(This conversation will contain spoilers for the current chapters.)

S: I have decided that I am definitely not a fan of Lady Catherine de Bourgh. How arrogant and rude she is toward Elizabeth! I am glad Elizabeth is able to think clearly and hold her own. She even treats her civilly, though Lady Catherine does not believe her to do so. It all makes me wonder if Mr. Darcy has said something, or if Georgianna mentioned casually that she really liked Elizabeth. It also occurred to me as I read this chapter how similar Lady Catherine and Mrs. Bennet are: they both speak foolishly much of the time. 

R: Lady Catherine is definitely not a sympathetic character, but her visit is one of my favorite parts of the book. I think it makes Elizabeth finally confront and understand her own feelings for Mr. Darcy, and the whole scene is amusing. Personally, I believe that Lady Catherine probably got word via Mr. Collins, probably from a letter from Charlotte’s family or another Meryton friend, though I agree that Darcy and Georgiana themselves may have also mentioned Elizabeth in Lady Catherine’s presence. However she learned of it, I was surprised at her going to Longbourn personally. As Elizabeth pointed out, such a visit would be most likely seen as confirmation of the report of her engagement to Mr. Darcy.

S: I pointed out in our last discussion that Elizabeth must have talked quite a bit about how much she disliked Mr. Darcy because of her family’s reactions toward him; her father’s reaction to Mr. Collins’s letter, I think, proves just how much she had spoken ill of him. I understand Elizabeth’s feelings – she doesn’t know if Mr. Darcy loves her or simply thinks of her as a close friend. She is afraid that he mayn’t love her, and yet has not had a chance to speak with him to apologise for her previous behaviour, despite what he may feel.

R: Oh, the scene between Elizabeth and her father is so uncomfortable! I retract what I said last time about not thinking Elizabeth had spoken badly of Darcy that much. I feel bad for Elizabeth. She’s dug herself a bit of a hole and doesn’t know how to get out of it. If she tries to defend Darcy, no one will believe her because no one knows what he’s done to help her family. Indeed, as we see later, that is the exact problem she has.

S: When they were finally able to talk, I was so happy! I couldn’t help smiling as I read through their conversation. They both appear to have grown much in character from when we first met them, and seem to be much more understanding and humble.

R: It’s definitely one of the best conversations in literature. I had forgotten about Darcy asking her to burn his letter, and I loved Elizabeth’s understanding response. The reader can see how much they’ve both changed as the conversation goes on, especially when he informs her that he confessed his part in keeping Bingley from knowing Jane was in London. I love how Elizabeth shows that she’s learned some restraint with her teasing at the end before they part. ‘She remembered that he had yet to learn to be laughed at, and it was rather too early to begin.’

S: Elizabeth’s conversations with her different family members make me chuckle, Mr. Bennet’s being the most amusing, and the letters written to the extended family made me both smile and laugh out loud. It gives me great satisfaction to know that Mrs. Collins is extremely pleased that Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy will be married. I never wanted their friendship to end. Even though we don’t get to see a lot of it, it did seem as though they had developed a very strong relationship.

R: I think I would have expected Elizabeth’s conversation with Jane to have gone better. I think I always thought that Elizabeth becoming more restrained would have made Jane understand that her feelings had changed about Darcy. I guess I also thought that the conversation about what Wickham had done would have changed her opinion about Darcy. Elizabeth regrets her earlier comments about Mr. Darcy when she speaks to her father, which is a good lesson for us all. If you talk badly about someone behind their back, you can’t really take that back. Gossip, slander, it’s all devastating. It can ruin the subject’s life, even if it’s not true.

I do love to see that Mr. Bennet is willing to give Darcy a chance and actually get to know him. And Elizabeth’s letter to Mrs. Gardiner is hilarious, as is Mr. Bennet’s to Mr. Collins. 

I agree about Elizabeth’s friendship with Charlotte. I’m glad that they are able to continue as friends. I’m impressed with Darcy’s restraint with all of Elizabeth’s family and neighbors. It must have been difficult for him. Even if you have made changes in behavior, it’s easy to slip into old habits.

S: It makes me sad that it appears Mr. and Mrs. Wickham never grow out of their childish ways and that their marriage ended rather sadly. 

R: A happy ending most of the way around. The Wickhams were left to the consequences of their own behavior. I was glad that the Darcys were eventually able to reconcile with Lady Catherine, and that even Caroline Bingely became, at least on the surface, more amenable.

This is my favorite of Jane Austen’s books and I’ve really enjoyed reading through it again with you!

S: I’ve enjoyed reading it for the first time and discussing it with you, and the ending makes me so happy! Really, I enjoyed the book quite a bit, and am glad to have had the opportunity to read it slowly and enjoy the story. I honestly thought it would be laborious to get through, but it didn’t move too quickly and I felt keenly the character’s highs and lows.

Coming up next, we will have one, perhaps two, posts that discuss four of the movie adaptations of Pride and Prejudice!

(This conversation will contain spoilers for the current chapters and possibly for future chapters.)

S: So much has happened in these chapters that they feel like a book unto themselves. 

What a sad thing to not be able to attend the first marriage of the family! It’s difficult to think how the Bennet girls feel, though there’s probably quite a mix of emotions.

R: It’s really interesting, too, because in Austen’s day, I believe it was fairly unusual for a younger daughter to be married before an elder, let alone the youngest of five married first.

