Authors note: Being two very dedicated students we thought we deserve a wild night after passing our last internal exam. Knowing how every student and indeed everyone loves to get up before 7.00 am, we thought it might be interesting to explore the habits of young, potential female students in the 19th century. Joanna and Ewa

Netherfield Park, October 18**

Caroline sleepily opened one lazy eye. I feel I am going to have a head ache today, said she, seeing that her maid was not in the room.

"Clarisa!!!!!!!", called she annoyed. The girl appeared within seconds.

"Good morning ma'am," replied she cheerfully. "My name is Lizzy."

"I told you never to speak that name aloud."

It is going to be a tough day, thought Lizzy a.k.a. Clarisa.

"Will you be needing anything ma'am?"

"But of course, girl. Open the curtains but very slowly. Not so fast! You are going to ruin my undereyes, I don't want to have wrinkles." And to herself she added, "Especially not if Darcy is here."

As soon as Clarisa returned to Caroline's bedside the mistress demanded, "Where are Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley?"

"Mr. Bingley has gone to the stables ma'am."

"And Mr. Darcy?"

"As far as I know, he is gone for a walk."

"A walk? At this hour of the day? Where to?"

Clarisa did not know Mr. Darcy's whereabouts, but in her wildest dreams Caroline could not have imagined that Darcy was currently involved in a vivid discourse concerning the dangers awaiting a young lady wandering alone around the fields. His interlocutor was a certain Miss Elizabeth Bennet. The habits of Bennet girls were somewhat different from Caroline Bingley and Louisa Hurst. From the time when Elizabeth was fifteen, she chose to take solitary walks around the neighbourhood. She got up as soon as she woke up and knowing that her mother and younger sisters (maybe except Mary) would not rise until 10.00, she made it her objective to schedule her walks at these exact hours. She was an early bird, so, often getting up at 8.00 or 8.30 she spent those peaceful moments in her father's library where she knew, she would not be disturbed. Around half past nine she would set off in the direction of the church and then towards Stoke or Netherfield. Returning at 11.00, she managed to avoid the direct impact of Mrs. Bennet's morning nerves and her sisters' excitements about possibilities of encountering officers in their undergarments. Mr. Bennet, and secretly also Elizabeth, although they never shared this thought, were wondering whether Lydia and Kitty would demand from their future husbands to show up in public in their undergarments. This thought had from time to time entered Mrs. Bennet's head due to the fact that she secretly wished to see more of Mr. Bennet in his undergarments. This satisfaction however, he rarely delivered throughout the 23 years of their marriage, never in public and rarely in private. Had it not been for the disdaining looks of her elder daughters, Mrs. Bennet would gladly discuss those matters with either Mrs. Philips or Mrs. Long during morning visits. In all the family except for Mr. Bennet, Hill had the best knowledge about the master's undergarments as she was the one doing the laundry, but it was very unlikely that she would discuss it with Mrs. Bennet.

Elizabeth was sometimes accompanied by her eldest sister, Jane, who, though did not dare to admit it, was glad to escape the morning "Longbourn rush hours". Mary devoted to her studies of the Fordyce Sermons did not care for the family procedures except for breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as the evenings out when she could perform in front of the Meryton society.

At the time when the Bennet family was slowly gathering for breakfast Caroline Bingley was ready to bid her sister good morning in a note carried by the maid. She could expect that, unless Louisa had a difficult night, she would receive an immediate answer. In her pursuit after Darcy, Caroline had to admit to herself that Louisa had some very useful tips to give. It wasn't until she started to ask Louisa for advice that she learnt that weather could be either a girl's biggest enemy or best friend. She was not oblivious to the fact that the wind did matter to the hair, still and all Louisa could not teach her that it did also matter to the skin. Clarisa was already aware that she should know whether it was windy or not and if the sun was probable to shine all day. Having dispatched a note to Louisa and on learning that her sister was still sleeping, she commenced to enquire after the weather.

"Do we have a wind today?"

"No ma'am."

"Are you absolutely sure?"

"Yes, the old Peter from the village says it is going to be windless throughout the whole day."

"You'd better be right. And is it sunny?"

"Yes ma'am, it is a beautiful day."

"Prepare my orange gown then."

"Which one ma'am?"

"You stupid cow, of course the new one. And two feathers."

Demanding once more about Mr. Darcy and learning he had not as yet returned to the house, Caroline postponed the toiletries until she read her mail. For the last few days, she was expecting a letter from Miss Georgiana Darcy which would enable her to focus Fitzwilliam Darcy's attention on her. Although she could not understand why Darcy was so devoted to his sister, she was satisfied as long as this topic sufficed to have Darcy look at her. Today was the third day she awaited the answer. However, it did not arrive and it was very unlikely that Miss Darcy would send an express to her. Having learnt from her maid that Mr. Darcy had received a letter from his sister she was sure that today was going to be a bad day. At 12.00, when Clarisa was finishing her hair and a reply from an exhausted Louisa came, Elizabeth Bennet could hardly remember the time she devoted to her hairstyle today. Had she seen Miss Caroline Bingley when she was leaving her room in full dress and had the books of Charles May been written, she would definitely compare Caroline to Winnetou getting on a war path.

Having commanded Clarisa to pass her best wishes for Louisa's health, Caroline descended to the breakfast room. There was no one there but Charles, and when Darcy came in two minutes later, she caught herself thinking that this day would not be that bad after all.

"What have you been doing the whole morning?" exclaimed she to Darcy.

"I have been walking."

"How nice, where to, if I may enquire?"

"Just around the fields and in the woods. Charles, you cannot imagine whom I have met."

"Whom indeed?"

"Miss Elizabeth Bennet! She was alone, quite alone. She has been walking since 9.00 am! We had most invigorating conversation about the dangers of solitary wandering. I insisted on accompanying her, but she refused and walked away. What a personality! She left me, even though she claimed I am afraid to lose my way."

"How fascinating!", exclaimed Caroline, suppressing the hissing tone.

Charles sensing his sister's angry tone hanging in the air called, "Let us take a walk after breakfast then. I am sure it is going to be safe enough for Caroline and I am quite convinced I am not going to lose my way on my own grounds."

Caroline was sure that she would look magnificent in the garden. To her utter surprise, when they went out, she discovered that warm wind was blowing friendly, as Charles described it but it wasn't friendly to her. On returning to the house some 40 minutes later, she no longer resembled a Winnetou, much rather could she be described as a scarecrow.

Years later, Caroline would always get up at 7.00 am, but it could not make up for the lost mornings of October 18**.

The End