Longbourn: December 1811
Three weeks after they got engaged, Mary and Mr. Collins were married. The ceremony was according to Mary's simple tastes. The ceremony was attended by several of the leading families of Meryton and her aunt and uncle Gardiner - who came from London exclusively for the special occasion. Elizabeth and her grandfather didn't attend, but they sent Mary a long letter with congratulations and well wishes, as well as £50 as a gift.
During the wedding breakfast, one of the main topics of conversation—aside from the ceremony and the bride and groom—was news about the tenants of Netherfield Park.
Lady Lucas remarked to Mrs. Bennet and Mrs. Goulding that she had heard one of her maids say that the butcher's wife had told her, who in turn had been told by the Netherfield Park housekeeper, that the Bingleys would not return until at least April. In addition, the housekeeper believed that Mr. Darcy would never return to Netherfield since he had to take care of his estate in Derbyshire.
When she heard Mr. Darcy was not coming back, Mrs. Bennet looked with concern at her beautiful Jane - who was conversing a short distance away with Charlotte and John Lucas - and dismissively said to her neighbors, "I hope he doesn't come back to Netherfield Park. If he comes back, I won't have him at Longbourn. Mr. Darcy is no gentleman, and you know he used my Jane very ill."
Lady Lucas, who loved gossip even more than Mrs. Bennet, told them what her son had told her a few days ago. "I completely agree; Mr. Darcy is not a gentleman. John told me that an old university acquaintance, who has known Mr. Darcy for years, told him, Mr. Darcy likes women of low morals, and he is also a scoundrel."
Mrs. Goulding, the only half-sensible one of the trio of women, asked Lady Lucas with curiosity, "What did Mr. Darcy do to be so accused?"
"John told me that his friend told him that, despite being strictly prohibited, women of dubious morals used to visit him in his room at university. Moreover, the scoundrel himself was an accomplice in the ruin of a very beautiful young woman who lived on a modest country estate in Derbyshire."
Mrs. Bennet listened to the story with fascination and excitedly called on the Lucas siblings and Jane to hear such news. "Oh, Jane, you have to hear what Lady Lucas just told us." Looking at John Lucas, she said, "Better yet, John Lucas, why don't you tell us in more detail about Mr. Darcy's questionable behavior? Who would have believed such a rich and handsome gentleman could be so wicked?"
As might be expected, given Mrs. Bennet's and Lady Lucas' lack of discretion, several other guests heard everything that was said. In less than an afternoon, the general opinion in Meryton was that Mr. Darcy was a scoundrel.
After noon, Mr. Collins and Mary said goodbye to their family and friends and left for Kent.
PPP
As Jane looked at herself in the mirror that same afternoon, she reflected on the last few weeks of her life, and Mr. Darcy in particular. It was the second time in her life she had been attracted to a man. The first time was when she was only sixteen years old; Mr. Swan was an associate of her Uncle Gardiner's and about ten years older than her. Since she was very young and he was in trade, without significant income, her parents discouraged the relationship. The situation now was different, for she was a woman of almost twenty-three years, and Mr. Darcy surpassed her former suitor in all aspects: he was more handsome, richer, and from a noble family. She didn't quite understand what had happened, since from the beginning Mr. Darcy had paid her a lot of attention and then ignored her.
She still found it difficult to believe her mother's claims that Elizabeth was responsible for Mr. Darcy's change of attitude. She had written to Elizabeth twice, but in the end, she didn't send the letters. It was the first time they hadn't spoken for so long, and she missed her.
She didn't want to believe what Lady Lucas and John Lucas had told her. Such a perfect gentleman could not be evil. She wasn't happy in Longbourn, she felt lonely and she had many doubts about Mr. Darcy, her mother's accusations against Elizabeth, and especially her feelings. She needed another chance to see Mr. Darcy, and she was convinced if they saw each other again, Mr. Darcy would remember his interest in her. The only way to meet him was to go to London and visit Georgiana.