S: Lydia’s silliness and childishness grates on me, but I suppose we’ve come to expect that from her. It makes me wonder if she will ever really feel the consequences of her actions, or if she will go through life not caring in the least. Still, one good thing came about from her staying so long at Longbourn! Elizabeth finds out that Mr. Darcy was present at the wedding.

R: Lydia continues to be thoughtless and self-centered, especially in the way she asserts her preeminence over her sisters. She seems to have no understanding of the impact of her actions on her family.

S: When we read about why Mr. Darcy was present, it is astonishing. As the reader, of course, we can understand why he did what he did since we have the view of what the Gardiners think as well as the narrative, but it’s still somewhat surprising that Elizabeth is so surprised at Mr. Darcy’s behaviour. I’m really enjoying the plethora of thoughts we see come from Elizabeth during this time.

R: I love how Mrs. Gardiner almost outright states that she and Mr. Gardiner suspected that Elizabeth and Darcy were engaged, or at least had an understanding, even to the point of inviting herself to Pemberly! It’s easy to miss because she just calls it ‘P’ at the end of her letter. ‘Pray forgive me if I have been very presuming, or at least do not punish me so far as to exclude me from P. I shall never be quite happy till I have been all around the park. A low phaeton, with a nice little pair of ponies, would be the very thing.’ 

Elizabeth’s shock is understandable, I think. Even with Mr. Darcy’s altered behavior toward the Gardiners, the news about Lydia and Wickham only strengthens his original case against marrying her. That he would put himself to so much trouble to help her sister certainly shows that his feelings for her haven’t changed. 

S: I don’t know if Mr. Wickham ever realised or even cared that Elizabeth knew the truth about his behaviour toward the Darcy family, but it makes me sad nonetheless. I can’t say that I like him or Lydia, but I do wish that they were less self-centered. 

R: When Wickham and Elizabeth have their very careful conversation, I almost feel like he’s trying to feel out how much she does know, because he’s aware that she’s spent time with Darcy and others who are close enough to the matter to know the truth about his actions. Elizabeth basically lets him know that she’s wise to him and they leave it at that. Wickham knows he won’t be able to ingratiate himself to her any longer, and Elizabeth feels there’s no need to say anything further about it.

S: It was a pretty funny, albeit uncomfortable, exchange! 

I was so excited that Mr. Bingley returned! I waited with bated breath to see if he did still really love Jane.

It surprises me that everyone in the family absolutely disregards Mr. Darcy, save for Jane and Elizabeth. It didn’t seem to me that Elizabeth talked so negatively about him often, but from everyone else’s words throughout the book I suppose she did, we just didn’t read about it.

R: I was glad to see Bingley, too! And I feel so bad for Darcy. I’m not sure it was Elizabeth talking about him, but the behavior they all saw at the Meryton ball and talk about the village. Other than with Jane, Elizabeth seems to keep her thoughts to herself the majority of the time. I certainly wouldn’t say anything I didn’t want repeated to the rest of her family!

I feel so sorry for Elizabeth. She’s angry and confused, angry with her family’s rudeness and with herself, and confused by Darcy’s presence. She knows that her family owes him everything, really, for his intervention in the situation with Lydia, but is not able to share it with them.

S: Poor Elizabeth, and really poor Mrs. Bennet! Elizabeth is embarrassed yet again over her mother’s behaviour, and her mother just cannot speak kindly to Mr. Darcy. This section reminded me of Proverbs 18:7, which says, ‘A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul’. 

R: Indeed. Mrs. Bennet is a perfect example of how one shouldn’t  behave.

S: I do laugh at Elizabeth’s vexation over Mr. Darcy’s indifferent behaviour! Isn’t that just what we tend to do sometimes: worry about what someone is thinking, or why they’re acting a certain way? The entirety of Chapter 54 is so funny, but you can also hear Jane’s difficulty in trying to not get her hopes up over Mr. Bingley.

R: It’s so cute how Jane is trying not to get her hopes up, but Elizabeth knows she’s already gone on Bingley again, and he is obviously still in love with Jane. What man of leisure would show up before breakfast, before the ladies are even dressed, otherwise?

S: True! I hadn’t thought about that, and that makes it even more sweet. I am so happy that Mr. Bingley and Jane are going to be married! You can just feel the joy the entire family feels after such a difficult time with Lydia. And how quickly people’s minds change. At the end of this section we learn that the Bennet’s neighbours all thought them very unlucky, and yet only a few weeks later decided that they were very lucky. The human mind is fickle, indeed.

R: Jane and Bingley are so cute together! Mr. Bennet’s comment about their marriage always makes me laugh: ‘I have not a doubt of your doing very well together. Your tempers are by no means unlike. You are each of you so complying, that nothing will ever be resolved on; so easy, that every servant will cheat you; and so generous, that you will always exceed your income.’

Jane has also learned her lesson about her blind faith in others’ goodness. She understands, finally, that Miss Bingley must have had a part in concealing her presence in London from Mr. Bingley, and that she will have to proceed with caution in renewing a relationship with her. 

S: Now we just need to see if Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner are correct in their assumptions that Mr. Darcy loves Elizabeth!

(This conversation will contain spoilers for the current chapters and possibly for future chapters.)

S: Although Elizabeth and Jane are surprised, frightened, and angry at Lydia’s and Mr. Wickham’s conduct, does it really surprise the reader? Austen has dropped hints throughout the story of Lydia’s improprieties, and there is even a scene where Elizabeth implores her father to put his foot down in not letting Lydia go to Brighton but instead deal with her tears and complaints.

