Mr. Bennet
My Dear Daughter,
I must admit that my correspondences of late have yielded much more excitement than an old man has come to expect from a few scraps of parchment. It resembles one of those awful, silly novels that Kitty and Lydia like to read. I find the horrid things crammed in the cushions of all my comfortable chairs, but I digress.
I still fail to fathom the depths of your cousin's wisdom. His seeming delight in notifying me of your wickedness leapt off the epistle he sent. Though, I have all confidence that by the present hour his loving patroness has quenched those fires of righteous retribution heaped equally upon yourself and Mr. Darcy.
I think you need not worry of Lady Catherine exposing you. That great lady will do anything in her power to prevent her nephew from marrying a penniless girl like yourself. However, she may make the remainder of your stay with the Collins family a trifle hostile. I say the remainder of your stay because you must stay in your present location. A sudden departure will confirm the gossip that may have taken wind. Mr. Darcy used the utmost discretion in coming to see me and plans to slip back to Rosings just as unobtrusively. If, even with our best efforts, gossip does spread it may be covered up as an engagement kiss. In that event, Mr. Darcy will spread the word of his travels to Longbourn to ask my consent.
I must admit Lizzy, if the outcome of this trouble results in your marriage to Mr. Darcy, I do not think the union would be a miserable one. Mr. Darcy may lack a certain liveliness and easy manners, but he does possess a surplus of intelligence and honor. I know that he did not mean to damage your reputation and that his conduct is a great source of embarrassment.
I have lived in a marriage without love and without respect for my partner in life, and yet I have found some joy. Lizzy, you have brought me a large portion of that contentment, and for that I thank you my dear. If this marriage comes to pass, do not drag storm clouds with you to the Altar. You may not have love, but I think you should value Mr. Darcy for his positive qualities.
I wish I could have given my consent to a man who both owned your heart and appreciated your intelligence. You deserve that happiness, but the nature of life is imperfection. Thankfully, I can comfort myself with the notion that you will want for nothing and have a husband of some sense. I only wish that I had enough power and wealth to protect my child from such a trifling event. The past few days have awakened me to my most obvious short comings. If I had taken more interest in ensuring the future of my daughters' security I would have been able to buffer this scandal. I regret that I have failed you Lizzy, my dearest child.
Love,
Your Father