Vampire and Prejudice

Chapter 4 - Elizabeth

A militia regiment had arrived in Meryton and was to remain there for the duration of the winter. This had brought much happiness to Longbourn. When Mr. Bingley arrived, it was very much noted that he was but one man and could have but one partner for a dance; when the militia arrived, it meant that a literal army of men had invaded the neighborhood gatherings and there was little hope for a young woman to be sitting down during a dance. This prospect had Lydia and Catherine in raptures, a particular scheming glint appeared in my mother's eyes, I had the pleasure of meeting new and interesting people, and papa had more occasion than ever to make fun of us—all was well in Longbourn.

I had gotten my book on vampires and vampirism and spent leisurely hours drawing knowledge from it. Luckily, reading was not an uncommon pastime for me, so nobody spared it any thought or was curious about the title. Somehow, I knew I would feel embarrassed if they did, but I could not say why. I suppose an accusation might be made regarding a particular interest in Mr. Darcy—the only vampire known to us—but for that I had a ready if somewhat unwholesome answer: know thy enemy. Mr. Darcy wasn't really my enemy. He was more of a lingering shadow that sometimes lingered too close for my liking and peace of mind.

Occasionally, I did not find the book entirely trustworthy, and sometimes it conveyed nothing at all for pages on end, and more than once, it started a thought without ever finishing it. First published in 1802 after the transformation of the king, the principal goal of the text was to soothe the gentle perceptions and extinguish all notions of the demonic in the condition. The passages on the history of vampirism interested me particularly, though it gave me little practical application for the present day.

Vampirism, it declared, had originated in the east, was tamed in Russia, and refined in France. Reading about the exploits of French vampires seemed a little too much for my English sensibilities, but Russian vampires were a different matter entirely. I wondered whether there was a book on that subject alone to entertain me and keep me up at night. Then one had to become acquainted with the English vampire and the King was made out to be the guardian and the finest example—this dated a book a lot, considering the madness of the King and the consequent negative associations with vampirism in general. Unfortunately, it was nothing like a bad haircut—you could not grow it out. Once a vampire, a person could never change back. This was at the root of our current governmental problems: the King was unfit to rule, the King was a vampire, a vampire could not die of old age, and the King could not be executed for being mad. Regency was the solution, and a never-ending regency probably would be the future of the English monarchy.

A letter from Netherfield—a most ostentatious invitation for Jane to dine with the ladies as the gentlemen were engaged elsewhere—disturbed the reading of the exultation of the moral superiority and rigid habits of an English vampire. According to the letter, the two sisters were incapable of spending the day together for fear of a bloody battle. Half of me understood the letter was meant to be fashionable and not entirely truthful, but the other half of me composed vicious paragraphs on their characters. Having four sisters, the idea of not being able to spend a single day with just one was insupportable.

They extended a kind and friendly offer to my favorite sister—I tried to concentrate on that and bite my tongue on other matters; I smiled and looked pleased, at least until mama decided on the capital idea to send Jane on horseback when the rain was inevitable. Nothing I could say would sway her, and so Jane went as was recommended without a thought of resistance, and the rain soon followed.

"It was a foolish thing to do," I said. My worry turned toward the window where the heavy drops blurred the view.

"Papa said the carriage could not be had," observed Mary. "Her only options were to go on horseback or not to go at all."