The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet

by Bernie Su

  Dinner went pretty well after that. I found Dad and Darcy engaged in a conversation about the arts of bonsai versus the arts of penjing. Lydia came out of the kitchen fifteen minutes later, bearing a tray of hastily arranged crostini.

  “Hi, Darcy,” she said shyly, having trouble meeting his eye.

  “Lydia,” he replied warmly. “How are you doing?”

  She managed to look up at him then. “Better. A lot better now. Thanks.”

  “I’m glad,” he replied.

  Lydia looked aside for a moment, then ditched the tray and gave in to her impulse to hug him. Darcy was a little shocked, but he took it well.

  I met my Dad’s eyes. He simply glanced from me to Darcy, and then asked, “So, young man—do you like trains?”

  The casserole actually did pair well with the wine. Dad only teased Mom twice about how the simple dinner had miraculously turned into a multi-course meal, and she only threw one dinner roll at him. Darcy seemed startled, but I squeezed his hand and let him know that this is just how family—my family—is: We tease each other.

  After dinner, Dad pulled me aside into his den.

  “How did your mother take it?” he asked, a small smile playing over his features.

  “Dinner didn’t speak for itself?” I replied. Mom should really be forced to cook on the fly more often. The vichyssoise was particularly excellent.

  “I suppose so. I knew she’d come around quickly. Mind you, if I’d not had the advantage of seeing your videos, I might have been as bewildered by your choice as she was.”

  I blushed. “I know I’ve been a little harsh on him in the past, but . . . all that’s changed.”

  “I know.” My dad nodded. “And when I took him to see my train collection, I managed to thank him for what he did for Lydia. There is no possible way I can repay him for it, but I just want to make sure that your being with him is not your way of repaying him for it. Do you understand?”

  “Dad, it’s not,” I stammered. “He’s so much better than I thought . . . He’s smart and kind, and thinks deeply about things. The people that he loves—his sister, his friends—they know that he’s one of those people that you want to have at your side in case of a crisis. Or no crisis. He’s the one person you want to see every day, no matter what.”

  “You mean, he’s the one person you want to see every day,” Dad said.

  “Yes,” I replied.

  “You really like him then?”

  “Dad, I love him.”

  There was nothing really to be said after that. My dad just wrapped me in a bear hug and kissed the top of my head. “Then I am very happy for you. I wouldn’t be, mind you, if it were anyone less worthy.”

  He released me and stretched out his arms, as if hugging the world.

  “Well, I’m quite at my leisure, then,” he said. “Although I have no idea what your mother’s going to do now, without Jane’s or your romantic lives to fret over. And I won’t allow her to bother Lydia with it.” Dad looked thoughtful for a moment. “I don’t think Kitty’s been fixed yet. We can see about getting her a nice cat boyfriend and creating some cat grandchildren for her to fret over.”

  We went back into the living room, to find Darcy wedged in between Mom and Lydia, Mom going on about how “someone in technology should just make some kind of database of all information. Don’t you think that’s a good idea?” When he looked up and met my eyes, his face split into a wide, relieved smile.

  I’m going to remember this forever, I realized. This moment, where William Darcy came to dinner and met my family. As my boyfriend. As the most important person in my life. And that he survived it with aplomb.

  This is the beginning.

  FRIDAY, MARCH 22ND

  To: Lizzie Bennet (lizziebennet@. . . .)

  From: Digital Investment Group (DIGroup@. . . .)

  Subject: New Media Venture

  Dear Ms. Bennet—

  As a viewer of your videos, I was very interested to hear you discuss your final project for school—creating a prospectus for your own Internet company. As a financier of similar ventures, we would love the chance to speak with you about making such a company a reality. We think you have great market potential . . .

  * * *

  To: Lizzie Bennet (lizziebennet@. . . .)

  From: Cyberlife Fund (CyberlifeMarketing@. . . .)

