At Netherfield After Jane has fallen ill

Lizzie was taking a break from Jane's room by walking the garden paths when she came across Mr. Darcy walking in the opposite direction.

"Miss Elizabeth. I have been hoping to speak with you. I have noticed that your interest in me and I must warn you that I am not willing to so lower myself as to offer for you. I must marry with a consideration for fortune and connections, neither of which you have. "

Elizabeth huffed. "Mr. Darcy," she said sharply, then stopped. She counted to ten in her head and tried again. "Mr. Darcy. I am not interested in marrying you. I have been asking you questions to get to know you better and sketch your character, not because I am angling for a proposal."

"What woman wants to sketch a character of someone unless she wishes to marry him? I have allowed more conversation with you than I typically allow women and do not wish to raise your expectations."

"This is your version of being outgoing?" Elizabeth laughed.

Mr. Darcy stumbled and glanced at Elizabeth. "Yes," he said. "I have never spoken so much with another women except for Miss Bingley and I only talk with her because she is Mr. Bingley's sister."

Some of the anger drained out of Elizabeth. She softened her voice, "I find that rather sad, Mr. Darcy. If you must know, I am trying to sketch your character to pay a penance."

"A penance?"

"Yes. My father ascribes to the notion that if you have nothing nice to say, you shouldn't say anything at all. Whenever he hears my sisters or me insult someone or gossip about someone, we are required to find admirable qualities about said person until my father is satisfied."

Mr. Darcy was lost in thought for a few moments. "So. You are trying to sketch my character because you insulted me?"

"Yes, Mr. Darcy."

"Why would you insult me?"

"You insulted me first."

"What?"

"At the assembly. You said I wasn't handsome enough to dance with and that I was slighted by other men because I was sitting out a dance."

"Miss Elizabeth. I do apologize. I should not have said something so untrue. I think you are quite handsome. I was having a bad night that night."

"Mr. Darcy, even if you felt it were true, you still shouldn't have said it."

Mr. Darcy looked at her questioningly.

"You make this so very difficult, Mr. Darcy." Elizabeth sighed. "What you said was terribly rude. Even if I were the ugliest person at the assembly, pointing it out is unkind. A couple of my younger sisters are terribly sensitive. Had you spoken so of them, you would have broken any confidence they had in themselves. Even just now, when you were trying to warn me off you, you were unkind. I know that I have no great connections and no dowry. You do not need to say so to me or say that offering for me would be lowering yourself."

"I am sorry that I offended you, but I abhor deceit. I could not lie to you."

"It is not deceitful to simply say you are uninterested in someone. You do not need to list the reasons for that disinterest. You could have said "Miss Elizabeth, I am not interested in pursuing a relationship with you." It is still a little inappropriate for the level of conversation we have had, but it is at least not rude."

Mr. Darcy was quiet for several more minutes. They were almost back to the house when he spoke again. "Do you truly feel that our conversations did not raise your expectations?"

"Mr. Darcy, we have had no more discussion than I have had with Mr. Bingley. Or do you suppose I am angling for a proposal from him as well?"

"Bingley is much more outgoing than I am. And he is also of a lower social sphere. He speaks with many women without such openness, and none expect more from him. With me, anytime I dance with a woman, she is calling at my home the next day as though I am ready to court her."

"Perhaps things are different in the ton, but no women here expect courting after just one dance. Of course, they could expect more of you in particular because you do not like to dance."

"That could be true. My cousin is the son of an earl, and he also does not deal with the same determination in women that I do."

"There you go, Mr. Darcy. Try being open with more women, and maybe you can escape the expectation. And polite. Do not forget to be polite."

Mr. Darcy smiled with chagrin. "I apologize again. I do not do well with people and often have trouble with strangers."

"You will only get better with practice, Mr. Darcy. You should try to take a page out of my father's book. Before you judge a person, try to find something admirable about them."

"Have you found admirable qualities about me to tell your father?"

"Fishing for compliments now, are we?" Lizzie smiled. "You will have to apply to my father if you wish to know what I have said."

With that, Lizzie returned to her sister and Darcy returned to his room in deep thought.