Revelations an adaption of Pride and Prejudice

Chapter 96

When Johnson comes in right after breakfast to hand her a letter, Elizabeth almost jumps, fearing it's another letter from Lydia with more bad news. But it's Kitty's handwriting, and Elizabeth starts reading it with curiosity. Kitty has been married to Mr Lascelles in a small and very private service in London, with just his mother and sister and her mother and father and Mary in attendance. There was no party, and now they are living on his estate with his mother and sister. The sister is Elizabeth's age, and according to Kitty's letter they get on well. They speak French at home, which means Kitty should be a true adept by now.

After several paragraphs on the house, the neighbourhood and the parties they visit, Kitty mentions something that makes Elizabeth rather anxious.

You won't believe whom we met just yesterday, Lizzy! I'm going to tell you anyway, but you don't like her. Miss Bingley, Bingley's younger sister, was staying with a friend of Lascelles, and when we visited for a few hours she played the piano for us and sang with her sister, who was staying there too with her fat ugly husband.

Poor Mr Hurst, Elizabeth has gotten to like him when last at Netherfield. Well, a bit at least. He did Fitzwilliam a good turn anyhow.

Miss Bingley told us she was engaged to this friend, a tall, handsome man with very blue eyes, who was at Jane's wedding. I danced with him, and I think you did, too. His name was Mr Grenfell. Miss Bingley seemed very much in love, she praised him sky high, and he seemed very fond of her, too, though he is not the kind of man who shows his feeling very much, I think. Not like my Lascelles, who is always paying me compliments and telling me he loves me, but who can get really angry sometimes. Then he always talks French, I've learned some very bad words.

So, did you think Miss Bingley would ever find a husband? I certainly didn't, I thought she was too old and she can split wood with her tongue, it's that sharp. We had coffee in a very old-fashioned room, but Miss Bingley said she'd have it all redecorated when her mother in law moved out. We didn't get to see her, but Miss Bingley didn't seem to like her much.

Well, now you know that Miss Bingley will soon be Mrs Grenfell. They have a house in town I think, but I'm not sure. I like the country better, I felt a bit stupid and countrified in town, I hope you have come to like it better than you did, but I guess so for you were in the papers and they said all lots of nice things. Miss Bingley didn't mention that when we were there.

Jane wrote that you are going to visit Lydia, I'm glad for she seemed out of spirit lately. It's probably because there is war coming with the French, she must be afraid for Wickham. I hope it won't make things difficult for us, Lascelles says it will not, but his mother is afraid it will, since his father was French.

Please give my love to Georgiana and Jane, and Bingley and your husband, and everyone else. And tell Lydia we plan to travel north this summer, and we can visit her. We can visit you, too, if you like that. I'd love to see Pemberley.

Your loving sister Catherine

So Miss Bingley is going to marry Mr Grenfell after all. What a mistake, the man is a menace. She hands the letter to Fitzwilliam, who is still reading the newspaper.

'Beware, Fitzwilliam, you will be shocked.'

And he is.

'You know what this means, don't you, Elizabeth?'

In fact, she doesn't.

'It means Bingley, your sister and Manners have been keeping things from us. I am very much tempted to go and ask Bingley what ails him to let his sister marry a man who rapes maidens.'