That night after dinner, Jane spoke with her aunt and uncle Gardiner. She told them what had happened in the last few months, from the attention Mr. Darcy paid her at the beginning to the last argument with Elizabeth and her mother suspicious. She also told them she felt sad and lonely at Longbourn and if they didn't mind, she wanted to go with them to London for a few months. The Gardiners, who genuinely loved Jane, gladly invited her to spend the winter with them. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet had no objection.
The next day, Jane left for London with the Gardiners, a stay that would teach her valuable lessons for life.
PPP
The last few days had been a revelation for Jane. Ever since she was a little girl, her mother always told her that since she was so beautiful, she was destined to marry a rich gentleman or even an earl. However, none of her mother's predictions happened, and at twenty-three years old, she realized surely this was not going to happen.
A few days after arriving in London, despite Lady Lucas and John Lucas's warnings about Mr. Darcy's character, she had hopes of meeting him again. But her hopes were shattered when she visited Georgiana.
That day she met Lady Isabella, who, as well as being beautiful – and very much like her - was the daughter of an earl and had a dowry of £30,000. Lady Isabella, after a few polite questions, patronized her and spoke mainly to Georgiana. Lady Isabella made some comments implying Jane did not belong to her and Georgiana's social circle. In addition to this, according to what she said, Mr. Darcy had visited her three times in the last two weeks, and days ago the gentleman had taken her to an exhibit at the British Museum.
Georgiana was nice to her, but she didn't seem very interested in continuing the friendship. After that day, she never visited Georgiana again. Nor did she leave Georgiana her London address. The budding friendship thus ended.
She was very sad and disappointed when she told her Aunt Gardiner what had happened that afternoon. Her aunt's response surprised her, as it contradicted everything her mother always said.
"Jane, from what you have told me and what I have heard, Mr. Darcy paid special attention to you for a few days, and then a few days later he lost interest in you."
"He paid me a lot of attention, but..."
Mrs. Gardiner sighed, and before Jane continued directly, she asked, "Did Mr. Darcy exclusively visit you at Longbourn?"
Jane shook her head.
"I think it is very likely that he was attracted to you at first, but only by your beauty. In most cases, that is not enough to hold the interest of a gentleman." Mrs. Gardiner paused and continued, "I don't want to be harsh with you and your parents, but honestly, I think they should have been more concerned about your education. I am the daughter of a simple tradesman with fewer resources than your parents, but he paid for piano and French masters so I would have a good education. My mother taught me to cook, sew, and manage a house. What have you learned in all these years? Unfortunately, only sewing, embroidery, a little gardening, making flower arrangements, perfumes, and not much else Besides, your dowry is too small to make up for the deficiencies in your education. Most gentlemen can't afford to marry a woman who contributes so little to the marriage and requires servants because she doesn't know or is not used to doing most of the housework."
Jane sighed sadly and honestly replied, "Aunt, if I had the possibility to go back in time, I would take better advantage of all the opportunities I missed. I would learn to play the piano and speak foreign languages. But I am a gentlewoman, and I don't have to know how to cook or do other chores around the house. My mother would never allow it!"
Mrs. Gardiner nodded. "Yes, you are the daughter of a gentleman, but only that." She looked Jane in the eye and said, "Honestly, during the last five years, you have come each year to London, and there have been only three young men who were interested in you. Within a few weeks, however, all three completely lost interest. Have you ever thought why, at twenty-three years old, even though you are a beautiful and sweet young woman, you haven't had a marriage proposal yet?"
Jane shook her head, and Mrs. Gardiner added, "Because it's not enough to smile and be pretty; an intelligent man will want much more in a wife."
They continued talking about Mr. Darcy and Mrs. Bennet's beliefs for a few minutes. Sadly, Jane concluded that her aunt was right and her mother was wrong. She had to forget about Mr. Darcy, as it was clear the gentleman wasn't really interested in her.