  Subject: Your videos

  Dear Lizzie—

  I was introduced to your videos by my daughter, who is a devotee. I have long been an advocate of the Internet as the medium of the future and find your videos funny, touching, and smart. You mentioned the possibility of creating your own company based off of the success of your videos, and I would be very interested in such an endeavor. Cyberlife is an investment group devoted to smart start-ups with high growth potential, and feel that “The Lizzie Bennet Diaries” would add greatly . . .

  * * *

  To: Lizzie Bennet (lizziebennet@. . . .)

  From: New Global Hedge Fund (NGHF@. . . .)

  Ms. Bennet—

  I have never seen your videos, but my assistant has. I am impressed by your viewership numbers and your high positive rankings from your comments. My assistant tells me you will be forming a new company soon, and I find such investments interesting. Please contact me at your earliest convenience. Let’s make some money!

  * * *

  What on earth are all these emails? I scrolled through my in-box—there are a half dozen more, all from hedge funds and investment groups. I mentioned on my videos a week ago that I would be doing my final independent study on my own fictional business . . . but half of these seem to think I’m actually creating a business. And they want to invest in it—or at least meet and talk about it.

  They think my fake company is a real thing.

  Could my fake company become a real thing?

  “Lizzie, what are you doing?” Darcy asked.

  “Just checking my email,” I said.

  “Lizzie . . .” he sighed, leaning down to kiss my shoulder. “Come back to bed.”

  I suppose emails can wait.

  TUESDAY, MARCH 26TH

  “Hey, Lizzie,” Lydia said, approaching me. “Can we talk to you a sec?”

  “Sure,” I replied, blinking at my sister’s voice and closing my folder. I’d been going blind all day putting my prospectus together. Not to mention the twenty pages of a section of my thesis I’d typed up last night. Add to that the constant delicious distraction that was Darcy, and I was a little out of it lately. “Hey, Mary—I didn’t realize you’d come over.”

  “You’re the one who let me in,” she grumbled.

  “Anyway,” Lydia said. “We were hoping to talk to you about the future.”

  My eyebrows went up. “There seems to be a lot of talk about the future recently.”

  “Yeah,” Mary said. “Specifically about you starting your own company and moving to San Francisco.”

  Even without the new boyfriend glow, it’s been an interesting week for me. When investors and hedge funds started emailing me, at first I dismissed it. But it kept worming its way back into my brain, this idea that I could form my own company. I have the business plan in place. I have a lot of online experience now, and the odd but strangely gratifying vague Internet fame. I talked over the idea with Charlotte, and with Dr. Gardiner, and they were both supportive.

  I was a little scared to talk it over with Darcy, though. Not because he’d disapprove. He wouldn’t. Because he might have been disappointed. Especially when I had to turn down his offer of a job at Pemberley Digital.

  Yes, he offered me a job upon graduation. And I know it wasn’t just because we’re dating, but that was exactly the reason I couldn’t take it. I want to be with him, but I don’t want to be the girl who dates the boss. It would undermine his credibility at Pemberley and start me off on the wrong foot with everyone there.

  I’m much happier just being his girlfriend. And making plans to move to San Francisco when I get my master�
��s is a big part of that happiness. I fell in love with the city at the same time I was falling for Darcy. And according to Dr. Gardiner, I might be able to apartment-sit for her friend again, whose South American sabbatical is being extended to next year.

  I haven’t told Charlotte about that part yet. She might self-implode in apartment jealousy.

  “We were wondering,” Lydia said, “if you needed any employees.”

  “Employees?” I asked, bewildered. “At my currently still fictitious company?”

  “Yep,” Lydia said, and Mary nodded in tandem.

  “Like who?”

  “Like me,” Mary said. “I’m graduating in May, too, and I’ll be getting my bachelor’s in accounting . . .”

  “Your major is accounting?” I cried. “Not bass guitar? Or, er . . . poetry?”

  “No,” Mary replied, her voice flat as ever. “It’s accounting. I’m going to take a year to save money before I start applying to business schools—and I thought actual business experience might help me more than working at a pizza place. Plus, I’m hoping you’ll pay better.”

