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

Elizabeth wishes to hear from Jane, but hasn't received any letters since they arrived. On the third day, Lizzie receives two letters from Jane at once, apparently they had been sent to the wrong address due to Jane's bad handwriting on the front of them.

The first letter had been written five days before Lizzie received it.

The first half of the letter seems normal, but the date changes mid-way through and it seems something isn't right as Jane seems agitated as she writes...

It's Lydia dramatic sigh.
Lydia Bennet has ran off with Wickham (come on, is anyone really shocked or surprised at this?)

Mr Bennet seems to be taking it better than Mrs Bennet, apparently. Lizzie quickly opens the second letter which was written and sent the day after the first letter-

Lydia and Wickham have eloped to Scotland, the Bennets are assuming that is what they have in mind, anyway (marriage, I mean.) It was expressed to Colonel Forster when he investigated the issue that Wickham, however, never had any intention of going to Scotland or to marry Lydia at all. Colonel traced their journey from Brighton to Clapham but couldn't get any further than that.

“My father and mother believe the worst, but I cannot think so ill of him”- (REALLY JANE? Good god. I honestly don't know what to think of Jane's good nature sometimes, maybe I am too cynical)

Colonel Forster warns them that he doesn't not think they should hang their hopes on Wickham and Lydia actually getting married and he fears that Wickham is not a man to be trusted.

Mrs Bennet has locked herself in her room, and Mr Bennet, for lack of a better word, is pissed off.

Kitty is getting a lot of anger from them both for keeping this whole thing a secret. Jane begs Lizzie to return to Longbourn ASAP. Mr Bennet is going to travel to London with Colonel Forster to try and track Lydia and Wickham down.

Elizabeth panics and goes to look for her uncle, but she barely has a chance to leave the room before Darcy enters it, shown in by a servant. Lizzie's appearance and behaviour immediately causes him concern “Good God, what is the matter?” (haha brilliant, the most uncomposed we ever see Darcy in this whole book!). He insists that either he or a servant should go and get Mr Gardiner because Elizabeth doesn't look well enough to do it herself. Darcy calls back the servant to go and get her uncle, while he stays with Lizzie, who has sat down from shock. He tries to ask if there is anything he can get her because he nervous and awkward and doesn't like seeing her look ill (awwwwwh).

Lizzie breaks down into tears and Darcy waits quietly for her to tell him what happened. “You know him too well to doubt the rest. She has no money, no connections, nothing that can tempt to to- she is lost for ever.” Lizzie takes the blame upon herself, thinking she could have prevented this had she told her sisters what had really gone on between Wickham and the Darcy family.

Darcy is shocked and asks what is being done to recover Lydia, Lizzie tells him her dad is going looking for her with Colonel Forster, but she has no hope that anything can be done by now to fix this. Darcy goes into a silence and paces the room while thinking. Darcy says that he is aware she probably wants to be alone with this issue “nor have I any thing to plead in excuse of my stay, but real , though unavailing, concern” (awwwh). He tells her he wishes there was something more he could do. He will apologise to his sister on her behalf, so that she can go home to Longbourn that day. He also swears his secrecy on the matter, and after telling her how sorry he is for her pain and wishing his best to her family, he leaves her alone in the room.

Randomly, Elizabeth is struck by thinking that she may never see Darcy again on any light hearted terms and while she originally would have celebrated this, she now hates that feeling.
Lizzie reflects that she has never had any hope of Wickham actually marrying Lydia since she first read Jane's letter.

We have a description of Lydia's “wild” character, from Lizzie's point of view, which shows that she never believed that Lydia would have had any means of saving herself from this fate because she is too reckless, and while the Gardiners were never very fond of Lydia, they are still upset by the news.

They leave Pemberley for Longbourn.


With all that being said, what do you think of Lydia's actions? and Wickham's? Should Lizzie have betrayed Darcy's confidence and told her family of Wickham's reputation? and do you think that would have actually spared Lydia from running off with an officer in the end?

Lydia's actions were rash, but I kind of expected that from her. She's young, inexperienced, and just looking to have some fun.
I'm curious to what sort of relationship they will have later down the road after the "honeymoon" stage dies down.
As for Wickham, he sure likes them young :P ahem.

Sylvia wrote: "As for Wickham, he sure likes them young :P ahem."

Haha! You're so right. Wickham is such an awful person! Since it seems he never wanted to marry her, what do you think his intention was?

basically, sex and then flounces off and leaves her without her virginity which will ruin her future, literally.

My dislike for Wickham increases with each chapter.

^^ same here! any mention of him and I gag

He is basically the original slime=ball fictional character, ugh.

why do you think darcy left lizzie so quickly?