make some lucky soldier an excellent wife.’
For the first time in my life, I saw my cousin nonplussed. He was not required to reply, however, for whilst
Lydia went over to the mirror and began to admire herself, Mrs Bennet resumed her conversation.
‘When you drove away from us after your visit to
Longbourn, Lady Catherine, I had no more idea of our
being related than I had of the cat going to see the
queen, but now we are family.’
‘Indeed we are not,’ said my aunt indignantly.
‘But yes! Your nephew is married to my daughter.That
makes us cousins of a sort. My cousin, Lady Catherine!
How envious Lady Lucas was when I told her, for she is
not a real lady of course, she was only made a lady when
Sir William was given a knighthood, on account of an
address he made to the king. She was plain Mrs Lucas
before that, and her husband was in trade in Meryton. He
gave it up when he was made Sir William, but birth shows.’
‘It does indeed,’ remarked Lady Catherine pointedly.
‘And this is the girl who ran off with the steward’s son?’
she demanded, turning to Kitty.
‘No, I am not,’ said Kitty, blushing.
‘This is my second youngest, Kitty,’ said Mrs Bennet.
‘Such a good girl! Such manners! And in the way to
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becoming a beauty. She will turn heads before she is
much older, mark my words. Not that she has not already
done so. Captain Denny was very taken with her, and
there were one or two other officers who singled Kitty
out, though she is so young, but – ’
‘It cannot be you,’ said Lady Catherine, cutting across
Mrs Bennet and turning to Lydia. ‘You are a child.’
Lydia did not turn round but, having removed her
bonnet, fluffed her curls in front of the mirror.
‘La! What nonsense you do speak!’ she declared. ‘I
have been married these four months. My dear Wickham
and I were married in September. I am quite the matron.’
She turned round and faced Lady Catherine. ‘I am so
pleased to meet you,’ she said, extending her hand as
though she was a duchess and my aunt a farmer’s wife.
‘My dear Wickham’s told me all about you.’
‘Has he indeed,’ said Lady Catherine awfully, ignoring
her hand.
Lydia dropped it, unabashed, and turned to Colonel
Fitzwilliam, going towards him with hand outstretched.
‘La! An officer. It does my heart good to see a red
coat. It reminds me of my dear Wickham.’
‘I always liked a man in a red coat,’ said Mrs Bennet
to Lady Catherine. ‘Lydia takes after me.’
‘Unfortunately for those of us who like rational conversation,’ said Mr Bennet. ‘Darcy, do you have a billiard
room here?’
‘I do, sir. Allow me to show it to you. Gentlemen?’
And so saying, I rescued them from the ladies.
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A M A N D A G R A N G E
‘My wife is a constant source of amusement to me,’
said Mr Bennet as we left the room, ‘and Lydia even
more so. I had great hopes of Mary, but she has become
less silly now that she goes out more, and doesn’t suffer
in comparison with her sisters, though her outburst
today gives me hope that her silliness has not entirely disappeared. Kitty, too, looks set to disappoint me. She has
become so rational a creature now that she spends two
days out of every three at Netherfield that I fear she will
grow up to be a sensible young lady after all.’
I am still not easy with Mr Bennet’s way of speaking
of his daughters, but as his levity helped to shape Elizabeth’s playful character, I suppose I cannot complain.
Tuesday 16th December
Elizabeth took her aunt through the grounds in the phaeton
and pair today as promised, and the two of them returned
with bright eyes and a healthy glow on their cheeks.
‘And do you like Pemberley as much as the last time
you visited?’ I asked her.
‘Far better,’ she replied. ‘Then, it was simply a fine
house. Now it is Elizabeth’s home.’
‘It must be an enjoyable way of seeing the grounds,’
said Anne.
There was a trace of wistfulness in her voice. Elizabeth
heard it, and said, ‘You must take a drive with me this
afternoon.’
I blessed her for it. Anne has little pleasure in her life,
I believe.
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They set out after lunch, and though their trip was
shorter than the previous one, they returned in lively mood.
‘I think I have misjudged Anne,’ said Elizabeth later.‘I,
who used to pride myself on my ability to judge people
on first impressions, seem to have done nothing but mistake people this year. I made a grievous mistake with
you, and I believe I have made a mistake with Anne, too.
I took her to be sickly and cross, and I thought – ’
She stopped abruptly.
‘Yes, what did you think?’ I asked.
‘I thought that the pair of you deserved each other,’
she said mischievously.
‘It is a pity I did not know this sooner, or I could have
obliged you by marrying her,’ I teased her.
I never knew what it was to tease or be teased before
I met Elizabeth, but I am learning.
‘She is not nearly as sickly or cross as I supposed. In
fact, the farther we went from the house, the more lively
she became.’
‘She used to be very much more lively when we were
children, until the winter when she had a bad cold, and
a cough settled on her chest. My aunt took her away
from the seminary and said she was not well enough to
go back.’
‘Ah. So she was alone at Rosings with Lady Catherine from then on?’
‘She had her companion.’
‘It would be a brave companion who would stand up
to Lady Catherine.’
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A M A N D A G R A N G E
I agreed.
‘What did you talk of to Anne?’
‘To begin with, we talked of the park. She has fond
memories of it from childhood visits, and she pointed
out the
