Chapter 22 #5
“Mr Darcy, I, too, behaved wrongly and allowed myself to form hasty opinions about matters I did not fully understand. I believe the wisest course is to leave all that behind us. My sisters have become excellent friends with your sister, and for that reason, I imagine we shall meet from time to time. It would be far better if we were able to meet as friends, do you not think?”
Mr Darcy looked at her hopefully.
“Do you think you could at least allow me the chance of becoming your friend?”
“We can try,” Elizabeth replied. Then, smiling, she added, “Although I must confess that I shall miss contradicting you and teasing you about your pompous remarks.”
Mr Darcy could not help smiling.
Mr Darcy replied, "Do not worry, Miss Elizabeth, I sincerely doubt that I have become so fully reformed a man that I will avoid making a judgmental remark from time to time. So, you may feel free to make sport of me and my arrogance on those occasions.”
"Oh, I shall, Mr Darcy, I promise you I shall," she replied with a large smile. “In fact, I believe I am positively looking forward to it!” said Elizabeth with a small laugh.
“Then I think we ought to be allowed to begin again,” he said with perfect seriousness.
“Miss, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Fitzwilliam George Darcy. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” replied Mr Darcy with a mock formality that suggested this was, indeed, their very first meeting. He bowed.
“My name, good sir, is Miss Elizabeth Rose Bennet. The pleasure is entirely mine,” she replied in a similar tone to his while she performed a small curtsey.
Elizabeth was impressed that the seemingly implacable Mr Darcy had so quickly come to his senses. Many of her misgivings about the man were now in question.
After leaving the museum, the party went to a nearby tea room, where they spent a pleasant hour conversing over tea and delicious tarts.
Mr Darcy had no further opportunity to speak with Elizabeth alone, but he was content simply to watch her, listen to her laughter, and enjoy her company from a distance.
He loved to watch her charm other people.
That everyone seemed to love her attention and truly enjoy every moment they spent with her made her seem all the more desirable as a wife.
She was a pleasure just to watch. She made others smile.
She made them laugh! She elicited happiness and joy so effortlessly.
It was enchanting. The thought that he could be the sole recipient of even some of that charm was intoxicating.
Not that he would try to keep all her affection and attention to himself as he knew some jealous men would wish to do.
No, that would never do. That would be selfish.
That would be unfair to a world that desperately needed souls like Elizabeth Bennet to light it up.
Besides, he knew that she would resent it if he kept her a prize solely for his own appreciation.
Making other people happy was what people like Elizabeth Bennet lived for.
It was who they were born to be. He wondered how charm could come so easily to her when such behaviour was seldom natural for himself.
He could not help but envy her charm and her social ease just a little.
Then he thought, “You are getting ahead of yourself, Darcy. She just accepted an apology from you for your own behaviour (It was indeed “beastly!”) and you are ready to send out wedding invitations! Why? Simply because she no longer hates you? May I remind you that you are a long way from actually winning her heart. And now, Darcy, that you see her true worth as a woman, Elizabeth Bennet seems an even more formidable prize to win because everyone seems to love her! Men with far more personality, charm, and social adeptness than yourself, Darcy, will be vying for her hand. Winning the heart of Elizabeth Bennet will require your patience, your attention, your care, and your absolutely best behaviour,” he warned himself.
“One more mistake with her, just one more blunder… could prove fatal to your suit. So, whatever you do, Darcy, be cautious.”
For the first time in many days, Darcy slept peacefully that night, comforted by the knowledge that Elizabeth, at least, no longer hated him.
It was enough to nurture all of his dreams for her once again.
He went to bed smiling broadly while he doted upon thoughts of her, the small miracle that was the very existence of her, as he drifted off to sleep peacefully for the first time in weeks.
◆◆◆
Henry Parker stood on a street corner, his gaze fixed upon Lord Rockwell's house.
It had been almost twenty-five years since he had left that place—and the land where he had been born—with a broken heart and no idea what to do with his life.
Back then, he had been only twenty-one years old and knew nothing of the world.
Now, nearly a month after his return, he was a wealthy man, determined at last to exact his revenge.
‘Emma, you took advantage of my innocence and my sincere love. I have waited twenty-five years to look upon your face again. But this time, I shall be the one who laughs.’