must leave Ramsgate at once. Furthermore, I told him
that if he ever attempted to see or speak to Georgiana
again I would ruin him.
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M r . D a r c y ’ s D i a r y 1 7
I am still angry as I write. That he could have done
anything so underhand. That he could have used
Georgiana in his schemes, his playmate of gentler
times.…He is lost to all decency. I am almost tempted to
expose him, but if I do so, Georgiana’s reputation will
suffer. I must hope that his experiences in this matter will
prevent him from ever doing anything like it again.
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August
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A M A N D A G R A N G E
Thursday 1st August
I have brought Georgiana back to London. She will stay
with me until I can find a new companion for her. After
the trouble with Mrs Younge, I am afraid to leave her, but
I know it must be done. I cannot be always in London,
and she cannot be always travelling with me. She must
attend to her studies. However, I mean to make sure I am
not deceived in a companion again. I will not only follow up references, I will visit former employers and satisfy myself as to their honesty, and the prospective
companion’s suitability, before leaving Georgiana in her
charge.
It is a comfort to me to know that as long as Georgiana is in London, she will have the protection of a
faithful butler and housekeeper.They have been with the
family for many years, and will soon alert me if anything
is amiss. I do not mean to send Georgiana away from the
city again, unless I can go with her.
Wednesday 14th August
‘I have discovered a lady who might suit Georgiana,’ said
Colonel Fitzwilliam when he dined with me this
evening.
As he is joined with me in Georgiana’s guardianship,
I had told him what had happened in Ramsgate.
‘Who is she?’
‘A Mrs Annesley. She comes from a good family, and
her time with my friends, the Hammonds, is coming to
an end.’
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‘Have you met her?’
‘Yes, on a number of occasions. I know the Hammonds have been very pleased with her.’
‘Then I will call on the Hammonds tomorrow and
see what can be arranged.’
Thursday 15th August
I called on the Hammonds and found Mrs Annesley to
be a genteel, agreeable-looking woman who impressed
me favourably with her breeding and her discourse. She
will take up her position with Georgiana next week. I
will remain in town for a few weeks to make sure she is
as suitable as she appears, and then I intend to make
several unexpected visits over the next few months to
satisfy myself that everything is in order.
In the meantime, Georgiana’s school friend will be
arriving soon. It will do her good to have some company
of her own age.
Friday 23rd August
Mrs Annesley arrived this morning. She and Georgiana
have discovered a liking for each other and I think the
relationship will prove to be a happy one. She is
delighted to know that one of Georgiana’s school friends
is to visit, and she has arranged a variety of outings for
the girls. I hope this will complete Georgiana’s recovery
from her affair with Wickham. I am persuaded that by
Christmas she will have put the whole incident out of
her mind.
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2 2
A M A N D A G R A N G E
Friday 30th August
Now that Georgiana is settled I feel confident about
leaving her whenever Bingley has need of me. It is fortunate, for if I let him choose his own estate he will
choose one with a flooding river, or rats, or an exorbitant rent. He will declare it capital and close with the
agent before he has realized what he is about, and then
he will ask me how he is to extricate himself from his
predicament. It is far better that I help him to begin
with, rather than having to rescue him at a later date.
I must confess I am looking forward to seeing him
again. I am tired of London, and looking forward to a
visit to the country.
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September
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A M A N D A G R A N G E
Monday 2nd September
I have had a letter from Bingley.
My dear Darcy,
I have found an estate in Hertfordshire that
sounds just the thing.Well placed, so that I can
travel to London when the mood takes me, or
to the north of England to visit my family, and
it is not too far from Pemberley so that I can
visit you easily, too. The agent recommends it
highly, but I know very little about this sort of
thing and I would like your advice. Will you
meet me there?
Monday 9th September
I left London today and met Bingley at Netherfield Park.
I had forgotten what good company he is; always ready
to be pleased and always cheerful.After my difficult summer, it is good to be with him again.
‘Darcy! I knew I could rely on you. How was your
summer? Not as trying as mine, I’ll wager.’
I said nothing, which he took to be an assent.
‘Caroline has been plaguing me these last three
months, but now that I have found an estate I hope she
will be satisfied.’
Bingley was, of course, delighted with everything he
saw. He said how splendid it was and asked no sensible
questions, but instead walked around with his hands
behind his back as though he had lived there for the last
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M r . D a r c y ’ s D i a r y 2 5
twenty years. He was pleased with the situation and the
principal rooms, and satisfied with what the agent, Mr
Morris, said in its praise. He asked nothing about the
chimneys, or the game, or the lake, or indeed anything
at all.
‘Is it sound?’ I asked Mr Morris.
He assured me it was, but I inspected it carefully all
the same.
‘Will it be easy to find servants in the neighbourhood?
My friend will
