by M-C Ranger
*****
Highbury, the 17th of March 1811
Dear Jane,
Life here is peaceful and the region’s beauty might be a source of pleasure to you. I am not familiar with Hertfordshire; perhaps it is like Surrey. It is a pleasure to be with my aunt, Miss Bates, in the village of Highbury, where she lives with my grandmother. Both are very attentive, but I fear at times that I am too much for them. Fortunately, they are surrounded by a good circle of acquaintances. For example, Mr. George Knightley, the brother of Mr. John Knightley, comes to visit us regularly and brings us apples and pâtés; there’s also Miss Woodhouse who comes by to see us - she is the younger sister of Mrs. Isabella Knightley, with whom we had tea. As you can see, I have no want of things to do. But you would no doubt like some news about the Westons from Randalls, whom I recently met. I talked to them about their stay in your region. Mrs. Weston remembered you quite well, as well as a certain Mr. Bingley, who kept you company during an evening at Lucas Lodge. Is this not the young man through whom you met Mr. Frank Churchill, if I remember well? On that note, the latter should soon be visiting his father and his father’s new wife. If I meet him, it would please me to give him news of you...
Jane Bennet finished reading the letter from Jane Fairfax, her cheeks still flushed at the mention of Charles Bingley. No, what she had implied to Elizabeth was not the truth she had hoped for; she was not healed, her heart beat faster whenever she thought of him or if someone mentioned him. Alas, she would have to return to Longbourn and once again face the comments of her acquaintances in Meryton, those of Aunt Philips, Mrs. Harrington, Mrs. Long, and Mrs. Bennet, the very thought of which made the young woman shudder. What could be more distressing than a mother experiencing a humiliation such as this! Consider it...
*****
‘Kitty, stop spinning around, you’re making me dizzy. You know, nonetheless, that my nerves are fragile, especially since learning that our Jane did not meet Mr. Bingley, despite the fact that she has been in London for several weeks. Oh! What will I say in response to the questions that I will undoubtedly be asked while at Mrs. Long’s for tea?’
‘Mother, it’s not your fault if Mr. Bingley and his sisters left Netherfield Park so quickly. Maybe there will soon be some new tenants!’ exclaimed the young woman, slowing down. ‘Of course, they will not be as interesting as the officers, but imagine a family of five boys of marrying age, wouldn’t that be amusing!’
‘You talk nothing but nonsense, Kitty. Now, make yourself useful, take this quill pen, I shall dictate a missive for Mrs. Long. I cannot present myself to her...Firstly, I am ailing, and secondly, I cannot bear that it be pointed out to me that I lost a match worth four thousand pounds. No! Ah! Lydia, my child, where were you?’ asked Mrs. Bennet, seeing her youngest burst into the room.
‘I stopped in at Maria Lucas’. She had invited me to select a few ribbons from those that Charlotte had left her. What do you think of this one? Wouldn’t this pale blue one nicely embellish my straw hat?’
‘Oh, I see, Lydia, that you have chosen the colour that Miss King was wearing when Wickham noticed her,’ remarked her sister, lifting her gaze from the missive she was writing.
‘Most certainly not, Kitty! You are entirely wrong. Imagine, I had thought about this colour well before Mary King invited herself to Meryton, if you must know...’
‘Come, come, stop all this immediately! Listen, to punish you for exhausting my poor nerves, go deliver this message and return quickly to tell me who went to tea this Tuesday at Mrs. Long’s.’
‘Why is it important, Mother, since you do not wish to go there?’
‘Lydia, do you not see that this is paramount?! I absolutely must know what will happen there, after all, it is about my eldest, of that I am certain... Go, hurry along and send me Mrs. Hill, I must ready myself and see Mr. Bennet as quickly as possible.’
The young women didn’t need to be told a second time and disappeared while bursting into laughter, which could only have a serious impact on their mother’s nervous system. However, it seems that Mrs. Bennet recovered relatively quickly, because hardly a quarter of an hour had passed and she was headed downstairs, issuing orders to everyone, and she then walked briskly to the library where, by all appearances, she was going to disturb her husband’s tranquillity.
While they were walking towards Meryton, Kitty took the letter she had just received out of her pocket.
‘Lydia, I couldn’t wait until you’d returned, as I have news from Catherine. You will never guess!’
‘You are not going to tell me that Catherine still spends time with Miss Thorpe, that she goes to balls four times per week and to the theatre on the other evenings, that she has met kind and charming officers and that I envy her terribly...I am bored to death here!’ Lydia said, all in one breath.
But the latter was wrong to worry, as it seemed that it could be tiring to go from balls to concerts and to spend time with opportunistic friends; this is what seemed to have happened to young Catherine Morland.
… I must confess, Kitty, that after Isabella’s improper behaviour towards James, after all, they are, as it were, engaged, and the callous behaviour of her brother, I was most delighted to receive an invitation from the Tilneys. Even more so because they live in a veritable abbey, like those one reads about in novels! I will therefore accompany Eleanor and her brother, as well as their father, General Tilney. Mr. and Mrs. Allen did not really raise any objection to my departure for Northanger Abbey, even if I have only known this family for a short while, as the latter have a very good reputation in Bath. Naturally, I shall soon send you some news...
One could derive pleasure from the thought that all these letters, none of which were connected, met somewhere in the meanderings of the postal system. And while this might be the only link that connected them, much to the discontent of those who would have liked destiny to have a hand... In the end, only the good weather had a hand, causing spring to appear on the horizon.
End of the second season
Sequel
Spring 1811
Volume 3