“It is commendable that you put so much effort into helping them.”
“It is no effort, truly,” he replied.
“Please send them my greetings when you next see them.”
“I shall. But if you wish, you may go and see them yourself. Do not worry about seeing me. I understand my presence is uncomfortable to you, and I shall not get in your way.”
His voice was low and his countenance stern; she felt her cheeks burning.
“You are on your aunt’s estate, sir. Certainly you are not in my way, but I would like to avoid any more quarrels that may harm our tentative acquaintance further.”
“I understand. I am sorry, as I know the quarrels were mostly my fault. However, what was done is in the past, and there is little I can do now to remedy my errors.”
“Yes, such errors cannot be easily repaired. And whilst I cannot argue with your desire to protect your friend, I cannot forget my sister’s suffering either.”
“I wished to inform you that I have written to Colonel Forster, as we discussed.”
“And I have written to my father.”
“I am glad to hear it. I also wrote to Bingley immediately after our last discussion.”
Elizabeth’s heart stopped, and she held her breath after asking, “You did?”
“Of course. I told him that your sister has been in town since January and that I met you here. I indicated to him that I might have been wrong in my judgment, and I advised him to disregard my opinion and to act based on his own wishes.”
“Thank you, sir,” she said in a heartfelt whisper.
“Please do not thank me for doing what is right. I know Bingley might be angry with me, and I even put our friendship in danger, but his happiness is worth more than his opinion of me.”
“You are an excellent man, Mr Darcy,” she said after a brief pause.
“Sadly, not entirely. I struggle to be, but I fail at times. I was taught good principles, but I realise I have applied them in a selfish manner. You opened my eyes when you told me that you were not surprised that I helped the Gilroy family with food, but you were amazed that I give the children attention.”
“Oh, please forgive me. It was certainly not my right to say that!”
“No, it was not.” He smiled. “But I am glad you did so. Also, you told me that I showed no consideration for your family. That is also true. I gave no importance to anyone in Meryton during my stay there. None of them mattered at all. ”
He paused, breathed deeply, then added, “Except for you.”
Elizabeth’s heart stopped, and she watched him with bewilderment before clearing her throat. “Me, sir?”
“Yes. I hoped you had noticed it a while ago.”
“Noticed it?” she repeated, her astonishment now complete.
“Yes, my interest and my admiration for you.”
For a moment, Elizabeth suspected he was teasing her. Yet, he looked serious, even stern, a deep frown between his eyebrows.
“Not at all,” she admitted. “Until I saw you with the children and spent a little while talking, I was certain that you always looked at me to find fault.”
“You revealed your true opinion when you declared we were more enemies than friends. At that moment, I realised how wrong I had been in my estimation. I should have known I was wrong in judging your sister too.”
“Mr Darcy, please forgive me…but I feel there is a misunderstanding, and I wish to clarify it… May I ask about the nature of your interest?” she whispered.
“It is of whatever nature you wish it to be, Miss Bennet,” he responded, puzzling her even more. “Please know that I have admired you for a long time, and I am deeply sorry for any harm I have caused you or your family through my arrogant and thoughtless actions. Your friendship — if you will allow me to have it — is valuable to me, and I shall not do or say anything to make you uncomfortable.”
In a perturbed state of perturbed mind, wondering about his meaning, fearing to assume what was still unclear, Elizabeth could only reply with a timid and silly, “Thank you.”
