Darcy House, London, August 1

Thank you for your list of schools; I mean to visit them all. I will be glad of the occupation, for it will help to banish the low moods that come over me from time to time as I think of my father and everything I have lost. But Philip has been a great help to me, and so have all my friends and acquaintances—the ladies in particular.

When they knew I was visiting schools in order to choose one for Georgiana, they all had something to say on the matter; indeed, they all expressed themselves ready and willing to help with Georgiana in any way they could. I never knew that such noble sentiments lurked beneath the surface of so many beauties, for it seems they are all longing to have a sister! If I were inclined to vanity I should think it was my fine person that attracted them, for I hear myself described so everywhere I go, but I suspect that if my fortune dwindled to ten pounds a year, instead of ten thousand a year, my figure would be held to be nothing out of the ordinary.

However, I have been thinking of matrimony, I must admit. I never intended to marry until I was thirty, but now that I am the last of my line I think I owe it to Pemberley not to wait so long, for I find myself worrying about what will happen if I were to die without a child.

The estate is not entailed and so I can leave it where I will, and I have left it to Georgiana. If anything happens to me, I know that she will be well provided for and that she will not have to leave her family home. But the estate would be a heavy burden to her, being so young, and would have to be left in the care of a steward. If Mr Wickham were healthy, then I would not be so concerned: he served my father well, and the estate would be safe in his hands. But his health is precarious and I fear he will not live much longer. Besides, when Georgiana marries she will take her husband’s name and the Darcy name in Derbyshire will die out. And so if I can find a suitable wife I believe I will wed.

I have been looking about me but no one satisfies me. My aunt Lady Catherine has often said that she and my mother betrothed Anne and myself when we were in our cradles, but that is a long time ago and I am persuaded that Anne likes the idea no more than I do. I cannot believe that Lady Catherine is serious in expecting us to carry out the wishes of our mothers, which were formed when we were no more than a few months old.

My father gave a lot of thought to the matter of my marriage and wrote about it at length in his final letter to me, and I owe it to myself, as well as to Pemberley, to take his words to heart. My wife will not only have to be my companion for life, she will also have to be the mistress of Pemberley and a sister to Georgiana, and I have found no one worthy of any of those roles.

Philip understands. As the head of his household he has similar duties, although even he is not in such a precarious situation. He has brothers who are only a few years younger than himself to inherit if he should die without a son, and they would be fully able to run the estate, whereas I do not have such a luxury.

Perhaps you can introduce me to some young ladies in Cumbria. I am sure you must know someone you think might suit me and I hope to join you there next week. Henry intends to travel with me. Now that Spain has made peace with France, he has a brief period of leave. I hope it is not a signal that the coalition is going to collapse. I do not want to see Europe ravaged by more wars, but I fear it is inevitable. We expect to be with you by Wednesday. I am looking forward to seeing you all again, particularly Georgiana. I have missed her.

I am enclosing a note for Georgiana with this letter.

Your affectionate nephew,

Fitzwilliam


Mr Darcy to Georgiana Darcy

Darcy House, London, August 1

Dearest Georgiana,

I will be joining you in Cumbria next week and I will be staying with you for the summer and then bringing you home with me. Your bedroom has been newly decorated with a blue paper and there is a basket for Ullswater, though I hope you have trained her not to water everything! I have missed you and I am looking forward to seeing you again.

Your affectionate brother,

Fitzwilliam


Colonel Fitzwilliam to Mr Darcy

Fitzwilliam House, London,

August 5

A note in haste. I am sending this by hand as I will not be able to travel to Cumbria with you after all. I have been called back to my regiment and by the time you receive this I will already be on the Continent. I will not conceal from you that things look bleak. There are rumours that more countries are set to make peace with France, and if that happens, I believe that only England will have the stomach, and the purse, for further opposition. Give my love to my family and tell Georgiana that I am looking forward to seeing her when I return to England.

By the way, I saw your friend George Wickham this morning. He was rolling out of a tavern at ten o’clock, drunk. He presented a sorry spectacle, lurching from one side of the road to the other. He is young yet, and there is a chance he will mend his ways before he is very much older, but it is lucky your father left it to you to decide if George should hold the living, for otherwise he would bring the church, the neighbourhood and the living—as well as himself—into disrepute.

Your cousin,

Henry

SEPTEMBER

Mr Darcy to Colonel Fitzwilliam

Darcy House, London,

September 25

I am sending this letter in care of your regiment and I hope it finds you, wherever you might be. I am beginning to wonder whether we will ever see peace on the Continent again. I thank God we are protected by the English Channel and that our navy keeps us safe, although I hear that the government are intending to repair and strengthen our coastal defences as a precaution against invasion.

Georgiana is now at school, where she is happily established. She was sorry not to see you and is looking forward to your next meeting. She will be much grown by the time you return. She has lost the sad, pinched look she had when Papa passed away, largely thanks to your mother. I am exceedingly grateful for it. I thought at one time that she would never recover, but all things pass and she is happy again.

I am not surprised by what you tell me of George Wickham. I have seen him several times in London myself. On the first occasion he tried to speak to me, but as he was under the impression there were three of me, he did not know which one to address and so he contented himself with falling over instead. On the last occasion, he was too busy with his women to notice me. Unless he changes, I doubt if he will even want the living. He has not shown any interest in the church, and I do not think he has any intention of becoming ordained.

You will be welcome at Pemberley when you return. Send a letter to announce your arrival if there is time or, if not, come anyway.

Your cousin,

Darcy

NOVEMBER

Mr Wickham to Mr Darcy

The Red Lion Inn, London,

November 6

My dear Darcy,

I owe you a letter! It must be nearly six months since I received your last. I neglected to thank you for the one thousand pounds, for which I must apologise. I would have done so when I saw you in London, but you did not see me and I could not get away from my friends, so I am repairing the omission now. I must thank you, too, for paying for my father’s funeral expenses and settling the small debts I had at the time. I hear you have appointed a new estate manager. I only hope he may be half the man my father was, God rest his soul.

I have been giving some thought to my future and I have decided not to go into the church, and so I have decided to relinquish all claim to the living your father so generously promised me. I hope you will now be able to bestow it elsewhere.

You will not think it unreasonable of me to ask for some kind of pecuniary advantage instead of the living. I mean to go into the law, and as you are aware, the interest on one thousand pounds—the sum your father generously left me—does not go very far. Your honoured father, I am sure, would have wanted me to have something in lieu of the living, and a further sum of money would be useful to me. Three thousand pounds should pay for my studies.

Your very great friend,

George


Mr Darcy to Mr Wickham

Pemberley, Derbyshire,

November 8

I am very pleased you have decided not to go into the church. I am also pleased you have decided to study for the law. I will send you three thousand pounds as soon as you resign all claims to the living.

Yours,

Darcy


Mr Wickham to Mr Darcy

The Red Lion Inn, London,

November 17

Thank you for the three thousand pounds in return for my forfeit of the living. You may be certain I will put it to good use. I will make your revered father proud of me.

Your very great friend,

George

1798

MAY

Miss Elizabeth Bennet to Mrs Gardiner