When Mr. Darcy entered the scene again, my hopes rose some. He doesn’t reprimand or remind Elizabeth of her family’s shortcomings; he just stays with her and listens. Also, it occurs to me that he now knows she didn’t expose Georgianna’s and Wickham’s story to anyone. I would have liked Mr. Darcy to remain with her longer, and was saddened when he left. I know Elizabeth thinks that there’s certainly no more affection in his heart for her after this, but I have my doubts. Austen doesn’t tell us that he left angry; she simply implies that he left sadly and seriously. He’s been very contemplative throughout this interaction.

R: This chapter is almost heart-breaking. Lydia’s behavior comes to a head, and the results are just as bad as Elizabeth had predicted. I have to laugh a little at Jane, still trying to smile and give it a good spin, but Elizabeth knows that this is the end of all her hopes, if she’s begun to have any. 

When Darcy comes in, she’s devastated not only by her sister’s actions but by the fact that it has, yet again, put before Darcy all the reasons he’d had for thinking her a bad match. I love how kind he is in this moment, though. I’m sure he knows exactly how Elizabeth feels. He’d probably felt similarly when Georgiana ran off with Wickham, and he likely understands where her thoughts have gone in regard to him and his previous behavior. I hope that he’s learned his lesson enough to not let this incident color his feelings for Elizabeth.

S: Again, we see that Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner are so sweet. Without a moment’s hesitation, they end their holiday and head off to Longbourne. I am glad that Elizabeth gives at least a little information regarding Mr. Wickham’s character so that her aunt and uncle understand a bit more, but it is to her credit that she doesn’t gossip. She continues to honour the unspoken request for respect of Georgianna – it is her story to tell, when and if she chooses to tell it.

As a side note, the Gardiner’s children seem like they must be adorable! It’s obvious that they are a loving family.

I have tried to find some redeeming quality in Mrs. Bennet, but I’m afraid this part has mostly ended that quest. She is so blinded by her favouritism toward Lydia and for herself that it doesn’t even occur to her that she is partly responsible for Lydia’s conduct. (Honestly, she reminds me a little of Aunt Petunia Dursley from the Harry Potter series, the way they both dote on their children!)

I still don’t quite know what to make of Kitty and Mary. I can’t tell if Kitty is jealous or resigned, and Mary is so…pious (not in a good way). 

R: The Gardiners are amazing! Though I think they are a little too like Jane in trying to believe the best of Wickham. Since they don’t have the full background, I suppose that’s understandable. 

Mrs. Bennet really is awful. Indulging children does them no good and can lead them into worse situations. They may not like you much when you discipline them, but they will be much better for it in the long run. To me, Kitty definitely seems jealous, but it’s good for her to be removed from Lydia’s influence. It says a lot about the strength of Lydia’s personality that she was the leader of their little gang despite being the youngest. Mary is pedantic. She doesn’t seem to have an original thought, and her words of ‘wisdom’ are certainly unhelpful.

S: Lydia’s letter to Mrs. Forster is very childish. I’m surprised they were such friends! Perhaps Mrs. Forster thought her amusing and full of life, but really she’s a very selfish girl. She makes things difficult for everyone else in a way that they almost can’t refuse helping her. Frustration abounds toward her.

R: I think that Mrs. Forster is closer to Lydia’s age than her husband’s, so their being friends seems reasonable to me. Well, as reasonable as two silly young women can be. 

As Elizabeth points out, while Lydia is foolish and thoughtless, she seems to have had good intentions in running off with Wickham. She isn’t malicious.

S: Good points, all!

I would agree with Elizabeth regarding the reactions of other people toward her family – though it was kind of Lady Lucas to visit and offer assistance, sometimes it’s best to let people work out things as a family and not get involved. Then again, I suppose it depends – if you know the person helping is one who will not gossip about what’s going on, their help would be invaluable. It’s when you don’t really trust the other person, or don’t truly know their intentions, that you don’t want others around. Unfortunately, we know little about Lady Lucas, although if it had been Charlotte who had come around to offer support, I think Elizabeth would have welcomed the help and sympathy.

R: I think that was a difficulty of the times. The lifestyles of the nobility and gentry left them little to do but socialize and gossip about one another. There was also competition for marrying into the best families, and the necessity of remaining above reproach. When a family failed to do so, it was big news if they didn’t manage to quash the gossip immediately. 

S: That’s a good point; what a frustrating way to live! One would be hard pressed to find out who one’s true friends were. 

I hate to say it, but knowing that Mr. Bennet was shocked made me a little happy, simply because I think he thought his girls were just silly and stupid, but now he sees the enormity of the situation and all the ways Lydia’s choices will impact their family. I wonder if he is shocked by how inattentive he really has been as a father and husband. I hope we will see his character tempered by the end of the book.

R: Mr. Bennet certainly seems to have seen the light in regard to how he’s mismanaged his family and finances. He believes that Mr. Gardiner has paid a great deal of money to Wickham, and to Wickham’s creditors, to get him to marry Lydia, a huge debt that Mr. Bennet doesn’t think he’ll ever be able to repay.

S: I suppose I do feel rather sorry for Mr. Bennet. He had wanted to spend time enjoying his wealth in the moment, rather than planning for the future. He also took for granted that he and Mrs. Bennet would produce at least one son. As much as I don’t like his attitude toward most of his family, I can understand how disappointed he is in life and why he acts the way he does. Still, I can’t help but sigh that he goes back to his fairly selfish ways.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Mrs. Bennet really got on my nerves in this section – she’s so excited about Lydia’s marriage that she makes herself appear foolish. I do understand, though, her frustration when Mr. Bennet tells her he will not allow Mr. and Mrs. Wickham at Longbourn. It would be very difficult to think of never again seeing your youngest daughter in your home.

