She took a deep breath and said, “You said you spoke with Colonel Fitzwilliam.”
He sighed.
Oh, dear.
“Yes, he told me that you had been fed a pack of lies from Wickham, which is hardly surprising, and that you were very upset.”
She looked away.
“Of more interest to me was that you thought I did not like you.”
“He told you that, did he?”
“Yes.”
She sighed.
“I’m certain you realize by now that dislike could not be further from the truth.”
“I have some idea, sir,” she said to her shoes.
“I beg you would indulge me.Whatever has made you think I do not like you?”
She looked up at him in surprise.“Truly?”
“Truly.I would know what I have done to give you such an erroneous opinion of me.”
She picked at her skirt again, then decided that the last day had been odd enough.It would be difficult for the situation to get any worse, so she may as well tell him.
“Well, it is many things really.When you were in Hertfordshire, you seemed displeased with the neighborhood overall.”
“But not you specifically!”
She shot him a look.
“Forgive me.Please, carry on.”
“You particularly seemed to dislike my family, you did not seem to like Mr.Bingley’s preference for Jane, and you did say I was not handsome enough to tempt you.”
“What?”he cried.
“At the assembly, before we were even introduced.You looked me right in the eye before you said it.I know you knew it was me to whom you were referring.”
He colored and walked away, then paced back toward her.“But did not my attentions after that show that I felt quite the opposite?”
“What attentions?”
He had looked upset before, but now he appeared positively stricken.
“At Netherfield—”
She huffed before he could continue.“At Netherfield you argued with me each time we spoke, and you spent half an hour in the library with me without saying a word.”
“And without reading a word, either.”He said it with such a look, and a tilt to his mouth that was not quite a smile, that she could not help but flush scarlet.“And I asked you to dance a reel with me.You refused.”
“You were in earnest?”
“Of course I was!Why else would I have asked?”
