This is a short what if which begins as Darcy leaves the inn at Lambton. i will admit this has been plaguing me for months and so I wrote it down. As ever, the characters of Pride and Prejudice are the work of Jane Austen.
Darcy left with one long lingering look, bowed low and was almost out of sight when Elizabeth cleared her throat with a slight tremor only noticeable to Darcy because he was quite attuned to everything Elizabeth did, he was also gentleman enough to ignore this quirk.
"One moment Mr Darcy, if you please, would you not like to hear my reply to your letter?"
Darcy had to strain to hear her last few words but by her look he knew her to be serious. To have received a letter from a man who was not her betrothed was in itself a suspicious business and so Darcy quickly stepped back into the room.
Having gained his attention once again Elizabeth could not help feeling relieved because she feared she would not see him again to explain herself.
"I could not find an appropriate way of getting a letter into your hands without arousing suspicion so if it pleases you I will give you my reply now."
Darcy would be lying if someone asked him if he wasn't agog with curiosity at Miss Elizabeth's manner while he stepped back into the room and turned to face her once again.
As Elizabeth wrung her hands in an attempt to quiet her rapidly beating heart, Darcy felt an immediate sympathy with her, he knew this feeling only too well.
"I know sir that the established mode is to express a sense of sympathy with what you have written but I have to tell you that I could not on first reading. I could not give you credit and yet I could not deny that your observations of my family were accurate, and although not altogether fair, they were indeed true. After another perusal, I began to change my opinion of my own actions and how they may have affected you. I valued my wit highly, something I had learned from my father and I will admit that it has failed me with regard to understanding your character."
When Darcy looked as though he would vehemently interject Elizabeth tried to forestall him - "Pray sir, I have more to say on the matter and while my courage has risen to help me, will you not hear me out?"
Darcy looked uncomfortable about his decision but he bowed, stayed silent and motioned for her to proceed which encouraged Elizabeth to continue.
"Thank you. As you now know I had heard such different accounts of you as to puzzle me exceedingly and I took them to be fact rather than to ask you for your own account of yourself and how I understand my own character. I now realise I wished to believe them because you had previously grievously injured my pride on our first meeting and I had yet to learn to forgive you."
Elizabeth now looked up into Darcy's eyes and saw nothing but affection there and again she felt ashamed for having misunderstood him so unaccountably - "Sir, can you ever find it in your heart to forgive me my follies - can you forgive the vitriol and the horrible manner in which I have treated you? I can hardly think of my treatment of you without a deep and abiding sense of shame."
Elizabeth did not realise she had begun to cry until Darcy was wiping her tears away which only made her cry more.
"Elizabeth please…"
Darcy spoke with a softness she had not heard from him before.
"Do not be angry with yourself - lesser men have been fooled by Wickham and I have hardly comported myself amicably in Meryton, now have I?"
He continued speaking softly to Elizabeth while tenderly placing a loose curl behind her ear, "So you see, you are not such a hopeless case…"
Darcy's words broke the tension and made Elizabeth laugh which in turn made Darcy smile.
Despite her laughter, Elizabeth looked so miserable in that moment that Darcy was hard pressed not to take her into his arms to comfort her.
They had much to discuss, but for now, this moment of togetherness and peace was enough.