“He says he loves me!” Elizabeth cried.
“Indeed,” Mrs Sinclair replied, fixing Bingley with a dubious look. “Although I cannot presently think of anygoodway of declaring such a thing, I am quite convinced that chasing Mrs Darcy through the house, bellowing at her for the whole world to hear, was adreadfulone.”
“I know!” he said, running his hands through his hair. He turned to Elizabeth. “Forgive me! I have no excuse but that I love you.”
“But I do not loveyou!”
Bingley stared at her, evidently astonished, and she growled with vexation. “I shall not pretend to be surprised that the possibility of my indifference never occurred to you. I have come to expect that men will presume they can command a woman’s affections at will.”
“But everything in your manner has?—”
“Nay do not blame my manner, sir! I shall not have the blame for this!”
“But you are always pleased with my company!”
“I am pleased with many people’s company. It does not mean I am in love with them.”
“But have we not shown these past few days how well we do together?”
Elizabeth felt nauseous. “Yes, I have ever thought of us as dear friends. But if you have been imagining yourself my lover every time I so much as laughed at one of your jokes, then I can no longer think of our acquaintance with anything but abhorrence.”
“But you asked that I stay.”
“And you imagined I did so because I desired that we have a criminal conversation?”
He had the wherewithal to look abashed, but he did not deny it.
“Isuggestedthat you stay because you seemed hesitant about leaving.”
He stepped towards her, a disconcertingly intense look on his face. “I did not wish to leaveyou.”
“Your obduracy in this matter is most alarming, Mr Bingley,” said Mrs Sinclair. “Might I suggest a return to the caprice for which you are renowned and allow Lizzy to disabuse you of your fascination before any further damage is done?”
“If I have misunderstood your feelings, I am sorrier than I can express,” Bingley continued, heedless of her warning. “Yet, I beg you would not squander this opportunity for a want of the deepest love. We havebeen friends, I am certain of it, and I would be willing to live as such. Surely, you could tolerate the arrangement if it meant escaping Darcy’s disesteem?”
Elizabeth could not immediately think how to respond, for so much in what he said offended her. “You will have to explain your meaning,” she said at length.
“I have seen how he treats you. You need not protect him on my account.”
She gaped at him, her cheeks burning hot and her indignation hotter. “I have no need to protect him on anybody’s account. He is the best man I have ever known.”
That appeared to confuse him greatly. “But he abandoned you to go to Kent!”
“His aunt isdying!”
“I would not have gone.”
“I can well believe that! It would require too much in the way of consideration for other people!”
“Oh yes, Darcy isallconsideration. He considers every duty under the sun more important than you.”
“I have thedeepestrespect for his sense of duty.”
“Even though he spends more time jaunting about the country fulfilling it than paying any attention to you? Why do you continue to defend him? I know you have been made miserable. I have seen it.”
“When?”
“Not ten minutes ago, for a start, when you admitted to weeping over whatever he wrote, or did not write, in that letter,” he said, pointing to her pocket.