  “Again—the company is still fictitious, Mary.”

  “Anyway, since I’m facing a difficult job market just like you, I thought it would be better to get in on the ground floor of something that grows. I can do all your budget work, spreadsheets, tax liability. And don’t worry—I’d get my own place.”

  “Mary—San Francisco is expensive,” I cautioned. “Can you afford—”

  “I was planning on working remotely through the summer—and then when I do move up, I’ll be bringing a roommate with me.”

  “Who?”

  “Me,” Lydia piped up.

  “Lydia,” I said, shaking my head. “If you want to move to San Francisco because of me . . . you have to know that I’m going to be coming home to visit a lot, right? And I’ll just be a phone call away if you need—”

  “Okay, that’s adorable,” Lydia snorted, “but this one’s actually not about you.”

  “But you have school here—”

  “If I take two make-up courses over the summer, I’ll have enough credits for my associate’s degree,” she replied. “Which I can transfer to a four-year college. And there’s a school in San Francisco that has a really good psychology program my counselor recommended.”

  My eyebrows were now permanently plastered to the ceiling. “Psychology?”

  “I dunno.” She concentrated on digging her toe into the carpet. “These past couple of months, I’ve really sort of enjoyed figuring out why people do stuff. You know, how the mind works. My mind in particular.”

  “Okay . . .” I ventured, “but how are you going to pay for it?”

  “Student loans.” She shrugged. “It’s a Bennet family tradition.”

  “So?” Mary asked. “What do you think?”

  What do I think?

  I think everything is coming together. And it’s kind of amazing.

  FRIDAY, MARCH 29TH

  Wow. Has it really been a year? I remember sitting down with this book, frustrated at my mother and an idea forming in my head for a school project, and not really thinking beyond that.

  And now, it feels like in the past two weeks my entire life has come together—but that’s not really the case. Each step has led to this moment.

  A year ago, I didn’t even know Darcy. And then I hated him. But if I hadn’t hated Darcy once, I couldn’t love him so much now. And I do. I think I fell a long time ago, and only now am I allowed to feel it. I have a game plan for my career as well—something else I wouldn’t have had without all the drama, hard work, and introspection over the past year.

  A year ago, Charlotte was my partner in crime at school. Now she is large and in charge at Collins & Collins. Ricky has decided to move to Winnipeg, Manitoba, to be with his ladylove, and to become a connoisseur of Tim Hortons and poutine. Char is her own woman, head of a company—in name and reality—and working hard in her field. And even after a squabble, she’s still my best friend. And always will be.

  Jane is happy. It took her a long time to get there, but she is. Every time I talk to her on the phone she just sounds more confident, more radiant, more Jane. And regardless of how Caroline interfered in their lives, I have no doubt Bing and Jane will forgive his sister. That’s just who they are.

  Lydia is a different person than the one from last year. Not better, not worse. Just different. I mourn the fact that I never let myself know the girl from before but am thankful every day I get to know this Lydia. She’s bright, and smart, and funny. And, yes, energetic. But energetic’s okay, too.

  As for me—I have a prospectus to create, my thesis conclusion to write, potential financiers to correspond with, and a boyfriend downstairs. He’s making small talk with my dad, waiting to take me to dinner. He has to head back to San Francisco soon, and I’m already fighting my impulse to turn into that girl who gets all bemoan-y when separated from her boyfriend. But it won’t be for long. I’m going up to the city next weekend, to meet with investors and let Gigi squeal her happiness at our relationship all over me. And of course, to spend time just walking around the city with Darcy.

  Life . . . life is pretty fantastic right now.

  I can’t wait to see what happens next.

  The End

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  This book would not exist without the web series The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, and The Lizzie Bennet Diaries would not exist without the passions and talents of dozens. Many thanks go to Hank Green, for first approaching Bernie with the kernel of an idea for a way to tell Jane Austen on the web, then put up his own money to finance it in the beginning, and for bringing the awesome Nerd-fighter community along for the ride. Then Michael Wayne and DECA took a chance on us, giving us the funds to keep going and the blessing of basic infrastructure (aka office space).

