Page 34 of Longbourn’s Son (Pride and Prejudice Variation #22)
Our beloved housekeeper, Mrs. Reynolds, has taken ill and is confined to her bedroom.
Our local doctor is tending to her and says she will recover, but in the meantime, Pemberley does not have a housekeeper with the reins in her hands.
I am helping a little bit by meeting with Cook and some of the servants.
I realize that these are very important lessons for me as someday I will be mistress of my own home.
I feel like I am failing, though Fitzwilliam says that I am doing well.
I hope that you and your family are healthy and happy.
Your friend,
Georgiana Darcy
/
February 2nd, 1812
Matlock House
London
Darcy,
I am sorry to hear that Mrs. Reynolds is ill, but thankful that she is expected to recover. I am not as attached to her as you are, but of course I remember her with great fondness.
I visited Wickham two days ago at Marshalsea, just to make sure that the rogue has not been getting into any mischief.
He looks very altered; his nose, which was broken by the blacksmith, healed incorrectly and is now crooked, thus changing him from handsome to merely commonplace in his appearance.
He is missing a couple of teeth as well, and his clothing is no longer fine and tidy.
The governor of Marshalsea is paying him a small amount to assist with his paperwork; Wickham is, as you know, intelligent enough and could have been successful as a solicitor if he had been willing to work.
We saw one another, and he was quite servile in his manner toward me.
Marshalsea is a grim place, but he is at least earning a little money, which keeps him out of the dingier side of the prison.
There has been no sign of Wickham’s cohort, Williamson.
I asked Wickham about him, and according to our least favorite rogue, Williamson approached him with the plan to bilk the youth of Meryton of their money.
I am inclined to believe him; Wickham has never been able to look more than a few weeks into the future as he was always focused on his current pleasures.
Williamson left the militia in time of war and thus could be brought in on charges for desertion, but one man is hardly a priority to the military officials. I doubt we will ever find him.
I am, for now, settled in London though I may journey to Brighton in the late spring to train some of the regiments there. That is not yet set in stone.
I have been seeing quite a bit of Miss Bennet and Miss Mary Bennet.
The two Bennet ladies are staying here in London with their uncle and aunt; the former is a tradesman with a particular interest in textiles.
The Gardiners are a very genteel pair; courteous, well read, and pleasant.
Mrs. Gardiner spent many years before her marriage in Lambton in Derbyshire.
I confess to being strongly drawn to Miss Bennet. She is beautiful, of course, but more importantly, she is serene, kind, patient and a delightful conversationalist. She is absolutely wonderful with her cousins, the young Gardiner children.
I have always thought I must marry for money, but when I spend time with Miss Bennet, I wonder if perhaps I could be happy on a few hundred pounds a year.
Do you ever think of Miss Elizabeth?
Regards,
Richard
/
February 7th, 1812
Netherfield Park
Caroline,
One of your most irritating character traits is your back handed insults.
As you know, I am well on my way to marrying Mr. Bennet; thus, if Miss Bennet is unworthy of Charles, presumably Mr. Bennet is unworthy of me.
You could not be more wrong. One of the blessings of having married once before is that I know no man is perfect, nor is any woman perfect.
Mr. Bennet is not a flawless man, but he is intelligent and kind and very sweet with Christopher.
His children, too, are amazing young people.
I am not yet out of mourning, and Mr. Bennet and I have not committed to marrying one another; if we do, I do not intend to invite you to the ceremony. I have no desire for your long face and snide speeches to disturb the festivities.
Louisa
/
February 10th, 1812
Pemberley
Richard,
Think of Miss Elizabeth? Yes, I find myself thinking of her every day. I felt very drawn to her back in Hertfordshire, but as you know, I wondered if my attraction for her lay in my recent ‘escape’ from offering for Anne and would pass as quickly as it appeared.
But no, that was not it at all. I am, I realize, in love with Miss Elizabeth Bennet.
I imagine her sitting side by side with Georgiana at the pianoforte, playing a duet together.
When Mrs. Reynolds was confined to her bed, I thought often about how well Miss Elizabeth would manage the household.
She has a charming demeanor, but there is steel in her that would make her a wonderful mistress of Pemberley.
I am quite determined to pursue her, Richard.
I have never felt like this about a woman.
I am aware that I am not a particularly congenial man and am not well suited to most ladies.
I realize she may refuse me; that in itself, I hope, indicates that I have changed since you scolded me for my arrogance.
I have spoken to Georgiana about my preference for Miss Elizabeth.
She is extremely enthused at the prospect of gaining such a sister.
The two ladies have been corresponding, and while I am not permitted to read the letters, it is clear that my sister relishes the friendship; Georgie is even kind enough to read snippets from the letters on occasion.
Thankfully, there is no intimation that another gentleman is pursuing Miss Elizabeth.
As for Miss Bennet, I repeat my offer to you from a few months ago; you know that the Darcy estate of Scarsdale in Lancashire would benefit from having a reliable family living in the manor house.
The estate has been sadly neglected for some years as I simply have been unable to find a faithful steward to serve a small estate so far from London.
If you wish to marry and leave the Regulars, I will pay you well to care for Scarsdale.
