“Miss…Elizabeth, is it not?” He bowed stiffly. His handsome countenance was marred by the slight scowl he wore.
Elizabeth curtsied and nodded. “Yes, sir. I can see your time at the assembly was not all for naught.” She raised a brow and pursed her lips. “Forgive me for intruding upon your solitude. Oakham Mount is my favorite walk, and I had no notion I would find another here. There isa…tolerable…prospect towards Netherfield Park from this vantage.”
“Think nothing of it.” He did not move. Mr. Darcy’s hands were clasped tightly behind his back, and he examined her closely. Elizabeth shifted uncomfortably, unsure why his inscrutable gaze so discomposed her. “’Tolerable?’“ He repeated the word with genuine confusion on his face.
Elizabeth bit her lip, watching him closely. She saw the moment he understood. His expression changed from one of shock to that of the appalled and then promptly morphed again to show remorse. “I am mortified,” he said, shaking his head. “There is no excuse for such boorish behavior. Forgive me, madam, for such a gross falsehood, uttered in a fit of temper.”
She blinked, completely flummoxed by the unexpected apology. “I…I do not know what to say, Mr. Darcy. It was…unsettling to be so insulted by a man with whom I had just made an acquaintance. We had yet to exchange a few words and then…” Elizabeth shook her head. “How can I do anything but forgive you after you uttered such a polite and sincere apology?”
”Iamsincere—I assure you.“ Mr. Darcy stepped forward, his expression earnest. “I had only just arrived when Bingley told me about the assembly.”
“Why did you not remain at Netherfield?” Elizabeth’s curiosity had been piqued and now needed to be satisfied.
Mr. Darcy gestured to Elizabeth’s log, and they both took a seat. She angled her body towards him, ready for his answer.
He hesitated. “I have not the talent for speaking easily with people I have just met,” he began. “Nor do I readily confide in ladies who I meet while out on a ride. That said, you strike me as an intelligent person who will understand my…dilemma.” He took a deep breath. “You see, if I had stayed at Netherfield, a certain…lady would have insisted on remaining behind with me. I chose to attend the assembly as the better of two undesirable choices.”
Elizabeth thought she understood. Had not Miss Bingley held tightly to Mr. Darcy’s arm as they entered the assembly hall? Had she not hovered around the gentleman most of the night and held her nose in the air as he danced with her? “I see,” she replied, giving him a speculative look.
“That does not excuse my intemperate words, of course,” he rushed to say.
“No, it does not, though it explains why you might not have been fit for company. Tell me, sir, did you mean to impress my neighbors with your belief in your superiority, or is that another result of being forced into a situation not of your preference?”
Mr. Darcy grimaced. “I admit I did not care whom I offended last night. Am I to understand my…unsocial and taciturn behavior has left a poor impression on Bingley’s new neighbors?”
She chuckled quietly. “Indeed, sir, that is precisely what I meant to convey. We perceived arrogance and conceit. Am I to learn we were mistaken?”
Mr. Darcy sighed heavily, rubbing a hand over his face. “No, I wished to be unapproachable and made every attempt to be left in peace. I should have taken the carriage back to Netherfield rather than subject people to my poor mood. In truth, my attempts at improving my manner only recently began. After a rather trying summer, I learned my pride had grown beyond its acceptable limits and turned into something distasteful.”
Elizabeth could not but marvel at the very strange and unexpected conversation she was having with Mr. Darcy. “Does pride have acceptable limits?” she asked curiously. “I have always been under the impression that pride goeth before the destruction and ought to be avoided at all costs.”
“How then is one to have pride in accomplishments?” His counterargument was sound.
“Bravo, sir! Have you many accomplishments of which to take pride?”
He nodded. “Not all are my own. I received my inheritance at a young age—just three-and-twenty—and I consider all I have done to improve upon it to be due to my own mettle and intelligence. And one always has pride in their origins.”
“I see.” She reached down and pulled a long, dead bit of grass, and began swinging it. “And you say your natural pride had changed into something less…worthy?”
He nodded. “My cousin was kind enough to point out my growing number of faults this summer. After much self-reflection, I find that he is right. I was raised with good principles but followed them in pride and conceit. My arrogance and disdain almost had a high cost.” Mr. Darcy shook his head. “Forgive me for confiding so much. It is not the done thing—we are so newly acquainted. But I thank you for listening all the same.”
“Think nothing of it, sir. I confess, until your apology just now, I had convinced myself that you were the worst sort of gentleman and it was better if I never knew you. Now I can see Imayhave been mistaken.“ She glanced up at him and winked. He relaxed as he realized it was all a jest. “Perhaps we might begin again.”
“That sounds agreeable.” He bowed his head. “Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, at your service.”
“Miss Elizabeth Bennet,” she returned. “Shall we be friends?”
He nodded in agreement.
“Careful, sir, you have no notion of what you have just agreed.” She smiled mischievously. “I hope your attempts at change extend to giving leniency to my family. I warn you now, they can be a trial.”
“We all have family of whom we might blush,” came his reply.
“Nicely done! Well, sir, I have kept you from enjoying your morning.” She stood, and he did likewise. “It was a pleasure—and I can say that with all honesty. Until we meet again!”
He repeated the sentiment, and Elizabeth could feel his stare on her back as she walked away. Unexpected as his apology was, it went a long way in erasing her resentment.Perhaps Mr. Darcy is worth knowing after all.
Chapter Two
