Mr. Darcy's Diary, Amanda Grange [elon musk reading list TXT] 📗

insupportable it would be

to pass many evenings in this manner, in such society; and

indeed I am quite of your opinion. I was never more

annoyed! The insipidity and yet the noise; the nothingness and yet the self-importance of all these people! What

would I give to hear your strictures on them!’

‘Your conjecture is totally wrong, I assure you. My

mind was more agreeably engaged. I have been meditating on the very great pleasure which a pair of fine eyes

in the face of a pretty woman can bestow.’

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Caroline smiled.

‘And what lady has the credit of inspiring such reflections?’ she asked, turning her gaze to my face.

‘Miss Elizabeth Bennet,’ I replied, as I watched her

cross the room.

‘Miss Elizabeth Bennet!’ exclaimed she. ‘I am all

astonishment. How long has she been such a favourite?

And pray when am I to wish you joy?’

‘That is exactly the question which I expected you to

ask,’ I told her. ‘A lady’s imagination is very rapid; it

jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony,

in a moment. I knew you would be wishing me joy.’

‘Nay, if you are so serious about it, I shall consider the

matter as absolutely settled. You will have a charming

mother-in-law, indeed, and of course she will be always

at Pemberley with you.’

I let her speak. It is matter of perfect indifference to

me what she says. If I wish to admire Miss Elizabeth

Bennet, I shall do so, and not all Caroline’s sallies on fine

eyes and mothers-in-law will prevent me.

Tuesday 12th November

Bingley and I dined with the officers this evening.There

is a regiment stationed here, and they are for the most part

well-educated and intelligent men.When we returned to

Netherfield we found Miss Bennet at the house. Caroline

and Louisa had invited her to dine. She had ridden over

on horseback, and an unlucky downpour had soaked her

through. Not surprisingly, she had taken a chill.

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Bingley was at once alarmed, insisting she should stay

the night. His sisters concurred. She retired to bed early,

and Bingley was distracted for the rest of the evening.

I was reminded of the fact that he is still only threeand-twenty, and so he is still at an unsettled age. He is

presently concerned for Miss Bennet’s health, and yet by

Christmas he will be in London, where he will no doubt

forget all about her.

Wednesday 13th November

Miss Bennet was still unwell this morning, and Caroline

and Louisa insisted she stay at Netherfield until she is full

recovered. Whether they would have insisted quite so

vehemently if they had not been bored is doubtful, but

as the weather is poor, and there is nothing for them to

do but stay indoors, they were eager to persuade her to

remain.

Bingley insisted on sending for Mr Jones, the apothecary, as soon as he knew she was no better.

‘Is it really necessary?’ I asked him. ‘Your sisters seem

to think it is nothing more than a sore throat and a

headache.’

‘There is no telling where a sore throat and a

headache might lead,’ said Bingley.

A note was dispatched to Mr Jones, and another to

Miss Bennet’s family, and we settled down to breakfast.

We were still in the breakfast parlour some time later

when there was a disturbance in the hall. Caroline and

Louisa looked up from their cups of chocolate, turning

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enquiring glances on each other and then on their

brother.

‘Who would come calling at this hour, and in this

weather?’ asked Caroline.

Her question was soon answered as the door opened

and Miss Elizabeth Bennet was shown in. Her eyes were

bright and her cheeks were flushed. Her clothes showed

signs of her walk, and her stout boots were covered in

mud.

‘Miss Bennet!’ exclaimed Mr Hurst, looking at her as

though she were an apparition.

‘Miss Bennet!’ echoed Caroline. ‘You have not come

on foot?’ she asked, appalled, staring at her boots, and at

her petticoats, which were six inches deep in mud.

‘Yes,’ she said, as if it was the most natural thing in the

world.

‘To walk three miles so early in the day!’ said Caroline, with a horrified glance towards Louisa.

‘And in such dirty weather!’ exclaimed Louisa, returning her look.

Bingley was troubled by no such astonishment.

‘Miss Elizabeth Bennet, how good of you to come,’ he

said, jumping up and shaking her by the hand. ‘Your sister is very ill, I fear.’

Caroline had by now recovered from her astonishment.

‘Really, Charles, do not distress her,’ she said. She

turned to Miss Bennet.‘It is nothing but a headache and

a sore throat. She did not sleep very well, but she has

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risen this morning. She is feverish, though, and she is not

well enough to leave her room.’

‘You must be cold and wet,’ said Bingley, glancing at

Elizabeth with concern.

‘It is nothing. I often walk out in the morning. The

cold and the wet do not trouble me.Where is Jane? Can

I see her?’

‘Of course,’ said Bingley.‘I will take you to her at once.’

I could not help thinking of the brilliance the exercise had given to her complexion, although I wondered

whether she should have walked so far alone. If her sister

had been dangerously ill, perhaps, but for a cold?

Charles left the room with Miss Bennet. Caroline and

Louisa, feeling it incumbent upon them as hostesses to

go too, followed them. Bingley soon returned, leaving his

sisters in the sick room.

‘We ought to be leaving,’ I said, glancing at the clock.

We had arranged to meet some of the officers for a

game of billiards. I could tell that Bingley did not want

to go, but I persuaded him that he would make himself

ridiculous if he remained indoors because his sister’s

friend had a cold. He looked as though he was about to

protest, but he has a habit of listening to me and took my

advice. I am glad of it. Colonel Forster would have

thought it very odd if he had cancelled the engagement

on so