] That true life stories in the book really moved me and the emotional part in me went quite mad at the authoress who viewed it matter-of factly from a strictly scientific, unemotional point of view.

... wish something very unladylike, too! Intellectually, I can understand a historian being careful to point out that we only know one side of the story, but when I think of what still goes on today, and compare it to Elizabeth Shackleton's situation, who had nobody left to turn to... However, I'll stop there, since I'm sure I'd soon be outside the Pemberley limits! Still, I admire Vickery for making it so clear what happened when a woman wasn't lucky enough to marry a semi-decent man. (Jane Bennet's comment about Mr. Collins not being vicious seems like a real compliment in comparison, doesn't it?).

I was also interested to see that as a witness to an abusive relationship before her marriage, *Ellen Stock* heartily disapproved of the husband's behaviour, but still "counselled submission" to the wife, only to find that that solution wasn't good enough when it happened to her! (p.79).