Andie’s Comments (group member since Jun 26, 2014)

Andie’s comments from the Austen August: A Pride and Prejudice Read-A-Long group.

The regiment are preparing to leave Maryton and while the elder sisters carry on regardless, Kitty and Lydia are depressed, who find their older sisters ability to carry on with their lives despite this sad news absolutely callous! They spend the week moaning about how they should be allowed by Mr Bennet to go to Brighton.

But Lizzie is distracted- she is finding more and more that she is sympathetic with Darcy's logic at his interference on behalf of his friend (?!)

Lydia's day is soon brightened because she receives an invitation from Mrs Forster, the wife of the colonel of the regiment, to go to Brighton. Lydia celebrates while Kitty mopes at not receiving an invite as well.

Lizzie dreads the thought of Lydia going to Bath, because of knowing all about Wickham and his ways. “she considers it a death warrant for all common sense for the latter [Lydia]” Lizzie is also worried, due to Darcy's note on how her family presents itself in public, that however Lydia acts in Brighton will have a greater affect on their family than the Bennets initially realise. She tells her father that if he doesn't seriously talk to Lydia about her behaviour in public:

“Her character will be fixed, and she will, at sixteen, be the most determined flirt that ever made herself and her family ridiculous.”. She adds that Kitty is also in danger from being compromised by Lydia and her influence.

Mr Bennet pretty much dodges the question and says that he hopes the silly girls will go to Brighton, find themselves ignored by the officers in favour of other women, and they will learn they are not as important as they feel themselves to be- good parenting there, Mr Bennet.

Lizzie has one last encounter with Wickham and she drops into conversation that Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam had spent 3 weeks at Rosings while she was there. This catches his attention.
She says “I think Mr Darcy improves on acquaintance”, which seems to surprise Wickham, prompting him to ask how her opinion of Darcy could possibly have been improved in such a short time.

Lizzie was well aware after this discussion of Wickham's change in character for the rest of the evening, he seemed to only pretend to be cheerful.

Lydia leaves the Bennets for her trip to Brighton.

Yeah, i think that is what redeems her a bit in my eyes. She is super annoying and it looks like her priorities are hilarious mixed up but actually, for the time and place, she is spot on- she just wants to make sure her daughters (and indeed herself) are well looked after once Mr Bennet is not around, because they won't be inheriting anything from him apart from a small sum of money, which wouldn't promise them much in terms of security. At this time, a woman's best chance was to marry well, sadly.

hahahah what a lovely thing for her to say!!

Lizzie finally tells Jane what happened between her and Darcy, and Jane- as predicted- is shocked.

Jane quickly gets over her shock and reasons that of course he loves her, because who wouldn't, and she is more grieved by the unhappiness which Lizzie's refusal must have given him. (awh Jane, she's so empathetic)

She continues to tell Jane the truth about Wickham-
“What a stroke this was for poor Jane! Who would willingly have gone through the world without believing that so much wickedness existed in the whole race of mankind, as here was collected in one individual” (okay, to be honest, I do find that Lizzie/Austen is playing on Jane's naivety or good nature a little too heavily here- I mean she hopes for the best in people, yes, but I doubt she is quite that “innocent”)

One commenting on the two gents, Lizzie says “One has all the goodness, and the other all the appearance of it”. Lizzie tries to convince Jane that she is over the shock of the letter and proposal and has no further feelings on the subject- but Jane knows better.

Lizzie wants to know whether she should tell their acquaintances of Wickham's true character, but Jane tells her to hold back as it isn't their place, Lizzie agrees because it would mean telling about what happened to Darcy's sister.

Lizzie does not tell Jane what Darcy revealed about his part in separating Jane and Bingley. She also does not tell Jane that Bingley really did love her, because it looks like he may never come back and she doesn't wish more heartache on Jane.

Mrs Bennet and Lizzie discuss Bingley and Mrs Bennet says “I am sure Jane will die of a broken heart, and then he will be sorry for what he has done”...what a nice thing to say about your daughter.

The three girls (Lizzie, Jane and Maria) leave the Gardiners in May, and arrive in Maryton, meeting Kitty and Lydia in town.

They are welcomed by a huge spread of food on a table, and Lydia says a hilarious line of “we meant to treat you all!...but you must lend us the money, for we have just spent ours at the shop over there.” (oh Lydia...)

Lizzie is relieved to learn that the military are due to leave Maryton in a fortnight, even though Lydia is depressed by this. Lydia wants to try and get her father to take them all on a trip to Brighton, where the military are planning on moving to next- what a little schemer.

Lydia informs Lizzie that there is no “Danger” of Wickham marrying Miss King anymore, because she has gone to her uncle's in Liverpool. She claims that Wickham is “safe” for Lizzie's taking, and Lizzie replies that it is Mary King who is safe “From a connection that is imprudent to fortune.”

