Chapter 27: Much Ado About Dudes
Winter passes, and it's so boring for Elizabeth that the prospect of staying with Charlotte and Mr. Collins starts to sound like a good idea.
In March she heads out with a few members of Charlotte's family. She says goodbye to Mr. Wickham before she leaves; and although he's chasing some other tail now and has effectively friend-zoned her, he's still respectful. He tells Elizabeth, have fun meeting Lady Catherine, I'm sure you'll have the same opinion of her I do because we totally get each other.
First, though, they make a stop in London to hang out with Jane for a bit, and everybody is happy.
While they're out seeing a show, Elizabeth is talking to her aunt again, who wants to hear more about this girl that Mr. Wickham is into now. She thinks it very improper that he'd only be into her now that she's got some coin, although Elizabeth points out, you said it was wrong for me to be with him because I had no money.
But Aunt Bennet isn't convinced that Mr. Wickham hasn't turned mercenary, and although she does victim-shame the girl for not being more cautious to his advances, she laments at the possibility of a young man from her hometown being in any way objectionable.
Elizabeth replies that that would make two, since Mr. Darcy is also from that area; and also, Mr. Bingley isn't that great either if we want to get into it. She says she's sick of all of them, and jokes that tomorrow she's going off to go stay with Mr. Collins, who is much less frustrating because at least he's a buffoon who doesn't know any better. As she puts it, "Stupid men are the only ones worth knowing, after all."
Later, Elizabeth's aunt and uncle invite her to go on a road trip with them next summer, and she is SUPER STOKED.