Friends sincere apologies for the long delay. Truthfully, I wasn't quite sure what to do with Darcy and Elizabeth once they met. My ideas for this story had some major points sketched out but some gaps and I kept going partway down a road with these two and then, not liking it, having to come back. So it took me a while, but now I think they have allowed me to see where we will be headed for the immediate future at least. In addition, I was completing my second book – Friendship and Folly - for publication. Love that it is coming out (preorder available now, going live 11/27) but the editing process is so not the fun part!
Two weeks later Mr. Darcy still wanted to reconcile the Elizabeth Bennet he had been told of and the one who insulted and then pointedly ignored him upon their first meeting. Elizabeth still wanted to have nothing at all to do with the arrogant newcomer. She was able to avoid him at the Watson's dinner party, which took place the week of the assembly. The Netherfield party was present, but other than Mr. Bingley, seemed disinterested in mingling among the guests and kept almost entirely to themselves. This suited Elizabeth as she intended to have as little to do with Mr. Darcy as possible. Although she did notice him standing nearby several times throughout the evening when she was conversing with friends and neighbors. She watched his friend's obvious preference for Jane with pleasure which continued at their next meeting – a card party at Haye Park. Elizabeth was able to spend an entire evening in the same room as the haughty Mr. Darcy without having to converse beyond a frosty greeting. Here again though he seemed to be hovering about each circle of friends she joined. Charlotte even remarked on it.
As she sat in Mrs. Long's drawing room sipping watered down tea and counting the minutes until she could politely excuse herself so that she could return to the orchard where Longbourn's newest workers labored, Elizabeth's Darcy related luck seemed to run out. This was certainly connected to the antics of John Lucas who had been absent from the previous two engagements.
"I simply do not believe you," Elizabeth told her friend. "You would not have done such a thing."
"I assure you I did," John rejoined with a smile. "That is to say I was part of a very large group that took part in the scheme."
"Simply scandalous," she declared. "Your letters to Charlotte contained not a hint of such aberrant behavior. They were quite boring at times. How very entertained we would have been had you told us you were engaging in pranks with your fellow students that could landed you in Newgate."
"I hardly think publishing a few letters in a school newspaper warrants such a harsh punishment."
"Letters that were of a private nature," Elizabeth admonished, then in a lowered voice added, "that were not from his wife."
John laughed at both her whispered words and her cautious amusement at his semi-scandalous story.
"I assure you that particular adventure was mild compared to others . . ." here he paused when he saw Elizabeth's shocked expression," committed by friends of mine."
"Friends of yours of course," she smiled knowingly.
"Mr. Darcy you must assist me," John raised his voice slightly to address the gentleman hovering just behind Elizabeth.
Looking for a moment like a man caught, Darcy quickly recovered himself and stepped closer to Elizabeth and John.
"How may I be of service Mr. Lucas?" he asked formally.
"You must explain to Lizzy, Miss Elizabeth, that pranks and all sorts of mischief are commonplace at University and I was not so very bad for partaking on occasion."
Darcy looked between the two, curiosity evident, before replying, "it is true that many students take part in troublemaking with varying amounts of consequences. I cannot say whether Mr. Lucas should be judged for his participation. However in my view, the pervasiveness of such activities does not have a bearing on their morality."
"Come now, Mr. Darcy, I sought an ally and you come as judge and jury," John complained.
"If you wanted absolution for your mischief-making you chose the wrong confederate," Elizabeth told him sternly. "I do not imagine Mr. Darcy took part in such larks during his time at University."
"You know me so well, Miss Elizabeth?" he challenged.
"I have seen and heard enough to form a general impression."
"That impression has led you to assume I did not participate in pranks or the like as a student?" he asked.
"It has," she confirmed. "Am I wrong?" Her tone and smile indicated she had full confidence in the veracity of her assertion.
"You are not. Unfortunately, I observed too often the adverse consequences of some of these activities and therefore not only chose not to take part but to attempt to quell them at times. I suppose that makes me less interesting."
"Not necessarily," Elizabeth conceded.
