The Ungentlemanly Gentleman
Summary: This 2005 Pride & Prejudice movie verse begins after Mr. Darcy leaves the temple following Elizabeth's rejection of his proposal. What if Darcy realized his blunder sooner?
Elizabeth: "And those are the words of a gentleman! From the first moment I met you, your arrogance and conceit and your selfish distain for the feelings of others made me realize that you were the last man in the world I could ever be prevailed upon to marry!"
Mr. Darcy: "Forgive me, Madam, for taking up so much of your time."
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Jane Austen.
Chapter 1: Tears in the Rain
Darcy walked away from Elizabeth, consumed with anger. A few minutes ago, when he had followed her to the temple, he had been confident that she would accept him; that she had been expecting his offer. But she had refused him most decidedly and he was forced to walk away empty handed. He wondered: How could she refuse me? I am one of the most eligible bachelors in all of England. Certainly a woman of her circumstances could never expect to receive a better offer from another man. Why does my honesty offend her? What did I say to her that was not the absolute truth? His hands were clenched into fists as he stomped down the muddy path, away from her.
Elizabeth was distraught after Darcy left her standing there. Alone in her misery, she went into a tumult; her knees buckled, she lost her balance and fell backward, landing on the wet floor. She could not contain her despair and dissolved into tears. She cried wretchedly as the thunder and lightning pounded her senses. Grateful for the isolation, she used the opportunity to evaluate her situation: her second rejected proposal! She had never expected to receive any proposal at all and now she had refused two! She recalled the entire dreadful conversation with Mr. Darcy. He "fought against his better judgment!" Her family's "lack of propriety!" The "inferiority" of my circumstances! How could he have been so cruel? How did he imagine that his insults would produce a positive response? She gazed out at the raging storm and thought that perhaps she might wait out the rain; but it did not relent. She knew that she was expected back at the parsonage. She began down the stairs, to the path below and promptly slipped and fell in the mud, which smeared her coat and dress. As the thunder reverberated overhead, she considered her pitiable circumstances and cried miserably.
Darcy could not help but recall her words with abhorrence: "Those are the words of a gentleman! Arrogance! Conceit! Selfish distain! Last man in the world!" His anger gradually turned into remorse. What have I done? How could I have insulted the woman I love? He reconsidered his approach to her and decided to turn around and apologize for his rude assessment of her and her family. "I must make amends to her," he silently resolved. "Even if she never accepts me, I cannot allow her to hate me this way." As he approached the path, he witnessed her slip and fall in the mud, and ran to her assistance.
"Miss Elizabeth, are you hurt? Please allow me to assist you," he said, offering his hand.
Through her tears and sobs she said: "No, I thank you, sir. I can manage without you and your better judgment," she said proudly as she stood and stepped forward. Again she slipped in the mud and fell to the ground. Admitting her defeat to the mud, she held out her hand and he pulled her up to her feet. She was still crying, soaked to the skin and covered with mud.
"Miss Elizabeth, please allow me to escort you back to the parsonage. My horse is nearby; there is no need for you to walk in these treacherous conditions," he suggested as he motioned to the waiting stallion. "Behold him! Is he not handsome?"
She glared at him through her tears: "He is barely tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me." He was horrified as his offensive remark on the first day of their acquaintance was thrown back at him. She intended to storm off, but as soon as she took another step, she slipped and fell into the mud again.
He did not ask for her permission, but helped her to her feet once more as she fumed with combined humiliation and hostility. "Miss Elizabeth, you obviously have many reasons to be angry with me but may we put them aside for the moment so I can escort you safely home?" he asked. She cast her eyes downward, angrily refusing to look at him but did not make any attempt to walk off.
"May I offer you my rain cloak? It will prevent you from getting drenched any further;" he said as he opened the saddle bag.
"No, sir, I thank you for your kind offer," she said with biting sarcasm. I am already drenched to the skin; a cloak would provide little relief. Why is he trying to be nice to me now? Has he not already humiliated me sufficiently for one day?
Disregarding her refusal, he pulled the rain cloak from the saddle bag, unrolled it and placed it around her. He offered his handkerchief to her, which immediately became drenched in the relentless rain. She accepted it and used it to wipe the mud from her hands: "Thank you sir," she mumbled.
"I believe the best solution would be for you to ride my horse instead of walking. I will walk beside you and guide him," he suggested.
"I thank you sir, but horses do not prefer my company," she said as she assessed the large, daunting stallion with uncertainty. She was unwilling to admit her fear of horses to him. Surveying the scene around her, she saw nothing but mud in every direction and reconsidered. "Is he gentle?" she asked.
He spoke to the horse: "Magnum, this is Miss Elizabeth and she is in need of your assistance." The horse gently nudged her shoulder. Darcy took this as encouragement to continue: "That means he likes you!" he said proudly. "May I?" he asked as he offered his hands to her. She allowed him to lift her up and put her on the horse. "Magnum, Miss Elizabeth is precious cargo. We must use extreme care and ensure she arrives safely at her destination," he instructed, hoping to please her.
