#(then there's fitzwilliam and bingley and elizabeth herself)

[anghraine]

It's kind of fascinating to me that towards the end of P&P, Elizabeth has become protective of Darcy and either a) actively tries to insulate him from Situations or b) wishes that she could and gets stressed that she can't.

Darcy deeply loves her and is very ready to do whatever he can to secure her happiness, but narratively, I think the emphasis at the end is very much more on Elizabeth's protectiveness towards him.

It's like:

When Bingley and Darcy first come back to Hertfordshire, Darcy is very quiet and Elizabeth can barely bring herself to say anything—until Mrs Bennet insults Darcy. Then Elizabeth speaks up.

Mrs Bennet enlists Elizabeth to separate Darcy from Bingley with another insult to Darcy. Elizabeth finds this both convenient and enraging.

That day, Elizabeth decides to privately tell Mrs Bennet about her engagement to Darcy, specifically so that Darcy will be spared Mrs Bennet's first unfiltered response.

Elizabeth fiercely defends Darcy's character and love for her, as well as hers for him, to Mr Bennet. She not only says she loves Darcy but that it upsets her to hear Mr Bennet's criticisms of him.

Elizabeth is both relieved by Mrs Bennet's ecstatic reception of the engagement and a bit disappointed by how completely shallow she's being about it, and 100% sure she made the right call in keeping Darcy away.

Elizabeth defends Darcy against Darcy himself, repeatedly.

There's a period where Elizabeth seems to unwind and laugh, but this passes, especially after Charlotte and Mr Collins show up. Darcy manages to stay calm around Mr Collins (I think this is framed as a significant and admirable achievement for him), but Elizabeth does not like him being in a situation where he has to deal with Mr Collins in the first place.

Elizabeth tries to shield Darcy from being noticed by Mrs Phillips and Mrs Bennet, who do seem to make him pretty excruciatingly uncomfortable.

Ultimately, Elizabeth ends up trying to keep Darcy to herself or to shepherd him around to relatives he can handle more easily, and is so stressed at this point that she just wants to get married and escape to Pemberley.

After their marriage, things are actually great at Pemberley and in their married life, despite the occasional complication.

Lydia writes a congratulatory letter to Elizabeth, asking for Darcy to get Wickham a promotion unless Elizabeth would rather not bring it up with him. Elizabeth really does not want Darcy to have to deal with this and handles it by privately setting aside a Lydia fund out of her personal expenses. (IIRC, it's not clear if Darcy even knows about this.)

Elizabeth also is the driving force behind Darcy's reconciliation with Lady Catherine.

This could read as an unsettling, unbalanced dynamic and a very odd ending point for the arc of a woman like Elizabeth, but in the context of the overall novel, it doesn't feel that way. Or maybe I'd see it more that way if I interpreted Darcy (and for that matter, Elizabeth) + their arcs differently? But as it is, I do think that by this point in the story they are genuinely doing the best they can, independently and for each other, and they've both come a long way. They shine in different contexts and support each other as much as they can in the circumstances that do arise.

It seems very them, in terms of their temperament and abilities, that Elizabeth would put all this effort into shielding Darcy, while at the same time, Darcy completely cuts off Lady Catherine for insulting Elizabeth and only ever speaks to her again because Elizabeth wants him to.

#one of the things that really works about darcy/elizabeth for me is how much they're kind of the apotheosis of each other's types #like the people elizabeth is closest to—jane charlotte and mr bennet #are very different people but they're quiet and private and strong-willed and stubborn and intelligent #and darcy is totally the full throttle version of that type #and darcy is obviously drawn to cheerful outgoing lively charisma bombs with minds of their own #(even in his youth this was kind of true w/ pre-villainy wickham) #(then there's fitzwilliam and bingley and elizabeth herself) #and nobody is more peak that type than elizabeth bennet #they're totally each other's types and like. darcy is blatantly ride or die for elizabeth #while end of the book elizabeth is so far from being intimidated or awed by him that she's sweeping in to save him #in a way that i suspect nobody has really attempted for a long time #anghraine babbles #long post #anghraine's meta #elizabeth bennet #fitzwilliam darcy #otp of otps #(obviously this is particularly endearing w/ the autistic!darcy headcanon) #(neither of them could ever know why he's like that and in their society it's probably for the best that they don't know tbh #but they make it work anyway)

[misscrawfords]

I was listening to Pride and Prejudice on my drive back from my mother's today and it's been so long since I've actually read the novel as opposed to engaged with one or other adaptation...

Goodness, it's good, isn't it? And Elizabeth is so much more complex a character than she is often presented in adaptations.

The thing that was standing out to me today - I was listening to from when Mr. Collins proposes to Charlotte and I stopped just when Elizabeth was talking to Colonel Fitzwilliam at Rosings - was the chapter which is just Jane and Elizabeth talking about Bingley. This gets cut from adaptations or so condensed to be meaningless, but it's incredible. It's just a whole chapter of the sisters chewing over why Bingley ghosted Jane (for lack of a better term) and what Caroline's motivations were and the thing that gets me is that they're both right. Jane is right that Bingley can't be blamed for being a friendly young man and that he had no malicious intentions but Elizabeth is also right that young men can be thoughtless in their dealings with women who have less freedom than them and their thoughtlessness can do real hurt. (She's also right about Caroline, of course.) It struck me as such a modern issue. Maybe I've just been thinking about the unwitting hurt that thoughtless young men can cause recently, but everything is so complicated. Bingley is a flake who makes a mistake with regards to Jane but he's also a genuinely lovely young man who makes it right in the end - he's still on his own journey through life which he will continue with Jane. Jane herself lets her desire to see the best in others cause her to see friendship where it isn't, but being deceived in a friend is not so uncommon, is it? And she's not stupid or weak. Heck, she endures her heartbreak being talked about openly by her mother in public for months silently and without rancour. And she does it all without ever resenting Bingley! Jane's the strongest character in the whole novel and an inspiration to the rest of us - FIGHT ME on this!

The other thing I really picked up on was what an important moment in Elizabeth's character development Charlotte's engagement is. It actually kind of breaks my heart - her best friend makes a life choice that she can't support but has to and nothing will ever be the same again between them. It's the first dent into Elizabeth's world view that forces her to see that people are different from her and can make different decisions and this is okay and not just something she can laugh at. It's so relatable in terms of life events - when a close friend marries and then when they have a baby, these things absolutely still do alter friendships. Elizabeth gets over it and even enjoys seeing Charlotte in Hunsford but we are frequently reminded by the narrator that the previous confidences they enjoyed will never be the same again. It's a really big moment for Elizabeth and really the first event in the novel to start to shake her foundations of her comfortable existence. The other two are Bingley's desertion of Jane and Wickham's decision to pursue Mary King over her. By the time she goes to Hunsford, she is prepared in a way for the final massive shock to the foundations of The World According to Lizzy Bennet, not that she knows it. Such is growing up.

And OMG Lady Catherine is SO vulgar and inappropriate! She is a direct parallel to Mrs. Bennet and the rest of the Bennets. Just as Elizabeth feels accute embarrassment at the Netherfield Ball, Mr. Darcy is feeling exactly the same at Rosings. Beautifully done. But their awareness of what is appropriate behaviour is something that unifies Darcy and Elizabeth even if Darcy massively fails to behave like a human around Elizabeth. Pride and Prejudice is such an expose and examination of "how to behave in social situations". There is nobody who doesn't come under scrutiny and pretty much every type of behaviour is gone over with a fine tooth comb.

