Chapter 1.3 #3
Darcy was dealing with the same feelings of loss.
He experienced the bliss of having her near and holding hands in such an intimate manner, and he was desolate at the thought of losing that intimacy.
He began to grasp the truth he had been seeking for so long.
He felt her tighten her grip and looked down at her, studying her face.
Suddenly, he knew what he wanted from her.
His duty, his sister, his responsibilities—none of them would be disgraced by having a woman like Elizabeth as his wife.
Her situation in life and lack of connexions—all those things that had weighed so heavily on his mind a few days ago—were forgotten.
They were nothing compared to the happiness he felt in her company and the joy that filled his soul.
If only she could correct her opinion of him and accept his attentions—his courtship…
Courtship? Am I already courting her? he asked himself, amused and concerned about the rapidity with which everything was happening and about his complete turn of mind.
He had never been an impulsive man, and his own reaction frightened him.
“My family must be terribly worried by now. They must be thinking that something horrible has happened to me,” said she in a hushed voice.
Yes, her family…they are still a vivid memory.
He tried to cover this unpleasant thought, while replying teasingly, “Well, something horrible did happen to you. You were forced to spend many hours in my company. What could be worse?”
For the first time since leaving the cottage, Elizabeth lifted her eyes to meet his gaze and held it, smiling. Well, if you hope I shall contradict you, you will have to wait a little longer, Mr Darcy. I still remember your words at our first meeting.
He did not give her time to form a proper answer before he took her by surprise with another question. “May I be so bold as to ask you a personal question? If you find it improper, I shall not insist upon your answering it.”
“By all means, Mr Darcy, please ask your question. I find it hard to believe that you could ask an improper one.”
“Would you truly have let me fall in the stream this morning had you known I was the rider?”
She gazed at him in disbelief, but seeing his light countenance and a hidden smile at the corner of his mouth, she gave him the answer he was looking for.
“Mr Darcy, I actually thank you for your question as it gives me the opportunity to answer your previous questions as well. I would not let you—or any other person—fall into a stream. However, when we met this morning, I must confess that there were few people of my acquaintance whom I preferred less than you. And I did then consider our encounter a horrible thing to have happened.”
Darcy felt her painful words like a knife twisting in his heart, but the pain faded instantly as he remembered her hands in his and met her laughing eyes, fixed on his face.
“I see…and that being the case, Miss Bennet, may I hope that, perhaps, your opinion on the matter has altered in the last few hours?”
“Indeed it has, sir,” was her brief answer, giving him a degree of joy he had not felt in quite some time.
Longbourn was close, and they continued to walk at a quick pace as the rain had resumed.
Darcy did not release her hands but loosened his grip so she could choose the moment to remove them; she did so, slowly and reluctantly, and only when they were near her home.
Even then, she kept her left hand on his arm.
∞∞∞
At Longbourn, the agitation was beyond all limits.
Since early that morning, the discovery of Elizabeth’s absence and the dreadful rain that followed had induced Mrs Bennet to act more irrationally than usual.
Mr Bennet tried to calm her, explaining that no one knew the woods better than his Lizzy.
He reminded his wife that their daughter might well have gone to Netherfield to rest until the rain stopped or taken shelter in the cottage nearby.
However, such assurances could by no means tranquillize Mrs Bennet as her worry was not for Lizzy’s safety; she knew her husband’s arguments were rational. She was more concerned about the possibility that Mr Collins would see how wild the girl was and turn his attentions elsewhere.
Indeed, during the first hours of Elizabeth’s absence, Mr Collins held forth with numerous moral extracts, sermons and, more importantly, quotes from Lady Catherine, all regarding the importance of a young lady’s proper behaviour, especially one intended to be a parson’s wife.
As Elizabeth had predicted, the person most worried, though apparently calm, was Jane.
Her heart was overcome with grief, and tears were about to spring from her lovely, blue eyes.
Mr Bennet noticed and invited her into his library.
He asked her to sit and gave her a glass of wine, embracing and trying to comfort her.
However, his gestures of concern were so unusual that they merely confirmed to Jane the gravity of her sister’s situation.
Father and daughter remained together as Jane began to cry in earnest, knowing there was nothing they could do until the rain stopped or lessened in intensity.
John had been dispatched to Netherfield to make inquiries, and Mr Bennet now prepared to leave with him to begin a search. Just as they left Longbourn, Lizzy and Mr Darcy appeared before them.
Mr Bennet’s relief was beyond anything he had experienced in a long while. He walked towards them, relieved to see his favourite daughter back home, safe and sound. However, a question arose instantly in his mind: What was Lizzy doing in the company of Mr Darcy?
Mr Bennet had met Mr Darcy only once, at Lucas Lodge. However, he had heard at least a dozen times the story of his slighting Lizzy at the Meryton assembly.
Another oft-related story of the gentleman’s rude behaviour concerned Mrs Long, who had sat close to him for almost half an hour without his addressing her. Mrs Bennet seemed to find great pleasure in reminding them constantly of these particular events.
Truth be told, Mr Bennet was not deceived that his Lizzy was the most beautiful girl in the world, and her teasing manner might prevent some gentlemen from thinking her unfailingly amiable.
Therefore, the information that Darcy had thought her merely ‘tolerable’ was not enough for Mr Bennet to form a sound opinion of the man.
He was certain of two things: Darcy was extremely rude to voice his thoughts of Elizabeth aloud, and he clearly had unaccountably bad taste for not liking Mr Bennet’s favourite child.
However, Darcy’s refusal to address Mrs Long directly was something Mr Bennet could easily understand.
Another thing of which Mr Bennet was certain was Lizzy’s dislike of Mr Darcy. So what was she doing in his company?
To secure an answer before everyone else surrounded the newcomers, he walked directly to them. However, before he could reach them, Jane ran past him, and shortly the girls were in each other’s arms, Jane crying from happiness and Lizzy trying to comfort her.
“Lizzy, are you well? I was so worried. I thought that… Oh, thank you, Lord!”
Elizabeth felt tears in her own eyes as well, moved by her sister’s tenderness, but tried to laugh. “Dearest Jane, please do not cry. I was in no danger. I simply took a walk, and I was caught in the rain. It is not the first time and probably will not be the last.”
The shrill voices of Mrs Bennet, Lydia, and Kitty, who now came running, turned all attention towards them.
“Oh Lizzy, you ungrateful child! You delight in vexing me! How can one expect my poor nerves to resist such a shock?!”