Anne cast a worried glance at her mother, but allowed
Elizabeth to lead her upstairs. Jane went with them,
whilst my aunt had to wait for Mrs Reynolds.
Colonel Fitzwilliam laughed.‘Elizabeth is afraid of no
one,’ he said, when Mrs Reynolds had taken Lady
Catherine upstairs.
‘Of course not,’ said Bingley. ‘She married Darcy!
Though I think he is not quite so awful as he used to be.
Marriage suits him.’
‘It suits both of you. Perhaps I ought finally to take the
step myself,’ said the Colonel.
Elizabeth rejoined us, and soon the other ladies found
their way to the drawing-room. My aunt and Anne
already knew Caroline and Louisa, and once the four of
them had exchanged greetings, my aunt began to speak,
only to break off as she heard another carriage arrive.
‘Who is this?’ she asked, glancing out of the window.
‘My aunt and uncle!’ cried Elizabeth, jumping up.
‘The uncle who is an attorney, or the uncle who lives
in Cheapside?’ asked Lady Catherine contemptuously.
Elizabeth did not reply, but went forward to greet her
guests as soon as they entered the room.
‘Elizabeth! How well you look,’ said Mrs Gardiner.
She was dressed fashionably, and had an air of style
about her.
mr darcy_internals 1/30/07 4:06 PM Page 311
M r . D a r c y ’ s D i a r y 3 1 1
‘Positively blooming,’ added Mr Gardiner.
I saw that Elizabeth was pleased by the look of surprise on Caroline’s face. We exchanged glances, and our
thoughts went back to the first time I had met the Gardiners, when I, too, had been pleasantly surprised.
There followed the usual conversation about the
roads, and then talk of the Gardiner’s carriage led on to
Elizabeth saying:‘I have the phaeton and pair all ready for
you, just as you requested. As soon as you feel like travelling again, we will take it round the park.’
‘A phaeton and pair? What is this? An equipage for an
outing? I must have my share of the pleasure. I like a ride
round the park of all things. I would have learned to
drive if Sir Lewis had taught me, and I would have
excelled at it,’ said Lady Catherine. ‘Sir Lewis told me so
himself.You must let me know when you mean to go. I
will come with you, and so will Anne.’
‘But there are only two seats,’ Elizabeth pointed out.
‘Then Anne and I will take the carriage.’
‘I am persuaded your ladyship will not like the expedition,’ said Elizabeth. ‘We will not only be going down
by the river, we will also be going through the woods.’
‘What does that signify?’ demanded Lady Catherine.
‘The woods are my greatest pleasure.When my sister was
alive, we drove there often.’
‘But, as your ladyship informed me at our last meeting,
my presence has polluted them,’ said Elizabeth archly.
My aunt could think of no reply. I have never known
her to be lost for words, and it was a welcome experience.
mr darcy_internals 1/30/07 4:06 PM Page 312
3 1 2
A M A N D A G R A N G E
She was not to be bested, however, and after a minute she
overcame her astonishment and said: ‘Your mother and
sisters are coming, I understand?’
‘Yes, they are.’
‘All of them?’
‘Yes, all of them.’
‘What, even the one who ran off with the son of
Darcy’s steward?’
‘Yes. Even Lydia,’ said Elizabeth gravely, but with a
smile in her eye.
‘I hear your mother received her at Longbourn, after
her scandalous behaviour. It cannot be true, of course.
The report must be false. No mother could endorse such
infamy on the part of her daughter. She would immediately cast her off and leave her to suffer the consequences
of her behaviour.’
In her estimation of Mrs Bennet’s character she was
entirely wrong. Mrs Bennet arrived soon after her
brother and his wife, and not only did she endorse Lydia’s
behaviour, she gloried in it.
‘Lady Catherine, how good it is to see you again,’ she
said as she made her curtsy. ‘It seems like only yesterday
you were visiting us at Longbourn, bringing us word of
Charlotte on your way through the village. If you had
told me then what I know now, I should not have
believed you. My Lizzy, to marry Mr Darcy! Of course, it
is not to be wondered at. She has always been a very good
sort of girl, quite her father’s favourite, and though Jane
has more beauty, Lizzy has more wit, though of course I
mr darcy_internals 1/30/07 4:06 PM Page 313
M r . D a r c y ’ s D i a r y 3 1 3
should not call her Lizzy any more, I should call her Mrs
Darcy. Mrs Darcy! How well it sounds. And to think, she
is the mistress of Pemberley! I knew she could not be so
lively for nothing. Pemberley is a very fine house. I had
no idea it would be quite so fine. Lucas Lodge is nothing
to it, and it is even better than the great house at Stoke.
As for Purvis Lodge, it has the most dreadful attics, but
Lizzy – Mrs Darcy – assures me that the attics at Pemberley are quite the best she has ever seen.’
‘I am sure she will give you a tour of them, if you ask
her nicely,’ said Mr Bennet dryly, as he stepped forward
and kissed Elizabeth.‘How are you, Lizzy? You look well.’
‘I am well, Papa.’
‘Darcy is treating you well?’
‘Yes, he is.’
‘Good.Then I do not have to challenge him to a duel.’
‘I hope you will go fishing with me instead, sir,’ I said.
‘I will be glad to do so.’
‘And you, too, are included in the invitation, of
course,’ I said to Mr Gardiner.
‘It will give me great pleasure.’
‘What do you think of my bonnet, Lizzy?’ asked
Lydia, coming forward. ‘Is it not delightful? I got it yesterday.’
‘I thought you needed to economize,’ said Elizabeth.
‘I did,’ said Lydia.‘There were three bonnets I liked in
the shop, and I bought only the one.’
‘From all I have read, the practising of economy does
not come naturally to females,’ said Mary. ‘They must
mr darcy_internals 1/30/07 4:06 PM Page 314
3 1 4
A M A N D A G R A N G E
study it diligently if they are not to let their expenditure
exceed their income.’
‘Well said, Mary.Very well put,’ said Mrs Bennet. She
turned to Colonel Fitzwilliam. ‘Such an accomplished
girl. She reads I
