Mrs. Bingley’s Sister (The Austen Novels)

Chapter 6

Elizabeth exited the carriage, and was wholly surprised to find that it was not Bingley who handed her out, but Darcy. His strong hand firmly supported hers as she stepped out and onto the ground, just as he had done the night prior, and she felt a whirling sensation at his touch, even for as brief a moment as it was. He backed away and let her go ahead, so she tried to keep her eyes trained ahead as they moved into the church. She could almost feel the man behind her, however, and try as she might, she couldn't stop thinking about him as they entered the church.

She couldn't deny to herself how distressed she felt, especially as Bingley had tried to talk about Darcy in the carriage. She knew Bingley didn't want the man to leave so soon.

Elizabeth didn't want him to leave so soon, either.

But she knew it was silly for her to feel that way. Elizabeth had built up a silent regard for the man with little basis beyond the letter he had written to her, one that she had reread a thousand times, setting every stroke down to memory. She didn't need the physical piece of parchment any longer, which was smudged and becoming more difficult to read anyhow, but she did like to look at it; she liked to examine Darcy's hand, she liked to admire how small and precise it was.

Whenever she examined it, she was always reminded of Netherfield little over a year ago, when she stayed there to help Jane recover from the sudden illness she took on account of riding on horseback in the rain. Elizabeth recalled how Caroline Bingley pestered Darcy unendingly over his letter-writing, the lady never walking away long enough to truly give him any opportunity to write unimpeded. Miss Bingley's fawning had been quite an amusement to Elizabeth then (and ironically, now she might understand why Miss Bingley would fawn over such a man in the first place: Darcy was handsome, very wealthy with an old landed name, and his character was impeccable—he was kind, loyal, and just).

It did not fall beneath Elizabeth's notice now that he still acted the gentleman with her: handing her out from her carriage, despite her repeatedly mortifying him—she was reminded bitterly of her words of admonishment to him: “ had you behaved in a more gentlemanlike manner." She desperately desired an opportunity to give him an apology for her horrid behavior to him in April.

But it seemed like that would be utterly impossible.