Elizabeth turned to see Charlotte standing in the doorway. A wave of relief and dread washed over her simultaneously.
“Charlotte,” Elizabeth said, her voice faltering.
“May we speak privately?” Charlotte asked, her tone calm but firm.
Elizabeth hesitated, glancing at the others. Collins looked ready to object, but Charlotte silenced him with a look that left no room for argument. Without waiting for an answer, Elizabeth nodded and followed her friend into the hallway.
The hallway was quieter,the muffled sounds of the sitting room fading behind them. Charlotte faced Elizabeth, her arms crossed and her expression carefully neutral.
“So.. It seems the wager has taken a turn we did not anticipate.”
Elizabeth winced. “Charlotte, I never meant for any of this to happen. I—”
“Didn’t you?” Charlotte interrupted, her gaze sharp. “You set out to prove a point, Lizzy. To show me that you could make a man like Mr. Darcy fall for you. And you succeeded, didn’t you?”
Elizabeth’s chest tightened. “I did not mean to hurt him.”
“Of course you did” Charlotte said, her tone softening slightly. “But you didn’t think about what might happen if you changed your mind. Or if you got hurt, too.”
“This was all your stupid idea! I never should have let you talk me into this.”
“Oh, come, Lizzy, it was all harmless fun at first.”
Elizabeth looked away, shame creeping into her voice. “It wasn’t supposed to be like this. I never imagined… I did not think I would… care.”
“And now?” Charlotte asked, tilting her head.
Elizabeth hesitated, her voice barely above a whisper. “And now I’ve ruined everything.”
Charlotte sighed, her posture relaxing. “You haven’t ruined everything, Lizzy. But you have to decide what you want. If you care about Mr. Darcy—truly care—then you need to stop hiding behind your pride.”
Elizabeth laughed bitterly, shaking her head. “It’s too late for that, Charlotte. He hates me now.”
“Maybe,” Charlotte said with a faint, knowing smile. “Or maybe he’s just as angry with himself as he is with you.”
Elizabeth frowned, her thoughts a chaotic storm. She wanted to believe Charlotte was right, that Darcy’s anger wasn’t entirelyaimed at her. But the memory of his face—cold, distant, betrayed—loomed like a specter, and the hope Charlotte offered felt impossibly far away.
“Charlotte,” Elizabeth said at last, her voice trembling, “I don’t know how to fix this. I don’t even know if it can be fixed.”
Charlotte’s expression softened, but her tone remained steady. “You have to decide whether it’s worth trying.”
Elizabeth shook her head, turning away slightly. “It doesn’t matter. It’s too late. He—” Her voice faltered. “He thinks I’ve been playing him this whole time. And after what Collins said—” She broke off, her fists clenching at her sides. “I wouldn’t blame him if he hated me.”
Charlotte studied her closely, her arms crossed. “And do you?”
Elizabeth blinked, confused. “Do I what?”
“Hate him.”
Elizabeth’s breath caught, and for a moment, she couldn’t speak. Hate? The word seemed absurd now, even after everything. Whatever frustrations she had once felt toward Darcy, whatever pride or prejudice had clouded her view, those emotions had long since given way to something far more complex—and far more painful.
“No,” she said finally, her voice quiet but certain. “I do not hate him.”
Charlotte raised an eyebrow. “Then why are you so determined to let this end badly? If you care about him, Lizzy—”
Elizabeth whirled around, her frustration boiling over. “Because I’ve already ruined it! Don’t you see that? There’s no coming back from this. He thinks I’ve been mocking him, playing with his feelings, when all I’ve done is—” She stopped herself, biting her lip as tears threatened to spill.
“All you’ve done is what?” Charlotte pressed gently.