Sometimes I feel almost ashamed when people ask me what my favourite novel is and I say "Pride and Prejudice" because it's such a damn cliche. I should say something heavier or more obscure or at least I should say it's Persuasion, the "thinking girl"'s favourite Austen. But P&P is so special to me on so many levels and you know what? It is a MASTERFULLY written book.

#jane austen #pride and prejudice #i just want to spend my life thinking about Austen

[bethanydelleman]

First Kiss for each Austen Heroine Couple

Fitzwilliam Darcy & Elizabeth Bennet: after they were married, when no one else was around. Mr. Darcy does not do PDA.

Charles Bingley & Jane Bennet: they were making out behind a bush while Lady Catherine was scolding Elizabeth. Charles was just hoping for a single kiss, he modestly hadn't expected Jane to be so excited about it.

Anne Elliot & Captain Frederick Wentworth: there was smooching at 19 and 23, you cannot convince me there was not. At 27 and 31, they really thought they would be more mature, but honestly if they hadn't been married as rapidly as possible there would have been serious canoodling.

Catherine Morland & Henry Tilney: Catherine ran after Henry when he was about to leave Fullerton and very dramatically kissed him before he mounted his horse. Then they had to wait about six months to do it again. It was torment.

Emma Woodhouse & George Knightley: They kissed in the garden around Hartfield after getting engaged. No one knows who initiated it, but on reflection it was probably Emma.

Elinor Dashwood & Edward Ferrars: Marianne was trying to leave them in corners and behind trees the whole time Edward was staying at the cottage, which they found very amusing and took advantage of fully. The first kiss was out of doors, after their engagement.

Marianne Dashwood & Colonel Brandon: You know that Colonel Brandon was attempting to be a perfect gentleman and Marianne was trying to to be anything but a modest lady.

Fanny Price & Edmund Bertram: Despite ample opportunity and the feelings of the lady, not until they were in the bedroom after the wedding.

Bonus! Jane Fairfax & Frank Churchill: There was pre-engagement making out and Jane felt so bad about it, but couldn't help herself.

Bonus! Bonus! I would bet my bonnet that Jane Bennet was born not quite nine respectable months after her parent's marriage.

#mr. darcy #elizabeth bennet #catherine morland #henry tilney #elinor dashwood #edward ferrars #emma woodhouse #mr. knightley #emma #northanger abbey #mansfield park #pride and prejudice #sense and sensibility #persuasion #captain wentworth #anne elliot #marianne dashwood #colonel brandon #charles bingley #jane bennet #fanny price #edmund bertram #first kiss #for valentines day maybe? #I think I did all the tags

[dearausten]

just rewatched pride and prejudice 1995 and i loved it, even more than before! here are some thoughts:

- the best thing about this adaptation is, to me, the performance of jennifer ehle as elizabeth. honestly, she nails everything about her character, in my opinion. from lizzy’s wit and sense of humor to her firm resolution in rejecting darcy the first time and dealing with lady catherine, while also displaying all her conflictimg emotions not only during the whole wickham affair, but also when she found herself longing for darcy’s good opinion (who knows why!). she was absolutely charming and one can’t help but root for her.

- this might be obvious, but i love how it is pretty much the same as the book! it’s very clear that having six episodes worth of screen time instead of two hours as you get in movies played in their favor.

- i love the bennets! i love seeing the sisters interact! i love seeing them in their daily lives and watching their dynamics. i also think they got almost all of the characterizations perfectly. lydia, kitty, mary and mrs. bennet were all on point! however i do feel like they toned down mr. bennet’s flaws and only focused on the funny/sarcastic side of his character. other than that, i liked him too :)

- i’ve seen many people who don’t like this mr. collins but honestly i really enjoyed him. he was ridiculous and absurd, and he annoyed the fuck out of everyone, which is accurate lol. i do wish they’d made him age appropriate bc... that man is not 25 lol. anyways, i actually thought this collins was more accurate than 2005!collins.

- oh, caroline, you sneaky thing! i have nothing to say about her, really. i think she was portrayed very accurately as well. and they included the hursts!

- mr. bingley was good too! love me some golden retriever energy

- and, of course, how could i not talk about colin firth as darcy! he was DISGUSTED to be around common gentry people. he looked like he’d rather hang himself from the ceiling than be in those goddamn social gatherings for one more minute. he was so displeased with everyone and clearly thought they were nothing but a pain in his ass, and i love that lol.

- but OH MY he’s a simp! he can’t stop staring at elizabeth for the life of him. istg he is so fascinated by her. that scene at rosings when lizzy is talking to colonel fitzwilliam and darcy just stared at them while she roasts the fuck out of him????? top tier

- one thing i adored about his performance was just how miserable he looks when she isn’t around! and mind you, this is DARCY we’re talking about.

- the lake scene was great, but CAN WE TALK ABOUT THAT LOOK THEY GAVE EACH OTHER IN THAT ONE SCENE???? YES, THAT LOOK. YALL KNOW WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT. IT MAKES ME WEAKKK

- the ONLY note that i have is that i wish he smiled more, especially when they meet after the letter (but before that too)

- honestly the only bad thing i have to say about this adaptation is that the second proposal felt a little... underwhelming. it’s supposed to be this big emotional moment why do they look like they’re talking about the weather 😭

my conclusion: i’ve worshipped 2005 since the first time i watched but i feel like i’ve just become a 1995 stan, it was just so so good and so faithful to the book. and yes, i finished it two days ago. yes, i’ll be rewatching today.

#jane austen #pride and prejudice #p&p 1995 #i am now a 1995 truther i fear #that is until i rewatch 2005 and become a mess #and the cycle goes on and and on

[triviareads]

Ever since I was mildly horrified that Colin Firth is a fancast for Lisa Kleypas's Lord Westcliff (by Lisa herself which.... come on, you need to pick someone who is not hot and yet inexplicably super attractive because of his "vitality" or whatever, Lisa), I've come to realize people actually liken Westcliff to Mr. Darcy, and even call It Happened One Autumn a 'spicy" version of Pride and Prejudice which.... well, we won't get into that particular suggestion, buuuuut I do think likening Darcy to Westcliff is kind of a disservice to both characters (and calling it "spicy" Pride and Prejudice is a disservice to both texts).

For all that Westcliff is shown as this perfect paragon of aristocratic virtue, he's honestly.... kind of not. Apart from him and Darcy sharing a sense of duty and a degree of aristocratic snobbery (which, tbh, most aristocrats or gentlemen would have at the time), they really aren't all that similar personality-wise

Do I think the narrative about Darcy being a brooding borderline douchebag was pushed by by fans post-1995 Pride and Prejudice? Maybe. To a degree. But let's be real here, Westcliff comes way closer to being a dbag than Darcy ever does, particularly his hot-and-cold behavior with Lillian (the time he calls her an easy target for St. Vincent and then immediately pounces on her and fingers her in his butterfly garden comes to mind). Darcy's behavior towards Lizzy is fairly consistent; it's just, they both misinterpret one another's actions until the proposal makes everything clear. That's not to say they don't change their attitudes afterwards, but there was always civility at the least.

