164 In which I have Afternoon Tea
"Upon my word," said her ladyship, "you give your opinion very decidedly for so young a person. Pray, what is your age?"
"With three younger sisters grown up," replied Elizabeth, smiling, "your ladyship can hardly expect me to own it."
Lady Catherine seemed quite astonished at not receiving a direct answer; and Elizabeth suspected herself to be the first creature who had ever dared to trifle with so much dignified impertinence.
"You cannot be more than twenty, I am sure,-therefore you need not conceal your age."
"I am not one-and-twenty."
28 April 2009- It is with a sad realisation today that I wake up to find myself finally twenty one, and older than Elizabeth Bennet. Eight years ago I first picked up the book; eight years it has seen me through, in which I occasionally let myself be lost in the role of the heroine, drinking in with delight her severe refusal of Mr Darcy's hand in marriage, and the war of words she raged with his aunt the ladyship over their apparent engagement. Sitting at the Rose Veranda today, where Edmund had brought me for my birthday, it is my beloved Pride & Prejudice that accompanies me as we both take our afternoon tea, sipping Irish Malt [Tea] and digging into quiches and chocolate truffle cake. What am I wearing? Nothing befitting of the Regency era, but something a modern woman will wear to a modern English high tea buffet.
My dress of pale yellow today is a plain canvas on which the accessories work its magic to pull the whole look together.
Richer shades of brown in its different variants, dirty green, a gleam of gold from my shoe buckles, bursts of orange on my scarf... I assemble the colour tones that are reminiscent of old English parlours such as the Collinses' at Kent and the Bennets' breakfast-room at Longbourn.
On my finger is a picture of a yellow finch, encased in a vintage cabochon and fitted onto a brass scalloped setting. The very style of it evokes a nostalgic feeling of old heirloom treasures, lost and found.
Dressed in such, I imagine myself as a contemporary Austen character off to take tea with my contemporary Lucas and Bennet counterparts. I am older now but still Jane Austen captivates me with her simple story and delightful heroine. Did it really matter whether I had outgrown Elizabeth Bennet, after all? The charming vivacity, frankness, and fearless independence of her character does not stop short at twenty one; Elizabeth Bennet at twenty eight, thirty two, forty years of age... will still be as worthy a role model as she is at twenty. We will grow old together, overcome prejudices together, marry our Mr Darcys, and live on, hopefully, in the true Lizzy spirit.
scarf of orange, brown, yellow and white patterns - Mum's
yellow shift with a Basque waistline last worn here - thrifted from Praisehaven Family Store
clutch - Charles Jourdan
finch cabochon ring - Nostalgems via Candypulp
nude pumps with criss-cross buckle detail last worn here - Charles & Keith
"With three younger sisters grown up," replied Elizabeth, smiling, "your ladyship can hardly expect me to own it."
Lady Catherine seemed quite astonished at not receiving a direct answer; and Elizabeth suspected herself to be the first creature who had ever dared to trifle with so much dignified impertinence.
"You cannot be more than twenty, I am sure,-therefore you need not conceal your age."
"I am not one-and-twenty."
28 April 2009- It is with a sad realisation today that I wake up to find myself finally twenty one, and older than Elizabeth Bennet. Eight years ago I first picked up the book; eight years it has seen me through, in which I occasionally let myself be lost in the role of the heroine, drinking in with delight her severe refusal of Mr Darcy's hand in marriage, and the war of words she raged with his aunt the ladyship over their apparent engagement. Sitting at the Rose Veranda today, where Edmund had brought me for my birthday, it is my beloved Pride & Prejudice that accompanies me as we both take our afternoon tea, sipping Irish Malt [Tea] and digging into quiches and chocolate truffle cake. What am I wearing? Nothing befitting of the Regency era, but something a modern woman will wear to a modern English high tea buffet.
My dress of pale yellow today is a plain canvas on which the accessories work its magic to pull the whole look together.
Richer shades of brown in its different variants, dirty green, a gleam of gold from my shoe buckles, bursts of orange on my scarf... I assemble the colour tones that are reminiscent of old English parlours such as the Collinses' at Kent and the Bennets' breakfast-room at Longbourn.
On my finger is a picture of a yellow finch, encased in a vintage cabochon and fitted onto a brass scalloped setting. The very style of it evokes a nostalgic feeling of old heirloom treasures, lost and found.
Dressed in such, I imagine myself as a contemporary Austen character off to take tea with my contemporary Lucas and Bennet counterparts. I am older now but still Jane Austen captivates me with her simple story and delightful heroine. Did it really matter whether I had outgrown Elizabeth Bennet, after all? The charming vivacity, frankness, and fearless independence of her character does not stop short at twenty one; Elizabeth Bennet at twenty eight, thirty two, forty years of age... will still be as worthy a role model as she is at twenty. We will grow old together, overcome prejudices together, marry our Mr Darcys, and live on, hopefully, in the true Lizzy spirit.
scarf of orange, brown, yellow and white patterns - Mum's
yellow shift with a Basque waistline last worn here - thrifted from Praisehaven Family Store
clutch - Charles Jourdan
finch cabochon ring - Nostalgems via Candypulp
nude pumps with criss-cross buckle detail last worn here - Charles & Keith