All hail Austen!
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One day, some months after her arrival at Pemberley as its mistress, Mrs. Darcy was summoned to the library, where her husband was engaged in writing letters of business. As odious as such a pastime must be for any young man recently married, Mr. Darcy undertook the task with as much alacrity and diligence as ever he had as a bachelor. On this occasion, however, Mrs. Darcy upon entering her husband's presence could detect in him an air of suppressed displeasure.
"I have just received a most disturbing communication from your youngest sister." - said he. "It pains me to reveal it to you; however, it implies some indiscretion on your part which alarms me greatly." How she took the letter with equanimity, she did not know, and the words with which it began were as distressing as any proceeding from a lack of propriety and sense. (Their impact was no less keenly felt for their being nearly identical to those in a letter she had received some weeks previous.)
"My dearest brother," the letter began. "I hope all is well with you. My dear husband and I wish you joy in your marriage. If you love my sister half as well as I adore my Mr. W you shall be frightfully happy. It is a pity one cannot live on love for otherwise we should be set up for life, however currently I am not sure how we shall quite manage. Lizzie does tolerably well, I imagine, however I am sorry to say that at her last visit in March she appeared in a gown which I am sure she has worn the three years previous! I was mortified, however I realize she has less interest in fashion than some. You must encourage her to dress more in keeping with her new station. Perhaps an increase in her pin money may produce the desired effect.
With love, &c..."
Mrs. Darcy read this in silence, only her heightened colour betraying her mortification.
Wretched, wretched sister to imply miserliness in the man to whom she owed her continued presence in society, her reputation, nay, her very subsistence! She opened her mouth to indulge her wounded feelings when her husband forestalled her.
"Eliza, I take this to mean you have been supporting your sister and her husband from your pin money. - Is this the case? I can only assume that if a woman of sense such as you has been persuaded to provide for them, then kindly Mrs. Bingley is well on her way to ruin! - Mr. Wickham," he continued with contempt, "uses your sister to prey on your natural and commendable desire to see your family provided for. - It is your money to do with as you will, Eliza, but I could wish a more profitable investment. Were I to die, Pemberley is entailed in default of heirs male to a distant relation; your pin money would be your only source of income. I doubt Mr. Wickham's family feeling would then extend to supporting two penniless young women."
"As to that I have little doubt. - Yet, I have lived with the spectre of future poverty all of my life, and the money I receive now is enough, I assure you, when managed sensibly, to support three penniless women at least! - I cannot enjoy the trappings of wealth when a sister of mine, foolish though she may be, is scarce able to pay for her lodging. But have no fear, I will not allow my economy to reflect badly on you again."
"Much as it galls me to take instruction from one such as she, I feel Lydia is quite correct. You should be more conscious of your attire. - If it pleases you to use your income to clothe your sisters rather than yourself, I shall be forced to oversee the population of your wardrobe myself."
"Ah! You are goodness itself. What a selfish creature you are to deprive me of a wife's pleasures - namely of complaining that her husband lacks liberality!"
"Not at all. Such a pedestrian grievance is hardly worthy of your intellect. You must have dissatisfactions far more exotic to please you. - But you shall not distract me from the topic at hand, which is this: you and Mrs. Bingley have been misguidedly supporting our brother-in-law. If I am not mistaken, Mr. Bingley is as unaware of his wife's magnanimity as I have been of yours. Her generosity does her credit, however her secrecy is not so easily discounted. I will not speak of it to him if she will agree to reveal her actions -"
"And he shall send twice the amount and be ruined in half the time! - Mrs. Bingley has her husband's interests at heart as well as my sister's, and her natural economy is greater than his if only for the reason that she has had opportunity to exercise it. - I shall speak to her directly, however. - Never has the generosity of four such excellent persons been squandered on more ungrateful or undeserving objects, I am sure!"
"Ah, but therein lies our triumph, for generosity to the good and deserving is no credit to our virtue. I believe we may congratulate ourselves on finding the least worthy objects upon which to shower our largesse." With this he proceeded to speak of a more pleasant topic. "Georgiana does very well under your tutelage, Eliza."
"Ah, yes! I have great hopes that she shall soon be affronting the richest men in the country!"
"I sincerely pray," he said smiling, "that I am not to be so fortunate." His good humour thus restored, he returned to his letters and Mrs. Darcy descended to the music room.