And I don't think Darcy is a super broody type, but he is definitely shy around people he doesn't know (awkward too), and seems like the type to socialize with a few close friends (like I'm convinced his only confidantes are Bingley, and then his own cousin Col. Fitzwilliam). Westcliff on the other hand displays no qualms about socializing in large groups, in fact, he seems to command a lot of attention in large group settings like balls and the big house parties he hosts (routinely, based on Secrets of a Summer Night, where he's described as an accomplished host).

I know it's hard to compare a text with on-page sex to a text that is much older and has no point of comparison, but there was this detail in Secrets of a Summer Night that stood out to me:

This is veering into headcanon territory but the more generous headcanon I have regarding Darcy's premarital sex life is largely "widows" and "older women" and that too... I imagine it's a limited number (otherwise, he's a virgin. or partially a virgin; that's my favorite). What I'd never think Darcy would do is "join in" with any village wenches in Lambton (a combination of his shyness and upper-class snobbery about socializing with the lower classes for fun). Nor do I think he'd he exhibitionist enough to do things with paramours at parties where friends could see him. Interestingly, in IHOA, Livia comments that Westcliff has had a few discreet affairs and nothing more, but between a secluded sister and a friend who routinely goes around town with him, I believe Simon Hunt lol; that being said Westcliff is deffo more of a society affair type than a sex worker/courtesan mistress type. To be clear, this isn't me judging Westcliff for having sex with a lot of women, it's just, again, for all that he outwardly behaves in a proper fashion, he really isn't, and has relatively relaxed views on propriety, even as he judges Lillian for her lack of it at first.

In his second proposal to Elizabeth, Darcy basically said he understands that "no means no", while Westcliff..... does not quite understand that.

Ways Westcliff is similar to Darcy:

They both are brought to their knees by women who initially don't fit within their notion of a "right" spouse. But that's such a broad trope, as is the fact that they both "save" their heroines in some sense.

There's a decent amount of language in P&P describing Darcy as a a fair-minded master and "liberal"; while I don't know enough to speculate on his actual politics (though I have read some pieces that suggest he might be, based on, among other things, the real-life figure Jane Austen may have named him after, the Earl Fitzwilliam), what we do know is that he's liberal in the sense of being a very involved master at his estate, liberal with money where his estate and tenants are involved. Basically, he's not stodgy and backwards, just like Westcliff is when it comes to his estate and tenants. Kleypas takes Westcliff's liberal attitudes a step further by aligning him with progressive causes and progressive politicians.

Look, both Westcliff and Darcy are classist to a degree; both initially balk at marrying women with connections to trade, but ultimately, they a) go ahead with marrying them anyway and b) we know they like to associate with people in trade in other ways. For example, Darcy and Bingley are good friends in the way that Westcliff and Simon Hunt are friends. Plus, we know Darcy gets on really well with Elizabeth's Aunt and Uncle Gardner (who are in trade), to the point that they're frequent visitors at Pemberley after their marriage. Basically, their snobbery is not universal.

Westcliff and Darcy are good to their siblings but even here, the actual sibling relationships are different. Westcliff is closer in age to both his sisters so their relationship is (mostly) noninterfering (tbh Westcliff exercises remarkable forbearance when McKenna returns) and Westcliff is less high-handed than I imagine Darcy is with Georgiana who, based on their age gap, likely regards him as a second father of sorts.

#lisa kleypas #pride and prejudice #mr. darcy #jane austen #historical romance #romance novels

[rocknrollpanda]

Anne is definitely rich and by marrying her he would also become the owner of Rosings. He would have the money, the house and the lifestyle he wanted. But he would also have an overbearing aunt living with him full time, and a very sickly wife that would need a lot of care.

Bingley and Darcy are friends, their families spend a lot of time together, I'm sure Colonel and Caroline would have a lot of occasions to meet. She is rich, smart, cunning, and loves the lavish lifestyle. He is the second son of the Earl. They would surely enjoy a London season together.

Mary Crawford would have no problem charming a man, of that I am sure. She is pretty, witty, speaks her mind and loves the society. Maybe even she and Elizabeth Darcy would become friends. She has a sizeable dowry, but she has also promised herself to never look at a second son again. Would the Colonel be able to win her over?

Listen Elizabeth is a daughter of baronet, and because of her father's spending habit she doesn't have as much money as she should have (her dowry is 3k in the best case scenario). BUT she is a very beautiful women. Do you think the Colonel would be likely to be blinded by her beauty? He wouldn't be the first man to make that mistake.

We don't know much about Miss Morton, but she is a daughter of a Lord and she is rich. I'm sure his family would approve of that choice. And maybe she would be happy to distance herself from the scheming Ferras family?

Tell me your thoughts if you have other ideas!

#polls #jane austen #pride and prejudice #mansfield park #sense and sensibility #persuasion #bookblr #literature

[taradactyls]

Trying to Tread Water: Chapter Twenty-Nine

The Elizabeth/Darcy Marriage of Convenience fic no one asked for

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Elizabeth and Mr Darcy are, half-accidentally, hosting a dinner party. Miss Bingley soon attempts to catch the notice of Colonel Fitzwilliam, and has varied success with hiding her bitterness and jealousy at Elizabeth and her own prospects. The husband, jewels, and notice from the nobility that she had all sought for herself are gone - and she has no suitor to equal him.

Read on Ao3 here

First reviews of Chapter Twenty-Nine: "Love it!" "I cannot tell you the delight I feel when I see your updates. Love this slow burn of Elizabeth feelings for Darcy." "God, I almost feel bad for Miss Bingley, having to sit there and listen to everyone praise Lizzy’s beauty and then hear about her new jewels. I’ll just have to keep reminding myself what a terrible person she is." "This is a lovely chapter and I felt myself calming from my stress as I read it 😌"

Story updates on Ao3 fortnightly, with Chapter Thirty coming out on the 3rd May.

Story tags: Elizabeth/Darcy, Marriage of Convenience, Unrequited Love, Not Really Unrequited Love, Slow Burn, Pining, Pining Despite Being Married, Mr Darcy thinks his worst enemy is Wickham but maybe it's himself.

#ao3 #archive of our own #pride and prejudice #jane austen #elizabeth bennet #fitzwilliam darcy #mr darcy #darcy x elizabeth #elizabeth x darcy #fanfic #fanfiction #trying to tread water #fic:t3w #writers on tumblr #writers #writing #pride & prejudice

[leefi]

p&p (2005) thoughts:

why is this filmed like the office im crying

jane is sooooo sweet i love herrrr

in a weird turn of my expectations coming into this elizabeth has been grating on me WAY more than darcy. don't get me wrong, darcy's still a bit of a dick and deserves some heat, but how could you make so many assumptions about someone you’ve barely spoken to? she’s very sure of herself and her opinions of others in a way that really gets my nerves. what's up with the movie title btw lol

mr bennett truly don't give af im crying

(watching lizzie run out after seeing darcy's actually at home) now me personally i would have killed myself right there

mrs bennett my most BELOATHED enemy every time she is on screen my blood pressure SKYROCKETS

AND YOU TOO MR BENNETT. DEATH. TO BOTH OF THEM

bingley and darcy walking through the bennett door to mom and sisters quietly reading and sewing got a full belly laugh out of me

jane and lizzie have been so cute awwwww. sisters!!!!!

