Darcy Explains It All
Summary: This "what if" story begins immediately after Mr. Darcy makes his declaration of love at Hunsford. What if Elizabeth responded to him, instead of being silent?
"In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you."
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Jane Austen.
Chapter 1: The Declaration
Elizabeth was exceedingly astonished and replied, "You love me? But you never gave me any indication of your regard."
"Did I not?" said he, "I danced with you at the Netherfield ball," he reminded her.
"Yes," she countered, "and we argued the entire time!" She could not fathom how his conduct during that evening could have been misinterpreted.
He was not deterred and continued, "I came to Rosings expressly to see you. I had to see you again. Did you not notice that I could not take my eyes off you when you and your sister stayed at Netherfield and again, more recently at Rosings?"
Elizabeth stared in disbelief, "I thought that was simply to show your distain and disapproval of me".
"Oh no, Miss Elizabeth", he answered emotionally. "I could never disapprove of you. You are all goodness and kindness. You are truly beautiful inside and out."
"But you said I was not handsome enough to tempt you!" she exclaimed, remembering how he slighted her the night they first met at the assembly.
"Miss Elizabeth" he began, "you must allow me to apologize for my hasty comment that night. I am exceedingly sorry for that remark. I had hoped that you did not overhear my foolish attempt to evade Mr. Bingley. When attending a ball, I usually spend most of my time avoiding over-eager mothers trying to make a match for their unmarried daughters. The truth is that I find you most beautiful. In fact, you are the most beautiful woman of my acquaintance."
Elizabeth lowered her eyes and replied, "Surely Jane is more beautiful than I", remembering her mother's constant insults on her lack of beauty.
"Yes," he agreed. "Jane is beautiful, to be sure. But hers is more of a serene beauty while yours is more vibrant."
She stared at him in disbelief. How could his attentions have escaped her notice?
"Miss Elizabeth," he explained, "It seems that my endeavors to avoid being unsuitably matched have left me ill-prepared to pursue the woman of my dreams."
She turned and looked away, pacing before him and gesturing wildly. "The woman of his dreams?" she whispered repeatedly. She stopped pacing and turned to face him. "What of the woman of Mr. Bingley's dreams?"
He stared blankly in obvious confusion. "Mr. Bingley?" he asked.
"Mr. Darcy, I have just learned of your role in the separation of Mr. Bingley and my beloved sister. What reason could you possibly have for this interference?" she inquired angrily.
His discomfort was evident. "I watched them most carefully and realized that his attachment was greater than hers."
How could he presume to have known of Jane's attachment? "I can assure you, Mr. Darcy, that Jane was most inconsolable and heart-broken upon their separation. She is currently staying in London with my Aunt and Uncle Gardiner with hopes of renewing Mr. Bingley's acquaintance."
He was surprised by this admission and replied, "It is possible that I mistook her serenity for indifference."
How could anyone ever perceive Jane as indifferent? "It seems that you are accusing my sister of the very thing that you are guilty of yourself, Mr. Darcy." When he made no reply, she continued. "You hid your feelings from me the same way that Jane sought to protect her heart from disappointed hopes."
He diverted his eyes for a moment to collect his thoughts. "Miss Elizabeth, I sincerely apologize for my interference. I can see now that I was profoundly mistaken in my estimation of your sister's affections. I will send an express to Mr. Bingley and rectify the situation immediately. Would that meet with your approval?" Darcy inquired.
She was instantly relieved. "Yes, sir, I thank you."
After a moment of silence between them, he noticed that she still offered him no smile. "Are there any other issues to be resolved between us?" he asked.
She hesitated for a few seconds and cast her eyes to the floor. "There is the matter of Mr. Wickham."
"Ah yes, Mr. Wickham," he hissed. "I imagine that he has accused me of many wrongs against him."
She met his eyes and glared back at him. "He said that you gave a living, meant for him, to another man."
"Yes," he agreed, "that is true."
She stared at him in disbelief. "How could you do it?" she asked.
