"Now you tell me that all along, you harboured a growing affection for me. It is hard to credit, but I have the evidence of my own ears before you realised I was here, and there is an air of truth in all you have told me since. I do not pretend to return your affection. Indeed, until finding you here at Rosings this last fortnight, I have scarce thought of you at all since you left Netherfield." Darcy looked half shocked, half pained at learning of her indifference. She spoke more softly:

"I see that the struggle with your affection for me has caused you pain, and for that I am sorry. It was most unconsciously done. My manners must have been in fault for you to think me expecting your addresses at the Netherfield ball, but not intentionally, I assure you. I never meant to deceive you, but my spirits might often lead me wrong. To meet with challenge and censure instead of affection - how you must have hated me after that evening!"

"Hate you!" He half rose in protest. "I was angry perhaps at first, but my anger soon began to take a proper direction. I realised that you could not think so poorly of me had I been less circumspect in allowing you to know me. I find myself incapable of hating you, Miss Elizabeth."

"Peace, sir. You must hear me out. I have not yet finished."

Darcy subsided back onto the branch, and nodded his readiness for her to continue. It was not pleasant to hear her recitation of why she disliked him, but his sense of justice required it of him.

"After this inauspicious start, I did not expect to meet you again at Rosings, but here you are, and I have discovered yet another side to the Mr Darcy I thought I knew. You have repaired much of the damage caused by your earlier conduct. How poorly it speaks for my judgement that I expected you to be completely at home in the gaudy ostentation of Lady Catherine's home. Instead, I have watched you reveal a distaste for finery, a sensitivity to the feelings of those around you, and even embarrassment at the worst manners of your aunt. You behaved with civility to my friend Mrs Collins, apologised to me for your conduct in Hertfordshire, and managed several pleasant conversations when we have met about the grounds.

"I had only just resolved to abandon all my previous sketches of your character and start again with a clean slate, when I discovered that amongst your other talents, you have a fine singing voice! I can safely say that I no longer dislike you, sir, although I would appreciate hearing your account of the things said against you by Mr Wickham in order to put my mind at rest. Until this week, I would have said that I was indifferent to you, since you were unlikely to impinge on my life in any way, and little was to be gained by further consideration of your character.

"Now, I find I am not so indifferent as I had supposed. I quite like this more open Mr Darcy who sings to phantoms and speaks honestly and eloquently with a young lady (even though she has caused him nothing but pain). If you wish it, I would not be averse to continuing our acquaintance in this quiet place. I walk often in the early morning, and could easily find my feet wandering in this direction. If you also happened upon this path at the same time, who could say it was not accidental? I have many questions for you, sir, and it would do you no harm to get to know the real me rather than an imagined likeness."

Watching Darcy's eyes widen in shock at her words, Elizabeth could not resist adding, with an impish grin, "I do not suggest this out of any lack of proper manners, but only because it would give us the opportunity to put our past misconceptions aside and begin our acquaintance anew, free from the impertinent interference of your aunt or my cousin."

Elizabeth could hardly believe her own boldness in proposing such a scheme, but there had been such a depth of misunderstanding between the two of them that she could not pass up the chance to start afresh.

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