this story could have been made even better with the addition of at least one darcy & bingley open mouth kiss. sorry

i like mary's character sooo much. i wish we saw more of her. something to keep in mind if i ever read the book i guess

i wish we saw more georgiana too!! who is this little sister that darcy adores so much?? shakes my fist at 2-hour movie runtimes

i'd watch a sequel of jane dealing with her demon sister-in-law. defend urself QUEEN

darcy's first name is FITZWILLIAM??????? LMFAOOAOAOAOAOAOAOAOOAOAAOOAOAOAOAAOOAOAOA

[lizzie and catherine bourgh scene] oh my gawddd just like crazy rich asians (2018)

oh hey. it's the scene i've seen giffed 10 million times

this twilight-ass lighting

DID HE ASK FOR HER HAND IN MARRIAGE TO HER DAD DRENCHED LIKE A WET CAT LMFAOOAOAOOAOAOAOAAOOAAOAOA

when lizzie said "i do like him. i love him" i made the exact same face as her dad

i like how mr bennett the least giving af character in the whole movie is the sounding board for her character development

that was sauuuuu cute oh my gawddd that "mrs.darcy" ending scene…ok white ppl i see u!!!!

#woof #pride and prejudice #i would also stare at my daughter in slack jawed horror if she started gushing about a dude i thought she hated 20 minutes ago #i've been ✨nonsensical✨ ☺️🥹🥰☺️ #verdict: i enjoyed it! #i was also waiting for mr darcy's 'he was left in a wet box as a kitten and was malnourished for 300 days and 300 nights' moment but it #never came. after perusing the tag i learn that he and his sister are orphans. ok fitzwilliam ill let it slide this one time #i guess this all gets covered in ✨the book✨

[arcturusreads]

Traditions

pairing: elizabeth bennet & fitzwilliam darcy word count: 1165 words request: yes/no prompt/summary:  the newly married darcy couple decide to spend their first christmas together... at Longbourn a/n: it's december and all i want is christmas fluff

“William, are you sure you want to do this?” Elizabeth whispered, hoping not to wake her sister-in-law who was asleep opposite them.

“We spent Christmas at Pemberley with the promise that we’d would come to Longbourn for Christmas. We’re only twenty minutes away, there’s no backing out now.” He gave his wife’s hand a gentle squeeze where it was resting on the carriage seat. “Plus, Jane and Bingley are going to be there and I’m sure you won’t want to miss them.”

Sighing, Elizabeth relaxed back into her seat. Fitzwilliam had a point, she was longing to see Jane. When the Bingleys had decided to open Netherfield over winter, they’d also made the decision to spend Christmas with the Bennet’s.

“At least we’ll be staying with them instead of my family,” Elizabeth muttered to herself as she gazed out of the carriage window.

Darcy shook his head with a small smile. “Have heart, Elizabeth. It’ll only be two days and then we’ll be in London for the New Year.”

“Mr Darcy! Miss Darcy! It’s such an honour to host you at Longbourn and much overdue, don’t you think?” The Bennet clan had been waiting outside of the house when the Darcy carriage had come to a stop. “I’ve written to Lizzie on multiple occasions telling her that the three of you simply must come and visit.”

Elizabeth could feel her cheeks start to redden as she knew her mother was about to admonish her in front of her husband and sister-in-law.

“Yes, Elizabeth had told me. I hope she passed on my apologises, my duties at Pemberley have rather taken over a lot of my time. We haven’t had a chance to make it here before now.”

The tension in her shoulders began to ease as Fitzwilliam stepped in and saved her from any further embarrassment. Thankfully Jane had already arrived with Charles and Elizabeth soon turned her attention to the married couple, pulling Georgiana along with her and away from anymore of her mother’s questions.

“Such a shame that Lydia and Mr Wickham weren’t able to come.”

After ten minutes of greetings outside, Mrs Bennet had finally relented and allowed to family to go indoors and take shelter from the greying clouds. They were sat around the living area, Mary sat at her piano whilst Kitty tried to convince her that there was no need to play anything right now and they should really be opening presents.

Georgiana had taken a seat next to Elizabeth. She was still rather shy around everyone else and other than her sister-in-law and brother, the only other people she felt somewhat comfortable with was Jane and Charles.

Elizabeth felt Georgiana stiffen beside her as Wickham was mentioned. The only reason that the Darcy’s had agreed to coming to Longbourn was because they knew that Lydia and Wickham weren’t able to come. Not wanting Georgiana to feel any more uncomfortable, Elizabeth tried to change the subject.

“Shall we open some gifts? Mr Darcy and I got something from London for you Mamma.”

That immediately perked up Mrs Bennet who soon forgot about her youngest daughter not joining them for Christmas. The next half on hour was filled with screams of laughter from the younger two Bennets, Mr Bennet grumbling and complaining in his armchair and Mrs Bennet having to do a running commentary on the gifts her two eldest daughters had bought her and how lucky they were to be married so well.

The five guests had taken a more subdued approach. In their letters, both Jane and Elizabeth had agreed that it would be best for them all to open their gifts at Netherfield when they left that evening. They would have more time to chat and enjoy their gifts without their mother or sisters trying to find out what the present was before it was even unwrapped.

Dinner was yet another loud affair. Bennet dinners were something that Elizabeth knew how to manage well. The noise, laughter and yelling across the table did not make her bat an eyelid and knowing looks shared with Jane helped her to get through it. She felt for her husband though and worried about his discomfort. On Fitzwilliam’s part, he acted as though none of it bothered him. He entertained her mother- and sister-in-laws with all the charm he could muster but Elizabeth could tell that the noise and company was starting to get to him. Early on in their marriage she had learnt that Fitzwilliam could only deal with large group of people and a lot of noise for only a small amount of time before he began to find it too much and longed to retreat to the peace of Pemberley.

After dinner proved to be no respite either. Mary was determined to practice the new music that The Darcy’s had gifted her. As Elizabeth tried to surpress a wince at the attempt she knew that it was partly her own fault for giving the gift but at least she knew that Mary was happy with it if nothing else. Eventually, Mary stepped away and asked Georgiana to grace them with a song. Not one to enjoy the limelight, Georgiana asked Mary to join her in playing a duet which the entire household had found much more palatable.  Kitty had pulled Jane and Charles to dance with her as the music played. With Mr Bennet falling asleep in his armchair and Mrs Bennet clapping along to the song, Elizabeth took the opportunity to stand next to her husband.

“Would you like to leave soon?” she asked, grazing her fingers against his.

Fitzwilliam looked down at her, a gentle smile on his face. She couldn’t help but note how exhausted her looked. They’d been up since the wee hours of the morning in order to get to Longbourn in good time and having to be social for such an extended period of time was bound to tire him. And yet, Fitzwilliam still shook his head.

“You haven’t seen your family in a long time, enjoy this time with them. I’ll be fine.”

Elizabeth didn’t have much time to argue and Kitty tugged on her arm, pulling her in to enjoy the festivities.

It was eleven o’clock before the Darcys and Bingleys had left Longbourn and past two in the morning until they had all gone to bed after exchanging presents and sharing stories. There was no question that Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam were going to share a bed, they hadn’t slept separately since the day they had gotten married. Finally curled up under the blanket, with her head resting against her husband’s chest, the couple felt like they could finally, fully relax.