He realized that she must know the whole truth if she was to accept him. "It is true that my father left him the living. However, Mr. Wickham demanded the value of the living instead, which he was given. But he gambled it away within a few years. He perhaps never mentioned that he is a gambler?" When she shook her head and lowered her eyes, he continued. "No, I thought not. When the money was gone, he demanded more money which I refused. We did not hear from him again until last summer when he returned and very nearly succeeded in seducing my sister."
Elizabeth gasped upon hearing this, the shock reflecting in her eyes.
He continued, "When I told him that he would never have access to her inheritance, he abandoned her without explanation. Of course, Georgiana was devastated." Elizabeth broke into tears upon hearing the shocking story.
"Mr. Darcy, I fear now it is I who must apologize. Please forgive me for judging you so harshly. I can hardly believe that I took the words of a scoundrel over yours! You, who are all goodness and kindness, over that snake! I thought I was a good judge of character but I was entirely mistaken. I am deeply ashamed of myself and would not blame you if you never forgave me!" she sobbed, crying wretchedly.
"No, Miss Elizabeth, there is nothing to forgive," he said gently. "Wickham can be very convincing. He very nearly lured my sister into a most compromising situation." He handed her his handkerchief and pleaded, "Please do not cry, Miss Elizabeth. I cannot bear to see you so distressed." He stroked the back of her hand to comfort her. She dabbed her eyes and looked at him as though she was meeting him for the first time. Where was that arrogant, proud, conceited man she thought she knew? Did he ever really possess any of those qualities or was it just her foolish vanity and pride that caused her to form that opinion?
Once she was able to breathe normally again, she addressed him one more time. "I have one more question, if I may, sir," she said as he nodded his acceptance. "I have heard of an engagement between you and your cousin, Miss de Bourgh. Is that correct, sir?" she inquired with teary eyes.
"It is not true, Miss Elizabeth. My aunt has industriously circulated this falsehood, hoping to merge our two estates; however, there is no truth to it. We are not engaged and it was never my intention to enter into an engagement with Anne, despite my aunt's insistence to the contrary," he explained.
She now realized how foolish and judgmental she had been since they first met, how eager she had been to believe any rumors or falsehoods about him, and how she had never given him the proper respect that he had been due. She gave him a shy smile and said, "After the brief time we have spent together, it seems that we do not know each other very well, do we, Mr. Darcy?"
He had to agree. "No, I suppose you are correct. But I do know that I love you even more than before. Miss Elizabeth, will you agree to enter into a courtship with me?"
"Oh yes, Mr. Darcy," she smiled warmly at him. "I would be most agreeable."
"I thank you, Miss Elizabeth," as he took both of her hands in his. "That will give us the opportunity to become better acquainted." He raised her hands to his lips and kissed them. "Of course, I will ask for your father's consent."
"Yes," she said, still smiling and now gazing deeply into his eyes.
"When do you return to Hertfordshire?" he inquired.
"I return in two days' time," she replied.
"And have the travel arrangements been made?" he further inquired.
"Yes, sir, my father is sending his driver to collect me," she responded.
"Excellent! I am sure that he will deliver you safely home," he replied, satisfied that the safety of his intended was well planned. "I will be leaving Rosings today and will see you upon your return to Hertfordshire."
"Yes, I shall look forward to seeing you again. Mr. Darcy," she hesitated. "Would you mind if we did not mention our pending courtship to anyone until you have spoken to my father? I would prefer to deny Mr. Collins the opportunity to gossip about the subject."
"Yes, I quite agree with you. I would like to deny him that pleasure as well." He took her hands in his and said with a warm smile, "Until we meet again, Miss Elizabeth, I shall bid you goodbye and wish you a safe journey."
She squeezed his hands and returned his smile. "Goodbye, Mr. Darcy. I wish you a safe journey, as well."
He bowed and left the cottage. Elizabeth sat down and marveled at what had just occurred. In the span of a few minutes, she had gone from despising the man to agreeing to a courtship with him. "I must certainly be the most foolish girl in all of England. Is it possible that I am even more foolish than my silly sisters?" she wondered. She heard the Collins' approaching the cottage and ran upstairs to the safety and seclusion of her room.
