy Miss Kitty Bennet to Miss Eleanor Sotherton Longbourn, Hertfordshire, October 6 Dear Ellie, Everything here is horrible. Lydia is having all the fun in the north and if I had only been allowed to go to Brighton, I could have married an officer and I could be having fun flirting up in the north, too, instead of stuck here in the middle of nowhere. There are not even any new bonnets in the milliners'. Jane is the only one enjoying herself. She is having fun with Mr Bingley, though it is no fun for the rest of us as she sits and talks to him all the time and the rest of us might as well be dying of the plague for all she cares about us.

That Mr Darcy is here all the time, too. I do not know why he keeps coming, he never says anything to anyone, and as Mama says, he is the most disagreeable man in existence.