R: I think the whole idea of his continuing to pay for Lydia’s upkeep after her marriage is foreign to readers today when marriage usually means financial independence from parents, except in unusual circumstances. The fact that she’s marrying someone who obviously can’t support her plays into that, I suppose. I can’t decide how I feel about his initial refusal to allow Lydia and Wickham into his home and then relenting under the pressure of his wife and daughters. Even Elizabeth and Jane thought it would be better for them to stop at Longbourn before being banished to another regiment in the North.

S: I was having difficulty with that as well. I can understand his frustration and refusal to want to see the two, but there’s also the idea of forgiveness and Christian love that Jane and Elizabeth seem to be trying to show. If you view the world in such a way as to think that we all are guilty of something that would be cause for judgement, forgiveness is more easily granted, even if you don’t agree with the guilty party’s choice(s). Jane and Elizabeth are very kind toward their sister, as they help change their father’s mind about admitting Mr. and Mrs. Wickham to Longbourn.

Elizabeth is the only one, it appears, with a truly level head. She is seeing the future for her sister and it’s not a pretty picture, or one that screams ‘independent’, and it would appear that Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner think similarly. They are such kind people! I’m sure gossip had already spread about Lydia, to which she is immune, but the Gardiners still decide to give her a place to stay until the marriage can be formalised.

R: To bookend this group of chapters, poor Elizabeth has realized that she does care for Mr. Darcy, and that she would have been happy with him if he’d renewed his suit. But in her mind, this scandal must have put him off for good. She doesn’t believe that there’s any chance that she’ll ever see him again, though she trusts him implicitly not to spread their misfortune abroad. Of everyone in the family, Lydia’s behavior has hurt Elizabeth the most.

S: Very true! Her views toward Mr. Darcy are rapidly changing and it’s fun to see that she thinks of him more often, with what appears to be a wish of being able to talk with him. And based on what we’ve seen of Lydia’s behaviour in previous chapters, it’s possible that she will always remain blissfully unaware of what she’s done and whom she’s hurt. There’s a very melancholic sense at the end of these chapters.

(This conversation will contain spoilers for the current chapters and possibly for future chapters.)

S: I cannot tell you how annoyed I am with Mr. Bennet! I know that he doesn’t want to hear his daughter whining about not going to Brighton, but my goodness me, he is just being lazy. He doesn’t appear to really hear what Elizabeth is saying about Lydia’s behaviour, nor about Kitty’s. I wonder if he’s in denial about his life course.

R: I agree! This is probably where I dislike Mr. Bennet the most. In general, I enjoy his sarcasm and humor, except when he’s mocking his own family, but in this case he has completely failed in his duties as a father. He is meant to protect and guide his children, and in Lydia’s case in particular, he fails to do either. 

S: As a side note, I wish I could be more like Elizabeth and not fret about things I cannot change, but acknowledge I’ve done my duty and leave it alone.

R: I like that Elizabeth tried to take care of her sister by going to their father. Of course, some of it is just not wanting to expose the family to further embarrassment, but the effect would have been the same. Though I’m sure Lydia could have found ways to get into trouble even if she’d stayed at Longbourn.

S: I was a bit smug as I read the part where Elizabeth and Mr. Wickham speak again. He seems to know that something’s going on, that she knows more than she’s letting on, and will no longer allow him to manipulate her feelings and thoughts with his words. It gave me great satisfaction.

R: I wonder whether Wickham knows that Elizabeth must know something, or is just worried that she does. I do love how Elizabeth essentially confesses her own prejudice here and essentially repents of it. She knows that she was wrong about Mr. Darcy, her opinion largely influenced by Wickham’s lies, and she’s subtly informing Wickham that she knows better now, while at the same time shutting down his attempt to renew his attentions to her. 

S: I think the most difficult part for me to read was the part when Elizabeth really assesses her father’s behaviour as a husband. That was so sad! I was annoyed with him at the beginning of the book, yet thought that he might perhaps still love his wife, but according to Elizabeth’s observations, he has been angry at himself for marrying Mrs. Bennet and just doesn’t care anymore how he or the family is viewed.

R: It’s sad that Mr. Bennet’s imprudence in his choice of a wife should cause his family such difficulties. He made his bed – and regretted the making ever after. He’s the poster boy for the phrase: marry in haste, repent at leisure.

I think the Gardiners are my favorite secondary characters. Poor Elizabeth, fretting over the shortened trip and even more, worrying over running into Darcy. It’s too bad that she can’t talk to her aunt about what had happened. Aunt Gardiner probably would have had the best advice and at least as sympathetic a reaction as Jane did.

S: I had forgotten all about Elizabeth’s holiday with the Gardiners! When it is decided they will go to Pemberley, I must say I had some trepidation on Elizabeth’s part. It’s interesting to see how her feelings toward Mr. Darcy have changed. She doesn’t want to see him, but not because she despises him; rather, because she’s embarrassed of her and her family’s conduct after having received his explanatory letter. 

S: The walkabout Pemperly’s house and grounds is a soothing one; it just feels homey and peaceful. 

I can’t tell if Mrs. Gardiner thinks Elizabeth still likes Wickham, or if she’s just teasing; perhaps it’s a little of both. 

