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

come to nothing. Denny might be mistaken.’

‘I do not see how,’ said Caroline. ‘He is as thick as

thieves with Lydia. He knows everything that goes on in

that household I dare say.’

‘Lydia is a child, and might have been wrong,’ I heard

myself saying.

‘Denny did not have it from Lydia,’ said Mr Hurst.

‘Had it from the aunt.Aunt lives in Meryton.Told Denny

herself.Whole house was in an uproar, she said. First Mr

Collins offers for Elizabeth, then Elizabeth tells him she

will not have him.’

‘Will not have him?’

I heard the hope in my voice.

‘Refused him. Mother in hysterics. Father on her

side,’ said Mr Hurst.

God bless Mr Bennet! I thought, prepared to forgive

him every other instance of neglect.

‘If she doesn’t change her mind and have him, he will

have the Lucas girl,’ said Mr Hurst.

‘How do you know?’ asked Caroline in surprise.

‘Aunt said so. “If Lizzy doesn’t look sharp, Charlotte

will have him,” she said. “He has to marry, his patroness

has told him so, and one girl is as good as another in the

end.” ’

I breathed again. It was only when I did so that I realized how deeply I had been attracted by Elizabeth. It was

a good thing I was going to London. I had saved Bingley

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from an imprudent match, I could do no less for myself.

Once out of Elizabeth’s neighbourhood, I would cease to

think about her. I would engage in rational conversation

with rational women, and think no more of her saucy wit.

We arrived in London in good time. Bingley was surprised to see us.

‘We did not want you to be alone here, and to have to

spend your free hours in a comfortless hotel,’ said Caroline.

‘But my business will only take a few days!’ he said in

surprise.

‘I hope you will not go before seeing Georgiana,’ I

said. ‘I know she would like to see you.’

‘Dear Georgiana,’ said Caroline.‘Do say we can stay in

town for a week, Charles.’

‘I do not know why I should not stay an extra day or

two,’ he conceded.‘I should like to see Georgiana myself.

Tell me, Darcy, is she much grown?’

‘You would not recognize her,’ I said.‘She is no longer

a girl. She is well on the way to becoming a woman.’

‘But still young enough to enjoy Christmas?’ Caroline

asked.

I smiled. ‘I believe so. You must stay and celebrate it

with us.’

‘We will not be staying so long,’ said Bingley.

‘What, and miss Christmas with Darcy and Georgiana?’ asked Caroline.

‘But I promised to dine with the Bennets,’ he said.

‘Mrs Bennet asked me particularly, and in the kindest

manner.’

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‘Are you to abandon old friends for new?’ cried Caroline. ‘Mrs Bennet said you could dine with her family

at any time. I heard her say so myself. The Bennets will

still be there after Christmas.’

Bingley looked uncertain, but then he said:‘Very well.

We will stay in town for Christmas.’ He began to look

more cheerful. ‘I dare say it will be good fun. It is always

better to celebrate Christmas when there are children in

the house.’

This did not bode well for his feelings towards Georgiana, but I comforted myself with the fact that he had

not seen her for a long time, and that although she might

have seemed like a child the last time they met, she was

now clearly becoming a young woman.

‘And once it is over, we will go to Hertfordshire for

the New Year,’ he said. ‘I will write to Miss Bennet and

tell her of our plans.’

‘There is no need for that,’ said Caroline. ‘I will be

writing to her today. I will tell her so myself.’

‘Send her my best wishes,’ said Bingley.

‘Indeed I will.’

‘And tell her we will be in Hertfordshire in January.’

‘I will make sure I do so.’

‘Commend me to her family.’

‘Of course.’

He would have gone on, but I broke in with:‘Then it

is settled.’

Caroline left the room in order to write her letter.

Louisa and her husband went, too, and Bingley and I

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were left alone.

‘A Christmas to look forward to, and a New Year to

look forward to even more,’ said Bingley.

‘You like Miss Bennet,’ I observed.

‘I have never met a girl I liked half so well.’

I sat down, and Bingley sat down opposite me.

‘And yet I am not sure she would make you a good

wife,’ I said pensively.

‘What do you mean?’ he asked, surprised.

‘Her low connections – ’

‘I do not intend to marry her connections!’ said Bingley with a laugh.

‘An uncle who is an attorney, another who lives in

Cheapside. They can add nothing to your consequence,

and will, in the end, diminish it.’

Bingley’s smile faded.

‘I cannot see that it matters.What need have I of consequence?’

‘Every gentleman needs consequence. And then there

are the sisters.’

‘Miss Elizabeth is a charming girl.’

He had hit me at my weakest spot, but I was firm with

myself and rallied.

‘Her sisters are, for the most part, ignorant and vulgar.

The youngest is a hardened flirt.’

‘There will be no need for us to see them,’ said Bingley.

‘My dear Bingley, you cannot live at Netherfield and

not see them. They will always be there. So will her

mother.’

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‘Then we will not live at Netherfield. I have not yet

bought the estate. It is only rented. We will settle elsewhere.’

‘But would Jane consent to it?’

His face fell.

‘If she felt a strong attachment to you, perhaps she

might be persuaded to leave her neighbourhood,’ I said.

‘You think she does not feel it?’ asked Bingley uncertainly.

‘She is a delightful girl, but she showed no more pleasure in your company than in any other man’s.’

He chewed his lip.

‘I thought…she seemed pleased to talk to

me…seemed pleased to dance with me…I rather

thought she seemed more pleased with me than any

other man.When we danced together – ’

‘You danced but twice at each ball, and she danced

twice with other