It was a grey day for the horseback ride on the sandy dunes of the Lido, but the Venetian churches and palazzi were etched against the pearly sky and the wind blew hard through the horses’ manes and tails, also ruffling the hair of the two men in a wild and free way. “Did I …
Category: Diana Birchall
Planning with Lord Byron: The Darcys in Venice Chapter 30 by Diana Birchall
Seeing Lord Byron crossing the garden accompanied by a monkey, a fox, and two mastiffs, Mr. Darcy observed to his wife that once, they would have been astonished by such a sight. “It would take more than that to produce such an effect these days,” she replied. “The only difference, perhaps, is that now we …
P&P The Untold Stories: Lady Catherine, Alone at Rosings on That Wedding Night by Diana Birchall
Lady Catherine is alone with her own thoughts on that special wedding night. November 16, 1812 Rosings! Poor, poor Rosings. No longer allied with Pemberley, no longer a shining crown in the Darcy panoply of great houses, Rosings now stood alone and forlorn. There would be no more visits from the young men with whom …
Still in Byron’s Box (The Darcys in Venice, Chapter 29) by Diana Birchall
“Darcy! Oh, Darcy!” shrieked Lydia to his back, as he made his way out of the box. “Don’t go! Wickham has left his box and I swear he is coming around here. He really is! I hope he gets here before the plaguey curtain goes up again. Oh, has he got a woman with him? …
Lord Byron’s Box, Redux (The Darcys in Venice, Chapter 28)
As the golden song faded with the end of the first act and the curtain was drawn, Lydia sprawled along the velvet railing of the box, crushing her bosom against it. “Lizzy,” she said pettishly, “That girl is no prettier than I am, and she squeals too high when she sings.” Elizabeth was surprised. “Why, …
Lord Byron’s Box (The Darcys in Venice, Chapter 27)
Mr. Collins stood awkwardly in the middle of Lord Byron’s box at the Teatro de Fenice, arms akimbo, looking very much how he felt, like a fish out of water. “I declare! This is very fine, to be sure, to be in a box at the opera, but I do not know if it will …
Before the Opera – The Darcys in Venice Chapter 26
Lord Byron sent over a note to say that he had ordered tickets for the opera at Teatro la Fenice for the whole party. Contessa Guiccioli had already arrived and was in residence, and they would travel in the two gondolas, Byron’s own and Mr. Darcy’s. “I long to see her,” enthused Lydia as they …
P&P The Untold Stories: Lady Catherine Leaves Longbourn in a Dudgeon by Diana Birchall
Lady Catherine’s solution to the Elizabeth problem: To tell Darcy that the girl is determined to marry him. October 2, 1812 Lady Catherine de Bourgh sat very straight in her seat in the chaise. Her always formidable mouth was compressed into an angry, thin line, and there were patchy spots of red on her cheeks. …
P&P The Untold Stories: Lydia Prepares for Her Wedding by Diana Birchall
No wedding clothes for Lydia… August 31, 1812 Mrs. Gardiner entered her husband’s study quietly and glided across the room. Kissing him on the cheek, she pulled a chair up beside him and sat down. To her dismay, he looked even more tired and distracted than he had been for the past few weeks. “Thank …
Unmasked: The Darcys in Venice. Chapter 25, Mr. Collins Meets Lord Byron
Nobody spoke for a moment. At the sight of Mr. Collins standing in the doorway of Lord Byron’s apartments at the Palazzo Mocenigo, the persons assembled wore expressions ranging from surprise, horror, and pained disdain; but no one looked at all happy. Mr. Collins, who seemed the least distressed, was the first to speak. “Lady …
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