"You are quite charming and courteous to your horse, sir," she said with biting sarcasm. "It is unfortunate that you chose not to extend that same courtesy to me and my family."
He flinched upon hearing this and felt deeply ashamed of his previous behavior. He led the horse forward, down the path as he walked beside her.
"I am greatly relieved that Magnum does not seem to be offended by the inferiority of my circumstances," she observed with scorn.
He winced as she used his own words to cut him to the bone. The rain continued to pelt them mercilessly. Desperate to make amends, he resolved to address each of her accusations against him, starting with Wickham: "Miss Elizabeth, please allow me to explain my role with Mr. Wickham's misfortune.
"No, sir, please do not trouble yourself. I take no interest in your concerns," she said, keeping her eyes forward, determined to ignore him.
Undeterred by her response, he began the story as he guided the horse through the muddy road: "It is true that my father bequeathed a living to Mr. Wickham. However, Wickham demanded the amount of the living in cash, instead of the living itself, which he was given. A few years later, he demanded more money, which I refused. Last summer he convinced my sister, who was but fifteen years old at the time, to elope with him. I intervened and prevented the marriage by ensuring that he would never have access to her inheritance. He abandoned my sister and we had no further contact with him until I encountered him recently in Meryton. I assumed he was spreading falsehoods about me there but I had hoped that you; especially you, Miss Elizabeth, would not have believed him. Apparently, he is quite convincing."
As she reluctantly listened to his story, she gradually comprehended the extent of Mr. Wickham's deception. When he finished the story, she met his eyes with astonishment.
"Can you understand my position now, regarding Mr. Wickham?" he asked her, hoping that he had adequately expressed his point of view. The rain had now diminished to a steady drizzle.
"Yes, Mr. Darcy. I appreciate that you have confided in me a most personal and distressing history. Mr. Wickham is quite convincing indeed but, in retrospect, I should have seen through his outrageous claims," she allowed. "I accept your explanation and am exceeding sorry for the pain that he has caused your family. I doubt, however that you have a plausible explanation for your interference and insults against me and my family," still angry with him.
"Miss Elizabeth, I would appreciate the opportunity to explain those issues as well. Please agree to meet me in the park tomorrow, I beg of you. I apologize for the manner of my previous address and promise to behave in a manner worthy of your attention," he humbly asked her as they arrived at Hunsford.
She did not respond to his request but instead said: "I thank you, Mr. Darcy, for escorting me safely to my destination," trying desperately to suppress the tears that were threatening to re-emerge. He helped her down from the horse and escorted her to the door of the parsonage; both of them were soaking wet.
"Lizzy! Mr. Darcy! Whatever has happened?" Charlotte exclaimed as she came immediately to their assistance, ordering the servants to bring blankets for both.
Elizabeth burst into tears upon seeing her friend: "Charlotte, I got caught in the downpour!" she exclaimed, using this excuse as the reason for her tears.
"Oh, Lizzy, you are soaked through to the skin and caked with mud!" Charlotte exclaimed. She ordered tea for Mr. Darcy and a hot bath for Lizzy and immediately brought her friend upstairs.
Mr. Collins fawned over Darcy: "Oh Mr. Darcy, thank you for escorting our dear cousin safely home. We are forever in your debt. We have been extremely worried about her well-being and are exceedingly relieved to have her safely back under our roof. I will be sure to mention to Lady Catherine the gallantry that you have displayed today. She will be extremely pleased and proud, as she always is, of you and your exemplary behavior."
Darcy tried to ignore the obsequious man, but Collins' last comment only served to increase his guilt over his horrendous behavior toward Elizabeth. He would have no doubt that his aunt would approve of his pronouncement of the vast differences in their social status, but civilized decency should have prevented a gentleman from doing so.
He stood there, frozen in time, lost in his thoughts, deaf to the tumult going on around him, when a blanket was placed over his shoulders, he was escorted to the blazing fireplace in the drawing room and he was handed a cup of tea. Staring into the flames, he could not hear the praises being bestowed on him by the parson. All he could hear were his own words pounding in his ears, in Elizabeth's angry voice, assaulting him relentlessly: "Better judgment – barely tolerable – not handsome enough – inferiority." He could see her face with the rain dripping from her hair and the fury burning in her eyes, reproaching him for his uncivilized behavior. Even with hatred burning in her eyes, she was lovelier than he had ever seen her; lovelier than he could have ever imagined. How was it possible that he now loved her even more and was more determined to win her affections? He admitted silently that it would be the most difficult endeavor of his life; the one goal that he was determined to achieve. As the heat from the fire warmed him, he realized he had to get out of his wet clothes and into a hot bath of his own quickly. He made a hasty acknowledgment of appreciation to the parson and left the cottage, leaving Elizabeth in their care. The rain assaulted him once more as he mounted his horse and rode away.