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.
Saturday, February 6th, 1802
This morning I received the following missive:
My Dearest Lydia,
I hope this letter finds you well and in most excellent spirits as I am myself most fortunate to possess. It has been such a long time since we last saw each other and I have so much to tell you. I hope you will forgive me for not writing sooner but I have had so much to do at home that I have not had a spare moment for correspondence, but for what was most pressing. You will be surprised that you have not heard my news from our mutual friend, Isabella, but I swore her to secrecy until I could have the pleasure of relating all to your own dear self.
I am writing to tell you of my engagement which is to be officially announced tomorrow. Lydia, I am sure you will congratulate me when I tell you that Captain Carter and I are to be married! I am afraid that you will not be so very surprised to hear this as it must have been quite blatantly clear to all except the most partially sighted observer that the Captain and I have been in love for some time. It is so very hard to keep these affairs secret when you are bursting with the feelings that dear Richard and I have for one another and I fear there were many occasions when we were not so discreet as we should have been. There were one or two matters which had to be straightened out before we could announce our love to the world, but that being done, and there being no other impediment to our nuptials, we have decided that a long engagement is quite out of the question. We are to be married next week, at the earliest opportunity. Dear Richard is so impatient for us to be wed! The naughty man insisted I have a ring made especially with a ruby inherited from his poor, dead mother. I was quite taken aback, I can tell you, at such a jewel - it's quite as big as a hen's egg - but I am sure it can be altered to make a suitable adornment for my ring finger.
My father has offered us a house on his estate and as I come into my money next month there hardly seemed any point in putting things off. The Captain is so ardent, I am sure I never knew such impatience in a man - and I adore him for it! I am sure you have noticed his absence from Meryton and I thought you should be the first to be able to account for this mystery to all our beloved friends. Please write to me soon, I long to hear your thoughts,
Your affectionate friend,
Diana Cavendish
I am at a loss to describe the emotions that engulfed me on the first reading of this little tale; Kitty gasped with incredulity when she read the letter as I knew she would. We are both decided that its author is proud and smug, not to mention an embroiderer of the truth.
We have sent a letter offering polite felicitation at her news. I am sure she will not care two straws whether she receives our congratulations or not, as surely her only motive for informing us in the first place was to brag of her catch and tell us of the vulgar love token the Captain has bestowed upon her.
She is welcome to him!