The events in this vignette fall just before
Chapter 28 in These Dreams. Lydia and
Georgiana are becoming close, as each girl tries to find ways to cheer the
other. They have found a common bond in the disappointments of their young
lives, but Elizabeth, the thread which first brought them together, is still
emotionally distant.
There are quite a few sibling and sibling-like
relationships running through this book. I enjoyed the relationship between
Lydia and Georgiana for several reasons. The first was that Lydia is such a
marvelous plot device! She will say things that no one else will say, and she
brings an earthy freshness to the other characters just by her tart
observations. She has absolutely no class-- not until the influences of
Georgiana and Elizabeth begin to permeate her shaken senses-- and no fear, save
for her own future.
Another thing I love about these two is that
they are such opposites. They grow from each others’ example, and it is
entertaining to watch how easily they come to terms with the elephant in the
room: George Wickham. He played dirty by both of them, and they form a decided
sisterly bond over the matter. As their friendship strengthens, they almost
embark upon the girlhood that both had been denied; playing instruments,
learning new crafts, planning picnics and comforting one another.
Elizabeth, through no fault or intent of
anyone’s, becomes something of the outsider. Unlike the younger girls, her
grief knows no balm, and she is tormented by night and day with her dreams and
visions of the man she believes lost to her. Additionally, she is weighed down
with the duties and responsibilities that the other two are yet unprepared to
shoulder. In this short vignette, Georgiana and Lydia do a little speculating
about the cause of Elizabeth’s low spirits.
~NC
