Why do you think Miss Cassandra waited so long after Jane's death to look for Jane's letters and papers in order to destroy them?

Why do you think Miss Cassandra waited so long after Jane's death to look for Jane's letters and papers in order to destroy them? She had many years previous to do that , why wait?

That's a great question. I wonder if she spent a while going back and forth about whether to do it; even though she's resolved in her mission by the time the reader meets her, I'm sure some part of her found it difficult to destroy her sister's words.

It wasn't necessary for her to look for the letters until the vicarage was being packed up. At that point she became worried that they might fall into the wrong hands and that private information about her sister might become known.

I don't think the thought ever occurred to her until she realized that the vicarage and its contents were to be turned over to someone other than family. I find it interesting that she didn't think anyone in the family would take advantage of the trove of private information. But, then again, no one other than herself thought very much of Jane's having been published--if this book can be believed. What DID Cassie do with her life once Jane died??

I also think that Cassie didn't think about Jane's letters until she found out that someone else was going to occupy the vicarage and she didn't want anyone else to have the information in the letters. In her opinion the information was private and should only be seen by the family.