Sincerely,
Fitzwilliam Darcy
/
February 25th, 1812
Netherfield
Darcy,
I was glad to receive your note that you and Miss Darcy returned safely to Pemberley. The roads are usually well enough in early January, but not always.
I daresay you will shake your head in dismay, but I confess that I have fallen out of love with Miss Bennet and believe myself in love with another lady. This time, however, I am determined to take my time and be certain of my own mind before saying anything definitive.
No doubt you are wondering the identity of the woman in question. She is Miss Charlotte Lucas, the eldest daughter of Sir William.
How did this come to pass, you doubtless wonder? As you know, I have always been drawn to lovely blonde ladies. Miss Lucas is relatively plain with dark hair and her figure, while good enough, does not hold a candle to any of the Bennet girls.
And all that is why this time, I believe I am truly in love.
Miss Lucas is not particularly beautiful (though every time I see her, she seems more attractive to my eyes) but she is kind, intelligent, and diligent.
Perhaps you remember that I danced the supper set with her at the Netherfield Ball; our conversation after dinner was truly enjoyable.
She was genuinely interested in me, not distracted by those around her.
She did not flatter me or flutter her eyelashes.
She treated me courteously, kindly, and attentively, but also modestly.
Miss Bennet left for London to stay with relatives at the end of December, and since then, I have been much in company with the Lucases. My admiration for Miss Lucas grows daily.
She is, if anything, even more ‘poorly connected’ than Miss Bennet, and her portion is small, but I care not. She has proven a most pleasant friend to Louisa, and she is acting as mistress of Lucas Lodge as much as her own mother is.
At any rate, I believe I will make an offer in the next month unless something happens to convince me that we are not compatible.
Our courtship has been greatly blessed by Caroline’s absence; she decided to accept an invitation from an old school friend and is currently in Wiltshire.
I hope she does not return any time soon.
My sister Louisa shows every signs of shortly renouncing the name of Hurst in favor of Bennet.
She and Mr. Bennet seem very happy together, and once Louisa’s mourning ends in the next weeks, they may well tie the knot.
They have not shared details of their plans with me, but I see the way they look at one another, and it quite warms my heart.
If you would care to stop by Netherfield on your way to London for the Season, we would be delighted to see you and Miss Darcy.
Your friend,
Charles Bingley
/
February 26 th , 1812
Longbourn
Dear Mr. Lamper,
Yes, that price is quite acceptable for the two does. I will send one of my servants to collect them next week, and he will pay for the animals then.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Mr. Luke Bennet
/
February 28 th , 1812
Longbourn
Dear Georgiana,
I am sorry I did not return your letter sooner; we have had a great deal of excitement; my father has proposed to Mrs. Hurst, and she has accepted!
The wind seemed to be blowing that way, of course, but it is still a delight.
I like Louisa very much and adore her little son.
My father confessed to me one evening over tea that he has been longing for a compatible wife for many months, and he is overjoyed.
They plan to marry at the end of March here in Meryton.
Jane and I have been sending messages back and forth, and we have decided that Jane and Mary will return to Meryton for the wedding, and then Jane and I will turn around and go back to London.
Mrs. Hurst is a very capable lady and will oversee Longbourn well, but if Jane and I stay, we will be sorely tempted to give orders and the like.
It is better for the servants if Louisa does not have to compete with us for their attention.
Mary has always been more concerned with the needs of the tenants, and will guide Louisa in that area.
Luke, Kitty, and Lydia are also fond of Louisa, and my youngest sisters are ecstatic about Christopher.
I will stay in London for at least two months, and look forward to it. Is there any chance that you and Mr. Darcy will be spending part of the Season in Town?
With much love,
Elizabeth
/
March 8th, 1812
Pemberley
Lady Catherine,
After serious contemplation and prayer, I have concluded that Anne and I do not suit. I will not be making her an offer of marriage. You can rail and fuss about this, but I will not change my mind.
Please give my regards to Anne, and I wish you both the greatest health and happiness.
Fitzwilliam Darcy
/
March 9th, 1812
Pemberley
Bingley,
Georgiana and Mrs. Annesley and I would be delighted to accept your invitation to stay at Netherfield for a few days in late March. Many congratulations on Mrs. Hurst’s engagement to Mr. Bennet.
Sincerely,
Fitzwilliam Darcy
/
March 10th, 1812
Pemberley
Richard,
Georgiana and I will be in Meryton for Mrs. Hurst’s marriage to Mr. Bennet, and we will then travel to Darcy House. I understand from Georgie that Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth will spend the next two months, at least, in London. I hope you will still be in Town at the time.
Pray for me, that I can successfully woo the most wonderful woman in the world.
Sincerely,
Fitzwilliam Darcy
/
March 18th, 1812
Matlock House
Darcy,
I will see you in Meryton as I have also been invited to Mrs. Hurst’s wedding to Mr. Bennet.
I will certainly pray for you if you will pray for me. I am quite enraptured with Miss Bennet.
I believe if she accepts my hand that I will gratefully oversee Scarsdale.
Now, one last piece of advice from your older cousin – I would advise that you not propose immediately to Miss Elizabeth.
Miss Bennet has spoken of you a number of times, and I see no sign at all that she is aware of your interest in her younger sister.
I believe that the lady you love is unaware of your passion for her. You would not care to frighten her off.
You will do as you wish, of course!
Richard