Chapter 2
Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy was a proud gentleman. He was proud of his family, full of illustrious noblemen. He was also proud of his wealth and standing in society. His legacy was the product of the work of many generations of Darcys, famous for being fair and generous masters.
Mr. Darcy's mother was the daughter of an Earl and always instilled in him the pride of his noble origins. That would allow him to occupy a privileged place in society and be recognized as such. His father was an exceptional man and taught him how to be a good master for when his time would come. Sadly, it was much earlier than Fitzwilliam expected.
The sudden death of his father forced him to assume as Master of a large state when he was only twenty-one. He had spent much of his youth studying and was one of the best students at Cambridge, and he graduated with honors. He had taken on enormous responsibilities, from managing complex businesses to raising his sister after his father's death.
As a perfectionist, he always tried his best to achieve his pursuits. Unfortunately, Mr. Darcy thought everything could be resolved rationally without considering the emotions or feelings involved in certain decisions.
The previous summer, for the first time in his life, he had felt that he had failed at something. No matter how hard he tried to explain why Georgiana had acted like that, he could not find a rational explanation. At least he had survived the experience. By fate or divine providence, he had managed to arrive on time and avoid the disaster that would have been for his beloved sister to marry a scoundrel like George Wickham.
He had always assumed his responsibilities with poise in all the difficult moments, with his head held high. His pride and prominent place in society constantly reminded him that a gentleman of his status should not be weak and that he could always find the best solution to even the most complex situations. But at that moment, his pride, which had always helped him overcome everything, could not allow him to forget a socially inferior woman with a wildly inappropriate family.
It all started on that damn day his friend forced him to attend that assembly. In that hideous place, he saw a charming lady with a lovely smile and pretty eyes. At first glance, she seemed like any other woman, another country bumpkin who would undoubtedly do anything to get his attention.
So he acted without regard for her feelings or opinion and insulted her without remorse. Looking at her better, he realized she was different from other women. Her face lit up with a beautiful smile, and her fine eyes, a mixture of green and hazel, made her face attractive. For the first few weeks, he tried to deny or admit that Elizabeth could be called pretty. He even dared to say that if she was considered a beauty, her mother should be called a wit.
Finally, after having had the opportunity to interact with her on several occasions, he realized that it was absurd to fight against that attraction or try to deny it. Without thinking, he realized that wherever she went, his gaze followed her, and when she spoke, he always tried to listen to her interesting conversations and witty comments. That is how he discovered that besides her physical attractiveness, she was intelligent, lively, and talented, playing with words and transforming sarcasm into jokes that made people laugh and did not offend anyone. On one of those occasions, when he watched the object of his admiration, he inadvertently lowered his guard and confessed to Caroline Bingley that he admired Elizabeth Bennet's fine eyes.
At that moment, he decided to observe and admire Elizabeth, knowing that he would probably forget her after leaving Hertfordshire in no time. He was confident that what he felt was nothing more than a passing infatuation.
But Mr. Darcy was forced to admit that he was wrong. He was looking at the fireplace in his study at Darcy House, drinking a glass of Port. He was thinking about Elizabeth and their interactions, the words said between them, and their spirited arguments. But more than anything, he was thinking of her eyes. Those eyes seemed to challenge him every time they spoke. But he could not deny that he also fondly remembered her melodious voice, which revealed the strength of her ideas and the passion with which she defended them.
He knew he had done the right thing, distancing himself from that place and preventing his friend Bingley from falling victim to a woman who only sought financial security in him. But for some reason, he could not understand why he could not feel pleased knowing that he would never see Elizabeth Bennet again. He knew that she would be in some part of the world, brightening the lives of others but not his, which made him realize how lonely he was.
For the first time in his life, he felt sorry for himself. It seemed he was a spectator of his life whose fate had been decided by others. He pondered if his life would be different if he could make his own decisions without worrying about the opinions of his family or society.
Instead, Mr. Darcy knew he should marry a lady who could bring a good dowry and impeccable connections. He needed a proper wife who would allow the Darcy family to continue being one of the wealthiest and most prestigious and allow his sister to marry well, too. All that was his duty, and he would always comply and do the right thing.
"Brother, do I interrupt you?" Georgiana asked shyly. She had wanted to speak to her brother for days. She had noticed him a bit distant and wanted to know if he needed anything.
