Welcome to our epistolary retelling of Pride & Prejudice! Jane Austen’s original version of the story, First Impression, was told entirely in letters, so it seemed like a great group project. We’ll be posting a new letter every Wednesday.
Charlotte Collins to Elizabeth
19 January, 1811
Charlotte smoothed the blank sheet of paper for the third time. It should not be so hard to write to Lizzy. She had done it dozens of times when family travels had separated her from her particular friend, and those letters had always flowed from her pen without a second thought. This one was different.
How could she begin to describe her new life at Hunsford to Lizzy, who had refused it for herself? Any praise would seem like gloating; any complaints would convince her friend she had been right to counsel Charlotte against the marriage.
Instead, her time here so far had been a mixture of good and bad. The parsonage and the local village were pleasant and the servants competent. Lady Catherine de Bourgh was more interfering and domineering than she had expected, but she was also generous. Her husband – well, it could have been much worse, and her father had inured her to men who were enamored of their own voices. She barely heard a word of it.
And no one, no one at all, told her she was a failure, a burden, or that every penny she spent was stolen from her brothers. That alone made it worthwhile. Mr. Collins had given her more praise in the last week than her brothers had in the last five years.
Yes, she was very fortunate. She dipped the neatly trimmed quill in the inkpot and began.
My dearest Lizzy,
It seems so long since we said farewell at the church door, yet it has not even been a fortnight! I hardly know where to begin.
Our journey was easy; the roads here are in good repair. I have been finding my way around my new home. The parsonage is comfortable and pleasant, and I was relieved to find the furnishings are very much to my taste. I have spent only a little time in the village, though it is charming, at least from the outside. The parishioners I met after church were welcoming and seem friendly. One woman is proficient in uses of herbs and remedies, and I look forward to knowing her better so that we may exchange our experiences.
Rosings Park is indeed an impressive estate. I will not trouble you with a description, since Mr. Collins has already told you so much about it. Lady Catherine is a formidable lady, all condescension. She is interested in everything; no detail is too small for her attention.
Charlotte could not help smiling as she wrote that. Lady Catherine was very fond of directing the details of other people’s lives.
I am still somewhat tongue-tied in her august presence, but she has invited me to walk in the grounds whenever I like. I am not as great a walker as you, but I will enjoy that. The prospects are well-planned and delightful.
I cannot wait to show you all these things for yourself! I miss you so very much. Even though I am pleased with my new life here, it is strange to be away from everyone I have always known. I am relying on you to visit me when my father and sister come. Hopefully the flowers in the garden will be blooming by then. Mr. Collins is apparently a great gardener and cannot wait to show me all his favorite plants. He has promised me I can have a small corner for growing my herbs. Imagine, a chance to plan an herb garden solely to my own desires instead of my mother’s!
I will write far more soon, but I do not wish to miss getting this in the post.
Your most affectionate friend,
Charlotte Collins
She shook the last bit of ink from the pen and capped the inkpot. That would do nicely for the first letter, especially since Lizzy would see everything for herself in March. And there was nothing in it to which her new husband could object, should he choose to read it.
She hoped Lizzy would write back soon. Until she made some friends here, she would be depending on Lizzy’s letters. In the meantime, she had plenty to do here to make everything as much to her taste as possible – at least without altering anything in the parsonage that Lady Catherine had decreed to be proper.
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I think Charlotte did really well in her letter! Telling of her contentment with her situation without gloating. Obviously Elizabeth will see the truth for herself and realise that her friend can manage the situation where she would have definitely struggled.
Author
I agree! This was an interesting letter to write because the narrator in P&P tells us exactly what it says – which makes me wonder if there was a letter like this was in the original First Impressions.
Charlotte is concerned that Mr Collins could read her mail… that leaves a rather sour taste in my mouth. She is between a rock and a hard place, but she is definitely making the best of it
Author
Yes, it is a hard place. I’m hoping he wouldn’t do that, but she still barely knows him, so it’s a reasonable thing to worry about. Especially given that he must be very curious what his new wife would be saying about him to the woman who refused him. Kind of a sticky situation!
I really liked the beginning of this piece! Who am I kidding? I enjoyed it all! Lol but what I’m getting at is I really like how you opened up Charlotte’s character and made her so relatable.
Author
Thank you! I’ve always been curious about Charlotte’s motivations and how her home experiences might have played into her decision to marry Collins.
Such an insight that Charlotte would have experience with silly men that like to hear themselves talk as the daughter of Sir William. I had never considered that before but I feel it is a perfect characterization of her backstory. The part about not being a failure or a burden and getting praise from Mr Collins made me tear up. I have always felt sorry for poor Charlotte, but this has revised my opinion of her marriage to be a little more favourable.
Author
I’m so glad this made you see Charlotte a little differently! Elizabeth is impressed with how well Charlotte handles Mr. Collins, but a woman who grew up with Sir WIlliam would have learned to deal with that sort of man when she was still a child. Charlotte’s little brother’s brief appearance in P&P suggests he also has a very high opinion of himself, so I wonder how he would have treated his spinster sister who had failed to catch a man. And Mr. Collins, for all his many faults, frequently praises Charlotte. It does make one think!
My reply was going to be similar to Jane’s. You gave me something I hadn’t considered before with respect to Charlotte becoming an inured her to men who were enamored of their own voices. I’ve known a couple of men like that and learned to just tune them out. Keen insight, Abigail!
This is lovely, Abigail!
You’ve captured Charlotte’s voice well–a perfect blend of pragmatism and feeling. I loved these lines in particular: “…and her father had inured her to men who were enamored of their own voices. She barely heard a word of it.” Loved the wit, but also the edge of pain in knowing that Charlotte probably felt unappreciated in the home where she grew up. That idea makes her removal to Hunsford more bearable, at least! Thanks, Abigail!
I’ve always felt that Charlotte didn’t need a lot to make her happy. Now she has her own home and her own space, and only has to put up with occasional visits to Lady Catherine and her obligations to her husband. Other than that, she can keep to herself, read, write letters, cook and just enjoy life until the first child comes. She no longer has to feel a burden to her family and be forced to put herself “out there” to gain a spouse. I think she prefers to lead a quiet life in the background of those around her, and you’ve captured her spirt to nicely in her letter to her good friend. She’s happy with her simple life, and makes the best of circumstances which are beyond her control anyway.