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Cupid Collins returns

Lydia Bennet's Online Diary.
At this time of the year I always read Pride and Prejudice and I thought it would be fun to see what Lydia is thinking about all the goings on at Longbourn. Lydia's online diary starts just before Mr Bingley arrives and finishes where my novel, Lydia Bennet's Story, begins.

Monday, December 14th, 1801

Charlotte’s ardent lover has returned, along with my mother’s ill humour. One wonders when poor Lizzy will ever be forgiven for her decision not to marry our cousin Collins.

Tuesday, December 15th, 1801

Jane seems terribly out of sorts today and Kitty has surmised that it may be the result of reading a letter that arrived this morning. However, as we do not have the exact intelligence from whence it came, we suspect it to be either from Mr Bingley or his sister who were of the party that left Netherfield at the end of November for the London season and have not returned since. If I were Jane I should have cried out my heart, for in London he will be introduced to any number of young ladies who will not only be handsome but will have the advantage of a large dowry. What young man would not be tempted to fall in love with a pretty girl or even a grisly maid who has several thousand pounds to line his coffers? How soon will he forget our dearest Jane when every scheming chaperone in London town will be eyeing up Bingley’s prospects and throwing their girls in his path?

My mother is very effusive on the subject and Jane is very quiet and withdrawn. How I feel for her - those Bingley sisters have more than likely sullied my sister’s name and reputation and have schemes of their own to keep them apart!

Lizzy has told us all some dreadful news concerning Mr Darcy and his infamous behaviour towards Mr Wickham. It transpires that dear Wickham who grew up with Mr Darcy on the Pemberley estate in Derbyshire and was the son of the old steward there (much favoured and respected by Mr Darcy’s father) has been denied the living he should have had and which was promised to him on the old squire’s death. Although I feel very sorry for him, I must admit that I for one am pleased that Wickham is delighting us all in his regimentals - I do not think he would have looked quite so handsome in clerical black!

Lydia Bennet