I have recently listened to Pride and Prejudice (Audiobook), and there Elizabeth Bennet and her aunt and uncle are visiting Mr. Darcy’s estate, knowing (or at least thinking), that Mr. Darcy is not present.
Since English is not my first language, and I only listened to it, I might have missed an important point, but otherwise it seems to me that they are just random visitors, which seems strange from today’s perspective: Imagine you’re coming home, and some random people are “visiting you”.
Can someone clear this up?
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In Austen’s time, it was an expectation for estates of great architectural or horticultural beauty to allow respectable visitors to tour the grounds and sometimes sections of the house even if the owner wasn’t there.
This is a precursor to what stately homes eventually become!
The fictional home of Mr Darcy – Pemberley, is considered a vast beautiful home similar to the modern day Chatsworth house where a walk-in visit would’ve been acceptable, especially if the visitors were well-dressed & of appropriate social standing.
So Elizabeth and her relatives weren’t being rude…they were simply enjoying a day out at the local stately home!