Chapter 4

As Darcy had hoped and prayed, Miss Elizabeth indeed have a changed opinion about him when she left Rosings Park that night. And as she took her daily morning walk the next morning, he was one of the topics she thought about. Even though Elizabeth had seen the changed Mr. Darcy with her own eyes, she still found it hard to believe him and preferred to stick to the previous opinion about him and to what Mr. Wickham had told her.

Thinking of Mr. Wickham took her back to that evening at Aunt and Uncle Phillip's house when she had listened to Mr. Wickham's tale. She could recall the tale of Wickham, word by word, like she had heard it just yesterday. And for the first time, since she heard it, Elizabeth chose to analyze it.

When she had expressed that Mr. Darcy should be publicly disgraced for his doing, he had replied, he should be, but it would not be by him and yet he had recounted the tale to mere stranger, someone whom he had met only thrice! Then his claim of it not being a necessity to hide from Darcy, but he did not come to the Netherfield Ball!

I had not thought Mr. Darcy so bad as this - though I have never liked him

The clashes within his own statements astounded Elizabeth. How could have she failed to notice this before? How could she who prided herself for her ability to analyze people and befriend only the ones with esteemed character! How could she?

Her mind went back to Mr. Darcy... Mr. Darcy had accepted his fault of having a less than admirable manner, resentment for his unforgivable temper... And Elizabeth had talked about it without censor with Mr. Wickham. He had said he should not opine on it, he would hardly be a fair judge on the matter. But he still opined... and Elizabeth believed him!

It takes two, two sides to every story. No one sees himself as the villain...

These lines she had read once, a while ago, replayed in her mind, taunting her so...

What did she do? Did she make a grave mistake in judging Mr. Darcy? She had never listened to his perspective of the tail after all.

Abominable pride... that is what she had said. She had said Mr. Darcy possessed abominable pride. Did she, too? She who prided herself for being a fair judge of character? Was this pride, abominable?

It hurts me to speak ill of a Darcy. Yet he did, without as much as an ounce of hesitation. His words seemed measured and practised like he had thought about them, spoken them more then once.

Then there was the talk about Miss Darcy.

Elizabeth had found young Georgiana nothing but a sweet, modest, amiable girl! Handsome, yes, highly accomplished, yes but never proud!

In fact, Elizabeth found that Georgiana had a bit of self-doubt; she seemed to think that she was not well enough. The girl could not be called proud...

Elizabeth was conflicted, what should she believe? The tale of Mr. Wickham or the character she witnessed by her eyes.

Yes, Mr. Darcy was proud and as she had told many a times, had a disagreeable manner in front of his inferiors...

As soon as Elizabeth thought that she stopped in a mid-step, recalling Mr. Wickham's words,

Mr. Darcy can please where he chooses. He does not want abilities. He can be a conversible companion if he thinks it worth his while. Among those who are at all his equals in consequence, he is a very different man from what he is to the less prosperous. His pride never deserts him; but with the rich, he is liberal-minded, just, sincere, rational, honourable, and perhaps agreeable, - allowing something for fortune and figure.

He can be a conversible companion... indeed he could. He was nothing short of conversible in the later part of the evening, even though a bit conserved... like Jane, she further added.

Jane was also conversible and charming, but she was not that open in public. She would remain silent, and hardly make a conversation. She remembered Charlotte's words regarding Jane's behaviour,

Jane should therefore make the most of every half hour in which she can command his attention. When she is secure of him, there will be leisure for falling in love as much as she chooses.

Jane was a shy being, she was not like Elizabeth, and she could not make acquaintances quickly, and could not converse easily or heartily with mere acquaintances. A thought struck Elizabeth, like lightning bolt, could it be the reason Mr. Bingley left? Did he believe that Jane was not partial to him? Oh, Jane was in love, but Elizabeth knew it. Elizabeth, a person who knew how to study Jane, who knew what every smile, laugh or frown meant (even though Jane hardly frowned).

Elizabeth continued to walk, as she analyzed her sister's behaviour from the eyes of a stranger. Yes, she spent time with Mr. Bingley at every gathering and no doubt Mr. Bingley had eyes only for Jane but when she looked at Jane... Jane seemed merely polite... Even though her smiles meant more than politeness, how would Mr. Bingley know! He did not know her as well as Elizabeth did.

'Oh no, oh no... Oh dear Jane, dearest Jane... why didn't I see it before?' Elizabeth thought, 'Only if I would have realized this before, before Mr. Bingley left. Oh dear sister you could have been exempted from the heart-ache.'

Elizabeth decided that she would write to Jane the very moment and tell her about her late realization and maybe apologize profusely. Would it be too forward if Jane called on Mr. Bingley? Deciding, it wouldn't be, not that she cared for propriety more against her sister's happiness, she would ask Jane to do that.

She turned around and began to make her way to the parsonage, her mind practically whirling with thoughts.

'Could it be,' she thought, 'that Mr. Darcy was as shy as Jane? I have not encountered a shy gentleman in my life, but... but it could be. Maybe, Jane was assumed to be proud by strangers, too, proud of her beauty...'

The thoughts that came to her mind confused her even further.

As she reached the gate of parsonage, she shook her head to clear it of every thought of Mr. Darcy and Mr. Wickham and with a resolve to write to her sister, Jane, she made her way to her quarters.

Now, I know this is a short chapter, merely 1040 words, I wanted to put in Darcy's musings about Miss Elizabeth, too but then I had the intention to only make Lizzy think about Darcy but then with the flow, she also thought about Jane and Mr. Bingley. I used some character analysis here, hope I am correct.

Thanks for all your love to the story.

Constructive criticism, opinions, ideas are all welcomed. I would especially like your opinion on this chapter.