"No, Georgie. Come in; I was just going through some documents." Mr. Darcy tried to put his desk in order and hide the bottle of Port. Since they had returned from Ramsgate, the relationship with her sister had not been the same. She was more withdrawn than usual, and he felt remorseful. So, he would take advantage of any chance to bond and reconnect with her.
Georgiana sat and noticed that her brother was nervous. Nevertheless, she was willing to do her part so he could forgive her one day. "William, how was your visit to Hertfordshire? I must tell you that I read all the letters you sent me, and I want to congratulate you on your patience with Mr. Bingley's family, especially with Miss Bingley."
Mr. Darcy could not help but smile. "You're right, my dear. Miss Bingley can be very persistent and a bit bothersome at times with her constant flattery. But Bingley is a good friend, and I went to that place to help him."
"Did you meet interesting people there?" Georgiana wanted to ask about Miss Bennet. Her brother had mentioned her in more than one of his letters, but she did not dare.
Mr. Darcy stood and looked out the window, pretending to be interested in something going on outside. "No, Georgie. You know, it looks like it is going to rain tonight." Mr. Darcy thought for a bit and added, "The residents of Meryton are good people, but they do not move in our social circles, so it is hard to be friends with them."
Georgiana understood that her brother did not wish to speak further on the subject. Indeed, the people he had met were not refined enough, and she knew William was very strict about society's rules.
"I understand. I'm sorry you haven't met anyone interesting."
"Do not worry about it, Georgiana. As I explained, I went to Netherfield to help Bingley, not to look for friends," Mr. Darcy replied. He did not want to speak about that subject anymore, so he used the time to discuss other topics. "How are your piano lessons with the new tutor going?"
"Very well, he is excellent and knows how to teach." Georgiana was always glad when she could talk to her brother about her passion for the piano.
Brother and sister conversed for a few more minutes until it was time for dinner. That night, before going to sleep, Mr. Darcy decided to focus his mind and energies on his business and stop wasting time thinking about what could never be.
'Without a doubt, you and I, Miss Bennet, belong to different social circles, and like it or not, it will always be that way,' thought Mr. Darcy aloud before falling asleep.
P&P
"Jane, I brought you these beautiful flowers I found on my way back from my morning walk," Elizabeth said to her sister, unable to avoid feeling sad when she looked at her. She could see that Jane was dispirited. It had been almost three weeks since the Netherfield's party left Hertfordshire, with nothing more than a farewell note that Caroline had written to Jane telling her they did not plan to return.
"Do not look at me like that, Lizzy. I know what you are thinking. I have already resigned myself. I know that Mr. Bingley never had a true interest in me. I was a temporary friend for him", Jane told Elizabeth with firmness and resolution. She had decided it was not worth waiting for something that might never happen.
"Jane, why do you say that? Mr. Bingley always looked at you with affection. His face lit up just from seeing you. You must not lose hope; I am sure that he would never have left so abruptly if it had not been for the influence of his sisters and his obnoxious friend. Remember, he said that he would return in a week. I suspect that when he was in London, his sisters and that gentleman decided to leave, and now, they are doing everything possible to keep him there. But you will see that when you least expect it, Mr. Bingley shall be back in Netherfield, and everything shall be alright," Elizabeth told Jane without being entirely sure what she said was true.
Jane looked at Elizabeth seriously, and after thinking for a few seconds and clarifying her ideas, she confidently replied, "Lizzy, do you want for me a husband who is not capable of making his own decisions and is easily persuaded by his family and friends to do what they want, even if that goes against his own wishes? I shall not deny that I have come to admire Mr. Bingley in these few months, but I would prefer to assume our friendship never truly had a future."
"Jane... it is just that I do not like seeing you unhappy."
Jane took a deep breath and continued explaining to Elizabeth how she felt. "Lizzy, I do not want people to feel sorry for me. For that reason, I prefer to forget and close this matter forever. I know our mother will continue to bother me, as she has done with you for not accepting Mr. Collins. But I ask you, my dear sister, not to insist on this matter and let me forget about all of this." When Jane expressed her sentiments, some tears rolled down her cheeks.
Elizabeth hugged her sister tightly and whispered in her ear, "I am sorry, Jane. I promise you that from today on, I shall not insist on speaking about this anymore." Then, after Elizabeth wiped Jane's tears, she said, "Let us find a vase to put these flowers."
