Ahhhh, you guys! We're over 300 followers! This is crazy! Thank you all for reading and commenting, I truly did not believe we would get this far. Love to my wonderful BETA, misplacedwit, without whom I would never have made it this far. Now- with the holidays coming up, it may be a little while (again) before I post. Have faith, I will be back.
Elizabeth Bennet expected a tranquil morning of reading before beginning what looked to be a normal day. She had left Longbourn early for her daily walk, book in hand. Oakham Mount was perfect for a morning of quiet solitude; Elizabeth found peace in nature. These serene mornings ensured her ability to tolerate the senseless conversations that were sure to be had at home.
The trampling of horses interrupted the silence of the morning. Elizabeth looked up from her book, and saw two figures approaching. Not wishing for conversation, Elizabeth stood, quickly walking towards the woods and out of the newcomers' way. She intended to leave the area altogether, to find another peaceful spot, when she saw who had intruded upon her space. A strange man sat astride one horse, carefully watching the other. As the second man dismounted, Elizabeth was surprised to see Mr. Darcy. Even more surprising, was when he sat directly in the dirt!
I have never seen Mr. Darcy thus… Perplexed, Elizabeth stepped forward as quietly as she could, leaving her book forgotten on the ground. His hair was disheveled, eyes dark, and his companion looked upon him with worry. Has something happened? Where is Mr. Bingley? I have never seen Mr. Darcy without him. Peering around a tree, Elizabeth tried to make out what the men were saying.
The stranger asked if Mr. Darcy– whom he called "William" – had slept. Elizabeth, who wondered the same, leaned closer to listen to Mr. Darcy speak of sleep, and….Entrapment? Has something truly happened at Netherfield then? Mr. Darcy told the stranger – Richard, it seemed – that he wanted a marriage of love and respect. No, that cannot be right. I must have heard wrong.
Richard nodded in response and replied something about match-making mamas and scheming daughters. Elizabeth could not hear, and though she knew she should not, took a few steps closer to the gentlemen. Luckily, Mr. Darcy scoffed at the same time, effectively masking any sounds from her movement and allowing her to remain undetected.
"The women in town are nearly as bad as Caroline Bingley…" Elizabeth covered a snort at this, missing some of the conversation. "They all want my money, and what would come with being Mrs. Darcy. They do not want me." Elizabeth frowned, for the first time wondering what it must be like for Mr. Darcy. Most likely, he does not know who his true friends are… Is this why he is so cold?
Elizabeth tuned back to the conversation at Mr. Darcy's laugh. "Hah! Here. The community here is filed with savages." Savages? Who does he think he is?! She struggled to suppress the urge to slap him across the face. She had suspected that Mr. Darcy thought lowly of Hertfordshire, but to hear the words directly from his mouth infuriated her to no end. Her mind spun with all the rebuttals she could make against the arrogant man.
Richard shoved Mr. Darcy, nearly forcing him to lie completely in the dirt. Elizabeth tensed, expecting an angry retort from Mr. Darcy; he had not seemed to be a playful man. When no such response came, she nearly questioned its absence aloud. "Do not tell me there has not been a single woman that you have been interested in! How exacting are your expectations?" Hah! there is no woman in the world good enough for the great Mr. Darcy of Pemberley.
Then Mr. Darcy said something most unexpected, and Elizabeth nearly fell over when he said there was one woman. Who could possibly entice him? "…no dowry to speak of. Her status is much below mine, I could not marry her." And a lowly woman as well? Who is she? Elizabeth listened as Richard laughed and asked Mr. Darcy what it mattered to him. He had connections and money already. Suddenly Elizabeth wanted to meet this man; he sounded very intelligent and amiable.
Mr. Darcy suddenly jumped up and began pacing, speaking heatedly to Richard. "…I have a duty to my family and the Darcy name…" Duty? Who thinks of duty when choosing a wife? "I could not bring her uncouth mother or three silly sisters into the ton! She has one sister who would not be an embarrassment, I grant you, but that does not make up for the others!"
