The next day found a very agitated Darcy storming down the path that conjoined Rosings with Hartfield. He hoped to meet Emma on this walk, and was not disappointed. Emma had foreseen his need to talk with her, and had walked out to meet him. Once they had met on the path, Emma stopped. Darcy began pacing back and forth along the trail, sending both dirt and ricks flying with his angry strides. He worried the signet ring on his pinkie trying to find a sufficient outlet for his irritation. Emma waited patiently and quietly for his outburst.
"Why do these things happen to me?" He yelled at last. "First she hates me, and now she is accepting the attentions of another man! What will happen next? Will I be told that she is going to stay in this appalling place forever?" Emma sent him a sharp glance, warning him that he had crossed a line. "Forgive me, Emma," he spoke in a gentler tone, "but I just can't take this. Good God, someone must really hate me." Emma's eyes softened a bit as she accepted his apology.
"It may come to nothing. She may not like Mr. Knightley's attentions. Perhaps she only accepted them to make you jealous?"
"Do you think that likely?" Emma was very aware of how improbable it was, but upon seeing the hope that rose to Darcy's eyes, she could not bring herself to voice her opinion.
"It is possible. Even if that is not true, I am sure that she could not marry Mr. Knightley. You and Elizabeth are perfect for each other, whereas Mr. Knightley and Elizabeth are not. He is too… too…" She trailed off, unsure of what she was going to say next.
Too sensible? No, in that respect, he and Elizabeth were well suited.
Too mature? That wasn't it either.
Too moral? Was it even possible to be too moral?
Too tall? Ridiculous. Emma ended the line of thinking right there, knowing that it could only get worse.
Not having been able to successfully choose an adjective, she was forced to go with the first one that popped into her mind.
"Too serious." Internally Emma cringed after saying this, knowing that Darcy was just as serious as Mr. Knightley. Thankfully, Darcy's inferior knowledge of the gentleman drove him not to question her.
They walked on, the silence expanding between them, but not uncomfortably. Darcy's mind was still replaying and worrying over the kiss Mr. Knightley had placed on Elizabeth's hand, while Emma was irritated that she could not come up with a better reason why Elizabeth and Mr. Knightley were not a good match. Still, she could not put words to the feeling she had. All she knew was that Elizabeth should not marry Mr. Knightley.
After ten silent minutes, Emma broke the stillness around them in an effort to distract herself from her thoughts.
"Darcy?" He turned to her, giving her his full attention. "What if you were to ask Elizabeth of her feelings for Mr. Knightley? Maybe you might have a better understanding of what you need to do." Darcy nodded, giving the idea a good deal of consideration.
"That might work. If she wanted me to be jealous, there would be signs in the way she spoke to me and in general manner." The idea was then settled, and Emma promised to send Elizabeth out on a walk later that day.
Emma had told her that this was the best time for a walk, but Elizabeth had yet to see anything unusual from her other walks. She had ambled up and down the country lanes and through the beautiful park, but nothing seemed substantially different. She decided to try a path near the border of the park, closest to Rosings.
"Miss Bennet." Elizabeth looked up, startled to find that she had met Darcy on her solitary ramble. She greeted him civilly, but was surprised when he turned around and fell into step with her. She snuck a few glances at him from the corner of her eye, still wondering at the change she could see in him. An actual smile was present on his face, lighting his features and making him look quite striking.
Darcy happily kept his eyes forward, his heart fluttering each time he felt her eyes on him, examining his face. He was not a vain man, but he knew that many people considered him handsome. He only hoped that Elizabeth thought the same. Once the silence grew too much for him to take any longer, Darcy began the conversation that he had planned with Emma.
"Miss Bennet, I was wondering if I might ask your opinion of Mr. Knightley." Elizabeth started a bit, wondering why he would ask such a strange question. Elizabeth opened her mouth to ask where the question tended, but closed it quickly as she remembered her 'understanding' with Knightley. Elizabeth was not comfortable in telling such a lie, knowing that it could affect her reputation when the truth came to light.
"He is a good man, and I confess that I like him a great deal." Elizabeth was pleased with this answer. It was all true and none of it could be considered scandalous if Knightley succeeded in his goal of marrying Emma. Darcy did not find it nearly so satisfying. Her liking Knightley "a great deal", seemed to him to be confessing to an understanding or, at the very least, love of the gentleman. Darcy did not answer, knowing that if he did, it would be only to insult Knightley. They walked in silence, but unlike the silence between Emma and Darcy earlier in the day, this silence was fraught with tension and awkwardness.
"Mr. Darcy?" Elizabeth finally worked up the courage to speak.
"Yes, Miss Elizabeth?" Darcy urged her to continue, eager to know what was on her mind.
"I have a question I would like to ask you in return, if it's not too personal." She blushed lightly and turned her eyes to the ground. Darcy smiled and felt his pulse race, quite willing to answer any question she might have, if only to hear her melodic voice. Darcy gestured for her to continue, choosing not to foul the air, which still rang with her angel-like voice, with his vulgar accent.
"What is the relationship between yourself and Emma?" She blushed again, but her eyes remained steady. Darcy paused, trying to dissect the possible hidden meanings of the question. Was she simply worried for her friend, or was the question asked out of jealousy? Thinking to his earlier conversation, Darcy gave the latter more credit than the former. This was exactly the sign that he had been searching for! Now he just had to make an answer that was warm enough to flame the jealousy, but not too warm as to scare her away.
"I like Miss Woodhouse very well. She is a very fine young woman and quite beautiful. I should not be ashamed to have a more intimate acquaintance with her." Elizabeth's face darkened and she frowned deeply. Darcy's heart soared as he watched the emotions play across her face. She muttered something under her breath that Darcy had to strain to hear.
"What can be done now?" He smiled, thinking that she was displeased by his seeming to be attached to someone else. Little did he know, that Elizabeth was only thinking of Knightley.
Hmmmm… Darcy knew his feelings from the start, while Knightley was in denial. Now that Knightley has confessed his feelings, it seems that Emma is confused by hers. I'm sensing a pattern here. What will happen when Emma becomes sure of her feelings? I wonder... Oh well. =)