“Maybe next year we stay at Pemberley?” Fitzwilliam suggested, running his hand through Elizabeth’s hair.

She hummed in response, closing her eyes. “Easter at Longbourn is a much less rambunctious gathering.”

“Are you sure you won’t mind?”

“Not at all. I think it’s time we start our own traditions.”

#pride and prejudice #elizabeth darcy #fitzwilliam darcy #pride and prejudice fanfic #excuse me whilst i rearrange the alphabet

[aitchnkay]

Jiang Gunian Made A Change Part 18

Character archetypes exist for a reason, Xia KeXin mused, watching Jiang YanLi almost scurrying from the Jin section of the camp to stop to talk with Lan WangJi and then hurry off to the Nie camp. Maybe Miss MXTX read Pride and Prejudice, and maybe she didn't. Either way, everyone knows that the Miss Elizabeth Bennett archetype marries the Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy archetype. And Miss Jane Bennett marries Mr. Charles Bingley. Miss YanLi is obviously more of a Jane Bennett so why did she marry a Darcy figure? Xia KeXin looked down the street to where Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi were packing. MXTX got that pairing right. Wei Ying is such an Elizabeth Bennett to Lan Zhan's Darcy. Colin Firth is the sexiest Mr. Darcy on screen; I'll allow this Lan Zhan or his actor Wang YiBo would give him a run for his money in the wet shirt contest. Why did I have to transmigrate into a forty-seven year old fortune teller instead of into one of their bodies? She looked down at her wrinkled skin on her hands and sighed. I'm not even that old. Back home women in their forties were still getting their groove on. Here? Everything hurts when I wake up. Or try sitting on the mats. Thank God for that carpenter! She had found one of the Wen civilians was a carpenter and commissioned him to make her a rocking chair. It had been a grueling process, as he'd never tried to make the curved runners, and she had no idea how to draw a rocking chair to scale, but the end product was well worth it. Several other women had openly eyed the rocker, thinking how useful it would be to be able to sit comfortably while nursing babies or trying to put them to sleep. Or for just taking an afternoon rest.

But back to Jiang YanLi. Obviously Jane Bennett marries Mr. Bingley. Wealthy, kind to everyone, the part where Mr. Bennett says they'll outspend their income is optional, I suppose. As are his annoying sisters and bland brother-in-law. Jin ZiXuan is wealthy, so.... She frowned at her crochet project. Wealthy, yes. But too damn proud to be Bingley. And definitely not kind enough. He's definitely a Darcy 2.0 more than a Bingley. Yeah, so he ends up completely besotted with YanLi. Big whoop. She deserves someone who doesn't need to be smacked in the proverbial face before he realizes what kind of woman she is. So... wealthy and kind? The only one here that fits that bill is... Lan XiChen? Xia KeXin rocked a bit faster, thinking of how the handsome sect leader looked standing next to Jiang YanLi. They do look good together, don't they.... YanLi looks good in that pale lavender she perfers, so I'm guessing that she'll look good in those pastel blues XiChen wears, too. She can even mix and match, probably... White under robes with lavender as her next layer and her outer layers blue.... Or purple, white, blue? That would probably look best? Or... what's that... ombrage? No. What's it called? Xia KeXin internally rolled her eyes at failing to remember the word. It's right on the fucking tip of my tongue! Ombrange? Katie did it to her hair right before we went on vacation, too. In almost the same colors as I'm trying to see for YanLi. Shit! Blue on top fading into purple at the bottom. Not ombrage! She looked up at the sky and mentally screamed at herself. "Got my tongue stuck between my eyeteeth, so I can't see what I'm saying," she spoke out loud in English.

"Did you say something?" a woman passing by asked.

"Just talking to myself," Xia KeXin smiled. Ombre! That's the word. Or Ballyage. I am such a dumb idiot sometimes. Ombrage. What the Hell, Summer? Don't you dare lose your English. It's all I have to remind myself who I was.

She picked up her crochet project and continued the row, thinking about how to get Jane and Bingley together. It just made more sense than Jane and Darcy 2.0.

#wangxian #the untamed #chen qing ling #grandmaster of demonic cultivation #cql #jiang yanli #wei ying #lan zhan #wei wuxian #lan wangji

[princesssarisa]

Character ask: Fitzwilliam Darcy (Pride and Prejudice)

Tagged by anonymous

Favorite thing about them: His fundamental goodness and generosity, and I don't just mean after his character development. Even before he meets Elizabeth, when he's at his proudest and most aloof, he's always been kind to his servants, good to his tenants, generous to the poor, a faithful friend, and a loving, caring brother. And of course after his humbling process, his kindness and politeness both to Elizabeth herself and to her relatives are exemplary (even if he does still struggle with it around the likes of Mrs. Bennet – he's only human), and the generosity and selflessness of all he does to save Lydia from disgrace are outstanding.

Least favorite thing about them: His arrogance and inconsiderateness before his character development, especially in his first proposal to Elizabeth. That probably goes without saying.

Three things I have in common with them:

*I'm not good at socializing with strangers.

*I try to always be generous to people in need or who depend on me.

*I like to read.

Three things I don't have in common with them:

*I don't have excessive pride.

*I tend to have too little dignity, not too much.

*I'm not of noble birth on either side of my family.

Favorite line:

His sarcastic response when Sir William Lucas calls dancing "one of the first refinements of polished societies" (yes, it has period-typical racist implications, but it's still a witty line):

"Certainly, sir; and it has the advantage also of being in vogue among the less polished societies of the world. Every savage can dance."

His response to Elizabeth telling him that his natural defect is to hate everybody:

"And yours is to willfully misunderstand them."

His famous declaration of love, even though the scene it takes place in is far from his shining moment:

"In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you."

The last sentence of his letter to Elizabeth, bidding her farewell with genuine best wishes despite the fierce rejection and insults she gave him the day before:

"I will only add, God bless you."

His bait-and-switch response when Caroline Bingley, after a long string of insults about Elizabeth's looks, recalls that Darcy once thought she was "rather pretty":

"Yes, but that was only when I first knew her, for it is many months since I have considered her as one of the handsomest women of my acquaintance."

His simple, humble second proposal:

"You are too generous to trifle with me. If your feelings are still what they were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes are unchanged, but one word from you will silence me on this subject forever."

During their engagement, when Elizabeth asks him why he talked so little to her in his visits just before he finally proposed again:

"A man who had felt less might."

brOTP: Bingley, Colonel Fitzwilliam, and Georgiana.

OTP: Elizabeth.

nOTP: Georgiana.

Random headcanon: He's on the autism spectrum. This headcanon is nothing new to the fandom, but it makes perfect sense. See the TV Tropes Wild Mass Guessing page, under "Darcy is neurodivergent," for a good explanation of why. And no, it doesn't excuse his rudeness, or turn his entire character arc into "overcoming a disability."

