Is Caroline Bingley green with envy as she notices Mr. Darcy’s attentions to Elizabeth Bennet? Does Emma Woodhouse wish unspeakable horrors on Harriet Smith because of Harriet’s crush on Mr. Knightley? After Willoughby, does Marianne covet Elinor’s more sensible behaviour? We could go on for ages, but it’s only for this month so don’t miss a post!
Caroline Bingley faces the future after Mr. Darcy marries Elizabeth Bennet. Please enjoy this excerpt from Pride and Prejudice 200: Behind the Scenes.
Caroline Bingley awoke in time to hear the dawn chorus, should she have gone out into the early morning mists. But she did not hear it, nor did she hear anything else as she stared up at the canopy over her head. Mr. Darcy was gone… he was now married to that simpering little milkmaid, Elizabeth Bennet. God, what a fool he was! They would be miserable within a month.
She pulled her coverlet up over her shoulders, trying to stop the shivering that had shaken her all night. She could not believe that he had actually gone through with it. Elizabeth Bennet had nothing… NOTHING to offer him in the way of breeding, education, or beauty that she, Caroline, did not have. Not to mention her dowry, an area where the Bennet’s were clearly inferior.
At eight o’clock her maid brought in her chocolate and bread and butter, but her mouth felt like a cold, week-old fireplace, the taste of ashes choking her. Bad enough that her brother had married the prissy Jane Bennet! But her brother was sometimes a fool… if he did not have a pleasing personality no one in London would have anything to do with him… and then where would Louisa and she have been? Might as well get up… Louisa and Mr. Hurst would be coming down for breakfast soon.
When she came down in her morning dress, hair as impeccable as always, the Hursts had already sat down with their plates.
“Well, good morning Caroline!” Louisa chirped, looking disgustingly fresh for the early hour.
“Good morning, sister,” Caroline responded dully.
“You look like you celebrated too much after the wedding yesterday.” Louisa simpered at her.
“I beg your pardon?” Caroline responded, a touch of acid in her voice.
“You heard me, sister. Now Darcy is gone, bedded down with that pasty-faced wench, and does not even remember you exist. It is time you faced facts.” Louisa sent calmly on with her tea and toast.
“How dare you? I do not care this much for Mr. Darcy.” She snapped her fingers at her sister. “I do not need your vulgar tongue to make me ‘face facts’, as you call it. No man who would prefer Elizabeth Bennet to me is even worth knowing.”
“Except for his contacts in the ton.”
“I suppose. Georgiana is worth knowing, however, no matter how naive and guileless she is.”
“What did you think of the wedding, sister?” Louisa’s face sneered at her sister’s unconcealed distress.
Caroline pulled herself together and shrugged. “Charles looked well. I liked that coat he wore. The Miss Bennets gowns were nothing special… probably made by the local seamstress in Longbourn village.” She managed to snicker and Louisa laughed with her.
“And the mother! Have you ever seen so many ribbons and so much lace! I am surprised she could walk!”
They both went back to their breakfast, and Caroline’s thoughts turned back to Darcy, his face ardent and intense as he undressed his bride on their wedding night. She felt her gorge rise and rose abruptly.
“I do not feel well this morning, Louisa. I believe I have a megrim coming on. Please excuse me…I am going up to lie down.”
“Of course, Caroline. I hope you feel better soon.”
Caroline gave her a ghastly smile and climbed the stairs, trying to block out the vision of the Darcys’ wedding night.
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It’s a shame Elizabeth doesn’t know how sweet her revenge on Caroline is. Payback for all the nasty comments she had to endure! Caroline deserves every moment of her suffering so thanks for this post.
Author
I suspect that Elizabeth has better things to think about after the wedding!! 🙂
This scene is second only to a ‘firing squad’ of Darcy, Georguana and. Elizabeth peppering Caroline with insults crafted simply from facts. Other people could attend, particularly those who see through Caroline’s pretension to the aristocracy.Colonel Fitzwilliam and his velvet deadly mother appeal to me for this. But it is really secondary to the original three. I would like to be a fly on the wall for this!
Author
Great idea!!
I’m highly entertained at Louisa. She’s as unpleasant a sister as she is a guest. Caroline gets little sympathy from that corner.
The only megrim that “Caroline has is Elizabeth’s wedding to Darcy!!!
Wow! Louisa is as catty, or even more so, than Carolyn!
Author
Yeah. We don’t really hear much from Louisa in P&P because she doesn’t have a dog in this fight, already being married to her “prince charming” (pardon me while I gag!). I suspect that anyone who would marry Mr. Hurst for social position is not a woman of refined tastes.
As they say, “Revenge is best served cold.” (Historians are not sure where the saying originated, but it means that revenge is best served not fresh after the insult occurred, but after enough time has passed so that the target won’t see it coming.)
But I doubt that Elizabeth and/or Jane are thinking of how sweet the revenge they served is for them. And may Caroline have SWEET DREAMS, indeed.
Erg. Caroline is just so awful. But she is just a reflection of the ton and all of its obsession with fashion and gossip…and superiority. It’s quite sad, really.
Thanks for a lovely snippet to go with my own breakfast this morning!
Warmly,
Susanne 🙂
Author
Glad you enjoyed it Susanne! Hope your appetite was better than Caroline’s!!
Loved this. Caroline have herself the comeuppance without help from anyone. Beautiful job.