Pride and Prejudice

Chapter 5: The Horrible Grune

The next morning, the sisters agreed that Pumyra was well enough to leave Netherfield and Kit wrote to tell her mother. Mrs. Cleric would've preferred them to remain at Netherfield for the following week. But Kit was determined and urged Pumyra to borrow WileyKat's carriage immediately.
Kat greeted this request with genuine regret, but Pumyra stood her ground. "You've been extremely kind to me and I thank your sisters. But I am better now and it is time for me to return home."
To Lion O, it was welcome news. Kit had been at Netherfield long enough. He was becoming too attracted to her. To discourage her from thinking he would pay her any more attention, he didn't bother to say goodbye. On Sunday, after church, the Cleric girls returned to Longbourn.
"I hope, my dear," said Jaga to his wife at breakfast the following morning, "that you ordered a lot for dinner, because I expect an additional guest."
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"It's my cousin, Grune. The man who will inherit my money and this house when I die."
"Don't talk to me of that horrible man," cried his wife. "It's the cruelest thing in the world that your estate should be taken away from your children."
"Grune sent me a letter," explained Jaga. "He has been ordained a minister and in the parish of the Honorable Lady Catherine de Bourgh. He feels badly about the inheritance. At four o'clock, therefore, we may expect this peacemaking gentleman," said Jaga, as he folded up the letter.
The Cleric family was divided as to this relative of theirs. Mrs. Cleric was anxious that Grune be convinced to make amends, Kit thought him likely to be odd, and her father always found him to be a strange mixture of humbleness and self-importance. All the family were interested in meeting him.
Grune was on time and was greeted with great politeness. He was a muscular man of twenty-five, with a puffed-up air and stiff manners. He compliments the Clerics on their beautiful daughters and slyly hinted at a marriage to one of them!
During dinner, Mr. Cleric asked about Grune's patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Grune was full of her praises.
"Lady Catherine is all one could wish for in a person of importance. Such manners! Such style! She advises me to marry as soon as possible."
Kit and Pumyra exchanged secret smiles. What a funny man!
"You possess the talent of flattery," observed Mr. Cleric, who found his cousin as absurd as he remembered.
But it wasn't poor Grune's fault. He was just not a sensible man. As a boy, he had been wrongly taught that flattery was the answer to ignorance and fear, both of which traits he had much of.
As such, he was a source of comedy to the Cleric girls. They hated how he worshipped Lady Catherine. They preferred more independent, honest men.
Still, Grune could boast of a good house and income, and, as such, he was considered a good catch, certainly by himself! And he did feel badly about the estate and had hopes of being friends with the Clerics. But his solution was to marry one of the daughters! In this way, he thought, he could make up to them for inheriting their father's estate. He didn't realize how ridiculous his mannerisms made him to Kit and Pumyra, at least.
Moreover, Grune thought them all lovely. In order to get to know them better, he suggested they take a walk into their little town of Meryton. But there the attention of the ladies was soon caught by another young man, whom they had never seen before. Their friend Mr. Auburn introduced his friend, Tygra, who was an officer in the army. The Cleric girls were quite taken with Tygra, who was dashing and pleasant.
They hadn't spoken to Tygra long when they saw Lion O and WileyKat riding down the street. Kit noticed Tygra and Lion O look at each other with astonishment. Both men flushed. Then they set off. Was there trouble between Tygra and Lion O, she wondered.
The other Cleric girls were too busy with Mr. Auburn and Tygra to notice. The soldiers escorted the young ladies to the door of their uncle's house and accepted an invitation to stay for dinner. Although every woman who was present noticed Tygra, he to sit next to Kit. They quickly fell into easy conversation.
With such a rival for the ladies' attention as Tygra, poor Grune seemed to disappear from view!