Page 28 of Elizabeth is not a Bennet

Longbourn

Dearest Elizabeth and Mary,

I am so busy that it is difficult to find time to write, so this will be shorter than usual. I am engaged to be married to Mr. Charles Bingley! Yes, he offered for my hand only this morning, and I accepted with great joy!

Mamma is, of course, ecstatic to have a daughter engaged and soon to be well married. I am pleased to be able to bring so much happiness to my family. I would love Charles even if he were not wealthy, as he is the perfect man for me, but certainly his wealth brings security to us all. I know that you would always assist us to the best of your ability, your family by love if not by birth, but you should not have to do so.

I am not certain when we will wed, but it will be soon. I am aware you will probably not be able to come for our wedding. That grieves me, but given the circumstances, I beg you not to risk your safety by coming to Meryton until the situation with your step-mother and half-brother has stabilized.

With much love ,

Jane

/

Pemberley

Mr. Bennet,

I have the honor of informing you that earlier today, I asked for your niece’s hand in marriage, and she accepted me. I am confident that we will be very happy together.

I am also well aware that the situation is supremely complicated. She is in hiding here at Pemberley, and you are in Hertfordshire. In part due to the uncertainty of the future, neither she nor I am eager to wait for weeks, perhaps months, to marry at Longbourn.

Thus, I request that you give me your permission and blessing to marry Miss Elizabeth Stowe. I will attach my suggestion for the marriage settlements to this letter, and if you approve, I can arrange for a solicitor here in Derbyshire to draw up the appropriate documents.

If you are in agreement, we will wed by common license as soon as the settlements have been signed .

Sincerely,

Fitzwilliam Darcy

/

Lion and the Lamb Inn

Claybourne

Mr. Bennet,

I have met Mr. Harold Stowe and have spent a number of hours in his company. I was also introduced to his mother, Mrs. Moira Stowe, yesterday, when I shared tea and dinner with mother and son.

You have done me the honor of saying that I have a rare ability to evaluate the character of others, and I think that is true. Mr. Harold Stowe, age eighteen, half-brother of Miss Elizabeth Stowe, is a spindly youth, with red hair, dark eyes, and a general air of indignation, at least when he is not in the company of his mother. We spent several nights at the Inn drinking and talking with the other young men of the area, and Stowe did a fair amount of complaining. His estate of Greymere is under the guardianship of his mother until he reaches his majority, and apparently Mrs. Stowe does not allow him much in the way of funds. Indeed, I ingratiated myself by paying for many a drink – I will be certain to keep a careful list of expenses for your later perusal.

This afternoon, I called on Mrs. and Mr. Stowe at their invitation and spent much of the day with them. Mrs. Stowe’s appearance is much like her cousin, Miss Stowe, sharing her red hair and dark eyes. She is very handsome and, I believe, manipulative as well. I see myself in her to some degree; she postures, and smiles with her lips, even as she looks upon those around her with careful calculation. That is not to say she is a murderer, of course.

She seems to rule the roost at Greymere; her son is half afraid of her; not, I think, because of any threat of violence, but because the lady has a sharp tongue.

Mr. Stowe mentioned a Scottish estate yesterday. He claimed that it was his by right of birth, and his mother explained that he would inherit it when he reached his majority. I presume this is the estate which, in fact, will belong to Miss Stowe upon her majority.

I will continue to gain information on the pair.

Sincerely,

George Wickham

/

My dear uncle,

As you will see from Fitzwilliam’s letter, he and I are engaged to be married!

I am overjoyed! I love him and respect him, and he loves me and respects me, and we have so much in common!

So please give him your permission, dear Uncle Bennet!

We have talked at length, and as hard as it is, have concluded that we must stay here at Pemberley for the time being, or at least until we know more about the attempt upon my life. Moreover, to keep me safe, I fear you must not tell my aunt and cousins about our engagement. I know all of them like my fiancé well enough, but the news would spread quickly, and most people are likely aware that Fitzwilliam journeyed to Pemberley from Netherfield Hall. It would not be difficult for someone to guess I am here as well.

It makes me sad that you will not be able to give me away at my wedding, but difficult times call for desperate measures. I do not wish to stay unwed, nor would it be entirely appropriate, I believe, given that I am living under the same extensive roof as my fiancé.

