Mr. Darcy's Diary by Amanda Grange (books for students to read .txt) ๐
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- Author: Amanda Grange
Read book online ยซMr. Darcy's Diary by Amanda Grange (books for students to read .txt) ๐ยป. Author - Amanda Grange
โI do not see how,โ said Caroline. โHe is as thick as
thieves with Lydia. He knows everything that goes on in
that household I dare say.โ
โLydia is a child, and might have been wrong,โ I heard
myself saying.
โDenny did not have it from Lydia,โ said Mr Hurst.
โHad it from the aunt.Aunt lives in Meryton.Told Denny
herself.Whole house was in an uproar, she said. First Mr
Collins offers for Elizabeth, then Elizabeth tells him she
will not have him.โ
โWill not have him?โ
I heard the hope in my voice.
โRefused him. Mother in hysterics. Father on her
side,โ said Mr Hurst.
God bless Mr Bennet! I thought, prepared to forgive
him every other instance of neglect.
โIf she doesnโt change her mind and have him, he will
have the Lucas girl,โ said Mr Hurst.
โHow do you know?โ asked Caroline in surprise.
โAunt said so. โIf Lizzy doesnโt look sharp, Charlotte
will have him,โ she said. โHe has to marry, his patroness
has told him so, and one girl is as good as another in the
end.โ โ
I breathed again. It was only when I did so that I realized how deeply I had been attracted by Elizabeth. It was
a good thing I was going to London. I had saved Bingley
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A M A N D A G R A N G E
from an imprudent match, I could do no less for myself.
Once out of Elizabethโs neighbourhood, I would cease to
think about her. I would engage in rational conversation
with rational women, and think no more of her saucy wit.
We arrived in London in good time. Bingley was surprised to see us.
โWe did not want you to be alone here, and to have to
spend your free hours in a comfortless hotel,โ said Caroline.
โBut my business will only take a few days!โ he said in
surprise.
โI hope you will not go before seeing Georgiana,โ I
said. โI know she would like to see you.โ
โDear Georgiana,โ said Caroline.โDo say we can stay in
town for a week, Charles.โ
โI do not know why I should not stay an extra day or
two,โ he conceded.โI should like to see Georgiana myself.
Tell me, Darcy, is she much grown?โ
โYou would not recognize her,โ I said.โShe is no longer
a girl. She is well on the way to becoming a woman.โ
โBut still young enough to enjoy Christmas?โ Caroline
asked.
I smiled. โI believe so. You must stay and celebrate it
with us.โ
โWe will not be staying so long,โ said Bingley.
โWhat, and miss Christmas with Darcy and Georgiana?โ asked Caroline.
โBut I promised to dine with the Bennets,โ he said.
โMrs Bennet asked me particularly, and in the kindest
manner.โ
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M r . D a r c y โ s D i a r y 1 0 3
โAre you to abandon old friends for new?โ cried Caroline. โMrs Bennet said you could dine with her family
at any time. I heard her say so myself. The Bennets will
still be there after Christmas.โ
Bingley looked uncertain, but then he said:โVery well.
We will stay in town for Christmas.โ He began to look
more cheerful. โI dare say it will be good fun. It is always
better to celebrate Christmas when there are children in
the house.โ
This did not bode well for his feelings towards Georgiana, but I comforted myself with the fact that he had
not seen her for a long time, and that although she might
have seemed like a child the last time they met, she was
now clearly becoming a young woman.
โAnd once it is over, we will go to Hertfordshire for
the New Year,โ he said. โI will write to Miss Bennet and
tell her of our plans.โ
โThere is no need for that,โ said Caroline. โI will be
writing to her today. I will tell her so myself.โ
โSend her my best wishes,โ said Bingley.
โIndeed I will.โ
โAnd tell her we will be in Hertfordshire in January.โ
โI will make sure I do so.โ
โCommend me to her family.โ
โOf course.โ
He would have gone on, but I broke in with:โThen it
is settled.โ
Caroline left the room in order to write her letter.
Louisa and her husband went, too, and Bingley and I
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A M A N D A G R A N G E
were left alone.
โA Christmas to look forward to, and a New Year to
look forward to even more,โ said Bingley.
โYou like Miss Bennet,โ I observed.
โI have never met a girl I liked half so well.โ
I sat down, and Bingley sat down opposite me.
โAnd yet I am not sure she would make you a good
wife,โ I said pensively.
โWhat do you mean?โ he asked, surprised.
โHer low connections โ โ
โI do not intend to marry her connections!โ said Bingley with a laugh.
โAn uncle who is an attorney, another who lives in
Cheapside. They can add nothing to your consequence,
and will, in the end, diminish it.โ
Bingleyโs smile faded.
โI cannot see that it matters.What need have I of consequence?โ
โEvery gentleman needs consequence. And then there
are the sisters.โ
โMiss Elizabeth is a charming girl.โ
He had hit me at my weakest spot, but I was firm with
myself and rallied.
โHer sisters are, for the most part, ignorant and vulgar.
The youngest is a hardened flirt.โ
โThere will be no need for us to see them,โ said Bingley.
โMy dear Bingley, you cannot live at Netherfield and
not see them. They will always be there. So will her
mother.โ
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M r . D a r c y โ s D i a r y 1 0 5
โThen we will not live at Netherfield. I have not yet
bought the estate. It is only rented. We will settle elsewhere.โ
โBut would Jane consent to it?โ
His face fell.
โIf she felt a strong attachment to you, perhaps she
might be persuaded to leave her neighbourhood,โ I said.
โYou think she does not feel it?โ asked Bingley uncertainly.
โShe is a delightful girl, but she showed no more pleasure in your company than in any other manโs.โ
He chewed his lip.
โI thoughtโฆshe seemed pleased to talk to
meโฆseemed pleased to dance with meโฆI rather
thought she seemed more pleased with me than any
other man.When we danced together โ โ
โYou danced but twice at each ball, and she danced
twice with other
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