Elizabeth's heart stopped for a moment, everything around her going silent. Uncouth mother… three silly sisters…another sister…What other family has five daughters? No, it cannot be the Bennets. It simply is not possible. Her mind raced with memories of the past few weeks that Mr. Darcy had been in Hertfordshire. He's shown no preference…Could it be…?
Elizabeth's head snapped up when she heard Richard ask if Mr. Darcy loved the woman. As she watched, Mr. Darcy sunk back onto the ground, seemingly hopeless. She nearly felt sorry for the man. "I do not know. I barely know her! But…If I do not love her now, I know that I could. She is beautiful, and funny…" Love? I suppose the man is capable of it… "…I cannot explain how I feel. She is the woman I have dreamed of, but Miss Bennet can never be Mrs. Darcy."
Elizabeth could not hold back the gasp at hearing him say Bennet. He loves Jane! Shock and bitterness swam through her. Of course he would fall in love with her…Who could not? Knowing she had likely been found out, Elizabeth debated running away. She knew these lands better than anyone; they would not find her.
"Who goes there? Show yourself!" Mr. Darcy barked. Anger laced his words, but his face almost seemed fearful. Not wanting to back down, Elizabeth decided to show her face. Her courage always rose at every attempt to intimidate her.
Stepping into the clearing, Elizabeth dipped into a curtsy. "Mr. Darcy. Sir." She raised her chin in defiance, noting the alarm on Mr. Darcy's face. He was breathing heavily, opening and closing his mouth in shock. Suddenly, as if a curtain had fallen across his face, a mask of haughty indifference covered the alarm.
"Miss Elizabeth." He responded roughly. Both Elizabeth and Richard noticed he had not said her last name. "Why did you not reveal your presence? Did you listen in to our private conversation? What did you hear?"
Elizabeth narrowed her eyes at him, filled with an anger that threatened to turn to tears. "How could I not listen in Mr. Darcy?" she seethed, "When you are insulting me and my family!" Mr. Darcy reeled back from the heat in her voice, as Richard looked on in shock.
"What did I say that was not true? You deny that your mother is uncouth, or that your sisters are silly? You believe I should happily welcome them into my homes and introduce them to my family and friends?" He spat back, his own anger boiling over.
"They are my family, Mr. Darcy! Regardless of your opinion I love and cherish them, and I always will! Jane does as well! If you ever hope to marry her, though you are not worthy, you had best understand that! She would never marry a man who did not respect her family, no matter his consequence!" Elizabeth yelled, scrubbing angrily at an unwanted tear that had broken through. Mr. Darcy's brow furrowed slightly, though she could not ascertain the emotion in his eyes. "You bandy about your opinion on others' inferiority as if it is a universal truth! You speak of a marriage of love and respect, yet who could respect such a man! The entirety of Meryton is well aware of your opinion of me-"
"What?! How could they possibly know of my opinion of you?!" Mr. Darcy immediately interrupted, nearly falling as he stepped forward. He had returned to his state of fear and shock. Richard, who had yet to say a word, rushed to Mr. Darcy's side to steady him. His concern was apparent, though Elizabeth could not fathom why Mr. Darcy would be so anguished.
"It is not as if you had kept it secret, Mr. Darcy! I may merely be tolerable, but I am not deaf! I imagine there is not a soul in all of Hertfordshire that has not heard how I am not handsome enough to tempt you." Elizabeth seethed, ignoring the pain in her chest at those words. Seeing Mr. Darcy visibly flinch, Elizabeth turned on her heel and rushed down the hill as quickly as possible. She heard his colourful cursing behind her, hastening her steps so as to not be followed. The thunderclap of hooves racing towards the opposite side of the peak allowed Elizabeth to breathe for the first time in what felt like hours.
Jane is beautiful, and I am…Tolerable and not an embarrassment. The dreaded tears burned Elizabeth's eyes as she fought down her bitterness. There is no reason to be upset, it is not as though Mr. Darcy has ever concealed his opinion of me after all.
I told you we'd see her soon! Let me know what you think! ;)
