but it has been such an exciting day. Papa is rather tired from travelling and has retired to his rooms, but hopes to be awake bright and early tomorrow, when Darcy has promised to drive him around the park and show him more of the countryside. I shall continue this letter tomorrow, when I hope to be more certain of our plans for London.
Goodnight, dear Jane.
Mr Bennet's stay at Pemberley brought both him and his daughters more pleasure than any of them had anticipated. For Elizabeth and Kitty, it was an opportunity to see their father in a new light. Away from the dominating, intrusive presence of their mother, their father expressed a range of opinions on subjects dear to his heart; subjects to which he had never cared to speak out. Because he knew they were of no interest to his wife, he had unfairly assumed that his daughters would have no interest in them either.
Yet now at Pemberley in the company of Darcy and Dr Grantley, he was much more expansive and talked of many matters that had concerned him, matters that were in the news, like the increasing moves towards enclosing the farmlands and taking over the commons or the rapid and unconscionable increases in rents.
He found in his son-in-law and Dr Grantley men of like mind, well-educated, well-read, and more amenable to enlightened ideas. Elizabeth listened with increasing astonishment to the flowering of her father's reformist zeal and wondered at the frustration he must have experienced these twenty-odd years, with so little opportunity to express his opinions in congenial company.
"You will have seen it in this county too, Mr Darcy," he said after dinner one night, "I certainly see it all over Hertfordshire, every landowner with a little property and a modest house has decided to re-build or expand or improve, call it what you will, acquiring a field here, enclosing a meadow there or worse still, adding bits of classical architecture to perfectly good English houses." Both Darcy and Dr Grantley agreed immediately; to Elizabeth, it was like a breath of fresh air to hear their views.
Dr Grantley complained that people in London were being taken in by the new tribe of decorators and designers who were re-modelling everything in the Classical image, whether or not it was appropriate. Darcy said he had been approached twice by disciples of Humphry Repton, who had offered to force the stream that ran through the park into a series of cascades, ponds, and fountains, ornamented with classical statuary! Elizabeth cried out on hearing this, only to be reassured by her husband that it was the very last thing he would permit at Pemberley. Mr Bennet congratulated him on his good sense and judgement. "Because," he said, "Pemberley is the kind of handsome, solid house that needs no such embellishment. The naturally flowing stream enhances the house and the park because of its very simplicity; it does not need fountains and peacocks." Everyone laughed at the idea of peacocks in the park at Pemberley until Dr Grantley pointed out that Lord Derby had just added a new wing with a dining room that overlooked an enclosed garden that housed exotic birds imported from India! Mention of India reminded Elizabeth of the exotic tastes of Warren Hastings as exemplified by the interior design of his famous residence Daylesford, which they had visited on their travels. Darcy observed that it was far too ornate and exotic for his taste.
Their evenings passed in musical entertainment and excellent conversation, of a level Elizabeth had rarely enjoyed at Longbourn. She had the satisfaction of knowing that her father had shown, as her Uncle Gardiner had done before, that he was the equal of any gentleman. Recalling her encounter with Lady Catherine, Lizzie permitted herself a little smug smile. It was a special pleasure for her to see how easily Darcy and Dr Grantley engaged him in conversation and the degree of respect they accorded his views. Frequently, the Rector, Mr Jenkins, would call
Goodnight, dear Jane.
Mr Bennet's stay at Pemberley brought both him and his daughters more pleasure than any of them had anticipated. For Elizabeth and Kitty, it was an opportunity to see their father in a new light. Away from the dominating, intrusive presence of their mother, their father expressed a range of opinions on subjects dear to his heart; subjects to which he had never cared to speak out. Because he knew they were of no interest to his wife, he had unfairly assumed that his daughters would have no interest in them either.
Yet now at Pemberley in the company of Darcy and Dr Grantley, he was much more expansive and talked of many matters that had concerned him, matters that were in the news, like the increasing moves towards enclosing the farmlands and taking over the commons or the rapid and unconscionable increases in rents.
He found in his son-in-law and Dr Grantley men of like mind, well-educated, well-read, and more amenable to enlightened ideas. Elizabeth listened with increasing astonishment to the flowering of her father's reformist zeal and wondered at the frustration he must have experienced these twenty-odd years, with so little opportunity to express his opinions in congenial company.
"You will have seen it in this county too, Mr Darcy," he said after dinner one night, "I certainly see it all over Hertfordshire, every landowner with a little property and a modest house has decided to re-build or expand or improve, call it what you will, acquiring a field here, enclosing a meadow there or worse still, adding bits of classical architecture to perfectly good English houses." Both Darcy and Dr Grantley agreed immediately; to Elizabeth, it was like a breath of fresh air to hear their views.
Dr Grantley complained that people in London were being taken in by the new tribe of decorators and designers who were re-modelling everything in the Classical image, whether or not it was appropriate. Darcy said he had been approached twice by disciples of Humphry Repton, who had offered to force the stream that ran through the park into a series of cascades, ponds, and fountains, ornamented with classical statuary! Elizabeth cried out on hearing this, only to be reassured by her husband that it was the very last thing he would permit at Pemberley. Mr Bennet congratulated him on his good sense and judgement. "Because," he said, "Pemberley is the kind of handsome, solid house that needs no such embellishment. The naturally flowing stream enhances the house and the park because of its very simplicity; it does not need fountains and peacocks." Everyone laughed at the idea of peacocks in the park at Pemberley until Dr Grantley pointed out that Lord Derby had just added a new wing with a dining room that overlooked an enclosed garden that housed exotic birds imported from India! Mention of India reminded Elizabeth of the exotic tastes of Warren Hastings as exemplified by the interior design of his famous residence Daylesford, which they had visited on their travels. Darcy observed that it was far too ornate and exotic for his taste.
Their evenings passed in musical entertainment and excellent conversation, of a level Elizabeth had rarely enjoyed at Longbourn. She had the satisfaction of knowing that her father had shown, as her Uncle Gardiner had done before, that he was the equal of any gentleman. Recalling her encounter with Lady Catherine, Lizzie permitted herself a little smug smile. It was a special pleasure for her to see how easily Darcy and Dr Grantley engaged him in conversation and the degree of respect they accorded his views. Frequently, the Rector, Mr Jenkins, would call
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