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

y ’ s D i a r y 9 3

‘Very true,’ she answered. I thought she had acquired

some sense, but a moment later she said,‘I have just been

speaking to Eliza Bennet. She seems to have developed

the most extraordinary liking for George Wickham. I do

not know if you realized, but he is to attach himself to

the militia here. It is of all things the most vexing, that

you should be plagued with a man like George Wickham. My brother did not wish to invite him, I know, but

he felt he could not make an exception of him when

inviting the other officers.’

‘It would have looked particular,’ I conceded.

Bingley could not be blamed for the situation.

‘I know that Charles was very pleased when Wickham

took himself out of the way. Charles would not wish to

disconcert you in any way. Knowing Wickham was not a

man to be trusted, I warned Eliza Bennet against him,

telling her that I knew he had behaved infamously to

you, though I did not have all the particulars…’

She paused, but if she was expecting me to enlighten

her, she was to be disappointed. My dealings with Wickham will never be made public, nor told to anyone who

does not already know of them.

‘…but she ignored my warning and leapt to his

defence in the wildest way.’

I was about to put an end to her conversation, as it

was causing me no small degree of pain, when another

voice penetrated the chatter. I recognized the strident

tones at once.They were those of Mrs Bennet. I had no

wish to listen to her conversation, but it was impossible

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not to hear what she was saying.

‘Ah! She is so beautiful I knew she could not be so

beautiful for nothing. My lovely Jane. And Mr Bingley!

What a handsome man.What an air of fashion. And such

pleasing manners. And then, of course, there is Netherfield. It is just the right distance from us, for she will not

like to be too close, not with her own establishment to

see to, and yet it will take no time at all for her to come

and visit us in the carriage. I dare say she will have a very

fine carriage. Probably two fine carriages. Or perhaps

three.The cost of a carriage is nothing to a man with five

thousand pounds a year.’

I found myself growing rigid as I listened to her running on.

‘And then his sisters are so fond of her.’

I was glad that Caroline’s attention had been claimed

by a young man to her left, and that she did not hear. Her

fondness for Jane would evaporate in a moment if she

knew where Mrs Bennet’s thoughts were tending. But it

was not just Mrs Bennet’s thoughts. Sir William’s

thoughts had been running in the same direction.

I looked along the table, and saw Bingley talking to

Miss Bennet. His manner was as open as ever, but I

thought I detected something of more than usual regard.

In fact, the longer I watched him, the more I became

sure that his feelings were engaged. I watched Miss Bennet, and although I could tell that she was pleased to talk

to him, she gave no signs that her feelings were in any

way attached. I breathed more easily. If I could but

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remove Bingley from the neighbourhood, I felt sure that

he would soon forget her, and she would forget him.

If it had only been a matter of Miss Bennet, I might

not have been so concerned at the thought of Bingley

marrying her, but it was not only a matter of Miss Bennet, it was a matter of her mother, who was an unbridled

gossip, and her indolent father, and her three younger sisters who were either fools or common flirts, and her

uncle in Cheapside, and her uncle the attorney, and on

top of all this, her strange connection, the obsequious

clergyman….

As I listened to Mrs Bennet, I felt the time was fast

approaching when I must take a hand. I could not abandon my friend to such a fate, when a little effort on my

part would extricate him from his predicament.

I was sure that with a few weeks in London, he would

soon find a new flirt.

‘I only hope you may be so fortunate, Lady Lucas,’ Mrs

Bennet continued, though evidently believing there was

no chance of her neighbour sharing her fortune.‘To have

a daughter so well settled – what a wonderful thing!’

Supper was over. It was followed by a display from

Mary Bennet, whose singing was as bad as her playing.

To make matters worse, when her father finally removed

her from the pianoforte, he did so in such a way as to

make any decent person blush.

‘That will do extremely well, child.You have delighted

us long enough. Let the other young ladies have time to

exhibit.’

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Was there ever a more ill-judged speech?

The evening could not be over too soon, but by some

coincidence or contrivance, I know not which, the Bennet carriage was the last to arrive.

‘Lord, how tired I am!’ exclaimed Lydia Bennet, giving a violent yawn that set Caroline and Louisa exchanging satirical glances.

Mrs Bennet would not be quiet, and talked incessantly. Mr Bennet made no effort to check her, and it was

one of the most uncomfortable quarter-hours of my life.

To save Bingley from such company became uppermost

in my mind.

‘You will come to a family dinner with us, I hope, Mr

Bingley?’ said Mrs Bennet.

‘Nothing would give me greater pleasure,’ he said. ‘I

have some business to attend to in London, but I will

wait upon you as soon as I return.’

The knowledge delighted me. It means I will not have

to think of a way of removing him from the neighbourhood, for if he happens to remain in London, then the

contact with Miss Bennet will be broken and he will not

think of her any more.

I intend to speak to Caroline, to make sure that Jane’s

affections are not engaged, and if I find, as I