  The series writing staff: Margaret Dunlap, Rachel Kiley, Jay Bushman, and Anne Toole all shaped the story and created quirks that made the show what it is. The actors: Ashley Clements, Laura Spencer, Mary Kate Wiles, Julia Cho, Daniel Vincent Gordh, Christopher Sean, Jessica Andres, Maxwell Glick, Allison Paige, Wes Aderhold, Craig Frank, Janice Lee, and Briana Cuoco brought their characters to life so much better than we could have ever imagined. Our production team: Jenni Powell, Stuart Davis, Adam Levermore, Katie Moest, and music and logo designer Michael Aranda made the show possible, gorgeous, and on budget (which, considering we had no budget, was a big plus!). And of course, our Emmy Award–winning interactive team of Jay Bushman and Alexandra Edwards brought Lizzie Bennet out from behind her camera and onto Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, and into the world.

  David Tochterman, Bradley Garrett, and Annelise Robey did the legalese that made this book a reality, and Lauren Spiegel at Touchstone has been the best editor and cheerleader we could have hoped for. On a personal note, I (Kate) would like to thank my circle of writer friends, who sat across from me in coffee shops and made soothing sounds as I typed furiously, and my husband, Harrison, who happily played video games while I ignored him completely. That’s love, people.

  ABOUT THE AUTHORS

  BERNIE SU is the Emmy Award–winning executive producer, co-creator, head writer, and director of the web series The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, for which he also won the Streamy Awards for Best Writing, Comedy, and Best Interactive Program. Su has written and produced several scripted web series, including Emma Approved, Lookbook: The Series, and Compulsions. Su is a graduate of the University of California, San Diego, and lives in Los Angeles.

  KATE RORICK is a writer and producer for The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. She has written for a variety of television shows, including Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Terra Nova. In her spare time, she is the bestselling author of historical romance novels under the name Kate Noble. She lives in Los Angeles.

  READING GROUP GUIDE

  THE SECRET

  DIARY OF

  LIZZIE BENNET

  Bernie Su and Kate Rorick

  By drawing o
n Jane Austen’s timeless novel, Bernie Su and Kate Rorick created a modern-day Pride and Prejudice with The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet. In her diary, Lizzie writes about a year of her life and her experiences making video blogs (vlogs) for her graduate thesis. From Netherfield to Pemberley and back again, Lizzie navigates the dangerous waters of social propriety and relationships in the twenty-first century—both on and off the Internet. What starts as a simple thesis idea becomes a way for Lizzie to inform and reflect upon her life and her sisters’ lives. With the unexpected success and popularity of her videos, Lizzie suddenly finds her vlogs and her life prominently displayed in the Internet’s public eye. But as personal and revealing as the videos are, Lizzie’s secret diary reveals her deepest anxieties and most private thoughts over the course of a dramatic year.

  The book complements the popular website The Lizzie Bennet Diaries and its accompanying YouTube videos, which can be watched in tandem or enjoyed separately.

  FOR DISCUSSION

  1. Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice takes place in nineteenth-century English society, a world with strict and specific social parameters. How do the authors transfer the storyline to our modern world? Discuss how the authors make the Bennets’ circumstances contemporary.

  2. As the story progresses, we hear Darcy’s description of his perfect woman: “Someone who is together” (here). He then lists a set of ambitious qualities that are nearly impossible to locate all in one person. How does this list compare to Darcy’s description in Pride and Prejudice (below)?

  “A woman must have a thorough knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, and the modern languages, to deserve the word; and besides all this, she must possess a certain something in her air and manner of walking, the tone of her voice, her address and expressions, or the word will be but half deserved. All this she must possess,” added Darcy, “and to all this she must yet add something more substantial, in the improvement of her mind by extensive reading.”