Unpopular opinion: Where to start? I could argue that from the very beginning, he's a flawed but decent man, neither "just misunderstood" nor a total jerk. Or that he doesn't change his whole personality, and most certainly doesn't change "for Elizabeth," but because he genuinely wants to be a better person. Or that he's not a Byronic hero – in some ways he's a subversion of one. Or that his character arc isn't about "unlearning toxic masculinity." Or that even before his personal growth, he genuinely loves Elizabeth – it's not just lust that only becomes love when he's a better man. Or that he never mistakes Jane for a gold digger – he has nothing against her, he just thinks she doesn't love Bingley. Or that he isn't Elizabeth's total opposite and is her intellectual equal. The list could go on and on: @anghraine has covered it all in her fantastic Pride and Prejudice analyses much better than I can. At any rate, I think pop culture misunderstands Darcy almost as much as Elizabeth does at first!

Song I associate with them: None at the moment.

Favorite pictures of them:

This illustration by Hugh Thomson.

This illustration by C.E. Brock (I know it was just the fashion of the day, but the monocle makes him look hilariously prissy!).

The same artist's illustration of the first proposal scene.

This illustration by his brother, H.M. Brock. (A blond Darcy! Blasphemy! Not that the book ever mentions his hair color, but blasphemy!)

Laurence Olivier in the 1940 film.

David Rintoul in the 1980 BBC miniseries.

Colin Firth in the 1995 BBC miniseries.

Matthew MacFayden in the 2005 film.

#character ask #ask game #pride and prejudice #fitzwilliam darcy #jane austen

[anghraine]

I’ve been thinking about the development of Elizabeth’s feelings for Darcy in P&P, and one of the things I find really intriguing is how incredibly careful Austen is in her handling of their physical attraction to each other.

A lot of takes on Darcy’s initial attraction to Elizabeth focus entirely on the physical element, but Austen’s description of it folds together his attraction to her intelligence, her expression, her body, and the “easy playfulness” of her manner. Of these, the earliest mentioned is his realization that her face is “rendered uncommonly intelligent by the beautiful expression of her dark eyes” and her eyes are the physical feature that he seems to dwell on the most.

At any rate, Darcy’s attraction to Elizabeth is established early on (Ch 6) and continues as a thread from that point on. And—I mean, even in 1813, it’s one thing to show a man in his twenties being attracted to the pretty heroine. Austen is a lot cagier about Elizabeth’s feelings.

The narrative is structured so that we know Darcy is physically attractive from his entrance in Ch 3, when the narrator refers to “his fine, tall person, handsome features, noble mien” along with his wealth. But we’re not in Elizabeth’s head at that point, and iirc, she isn’t shown as saying or thinking anything about his physical attractiveness until she blushingly agrees that he is very handsome forty chapters later.

Even there, Austen leaves the dialogue to stand on its own and tells us nothing of what Elizabeth actually feels about it. The conversation moves to Darcy’s personal virtues, which reveal the critical fact that Darcy is consistently kind and good-natured in the domestic sphere. So Elizabeth’s concession that Darcy is physically attractive is narratively linked to the suggestion that he would make a safe husband, emotionally speaking (although her concession comes first, which may be significant).

Between the initial, omniscient narrator-type description of him and Elizabeth agreeing in Ch 43, we do get references to his looks a few times, but during the period of Elizabeth’s dislike, it’s always either through implication or through someone around Elizabeth rather than Elizabeth herself. So Bingley, for instance, jokes about how Darcy is so much taller than he is, but the narrator only remarks on Elizabeth’s assumption that Darcy is offended by this.

We know that Elizabeth looks for a resemblance to Darcy when she first sees Lady Catherine, and finds it, but this isn’t explicitly linked to her conclusion that Lady Catherine might have been handsome in her youth.

Then there’s the introduction of Colonel Fitzwilliam, when he arrives with Darcy, as “about thirty, not handsome, but in person and address most truly the gentleman.” Obviously the contrast is with Darcy, who is handsome but has less gentlemanly manners, but this isn’t explicitly spelled out. Austen simply says that Darcy “looked just as he had been used to look in Hertfordshire” and moves to the manner of his compliments to Charlotte.

We do get an explicit contrast later, when Darcy, Georgiana, and Bingley come to Lambton (so, after the critical revelations):

Miss Darcy was tall, and on a larger scale than Elizabeth; and, though little more than sixteen, her figure was formed, and her appearance womanly and graceful. She was less handsome than her brother; but there was sense and good humour in her face

Austen breezes past this to Georgiana’s manners and Bingley’s arrival. There are a couple of discussions of Darcy’s appearance earlier at Pemberley, but entirely held between Mr and Mrs Gardiner, who admire his figure while Elizabeth is consumed by embarrassment. She mentions that it was obvious that he had only just arrived via horse or carriage, but not how she knows this or what she feels about it beyond repeatedly blushing.

Then they meet again, he interacts with the Gardiners for awhile, and Elizabeth and the Gardiners leave. The Gardiners discuss the encounter including Darcy’s appearance, and Mrs Gardiner—who at this point, still thinks Darcy has mistreated Wickham—first concludes that Wickham is handsomer, then immediately re-considers and decides that Darcy has perfect features, but not Wickham’s angelic countenance. She (Mrs Gardiner) goes on, “He[Darcy] has not an ill-natured look. On the contrary, there is something pleasing about his mouth when he speaks.”

Elizabeth does not opine on Darcy’s mouth, lol, and instead defends Darcy’s moral character as far as his financial dealings with Wickham are concerned. We don’t hear much more of it apart from that, and in general, we see Elizabeth’s reactions to Darcy more than we hear about them:

Their eyes instantly met, and the cheeks of both were overspread with the deepest blush.

She blushed again and again over the perverseness of the meeting.

The colour which had been driven from her face, returned for half a minute with an additional glow, and a smile of delight added lustre to her eyes, as she thought for that space of time that his affection and wishes must still be unshaken.

Darcy had walked away to another part of the room. She followed him with her eyes, envied everyone to whom he spoke, had scarcely patience enough to help anybody to coffee; and then was enraged against herself for being so silly!

The colour now rushed into Elizabeth’s cheeks in the instantaneous conviction of its being a letter from the nephew, instead of the aunt

She had only to say in reply, that they had wandered about, till she was beyond her own knowledge. She coloured as she spoke

I do not personally think there can be much reasonable doubt about whether Elizabeth is attracted to Darcy during this phase of the book. But the narrative does dance around it enough (for understandable 1813 reasons, I suspect, given that Elizabeth either dislikes or hates Darcy for a significant portion of the book) that it’s not at all clear when she begins to finds him attractive, especially given that she does not actually see him between receiving the letter and acknowledging his attractiveness at Pemberley. So I think there are multiple valid interpretations or headcanons one could come up with for that.

#fun fact: i started writing this bc i was like 'i want to make a post about something trivial i can be concise about' #rip me i guess #but tbh my personal headcanon is that elizabeth /is/ attracted to darcy for a lot of the book but NOT remotely 'secretly in love' or w/e #people will be like 'if the attraction is mutual then what about her dislike are you saying-' #nope! she hates him. in fact she only hates him more bc he's smart and hot and complicated. #in addition to her conviction that he's a terrible person morally #and then she finds out he's actually okay and then that he's actually GOOD and then that he's made himself even better #elizabeth: i tried infatuation at first sight with wickham. now i shall try grown-up feelings like respect and gratitude #three days later: alas... i could have loved him... #some indeterminate amount of time without actually seeing him later: ...oh. fuck. #(i paraphrase. but honestly while elizabeth's realization that half her sleepless nights are darcy's fault is sad it is also very funny) #but yeah i think elizabeth is extremely wary of where attraction to emotionally unsuitable people goes and just buries all that #but once hte brakes go off she falls FAST #also she's genuinely attracted to three different men over the course of one pretty short novel and i love that for her #anghraine babbles #anghraine's meta #austen blogging #elizabeth bennet #fitzwilliam darcy #otp of otps #pride and prejudice #jane austen #long post

[lothiriel84]

A Pleasant Countenance

In all his three-and-twenty years, Charles Bingley had not once stopped to consider how different he was from his peers.