Lydia makes a little comment that Wickham could never have cared about Miss King properly anyway because she was “a nasty little freckled thing” and Lizzie is mortified to think her opinion hadn't been any different until only recently.

Including this quote just for the luls, Lydia declares Jane will “soon be an old maid... She is almost three and twenty!” (well there you have it guys, I am an old maid.)

The carriage ride home to Longbourn is basically Lydia not shutting up about flirting with the soldiers and the clothes she owns (I have very little time for Lydia and her annoying little “quirks”, sorry).

They return home, Mrs Bennet fawns over Jane's beauty and Mr Benent says often to Lizzie throughout dinner that he is glad she is back (d'aaaaw).

That afternoon, Lydia urges the girls to all walk into Maryton but Lizzie refuses because she doesn't want to risk running into Wickham.

Lizzie discovers that her parents are arguing about going to Brighton or not- Mrs Bennet is insisting they do, and Mr Bennet refuses to agree.

On the Saturday morning, Lizzie is all packed up to leave the Parsonage and return to Jane at the Gardiners residence in London.

Mr Collins has breakfast with her and he tells her how grateful they are for her coming to visit them for the last two months, and how he hopes she has enjoyed her time there. Lizzie thanks him genuinely and assures him that she has.

Mr Collins talks about how ideally suited himself and Charlotte are together which is...odd because they really aren't at all, however Elizabeth does believe that they are happy and wishes that they remain that way- fortunately Collin's rant of praise is interrupted by Charlotte's arrival to say goodbye.

Throughout the journey, Maria and Lizzia talk of how quickly their trip to Rosings past.
Maria: “ how much I shall have to tell!”
Lizzie privately: “and how much I shall have to conceal”

They arrive back at Lizzie's aunt and uncle's house and Lizzie is thrilled to see Jane again.
Lizzie decides not to tell Jane about Darcy's proposal until they get back to Longbourn, although she is basically dying to tell her everything, just to see Jane's reaction to that little piece of news. The one thing that stopped her from doing it is knowing that it would mean having to tell her what Darcy said about Bingley and Jane in the letter- which may cause her sister more grief, when she was finally looking like her old self again to some degree.

Colonel Fitzwilliam and Darcy leave Rosings.

Mr Collins goes to check Lady Catherine isn't too upset with her nephews leaving, and he comes back to the parsonage with an invitation for them all to dine at Rosings with her, because she feels so dull.

Lizzie is a bit amused by thinking that had she accepted Darcy's proposal, that night she could have given Lady Catherine the fright of her life by being introduced as her future niece. She can't help but wonder what Lady Catherine's reaction would have been.

At dinner, Lady Catherine sees that Lizzie looks a little down and thinks it is because she doesn't wish to leave Rosings so soon- she invites her to stay for another fortnight. Lizzie declines insisting that while her mother could probably spare her another two weeks, her father misses her.

Lady Catherine insists that Mr Collins sends a servant to travel with the two girls back to home because she can't abide the thought of two girls travelling alone.

Lizzie still takes solitary walks and has thought about Darcy's letter so much that she knows it by heart.”Her feelings towards the writer were at times widely different.” In the letter, he had touched upon the fact that her family don't exactly help themselves in terms of behaviour, for example, the two younger sisters openly and constantly fawning over every officer in town. Darcy's letter has also restored her good opinion of Bingley, and as a result she is even more pained over what Jane has lost.

Lizzie and Maria leave Rosings, to prepare to go home at the parsonage and pack their things, and Lady Catherine invites them to come back and stay again in the future.

I was really amazed that she was so determined to ignore everyone's poor opinion of Wickham and yet rushed to believe Darcy to be horrible when everyone else was saying that yes he was proud but he wasn't *bad*

I was reminded of that too, when I read it- Charlotte does speak a lot of sense most of the time!

That quote is very, very fitting of Wickham! I agree, I never predicted it when I first read the book either!

HAHA. I think if you put Mrs Bennet and Lady Catherine in a room together, the universe would implode.

I see what Austen did there ;3

Can you imagine having to put up with her?! My god, I think Mrs Bennet would actually be preferable!

haha that line from The swan princess "How to insult women in ten syllables or less". I love how he actually thought she would say yes after he had insulted everything about her family and background

hahaha ikr, oh man he is just so awkward, bless him

Lady Catherine is like a sketch of a one woman show portraying a mother in law!!

her ego has been fed and flattered far too much by Collins!

I did laugh at first and then I realised what a horrible comment it is! I mean ouc!

no really. That's all I've been wanting to do for the last couple of chapters. I had never quite grasped how flawed Lizzie is before!

mr bennet is always hilarious!

yay! welcome missus! so glad you've joined in!