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

Mrs Gardiner writes back to Lizzie.

She tells Lizzie that it was actually Darcy who tracked down Lydia and Wickham.

It was Darcy who paid Wickham the money to convince him to marry Lydia.

Darcy told them that he felt it was his responsibility as he believes because he kept Wickham's past a secret, no woman could have avoided Wickham. He confessed it was his own pride's fault because he thought that telling about Wickham and his sister would damage his own family name. He believed it was his duty to take care of the mess he created.

She drops the hints throughout the letter that Darcy did this because of his love for Elizabeth. She compliments Darcy's behaviour and character and writes: “He wants nothing but a little more liveliness, and that, if he marry prudently, his wife may teach him. I thought him very sly- he hardly ever mentioned your name. But slyness seems the fashion. Pray forgive me, if I have been very presuming, or at least do not punish me so far, as to exclude me from P. I shall never be happy til I have been all around the park.”


Mrs Gardiner! Hinting that will be living at Pemberly in a way that she could ban her aunt from it, as if she owned it ;3

Unfortunately this little lovely bubble is soon popped by Wickham approaching Lizzie to talk to her (ugh god. Go away.)

Favourite lines:-

“He had done all this for a girl whom he could neither regard nor esteem. Her heart did whisper, that he had done it for her.”

Who is this Mrs. Younge that would help Wickham twice with eloping? Is she so stupid that it doesn't occur to her that this is an unseemly pattern with him?
Yeah, I rolled my eyes whenever Wickham opened his mouth. Lizzie was very gracious, I would not have been.

I am shocked Lizzie didn't smack him! then again, place and time and all that