Miss Darcy's Companion: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Joana Starnes Page B

all along.”
    She placed the letter in his hand and Darcy eagerly unfolded it. He skimmed over the opening civilities to reach the crux of the matter. It was not long until he found it – thankfully the flowing script of studied elegance was far more legible than Bingley’s scribbles.
     
    “I must beg your pardon, Georgiana, for imposing in this manner upon you and your dear brother, but I did not know who else to turn to for assistance in this exceedingly grave matter.
    You must be aware of my own brother’s propensity of declaring himself enamoured of a pretty face with heedless disregard for consequences, but this time he has gone too far. I am terrified that he is contemplating the unthinkable: offering his hand in the most unsuitable quarter. But let me start from the beginning.
    A few weeks ago, at the local assembly your brother was unfortunately unable to attend, for he cut short his visit with us in his affectionate eagerness to join you, my brother made the acquaintance of a most unsavoury family. A Mrs Bennet, an impecunious widow with five daughters. The widow is of the lowest sort – vulgar, loud, ill-mannered. Her two youngest daughters are chips from the old block, the middle one is a mousy bore, but it is the two eldest that give me great concern, the second-eldest for your own dear sake – but of this, thereafter.
    I shall begin with the eldest, the source of my own troubles. She was supposed to reside in town – in Cheapside, of all places! – and do the offices of a governess to her nieces and nephews, the children of her tradesman uncle. She has another uncle, a portly and uncouth man, an attorney in Meryton, the place that passes for a market town in this backwater. He has taken Mrs Bennet and her younger daughters to live with him and his wife. I shall not take up your time with tales of his wife, another low and very vulgar person. The point is, the widow and her daughters are out for anything they could get. The father’s death left them destitute, their small estate went to a cousin, another intolerable character who intrudes upon our notice constantly. Your brother knows who I mean, he had the misfortune of making his acquaintance.
    So, dear Georgiana, to cut a long story short, when the widow heard of a young man of good fortune settling in the vicinity – and by that I mean my own misguided brother – she sent for her eldest forthwith, presumably with great hopes of ensnaring him. I now live in fear that she might be successful in her vile schemes. My brother hardly left Miss Bennet’s side at that wretched assembly and since then has called upon her nearly every day. For, needless to say, the young lady did not return to her Cheapside relations. The scheming widow sent the mousy one in her stead and kept the eldest with her, to further her interest with my brother. Aye, interest I say, for the young woman is placidly accepting his ill-judged attentions with no manifestation of regard. And now the foolish man is talking of giving a ball at Netherfield, doubtlessly in her honour. I am resisting it as best I can for fear that he would be coaxed into proposing, but the terrible truth is that he might do so anyway, with or without the excuse of a ball, if he has set his mind to it.
    Which brings me to the favour I find myself obliged to ask of you: would you kindly suggest to dear Mr Darcy to invite my brother to Pemberley? I have great hopes that, at a distance from that scheming woman and her daughter, he might recover his senses and hopefully benefit from your brother’s wise guidance. Someone as attuned to his duty as Mr Darcy, someone who understands so very well the importance of choosing one’s life partner from the right sphere, cannot fail to advise him against such a disgraceful union.
    And lastly, pray be aware of the dangers in your own home, dearest Georgiana. To my utmost shock, I have learned from Mrs Bennet that her second daughter has been engaged as your companion. Had