A Pride and Prejudice ficlet. Sex-positive asexual!Bingley.

It was fair to say that Mrs Bingley’s disposition was hardly ever inclined to discontentment; if anyone were to ask her, she would without a moment’s hesitation express her perfect contentment in her husband’s affections, and it did not occur to her to start questioning the veracity of her own statements until several months into their marriage.

When Charles had mentioned he was planning to invite the Darcys to Netherfield Park for the summer, she had rejoiced at the opportunity to spend some time with her dear sister; straight away, she had devoted herself to the preparations for their arrival, personally inspecting the guest wing until she finally selected a suite of connected chambers she felt sure would do nicely for Lizzy and her husband. She was therefore more than a little befuddled when upon the guests’ arrival, her sister thanked her for all her troubles, only to playfully remark that they would scarcely require more than one bedchamber between the two of them.

Jane held her peace for a grand total of four days before sequestering her sister to her own dressing rooms, and haltingly enquired as to the couple’s usual sleeping arrangements both at Pemberley and the Darcy town home.

“We always share a bed, unless Fitzwilliam is away on business,” Elizabeth replied simply, a slight frown creasing her brow. “You will pardon me, dearest sister, if I dare to presume what these questions tend to?”

“Oh, you will think me the worst kind of shameless busybody, Lizzy,” Jane exclaimed, twisting her hands. “It’s only – oh, I know it is hardly proper of me to even broach such an indelicate subject, but I hardly know who else I could turn to at this juncture.”

Lizzy was immediately on her feet, gathering her sister’s hands in her own. “You know you can always speak to me, my dear Jane. I shall spare you the indignity of needing to ask, and tell you that more often than not, my loving husband is wont to solicit my favours several times a week, and that they are most willingly bestowed on my part – heartily encouraged, even.”

Mrs Bingley’s head was spinning, and she felt more than a little faint as a result. “Several times a week,” she breathed, disbelief apparent in her voice, wondering for the briefest of moments whether her sister was teasing her for some strange reason. Her long familiarity with Lizzy excluded such a possibility, and she reluctantly had to acknowledge that her sister was in earnest – which begged a series of questions regarding the state of her own marriage she was scarcely ready to contemplate.

“Jane, are you – that is to say, does Mr Bingley,” Elizabeth bit her lip, clearly considering how better to address the issue. “Are you not satisfied with your marriage bed, then?”

Jane buried her face in her hands, her cheeks burning with shame. “Oh, Lizzy, I am the worst creature in the world.”

“Nonsense. I hate to be the one to tell you, dear sister, but if you are not happy with your husband’s attentions, your best course of action is to openly discuss it with him – you will do no favours to your marriage by keeping your feelings a secret to him.”

“How could I ever do such a thing? He would think me a wanton and the most ungrateful of wives, for he is very deeply in love with me, and the most considerate of husbands besides. And if he truly does not desire to share my bed, I can only conclude it is my own fault – that I have disappointed him, or that he finds my lack of experience in such matters off-putting in some way.”

“Jane!” Elizabeth exclaimed, obviously scandalised that she could even express such a thought.

“I didn’t mean it like that, I – I know I have no right in presuming anything about Charles’ past, but you must not think me so naive as to believe that he never – but that is irrelevant to our current situation, in any case. Perhaps he merely finds me not pleasing enough to tempt him, after all.”

“Promise me you will talk to him, Jane,” her sister pleaded with her in a most urgent tone. “If you won’t do it for yourself, do it for him. He would hate to find out you’re hiding such a thing from him, believe me.”

She swallowed, looked around the room as if hoping that the solution to her problems might suddenly materialise out of thin air, but in the end, she could not find it in herself to deny her sister. Elizabeth hugged her tightly, and promised everything would be all right; all she had to do was keep her faith in the strength of her and Charles’ love.

.

.

In all his three-and-twenty years, Charles Bingley had not once stopped to consider how different he was from his peers. Even before inheriting his father’s fortune, his good looks and pleasant disposition had garnered him the attentions of many a pretty lady; and while he had always been partial to a good flirt – and even the occasional stolen kiss – he had scarcely given any thought to the many possibilities afforded to a young man when presented with a female of inferior birth eager to share her favours. At university, his friends used to jest that young ladies might consider themselves quite safe in his company, which he actually took as a compliment to the propriety of his conduct; it was on one such occasion that he had made the acquaintance of his good friend Darcy, as the gentleman was similarly being teased for being ‘too uptight to know his way around a woman’s petticoats’.

Upon his coming of age, his father had of course summoned him to his study and provided him with a series of entirely mortifying instructions as to how to conduct himself with females of good breeding, and what was expected of him when he entered the married state. What his father had failed to inform him of was how often a husband would be expected to share his wife’s bed, and after spending the past few years overhearing his eldest sister’s complaints concerning the frequency of Mr Hurst’s visits, and the many excuses she employed to discourage him in such endeavours, Charles had come to the natural conclusion that he ought to impose as little as possible on his adoring wife, regardless of his own inclinations on the subject.

If someone had ever chanced to draw his attention to this particular matter, he would have been forced to conclude that he had no strong inclination either way. The actual reality of conjugal relations had come as an utterly pleasant surprise for him, and he enjoyed every moment spent in such startling new intimacy with his blushing bride; however, more often than not he would straight up forget that such activities were now open to him, let alone expected of him.

As it was, he had been sparing no thought whatsoever to the whole state of affairs, and was therefore entirely shocked when his beloved Jane haltingly brought up the subject one evening, soon after the Darcys had departed for a short stay in town where his friend had been unexpectedly called on business.

“I – I would understand if you didn’t desire me anymore, all I ask is that you’re completely honest with me, Charles,” she concluded, very nearly in tears, and it was all he could do to take her in his arms and hold her quite possibly too tightly for her own comfort. He was about to vehemently deny such an outrageous suggestion, when he was suddenly reminded of the few – and entirely too reticent – confidences he had managed to extract from Darcy with regards to his marriage, and he stopped in his tracks as if struck by some kind of revelation.

Had he ever desired a woman, in the way most gentlemen of his acquaintance intended when discussing such matters? He knew he loved Jane in a way that surpassed any of his previous infatuations; he was most pleased to share her attentions when attending to their marital duties, though he realised now he had perhaps misjudged how affected she was in turn by such intimacies. But did he desire her? He – wasn’t entirely sure, but he was inclined to think that the nature of his love for her would make for a strong argument to disregard such a trivial distinction.

“Does it matter, when I love you more than life itself?” he pleaded by her, and was rewarded with a heartfelt sob she endeavoured to stifle into the lapel of his dinner jacket. “Jane, I am utterly pleased with everything that has transpired in our marriage bed, and if you wish for me to visit you more often, I shall be delighted to do so.”

