Tumblr crosspost (17 April 2020)
Jan. 24th, 2022 09:32 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
anghraineAn anon asked:
Another P&P questions! At Rosings, do you think that Mr. Darcy's family members (especially Colonel Fitzwilliam) suspected him of deeper feelings for Elizabeth? Could his behaviour at that time be a factor why Lady Catherine after all (well, reluctantly, I guess) believed the rumor of Darcy's engagement to Elizabeth be quite possible? How do you interpret it?
I replied:
I think it’s possible Lady Catherine retrospectively found his conduct suspicious, but I think she definitely didn’t at the time, or her behaviour towards Elizabeth would have been much worse.
With Colonel Fitzwilliam, it’s possible that Fitzwilliam realized Darcy was interested in her. But it’s hard to see Fitzwilliam flirting with her to the point that he felt the need to clarify that he couldn’t marry her (I do agree w/ Elizabeth that that’s what he’s doing there) if he suspected Darcy of serious feelings. It’s after the proposal that his suspicions might arise—IMO Darcy had to have told him that Elizabeth might have specific questions about Wickham and even Georgiana, and that Fitzwilliam was to answer them.
I don’t imagine that he actually told Fitzwilliam about the proposal, though.
#i also don't think fitzwilliam's reaction would have been ... uncomplicated even if darcy did tell him #though that's tangential
Another P&P questions! At Rosings, do you think that Mr. Darcy's family members (especially Colonel Fitzwilliam) suspected him of deeper feelings for Elizabeth? Could his behaviour at that time be a factor why Lady Catherine after all (well, reluctantly, I guess) believed the rumor of Darcy's engagement to Elizabeth be quite possible? How do you interpret it?
I replied:
I think it’s possible Lady Catherine retrospectively found his conduct suspicious, but I think she definitely didn’t at the time, or her behaviour towards Elizabeth would have been much worse.
With Colonel Fitzwilliam, it’s possible that Fitzwilliam realized Darcy was interested in her. But it’s hard to see Fitzwilliam flirting with her to the point that he felt the need to clarify that he couldn’t marry her (I do agree w/ Elizabeth that that’s what he’s doing there) if he suspected Darcy of serious feelings. It’s after the proposal that his suspicions might arise—IMO Darcy had to have told him that Elizabeth might have specific questions about Wickham and even Georgiana, and that Fitzwilliam was to answer them.
I don’t imagine that he actually told Fitzwilliam about the proposal, though.
#i also don't think fitzwilliam's reaction would have been ... uncomplicated even if darcy did tell him #though that's tangential