Quote
Debra Mc
In my Annotated copy of P and P, this is what the note about this quote says: "establishment: household, residence. Living in London, instead of returning to Pemberley, could allow Georgiana to further her education, for London would have the finest masters to tutor her; it could also allow any close friends of the family who lived in London to introduce her to more people and thereby help improve her social skills and extend her network of acquaintances."
As I read this, she did not live with her brother, but with her companion, and the purpose of her being established in London was to further her education.
I fully agree.
But honestly, I can't really see why Georgiana & companion couldn't have taken up residence with Darcy in his townhouse. Why live separately ?
It just occurred to me: Is there anywhere in "P&P" expressly mentioned that Darcy owned a townhouse in London ? Because if it is not mentioned (I could be very wrong with that), then perhaps we might presume that there was no Darcy House in Town or, if it was, that it had been closed down, and therefore the necessity to form an establishment purposely for Georgiana and her companion was unavoidable and obvious.
Of course, given Darcy's wealth and status, it is more logical to assume that he did own a house in London. But the lack of it or its close-down would be such a good explanation for Georgiana's 'separate' establishment.
