Austen August: A Pride and Prejudice Read-A-Long discussion

The ladies all felt that with Colonel's arrival at Rosings, there would be more invitations to be involved with them but it was days before anything was heard, as “while there were visitors in the house, they were not necessary” - that's nice.

They gathered in Lady Catherine's drawing room one evening, but apart from the basic pleasantries, Lady Catherine focused all of her attention on Darcy, ignoring everyone else. (I feel bad for him though, can you imagine having her as your aunt?!)

Colonel Fitzwilliam seems to have taken a shine to Lizzie, oh dear. We've been here before. They are enjoying themselves so much, talking about travel and books, that they soon catch the attention of both Lady Catherine and Darcy- his eyes keep wandering over to them with a look of curiosity (you say curiosity, I say jealously...)

Lady Catherine asks Fitzwilliam what they are talking about and he has to reply they are discussing music. We proceed to hear a lot about what Lady Catherine has to say on the matter of music.

A lot.

Ftizwilliam reminds Lizzie she promised to play him a song, so she goes over to Lady Catherine's piano forte and starts playing. Lady Catherine does start talking to Darcy but before long he breaks away from listening to his aunt and turns his full attention to Lizzie playing. Despite his aunt making a comment earlier about how she will never play as well as his sister., she asks if he means to intimidate her by coming closer to her, to make her feel nervous about playing.

He replies “you could not really believe me to entertain any design of alarming you; and I have had the pleasure of your acquaintance long enough to know, that you find great enjoyment in occasionally professing opinions which in fact are not your own”

Lizzie tells Colonel Fitzwilliam the story of the ball where she met Darcy, and pokes fun at him for having left many girls sitting down instead of dancing, aka herself. Darcy says that this could not be helped as everyone was a stranger to him at that ball. Lizzie sarcastically replies that “of course, nobody can be introduced in a ballroom” and Darcy says he should have made more of an effort- awwwwh, sociallyawkward!Darcy is so cute.

Lizzie makes a weird analogy for Darcy practising being not-awkward to her fail piano playing skills, suggesting that he would get better if he worked on it but without practise he would never improve socially. He smiles and agrees. “We neither of us perform to strangers.”

Lady Catherine makes comments about how Lizzie has good skill but would never be as good as her niece, Anne De Bough- and throughout this conversation, Lizzie can't detect any signs of love from Darcy towards the mention of Anne's name...hmmmm could Caroline Bingley be...lying?! Theatre Gasp


Favourite Quotes:-

“There is a stubbornness about me that never can bear to be frightened at the will of others. My courage always rises with every attempt to intimidate me.” (Lizzie)

“I have not the talent which some people possess, of conversing easily with those I have never seen before. I cannot catch their tone of conversation, or appear interested in their concerns, as I often see done.” (Sociallyawkward!Darcy)

Oh, it is definitely jealousy. I can't decide which to laugh at more: Darcy being jealous or Lady Catherine shouting across a room, "Hey, what are you talking about over there? Tell me now! I demand it!" This woman is unbelievable.
Aha! Ha! Now who looks embarrassed by their relatives?
Awww, Darcy's an introvert. This explains so much.
This chapter pretty much convinces me that Lady Catherine invites people to her home just so she can have an audience for when she talks.

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

You just made me shudder at the thought of her being my mother-in-law.

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

I'm speechless...which is something neither of them will ever be.

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

I was just goning to comment on that! Lady Catherine is so ridiculous, that makes me laugh.
But I would love to read about Mrs Bennet and Lady Catherine having a conversation, oooh yes! I would be in the corner, with a big bowl of popcorn :D

haha I'll share the popcorn with you!