The Caroline Bingley Diaries - Part Eight

[the_shrubbery]

April 27th:

Had barely time to say goodbyes to A yesterday morning before I was whisked into carriage and driven back to London.

No idea at all what was going on & abigail could not say either. Very strange. Promised A to write & to send copy of the next volume of The Woes of the Chaste Orphan Athalia as soon as it was out since booksellers in Somerset always v. slow, A says.

Do hope L did not get in any more trouble or Sir W caught H at whatever dark dealings it is he has.

On second thoughts not sure if Sir W would disapprove of dark dealings. He & smug Miss E probably have dark dealings themselves.

Cannot say will miss either Sir W or smug Miss E but feel sorry for A all alone in the country with them.

April 29th:

Saw G again today & had so much to tell her. Obv. could not tell her about alleyway incident or L’s incident or the whole dilemma with C but spent a good deal of the morning abusing smug Miss E and Sir W. Asked G to help me find music to send A. Did not see D which is probably all for the better since did not know how best to mention whole matter of possible mistake we made. Did not see the PG either but after discrete enquiries with G found out neither D nor the PG in any way engaged to marry the bat’s sickly daughter.

Most refreshing to be back in C’s house with no fear of running into L doing questionable things. Really wonder what is going on with her & what happened to the dress she borrowed from me. Also have not yet got any money back from her even though she promised.

May 2nd:

Saw C briefly last night & have to say he is not looking too well. Beard is reaching grotesque proportions now & his clothes completely ink-stained & reeking of absinthe (foul beverage!). But at least housekeeper assures me he is eating enough which must count for something.

G & D called on me today. Spent some time chatting about visits to Kent & Somerset respectively. D looking somewhat under the weather though cannot say why precisely. Probably the bat got to him. D then sent G away on some mission to ask housekeeper for some recipe (though do not know why since I could just as easily have rung for housekeeper) & asked me had I heard from Miss Bennet lately. Was confused briefly then realised he probably meant Jane. Told him had not spoken to Jane since visited her some time after Christmas & why was he asking. He said just wondering since Jane must be back in Hertfordshire now but he looked somehow uneasy. Wondered if he too had been thinking about C & said thought we had made mistake in keeping them apart. D sighed heavily and said we had indeed. Asked him how he knew but he would not say & then G came back & could not ask him further.

Wonder why the PG did not join them but maybe he is back with his regiment or just was not interested in seeing me.

May 3rd:

Seems most callous though not to call on a lady after an incident such as the one in the alleyway. Unless he was too embarrassed to call.

May 5th:

Why would he be embarrassed though? Is not as if anyone saw us and even if they did, nobody would know it was me, seeing as I was wearing the PG’s clothes.

Come to think of it, had anyone seen us we would have been arrested on account of whole clothing confusion, so pretty sure nobody saw us.

He probably just is very busy.

May 7th:

Saw D today when he called on C. Was with C for such a long time I was getting worried but then D came back downstairs & told me all was well with C. D then asked had I heard anything about new volume of The Woes of the Chaste Orphan Athalia because he was in dire need of a distraction. Unfortunately bookseller told me only yesterday there was little hope of it coming out this month. Such a shame because I could do with a distraction as well. Meant to ask D about the PG but then C came down too and actually had shaved & cut his hair.

Such a relief.

May 8th:

C’s valet proudly presented me with one of the curls they chopped off C’s head yesterday.

Do people think I am collecting them?

May 10th:

Woke up v. early & could not sleep anymore. Was far too early to call on anyone so decided to visit the library with abigail. Librarian most apologetic but did not know anything about new volume of The Woes of the Chaste Orphan Athalia either. Librarian says Sir Vincent most obviously married to the Abbess & that was why Athalia found the ring in the dungeons. Suggested I begin The Mysteries of Udolpho but somehow was not in the mood to begin another horror novel. Ended up with an enormous volume of Biographies of England’s Greatest Sons because have still not found out why Sir Isaac Newton is famous. Librarian assured me was very inspiring reading.

May 11th:

First chapter in the book deals with Anglo-Saxon kings. Am not sure I shall ever be able to tell them all apart seeing as their names are all so very similar. Have to wonder that the book only deals with the sons of England. Surely England must also have great daughters?

Went to go shopping with G. Did not really want to spend so much money on fabric esp. since L has still not paid me back but abigail pointed out that do not really have anything to wear in warmer weather. Asked abigail what had happened to last year’s frocks. Abigail blushed a lot & told me they would probably not fit me anymore. Poor thing v. embarrassed; probably shrank them in the laundry. Did not say anything then because I recalled last season’s frocks had been mostly orange & would not want to wear them anymore anyway. Come to think of it, have never asked G if her brother’s favourite colour actually is orange or if she was just making fun of me. Considering what I now know of D’s preferences, probably the latter.

Cannot believe how blind I was.

May 12th:

Asked bookseller if there was a book about England’s greatest daughters & he said he had never heard of such a thing. Promised he would inform me should he come across one but also said that apart from Queen Elizabeth there could not be very many women deserving that epithet.

Think he must be wrong but could not think of any good examples just then.

May 13th:

Surely there must have been some great women in English history. Wish I could ask the PG seeing as he always knows these things but I have no idea where he is.

Called on G today to discuss ideas for new frocks & told her about bookseller’s argument. D was in the same room reading some journal or other & when G asked him who was the greatest woman in English history he said without a doubt Elizabeth but am not sure whether he even fully listened. G suggested Queen Anne which would make at least two women which would be a start.

G has no idea where the PG is or at least would not say so. When her brother left the room she told me in confidence he & the PG had been quarrelling.

Wonder about what? Hope it was not about who gets to marry the bat’s daughter.

May 15th:

Second chapter in the book deals with William the Conqueror who I think should not really count, being more or less French. Seems unfair to have him in the book but no women.

Book mentioned Tower of London as being built by William so on a whim decided to drive there with abigail & have a look at it. Suppose it must have been quite impressive when there was nothing else around it & esp. when coming from the river. Driver told us legend connects ravens in the tower with British Kingdom but am not sure if he was maybe trying to fool us.

On the drive back for a moment thought I was seeing Jane & her plain sister walking down the road but before I had decided whether it was them & whether I should greet them they had already disappeared.

Wonder if Jane has been in London all this time. Probably should have written to her or called on her but would not know what to say now that I do not know whether D & I destroyed her future.

Saw interesting article in the newspaper today about proposed changes to tax legislation & wondered if I could risk going to the HoPs again to listen to the debate but did not dare do so without the PG.

May 16th:

There most be more great women in English history than just Queen Anne and Queen Elizabeth. Must find out more. Surely there must be at least ten.