So please, write soon with your permission! If you do not, I fear Mr. Darcy and I will be required to make a hasty trip to Gretna Green!

I am joking ... or perhaps I am not!

With much love,

Your Lizzy

/

Netherfield Hall

My dear Miss Layton,

I am very glad you will be in London after the New Year. My sister, Louisa, my brother Hurst, and I expect to be in Town as well.

Charles is engaged and will soon be married to a very handsome and kind young lady who is the eldest daughter of a local country squire. Jane is a truly charming woman, and I have no doubt we will enjoy one another’s company during next year’s Season .

For now, though, it seems best that the Hursts and I travel to Town after the wedding, which will be before Christmas. I cannot regret our upcoming journey; the country is all well and good, but London, even during its dreariest times, is bound to be far more interesting than Hertfordshire.

Sincerely,

Caroline Bingley

/

Longbourn

Dear Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy,

I dislike writing, as you well know, and thus will write to you both at once.

You have my blessing to wed as soon as it may be arranged. I too am disappointed that I cannot be present, but I agree that it is wise for you to wed at Pemberley and in secret. Mr. Darcy’s suggestion for the settlements, which I have returned with this letter, is more than generous, though I did make a few notes for you both to contemplate, especially regarding the estate of Ravenswood. You are both intelligent people and can decide whether my thoughts have merit.

My dear Lizzy, I love you greatly. In Mr. Darcy, I am confident you have found a wonderful gentleman to marry. You are a very quick and clever young woman, and many a young man has found you rather too intelligent for his taste. Darcy has a powerful intellect, combined with common sense and a hard work ethic. The latter is no small thing, my darling; many a gentleman is a lazy spendthrift. I may no longer be young, but I am much too lazy, though not, I hope, reckless with my spending.

By now you likely know that Jane and Bingley are engaged. They are well suited and will be happy together.

I have one more engagement to share, which will affect the future of my wife and daughters. Charlotte Lucas accepted an offer of marriage from Mr. William Collins. You might mention that to Mary; I was not present at the discussion where Mr. Collins protested her sudden disappearance, but within two days, he had transferred his attention to Miss Lucas, and she agreed to marry him a few days later. He is back in Kent now, which is a great relief to us all; he really is a tiresome man.

As for Charlotte Lucas, I had always been disposed to think her tolerably clever, and I have now discovered that she is far more foolish than even the most foolish of my daughters.

Or perhaps she is not; Collins may be a wearisome fellow, but he has a good income and is heir to Longbourn. Miss Lucas is seven and twenty and was on the shelf, and the marriage is a good one from a pecuniary perspective.

With much love,

Thomas Bennet

/

Cheapside

Brother Bennet,

I believe I have the last of the documents needed for Elizabeth to lay claim to Ravenswood, though of course she will not actually inherit until next May.

Mr. Appleton is a pleasant enough man, to be sure, but he is not very competent, and I started sending a young man to his offices every single day to harass him about finding the requisite papers regarding Elizabeth’s paternity and inheritance. I am glad to have that done. I will arrange to have the documents sent to Elizabeth as soon and as safely as possible.

It is our pleasure to deal with the mail going between Elizabeth and Longbourn, and I am glad that everyone is being very careful with her safety until the unfortunate situation with Ravenswood has been resolved.

Sincerely,

Edward Gardiner.

/

Jane!

Oh Jane, I am so happy for you! How absolutely wonderful that you and Mr. Bingley are engaged! You two are very much alike, my dear cousin, and will, I believe, love one another well and get along far better than most married couples.

I know Mary is disappointed that she cannot attend your wedding, but she understands the need to protect my safety. If she returned, it would be difficult for her to keep my location hidden !

She will return eventually when this entire situation is settled.

I am happy and well, and so is Mary.

With much love,

Lizzy

/

Jane,

I am very happy that you and Mr. Bingley are engaged. He seems a fine gentleman, and I know he will treat you well. Moreover, he is sensible and clever enough to be a good master to Netherfield.

I am sorry that I will miss your wedding, but it would not be wise for me to leave Elizabeth now. I am well enough in our hiding place. The pianoforte is a good one, and I am spending many happy hours playing.

I am certain Mamma is very pleased at your engagement. It dissipates the worries over the entail significantly.

Again, many congratulations, dear sister.

Love,

Mary