I was very surprised by the housekeeper’s estimation of Mr. Darcy; though this is not at all what others say his character is, I think it’s not too difficult to believe, based on what we’ve so far observed. 

R: This is one of my favorite chapters in the book. The accidental meeting with Mr. Darcy is so adorable, and I think we finally see his true personality. Certainly he seems to have rethought his behavior when he proposed to Elizabeth. The moment when Elizabeth introduces him to Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner is one of the best scenes in the story. For one thing, I think it shows Austen’s propensity for poking fun at the British upper classes. Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner are portrayed as more polite and genteel than Elizabeth’s own family and Darcy himself (as was), who are members of the gentility. I believe it also shows that Darcy either doesn’t think as badly of the lower classes as he seemed to, or that he’s being on his absolute best behavior in this unexpected encounter with Elizabeth.

I don’t know how true it is, but Regency novels and movies are always portraying the men of the nobility and upper classes as being inundated with women who want to snag them – an almost literal meat market. It’s possible that Darcy could have had the view that Elizabeth was a gold-digger precisely because of her ‘low’ connections. 

S: I was surprised that they met with Mr. Darcy, and surprised by Elizabeth’s reaction. She has very much tempered in the few weeks since they last met, and I think for the better. She finally seems to understand that he did love her, and might still do, though she can hardly believe it. One is always more comfortable at one’s home, and I think this is also part of what Elizabeth is observing in Mr. Darcy, but I’m convinced that he still at least likes her and wants to have a friendship with her since he wants to introduce her to his sister. I’m strongly reminded of the saying, ‘You can’t judge a book by its cover.’ 

R: We get to see that both Elizabeth and Darcy have somewhat repented of their earlier attitudes and actions. I think the clearest evidence that Darcy has changed or recovered his equanimity is his easy politeness when introduced to the Gardiners and his offer to introduce Elizabeth to his sister. The fact that Georgianna wants to meet Elizabeth shows that Darcy must have spoken of her in some capacity. 

S: Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner’s observations of the unfolding friendship/possible romance are subtle, but oh, so cute! They have certainly become some of my favourite characters in the story. I very much like the fact that they do not pepper Elizabeth with questions, nor pry into her relationship with Mr. Darcy, but quietly take note of all the things unfolding before them. Elizabeth has no impropriety to fear from her aunt and uncle in any way. They exude peace.

R: I’m glad that Elizabeth figured out a way to inform Mrs. Gardiner of the truth about Wickham without betraying Darcy’s confidence. While her intentions to not declaim him publicly are noble, I don’t think it’s wrong to disabuse her immediate family of the man’s falsehoods as appropriate.

I love how the Gardiners’ subtlety contrasts with Mrs. Bennet’s usual behavior. If Elizabeth’s mother had had the slightest idea that an extremely wealthy gentleman was interested in her daughter, she wouldn’t have stopped nagging Elizabeth about it and making inappropriate comments. 

S: I agree!

I’m excited we’ve finally met Georgianna. She seems such a sweet girl, and with Elizabeth’s tempered countenance, she is better able to judge her character. Perhaps, had Elizabeth been more tempered earlier on, she would have seen Mr. Darcy as shy, rather than smug. Mr. Darcy is in his element, it seems – so confident and relaxed; he really does seem like a different person!

R: Georgiana was always a little bit of a surprise and enigma to me. She apparently really wanted to meet Elizabeth, according to Darcy’s words in the previous chapter, but when confronted with the person herself, Georgiana is too shy to really engage. I do understand how Darcy’s behavior when he first came to Hertfordshire could be seen in a similar light. They probably both need some practice.  

S: True! Unfortunately, sometimes shyness can be misconstrued as haughtiness.

Finally, Elizabeth, and the reader, seem certain that Mr. Bingley has not forgotten Jane (such an accurate memory of when he last saw her!). I daresay that Mr. Darcy could be trying to make amends? 

By the end of Chapter 44, the reader, as seen through the eyes of Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, is convinced that Mr. Darcy is truly in love with Elizabeth. 

Something I’m enjoying about Austen’s work – she doesn’t tell you how a character acts; she shows you by their conduct so you can make your own observations and judgements.

R: I love that we get Bingley back! It’s obvious that he’s still thinking about Jane and just biding his time, impatiently, until he can ask Elizabeth about her.

I also enjoyed Elizabeth’s working through her own feelings, and realizing that Darcy must really still love her.  

S: In Chapter 45 we are greeted once more by Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley, and I still do not like them (well, more so Miss Bingley). We are reminded of just how nasty Miss Bingley’s words are. She reminds me of the woman in Proverbs 21:19: ‘It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman’ (NKJV). (Come to think of it, this verse can also be applied to Mrs. Bennet.) It shows just how self-centered she is, how improperly she behaves. I cringed for Georgianna’s sake when she mentioned Mr. Wickham. Of course, Miss Bingley knows nothing of that affair, but it does point to her ignorance and foolishness. If anyone is prideful and prejudiced, it’s her. Suppose she had had a ‘meek and quiet spirit’ – perhaps it would have been her Mr. Darcy would have pursued (1 Peter 3:4). I wonder if this is part of the reason Mr. Darcy allows himself to be more civil with Elizabeth and her family – he is starting to see that all families have some members who act improperly. (Oh, the literary genius when Austen through Miss Bingley refers back to Mr. Darcy’s comment about Elizabeth’s eyes in earlier chapters!)

