She told herself she had no reason to feel nervous. Yet her heart refused to believe it.
Darcy, for his part, seemed equally thoughtful. His hands were clasped lightly behind his back, his expression composed, though Elizabeth had the curious impression that he was choosing his words before speaking them.
At length, he said, “I am grateful that you agreed to walk with me, Miss Elizabeth.”
Elizabeth glanced toward him. “My father made it rather difficult for me to refuse.”
Darcy allowed himself the faintest smile. “Yes… I believe he did. Is that the only reason you joined me?”
Elizabeth refused to look at him; she looked straight ahead but shook her head slightly.
They continued a few steps in silence.
Elizabeth could not decide whether she wished him to speak or feared that he would.
At last, Darcy stopped.
They had reached a quieter corner of the garden where the path curved along the low stone wall.
“Miss Elizabeth,” he said, “there is a matter I wished to speak with you about – and I hope you will allow me to do so with complete honesty.”
Elizabeth’s pulse quickened. “That sounds rather serious, Mr. Darcy.”
“It is meant to be sincere.”
She looked at him more carefully now.
Darcy continued, his tone calm but deliberate. “Yesterday I asked your father for permission to pay my addresses to you.”
Elizabeth felt the words like a small shock, though she had expected them.
Elizabeth looked down briefly at the gravel path.
“You must allow, sir, that the information surprised me.”
“I imagined it might.”
“You have come to this resolution very suddenly.”
Darcy considered the remark. “It may appear so,” he said. “But I assure you that my opinion of you has not formed quite so quickly.”
Elizabeth glanced at him with some curiosity. “Oh?”
Darcy looked at her directly now. “I have admired you for some time.”
Elizabeth raised her eyebrows slightly. “That is a remarkable claim, Mr. Darcy.”
“Is it?”
“Considering,” she said with a composed expression, “that you once declared me only tolerable.”
Darcy exhaled slowly. “Yes. That unfortunate remark has not yet released me.”
“I do not believe it ever will.”
“I cannot say I blame you. You must allow me to apologise. I was not in the right frame of mind. I did not want to be there.”
“Why? It was a ball.”