Elizabeth and Jane left the room, trying to leave behind bitter memories.
P&P
The following day, Mr. Darcy completed only a small part of the pile of work pending on his desk. As always, he had gotten up early, but lack of sleep after days of staying up very late made it almost impossible to respond to the heap of correspondence he had accumulated last week. As he tried to concentrate on his work, the butler knocked on the door.
"Come in," Mr. Darcy said in a voice that reflected his bad humor.
"I am sorry to interrupt you, sir. Your Aunt, the countess, sent you this note. The messenger asked me to deliver it to you immediately." Mr. Taylor explained.
"Thank you, Taylor. I am sorry if I sounded discourteous when I spoke, but I was trying to concentrate on my work."
"Do not worry, sir. I did not notice anything different in the tone of your voice," replied the faithful servant. He knew his Master very well and knew that he was fair and courteous with servants. Besides the butler, the housekeeper and all the staff had noticed the change of mood in the always-correct Mr. Darcy.
Mr. Taylor left the office, and Mr. Darcy opened his aunt's message. She invited him to dinner that night because she had organized a little gathering and wanted to introduce her nephew to some new people he did not know.
Mr. Darcy frowned; he knew very well what his aunt was planning when she invited him to events like that. Probably, she wanted to introduce him to a new lady looking for a husband. He decided to discard the invitation to continue working but changed his mind.
'Perhaps I should go and allow myself to meet these new people... Maybe within them, I can meet someone interesting.'
With that new resolution, Mr. Darcy decided to go to his chamber and rest. He was too tired to focus on any work. He asked his valet to awaken him in two hours. Sleep quickly overcame him, and he managed to sleep so deeply that he did not even have time to dream about anything. When his valet awoke him, he bathed, asked to be shaved, and dressed impeccably like always.
Several minutes later, he left his house ready to meet a fine, distinguished lady who moved in his circles and whose family and dowry would never be a source of embarrassment.
P&P
Mrs. Bennet was furious with Elizabeth. She had missed the opportunity to secure Longbourn and accept what was probably the only marriage proposal she would receive. No significant man with a good income would want a rebellious wife who was more intelligent than him. "Because of you, Lizzy, when your father dies, we shall all be turned out to starve in the hedgerows!"
"Mother, no one knows what the future holds. You should not be so pessimistic," Elizabeth said, trying to remain calm.
"If you were not so rebellious, everything would be so different. Even though you are not as handsome as Jane, you are still pretty. But with the way you behave..."
Elizabeth continued eating and ignored her mother. She clearly was not interested in anything she had to say.
After dinner, Elizabeth immediately went to her father's study to escape her mother's criticisms. She kept accusing her of being the culprit of the future ruin of the family for rejecting Mr. Collins. Elizabeth was unsure how long she could tolerate her mother's constant criticism.
"Lizzy, I see you have learned how to avoid your mother," Mr. Bennet said, smiling.
"What do you mean, Papa?" Elizabeth asked.
Mr. Bennet looked up and closed the book in his hands. "I meant that, like me, you have come to hide in this study when you could not endure your mother anymore."
Elizabeth did not laugh at the matter as her father did. Instead, she was curious. "Papa, why do you allow my mother to behave like this? So many times, she does not know how to measure her words and ..."
"No, Lizzy, we did not come here to speak about your mother but to hide from her. Keep reading your book; I shall keep reading mine." Mr. Bennet opened his book again and quietly continued reading.
Elizabeth understood that Mr. Bennet was not interested in discussing Mrs. Bennet's behavior, much less being interrupted. She tried to keep reading, but as she looked at the book's pages, she could not help but think about her future and what it held. She was aware that the day her father passed, she, her mother, and all of her sisters would face a life of difficulties. They did not have anyone who could protect them financially.
After spending a few hours in her father's study, Elizabeth went to her bedroom. She was not sleepy and stared out the window at the beautiful full moon, thinking and reflecting.
'If I cannot marry for love, I shall have no choice but to look for employment.'
"Lizzy, stop talking to yourself and sleep," Jane asked.
"I am sorry, Jane. Good night," Elizabeth said.
"Good night, Lizzy," replied Jane before falling asleep.
P&P
Many thanks to everyone who leaves supportive comments and enthusiastically follows the story. I hope you enjoy this revised version.
Feliz y próspero 2025 para todos ustedes! 😀
Saludos,
Yo