I love how, after Elizabeth leaves, Mr. Darcy shuts down Miss Bingley. He sees through what she is doing and isn’t going to stand for it, especially since her words are attacking both of the women he loves. His words don’t surprise me, though. He did the same thing in the earlier chapters, even when we didn’t quite know where he stood with Elizabeth. 

I suppose I do feel a bit of remorse for Miss Bingley – Austen reminds us that she really only hurt herself.

R: I can’t bring myself to feel the least bit sorry for Miss Bingley. When Darcy shuts her down, I think it’s one of the best mic drop moments in classical literature. He says of Elizabeth in response to Caroline’s comment that Darcy once thought Elizabeth was maybe a little pretty: ‘Yes,’ replied Darcy, who could contain himself no longer, ‘but THAT was only when I first saw her, for it is many months since I have considered her as one of the handsomest women of my acquaintance.’ If that isn’t a declaration of love, I don’t know what is! Okay, that’s a rather shallow standard, but for the purposes of the novel, it will do.

S: The final scene in this section is adorable – both Elizabeth and Mrs. Gardiner want to talk about Mr. Darcy’s attentions towards Elizabeth, but neither wants to bring up the subject!

R: That is a cute moment. Mrs. Gardiner is too polite to embarrass Elizabeth by bringing up a subject that obviously causes her some kind of distress; and Elizabeth is too embarrassed (maybe?) to start the conversation either.

S: I’m very much looking forward to future chapters – there seems like there could be quite a bit of excitement ahead!

(This conversation will contain spoilers for the current chapters and possibly for future chapters.)

S: This was a difficult section for me to read, and I’m not sure why. I wonder if it’s because it seemed like things moved really slowly. There was a lot of introspection, which isn’t bad, but I find that I am not as interested sometimes with that part of the story; it’s kind of like working on multiplication – you know it’s going to be useful later in life, but goodness it’s annoying to learn!

In Chapter 36, I think we see Elizabeth’s character better than we’ve seen before, because her emotions are on full display. Upon her first read-through of Mr. Darcy’s letter, she is full of indignation and disbelief, and then begins to think more about her experiences with Mr. Wickham, and eventually is able to fully see how her family acts. She is also better able to see her own character, something which, I’m afraid, I tend to not do very well.

R: It had to have been a sobering realization for Elizabeth. She has some justifiable anger when it comes to how Mr. Darcy acted in relation to her sister and how he addressed himself in his marriage proposal; however, being able to come to grips with and accept that her own behavior had not been what it should have says much of her overall character. It’s not a pleasant experience, having your own sins and foibles dragged into the light.   

S: So true! We don’t like unpleasant things.

I was very sad that she missed sending off Mr. Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam. I wonder if, had she been able to talk with Mr. Darcy, things would have improved a little between them.

R: I think, even with Elizabeth’s new understanding of the situation, their meeting before Darcy and Fitzwilliam leave Rosings wouldn’t have gone well. The chances of them being able to speak privately would have been almost nil with nosy Lady Catherine around. I also believe that they both might have been too embarrassed by the proposal encounter to really be able make any sort of progress. Darcy is likely raw from Elizabeth’s rejection; Elizabeth is probably too horrified by her responses to even know what she feels. At this point, Darcy’s love is not reciprocated, so any exchange between them would have been nothing but incredibly awkward.

S: Those are good points.

I have a different feeling toward Lady Catherine after she gives an invitation to Elizabeth to stay longer. I’ll not say that she’s a favourite character, but I think she might mean well in this instance. She seems to have taken perhaps a little liking to Elizabeth. She reminds me of a snobbish version of Mrs. Jenkins.

R: I can see the resemblance to Mrs. Jenkins, but I feel like Lady Catherine’s invitation to stay longer is nothing more than wanting to maintain control of everybody’s lives. She doesn’t want Elizabeth to leave yet, for whatever reason, so she must stay. Anyone else probably would have capitulated. I think it was good for Lady Catherine to encounter someone who stood up to her, and I think it foreshadows later events in the book.

S: I am intrigued!

When Elizabeth, Maria, and Mr. Lucas leave, it is good to note that Elizabeth sees Charlotte’s decision to marry Mr. Collins in a better light; of course, she still does not wish to ever be in that position, but it appears by all accounts that the friendship was mended in Elizabeth’s mind. Mr. Collins’s ramblings do not seem as tiresome as they did at the beginning of the book; the reader kind of learns to ‘tune him out’.

R: It’s definitely nice that after Elizabeth’s initial negative reaction to Charlotte’s marriage she’s able to reconcile herself to it somewhat and be the friend Charlotte undoubtedly needs. Mr. Collins seems to take some final digs at Elizabeth before she leaves by pointing out how good his situation is because of Lady Catherine.  

S: Yes, Mr. Collins has poor taste and doesn’t act like the kind of pastor I’d want to be under.

I hate to say it, but Catherine’s and Lydia’s impropriety frustrated me when reading Chapter 39. Of all the things to do! – meet your sisters and friend and prepare them a meal, but be so vain and self-centered that you make them pay for it but still take the credit – I simply do not like Lydia. Catherine (Kitty) is not too bad so far, but Lydia’s incessant talking and complete focus on the regiment is just silly and irritating. Mary’s piety is also frustrating. Even though she doesn’t whine and drone on and on about the officers and do silly things with them, she has a ‘pooh-pooh’ attitude which is almost just as bad. 