“Oh, you must think me such a selfish, wanton creature,” she demurred, but he would have none of it.

“Nonsense. I am beyond grateful that you should value my attentions so highly,” he promptly assured her, pressing a tender kiss on her golden curls. “And I would suggest we retire to our chambers this instant, so that I might start making amends to my long-suffering wife.”

“Charles!” Her cheeks had blushed a dark shade of pink by now, which only made her more becoming to his eyes. “What will the servants think if we were to retire this early in the evening?”

“I have to say, my dear, I do not care a jot what the servants might thing,” he smiled at her, and offered his arm with all pretence of formality so that he might escort her upstairs.

#Pride and Prejudice #Jane Bennet #Elizabeth Bennet #Charles Bingley #Jane/Bingley #asexual character #sex-positive asexual character #I wrote a thing

[luckydragon10]

P&P Chapters 32, 33, 34

(Chapters 29, 30, 31)

Score check:

Mr. Darcy returns! And the man learned to flirt. Now at -5.

And Lizzy rose to +25 for being ballsy.

~~~

Chapter 32

...when she was startled by a ring at the door, the certain signal of a visitor.

Okay, this is a bit silly. Yes, doorbells mean visitors.

Mr. Darcy: “It is a proof of your own attachment to Hertfordshire. Anything beyond the very neighbourhood of Longbourn, I suppose, would appear far.”

You were doing so well last time. Are you only allowed the ability to flirt once a year, Mr. Darcy? Hopeless. Boy has such a case of the awkward.

But why Mr. Darcy came so often to the Parsonage, it was more difficult to understand.

NO ONE UNDERSTANDS YOU, DUDE. It's no wonder Lizzy isn't catching on.

Colonel Fitzwilliam’s occasionally laughing at his stupidity, proved that he was generally different, which her own knowledge of him could not have told her; and as she would liked to have believed this change the effect of love, and the object of that love her friend Eliza, she set herself seriously to work to find it out. 

Is Darcy so tongue-tied in love that he can't figure out what to do with himself? I can't even justify taking points off. He's too pathetic for that.

~~~

Chapter 33

Oh wow, more of Darcy trying so hard to flirt. This is a train wreck. Someone help this man. I can barely watch.

Lizzy: “Do you certainly leave Kent on Saturday?” said she. Fitz: “Yes—if Darcy does not put it off again...."

OH FOR THE LOVE OF FUZZY PEACHES. Is the reason why everybody loves Darcy the fact that he's the ORIGINAL pathetic blorbo? Is that it?

My dude has spent all this time trying to get her attention, delaying his departure, and it's not working. Because he is hopeless.

Gossip gossip gossip! Lots of gossip with Fitz.

Well shit. Why do I have a feeling there's a HUGE misunderstanding brewing?

There's definitely a huge misunderstanding brewing.

Honestly, this chapter had ONE purpose and one purpose, and that was to make Lizzy think Darcy got between Jane and Bingley. No other great insights needed here, moving on.

~~~

Chapter 34

When they were gone, Elizabeth, as if intending to exasperate herself as much as possible against Mr. Darcy, chose for her employment the examination of all the letters which Jane had written to her since her being in Kent. 

We do love a good hate read.

Mr. Darcy: “In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.”

Meanwhile, Lizzy:

His sense of her inferiority—of its being a degradation—of the family obstacles which had always opposed to inclination, were dwelt on with a warmth which seemed due to the consequence he was wounding, but was very unlikely to recommend his suit.

I SEVERELY regret that this is in summary rather than dialogue.

He concluded with representing to her the strength of that attachment which, in spite of all his endeavours, he had found impossible to conquer;

OMG, dude, your love confession is bombing, MAYDAY, MAYDAY.

I gotta do it. I gotta take 5 points off. Bro. You are drowning.

Maybe JUST confess the love and don't rush into a proposal?! Get the mutual love first before jumping in any deeper. OMG, noooo.

Lizzy: "I have never desired your good opinion, and you have certainly bestowed it most unwillingly."

I almost feel bad for Mr. Darcy. BUT, "almost" is not "do."

“I have no wish of denying that I did everything in my power to separate my friend from your sister, or that I rejoice in my success. Towards him I have been kinder than towards myself.”

Wait wait wait. It wasn't a misunderstanding?

Okay, I guess that's another thing I'll be awaiting an explanation for, along with whatever the hell was up with Wicky. (Reminder: I hate spoilers, so shh.)

Mr. Darcy: "Could you expect me to rejoice in the inferiority of your connections?—to congratulate myself on the hope of relations, whose condition in life is so decidedly beneath my own?”

I'll just be taking another 5 points off, sir.

Lizzy: "...and I had not known you a month before I felt that you were the last man in the world whom I could ever be prevailed on to marry.”

That's gonna come back to haunt you.

~~~

That was eventful.

(Chapters 35 and 36)

#nemi reads p&p #pride and predujice #chapters 32-34

[ao3feed-janeausten]

#IFTTT #AO3 works tagged 'AUSTEN Jane - Works' #Jane Austen #fanfic #fanfiction

[dianirstreads]

Book Review 1 : Pride and Prejudice

Good day, Everyone!

Let me start this book-blog with my all time favorite book, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

This book is quite well-known by all book worms, perhaps. One of the most popular story in the world, by none other than Jane Austen. This book tells about Elizabeth Bennet (or simply Lizzie) and Fitzwilliam Darcy (well-known as Mr. Darcy) during Regency Period in England. Lizzie, who is the second daughter in Bennet’s family, does not have many choices for her life. But she’s strong willed, strong minded, almost stubborn if I may say.

At one time, she meets this sharp-tongued nobleman, who’s almost as stubborn as herself, named Mr Darcy. This man comes to town with his friend Mr. Bingley and Bingley sisters. And that is the beginning of their love-hate-relationship.

Mr Bingley decides to court the eldest Bennet sisters, Jane. But his plan is not as smooth as silk, because Mr Darcy dislikes the behavior of Mrs Bennet. Mr Darcy’s prejudice matters, because Mr Bingley trusts him so much as if he does not have his own opinion. And so the conflict goes on The Bennets who feels abandoned. All happens because Mrs Bennet sets plan for her daughters and do whatever it takes to get a damn-rich-nobleman to put a ring on it. And that’s what irritate Mr Darcy.

And what makes this book interesting? Of course because Mr Darcy. This man is clearly head over heels fall for Lizzie since day 1. But her pride and his prejudice make their distance so far away. Lizzie, in the other hand, dislikes Mr Darcy’s behavior. He confesses, she rejects. And she seems like she can kill Mr Darcy by bare hands, once she know the reason of her sister’s failure in marriage planning with Mr Bingley.

But what I love about Mr Darcy, he does not leave the misunderstandings behind, and he comes back to fix those things without her knowing. And that’s not the end of their story because he keeps in working so that he can gain Lizzie’s trust back.

What a man, he is. I can assure you that once you finish this book, you will understand why Mr Darcy is every girl and woman’s dream guy. Mark my words 🙂

Ratings?

I can give this book 1000-star ratings, but it is ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5 stars.

#book review #booknerd #bookworm #book #bookstagram #favorite books #pride prejudice #pride and prejudice #jane austen #classic books #mr darcy