This Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice Variation, is about Elizabeth Bennets decision to share with Darcy the contents of the letters she had just received from Jane. Quite clearly, Elizabeth is an intelligent young woman who carefully considers and knows what to share and what not to.
In chapter 38 of Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth quietly replied to Maria Lucas, she "added privately: 'And how much I shall have to conceal!'" We, as Jane Austen readers, know how Elizabeth had been influenced by her father rather than her mother. Mr Bennet would often conceal things - like the arrival of Mr Collins - until it was timely. As a gentleman who owned his own estate and would manage tenants, he would know that timing of concealed information was essential in running a successful estate. Too many options, or information given too early, could potentially lead to loss of income, stress, and a range of other issues; and so, concealing things until the right time, was important. We also know that Elizabeth did not even tell Jane about Mr Darcy's involvement regarding Mr Bingley's departure, so clearly Elizabeth had learnt this lesson of timing and releasing information when, and only when, it was required.
Elizabeth was caught out with Darcy's arrival at Lampton, but even so, twenty years of learning on her father's knee, and the fact that even under stress with Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Elizabeth did not easily reveal information that she was not prepared to share. Plus, finally, as Elizabeth and Darcy had only just begun to show the signs of care and accord between each other, why would she wish to destroy this by not constraining the unpleasant, unsubstantiated, and damning information in a letter from Jane? With all this information given in Pride and Prejudice, why then did Elizabeth share, at that precise time, and what would have been the outcome if Elizabeth had not shared her information with Darcy about Lydia's elopement with Wickham?