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Miss Darcy, a fine tall girl of sixteen years, was engaged in practicing her music. Ever mindful of the advice of her Aunt, the Lady Catherine De Burgh, she was often found at the pianoforte. Mr. Darcy, hoping to increase the regard of each sister for the other had, on his latest visit to Town, bought a selection of airs which they might have the pleasure of playing together. This kindness had in no small wise promoted the intimacy of the two, for Miss Darcy, although holding Elizabeth in the highest regard, found her opinions and forthright manner almost frightening at times; she had early found the topic of music to be the least likely to provoke an alarming response. For her part, Mrs. Darcy perceived that Georgiana was more open and less awkward when she was engrossed in some difficult passage, and encouraged her to play as much as possible. In this manner the two had become as close as Mr. Darcy could have wished, and he often regarded them with no small satisfaction as they performed some new piece together of an evening.
On this occasion, Miss Darcy appeared somewhat distracted. She played with a sure touch, however her disregard for metre bespoke a mind engaged elsewhere. Twice she repeated a sheet of music without seeming to be aware she had done it. When she began for the third time, Elizabeth could no longer restrain her curiosity, and enquired solicitously if anything were amiss. No- she was quite well. It was only, well - Nothing of concern. She had received a letter from her cousin, Miss Anne de Burgh, inviting her to spend some weeks in Bath, where Anne went often to take the waters, being of a delicate constitution. Of course, Anne could not go but her mother - the Lady Catherine - must accompany her, and Mrs. Collins as well, for Lady Catherine had found in the pastor's wife an indispensable companion. Charlotte Collins was sensible, cheerful, attentive and grateful - and did not mind being dismissed when better company was to be found. For her part, Mrs. Collins found the waters highly salubrious - especially when Mr. Collins was obliged to remain in Hunsford.
Georgiana had very little desire to go to Bath, preferring the peace of Pemberley to the assemblies and societies of that place. Being of a naturally retiring temper, she found the activities of the fashionable world so far from salutary, that only the prospect of being of use to her cousin prevented her from suffering a head-ache at the thought of them. Miss Darcy, like her brother, placed the obligations of family above any other, and only he and her new sister-in-law held any greater claim on her affections and society than Lady Catherine and Anne de Burgh. Supplanted as mistress of Pemberley, Miss Darcy could not help but feel that her continued presence there was graciously tolerated but unnecessary and unwelcome. The invitation was timely. - But, to spend her time in Bath! In the company of her Aunt! Every feeling must revolt! - Such were the thoughts of Miss Darcy as she repeatedly denied any disinclination for visiting the place and stated her intention of leaving within the week - if she could be spared?
Mrs. Darcy, in some part understanding Georgiana's hesitation, quickly endeavoured to relieve her oppressed spirits. She replied that Mr. Darcy had stated his interest in securing a place in Bath for the spring and had hoped that his sister could accompany him, as Elizabeth was to spend some weeks with the Bingleys. Miss Darcy's look of relief and eager assent firmed Elizabeth's resolve to convince Mr. Darcy of just such a course of action. The prospect of the company of his sisters- and mother-in-law was awful enough, she supposed, to make his aunt's company appear relatively harmless, and as he had but recently reconciled his differences with the Lady Catherine on his choice of a wife, a visit by him would serve to convince her that he had not lost his sense of familial obligation as well as his wits.
Mr. Darcy, upon being apprised of Miss Darcy's situation, readily agreed to Elizabeth's plan, and the sisters passed the remainder of the afternoon with more satisfaction than either had foreseen from its wretched beginning. Georgiana would dare any number of meddlesome aunts if only her brother would accompany her, and Elizabeth could only enjoy the company of her own family if he would not. For his own part, Mr. Darcy could find little cause to rejoice, as he prepared to eschew the society of one odious relation for that of another - perhaps less tiresome - relative, however he was aware that his sacrifice brought happiness to those two beings dearest to his heart, and he was satisfied.
It was settled that Mrs. Darcy would convey to the Bingleys Mr. Darcy's very sincere regrets and a cordial invitation to join him in Bath - when their own house was emptied of guests. Elizabeth could not conceive of this being any sooner than two months, as the Bingleys were much in favour in their new neighbourhood, and many balls and parties would have to take place before the Bennett family sufficiently affronted everyone in their society to be invited no more. She had no fear of any permanent harm being done, however, as Jane and Charles Bingley were so easily pleased and so warm in their approbation that they were likely considered indispensable by every hostess of their numerous acquaintance. As soon as the Bennet family's carriage cleared their drive the invitations would resume.