R: Oh, yes! Kitty and Lydia are so thoughtless and self-centered, and Mary is pedantic. The two youngest have no thoughts in their head besides military and millinery, paying no heed to what their older sisters think. They have no interest in hearing about their travels, only conveying gossip about Mr. Wickham and the girl he was supposed to be marrying. 

S: As I read this section, I felt as though all Elizabeth’s emotions were overwhelming mine, that I was feeling her frustration with her sisters as much as she was. I know her father is glad she returned, but she now just seems tired; her eyes are opened to herself and her family, and she’s bearing a great secret.

Even though Elizabeth keeps the secret of Mr. Darcy’s dealings with Mr. Bingley’s departure from Jane, I am glad she can confide in her about Mr. Wickham and about the proposal. I like Jane’s sensible attitude toward them, and that they do not either of them wish to discredit anyone or spread gossip. Elizabeth shows prudence in not wanting Miss Darcy’s affair to be made public, and I think this shows a maturity in her we had not previously seen. 

R: I agree with all of the above. It’s good that Elizabeth has one sister in whom she can confide, but I think it was wise to not reveal Mr. Darcy’s interference in Jane’s relationship with Bingley. Jane’s such a calm, reasonable woman, but I think it would have preyed on her mind to know that her happiness had been destroyed by a third party. 

I do love how Jane tries so hard to see something good in both Darcy and Wickham. One of my favorite quotations is from this passage:

‘This will not do,’ said Elizabeth; ‘you never will be able to make both of them good for anything. Take your choice, but you must be satisfied with only one. There is but such a quantity of merit between them; just enough to make one good sort of man; and of late it has been shifting about pretty much. For my part, I am inclined to believe it all Darcy’s; but you shall do as you choose.’

And this one:

‘There certainly was some great mismanagement in the education of those two young men. One has got all the goodness, and the other all the appearance of it.’

S: Those were good quotes and sum up this section very nicely!

Mrs. Bennet’s questions and observations appear more rude than before, and perhaps that is because we are feeling what Elizabeth is feeling – confusion, frustration, a bit of melancholy on Jane’s behalf. Mrs. Bennet doesn’t seem to understand that, as much as she tries to make herself sound intelligent, she really sounds rather ignorant. 

R: Indeed, Mrs. Bennet has no sensitivity for others’ feelings beyond how they affect her own. Can you imagine her reaction if she knew that Elizabeth had turned down a proposal from Mr. Darcy? I think Elizabeth might have found herself tossed out on her ear. 

S: This section leaves off with a sense of melancholy. There’s not much of a cliffhanger or dramatic reveal, and I think that’s on purpose (not that Jane Austen necessarily meant for us to read it five chapters at a time!). This feels like a good point in the book to pause, like Elizabeth does, and take stock of all that has happened. Of course, we still have twenty chapters to go, but there’s just a quiet in this section that I wonder whether or not will carry through the rest of the book.

R: You’re right. It’s a little bit of a breaking point, the ruminations on the huge revelations in the previous chapters sort of wrapping up the first part of the book and teasing the reader about what might be to come. 

(This conversation will contain spoilers for the current chapters and possibly for future chapters.)

S: I like Colonel Fitzwilliam; he seems a very amiable man with a kind heart, and he quickly strikes up a friendship with Elizabeth. Lady Catherine, I am sorry to say, is not comic relief to me, though I’m sure she is meant to be; she just annoys me and is too much of a busybody with a rather high opinion of herself. (I do admit, however, that her comments about practicing the piano are amusing!) Mr. Darcy’s embarrassment over her ‘ill-breeding’ reminds me of Elizabeth’s embarrassment over her family’s at the dinner party so many chapters ago.

R: Oh, that’s really interesting! I’d never thought about the parallel between Elizabeth and Darcy’s feelings about their family members’ behavior. They also each have at least one family member who is not an embarrassment – Colonel Fitzwilliam for Darcy, Jane and Aunt Gardiner for Elizabeth.

I’m torn on how I feel about Lady Catherine. She is definitely a high-handed busybody, but I do find her amusing sometimes. That could be the effect of how she’s portrayed in the BBC/A&E mini-series. Sometimes it’s difficult to separate my memories of my favorite adaptation from the book.

S: It is difficult to do that sometimes! As much as I enjoy movie adaptations of books, I’m beginning to like the books better because the reader’s imagination does the work.

I like Mr. Darcy’s summation of Elizabeth’s character and her assertion that he’s no good in large parties of people because he doesn’t practice talking with others. He talks much more than he did before and seems to enjoy bantering with her.

R: It’s a very different Darcy than we’ve seen thus far. Initially, it’s difficult to know whether that’s because he’s more comfortable in his aunt’s house, more at ease with the company, or something else entirely. The conversation at the piano is one of my favorites between him and Elizabeth. For the first time, they seem to be really communicating, even if it is a little snarky and sarcastic. 

S: The moment when he decides to visit Elizabeth while she’s alone made me laugh because he’s so uncomfortable! It’s so cute and Elizabeth seems so confused. I’m guessing he likes her, and certainly Charlotte is convinced of this, and of Colonel Fitzwilliam’s affections toward Elizabeth. Elizabeth remains confused with Mr. Darcy’s visitations, but it’s clear to me as a reader that he is at least interested in getting to know her.

It cracks me up that she thinks Mr. Darcy is finding her on her walks because he is making fun of her. She’s apparently never before had an admirer! The entire situation is absurd. 

R: Darcy doesn’t seem to quite know what he wants, either. He wants to be around Elizabeth, but then doesn’t seem to have any idea how to comport himself once he’s in her presence.