"No, indeed, Darcy," John said. "I agree that, at times, some fellows could get out of hand. I hope I was never one of those. My pranks were never cruel."
The two men shared a look that Elizabeth did not fully understand, but she did not have time to contemplate it as John had an observation.
"It seems you and Lizzy have something in common."
"I cannot imagine what," Elizabeth said.
"You both are keen observers of character."
Elizabeth shot a look of rebuke at her friend before remarking, "I am not certain this is an accurate description of myself. Whether or not it describes Mr. Darcy I, of course, cannot say."
"Lizzy, come now. You are known throughout the neighborhood for your character sketches," John said. "Although I did love my sister's letters for their own sake, I must confess that when she included your depictions of our friends and acquaintances I was always truly delighted."
"Indeed, we would often make a game of it," Elizabeth told him with a smile. "She would record my observations about a particular lady or gentleman and then tell me when you responded if you were able to guess their identity."
"And I always got it right," his smile was smug. "As I said you are a keen observer of character."
"Not always," she responded, then turning to Darcy, "and yourself? Is Mr. Lucas correct, are you one who observes and sketches the character of those around you?"
"He has certainly been observing you closely since his arrival," John said with a look of innocence that Elizabeth knew was entirely feigned.
"John, that is enough," she said, noting the blush that swept up Mr. Darcy's cheeks even as a look of haughty affront descended on his face. "Go impose yourself on my younger sisters," when John opened his mouth to voice what she was sure would be either an objection or another mischievous comment she added, "now or I will tell Sir William who really left the gate open the day your cows went missing."
Although still looking like he intended to argue, John took one look at Elizabeth's stern expression and excused himself with a bow and a solemn, "please forgive me if I was impertinent, Mr. Darcy, I intended no harm."
Once he was gone, Elizabeth turned to Mr. Darcy, wondering how she could at once apologize for her friend's rudeness, seek an answer for the self-same behavior which he had referenced and extricate herself from any conversation as quickly as possible.
"Although I wish Mr. Lucas exercised more circumspection in his address, he did raise a point I have been curious about," she said.
"And that is?"
"Why you could be found quite nearby many of my conversations during the most recent engagements we have both attended. What did you mean by it?"
She noted that her companion seemed neither surprised nor offended by her question. Though she reasoned he was likely very practiced at concealing emotions.
"Though I cannot speak to his accuracy regarding yourself, Mr. Lucas was somewhat correct about my own tendencies. In this case I was indeed attempting to make out your character. Attempting to reconcile my own observations with the varying accounts I have heard."
"And what is your success, Mr. Darcy?" she asked, affecting an indifferent air, but finding she was truly interested. Though she had no reason to alter her impression of his arrogance and disdain for the society of Herefordshire to these impressions she had added some others including that Mr. Darcy was intelligent, a good friend to Mr. Bingley and perhaps most interestingly a very reluctant object of Miss Bingley's admiration. All of this combined to cause Elizabeth to consider that her initial ideas about Mr. Darcy, though not mistaken, were at least not complete. This was not sufficient for her to want to initiate a conversation and but for her friend's interference she would not have. However, now that the opportunity had been presented by him, she was curious enough to seize it. She found that despite her fairly unaltered opinions of Mr. Darcy she did not want him thinking ill of her.
"I believe I have come to understand," he looked at her for a long moment and she was struck by the seriousness of his dark eyes, "and to wish to offer once again my apologies for my words that first evening."
Although tempted to point out that his apologies were never really sincerely offered in the first place, Elizabeth reminded herself to be gracious. In addition, she was not certain what it was he had come to understand but was not quite comfortable enough to pose the question. It might invite either criticism or possibly praise and she did not welcome either from this gentleman, so she chose to leave it be.
"I accept, Mr. Darcy. Let us speak no more of it."
"If I might be so bold, now that there seems to be some form of peace between us, would you consider assisting me?" Although there was nothing that could be called humility in this request, it was accompanied by a smile, something she had not seen from this particular gentleman before.
And that was how two days later, Elizabeth found herself standing in Netherfield's north field with a bailiff, Mr. Darcy, Mr. Bingley and Jane.