S: Indeed! He’s so funny in these scenes. 

Elizabeth’s talk with Colonel Fitzwilliam is particularly interesting, and also rather sad as suspicions seem to have been confirmed regarding Mr. Bingley’s abrupt departure. Mama Bear comes out as she works herself into a frenzy of indignation and frustration upon her sister’s behalf. Still, she is not seeing things very clearly, in my opinion. She sees her family’s behaviour in an indulgent light rather than practically. This is no surprise, but it is a bit frustrating.

R: It was an interesting way to bring that information to light. Poor Colonel Fitzwilliam has no idea that he’s just destroyed any chance that Darcy might have had with Elizabeth. 

S: I was actually very excited about Mr. Darcy’s visit to inquire about her health in Chapter 34, but was then shocked and offended on her behalf by his odd proposal. I understand why he said the things he did, and that sometimes our words do not come out the way we intend them to, but it was still off-putting.

The rest of the chapter is full of accusations and anger from both parties. Mr. Darcy’s statements about Mr. Wickham are interesting, and I’m wondering how much of the story we’re missing, or if it’s just Mr. Darcy speaking in anger. I’m not quite sure whether to feel indignation with Elizabeth or sadness toward Mr. Darcy, knowing it took a lot for him to speak his mind and feelings.

Elizabeth does admit to herself that it feels good to know that someone wants her so much, yet she doesn’t allow herself to focus on that feeling, which I can understand. She already feels angry about the whole situation, so much so that she ends up with a headache, and is then proposed to by a man she thought disdained her, so that also fueled the argument. It’s never fun to feel gross and then have to have a really difficult conversation with someone when your emotions are all out of whack.

R: I wonder if Colonel Fitzwilliam hadn’t given Elizabeth a heads up about Darcy’s actions with regard to Jane and Bingley if she might have responded differently to Darcy’s proposal? Certainly it would have gone down differently since her reason for not going to dinner that night was because of what the colonel told her, so it likely would have happened at a different time. 

The whole encounter is cringe-inducing. I think Elizabeth has more right to her anger than Darcy does, though it feeds more into her prejudice. Darcy’s own prejudice against the Bennet family is on full display in his proposal. How could he have thought that she’d accept him after enumerating all of the reasons she wasn’t good enough for him? I can’t imagine a man coming to me and saying, ‘Hey, I love you, but you know, your family kind of sucks.’ 

Buh-bye.

S: That is true. He definitely could have handled it with more tact. As much as he says he loves her, the rest of his words seem to betray that statement. I was also thinking, though, that it seems like he trusts her enough to be fully honest with her, which is a trait that is difficult for most people.

R: I wonder if it’s really love at this point, or mere infatuation, but that’s true. He knows that Elizabeth is quite familiar with the issues in her family, so he may have felt ‘safe’ in bringing it up. The problem is, while many of us are aware of our own faults, and those of the people close to us, we rarely want them thrown in our faces.

S: Agreed! The way he responds to her outbursts does suggest that it may be less love and more infatuation, or perhaps the beginnings of a love that hasn’t had time to mature.

The letter in Chapter 35 is very eye-opening and sheds light on so much! Mr. Darcy clearly thought Jane was simply a gold-digger and didn’t want his best friend to end up in a bad situation. I think he does have a kind heart, but we haven’t been given a chance to focus on it. He does acknowledge that Elizabeth knows her sister’s intentions better than he, so he is sorry he made things difficult and caused so much distress, but I think with the information he had his conduct was reasonable. (Remember when Charlotte told Jane to appear more in love with Mr. Bingley than she may have felt? I was thinking this the entire time I read the first part of Mr. Darcy’s letter. I’m not saying I blame Jane, because I’m also the type of person who doesn’t like to show my emotions easily; I just think it’s interesting that, had Charlotte’s warning been heeded, Mr. Darcy may have not interfered, or if he had, Mr. Bingley may have not heeded his advice.)

R: What a good point! I’d never considered the possibility that Charlotte’s advice might have actually been a good suggestion. I’m afraid Bingley also showed a bit of a character flaw here by not holding to his own convictions and allowing himself to be persuaded by Darcy and his sisters that Jane didn’t actually care for him. Who would be better able to tell that than the person who had actually spent time with her?

S: True! 

And then we come to the part in the letter about Mr. Wickham. I’m very much on Mr. Darcy’s side at the moment, and we have reason to believe that his story is true, especially since we as readers have already come to think highly of Colonel Fitzwilliam so as to trust his word, and when we remember that Mrs. Gardiner had suspicions of Mr. Wickham. It all seems to fit together. Mr. Wickham does remind me a lot of Mr. Willoughby. And poor Georgiana! Seduced by a man at fifteen and tricked by the lady who was caring for her, all for getting at her money because her brother had shown his former friend ‘tough love’.

R: Wickham is heinous. I’m sure Elizabeth was relieved that she hadn’t gotten more involved with him, once she got over whatever her initial emotions were after reading Darcy’s letter. 

S: I’m very excited to find out how all this plays out! Will Elizabeth confront Mr. Darcy or ask for Colonel Fitzwilliam’s side of the story in all this? Will there be another chance for Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth, or for Mr. Bingley and Jane? Is Mr. Darcy now out of the picture and Colonel Fitzwilliam in it? Does the behaviour of the rest of the Bennet family affect all the girls’ chances of marrying, or is Mr. Darcy just being prejudiced and no one else will care about their lack of fortune?