Five
The following morning, Elizabeth woke up at dawn with a headache that would not pass no matter what she did. Despite the early time, she took her coat and went for a walk, which she had longed to do over the past few days.
She took a completely different route from her previous ones to avoid any unpleasant meetings, but luck was not on her side; as soon as she took a right turn down a path under some trees, she saw Mr. Darcy, and he looked as though he was waiting for someone.
He walked towards her, and there was no chance for her to avoid the encounter.
“Miss Bennet.” He bowed politely.
“Mr. Darcy. I did not expect to see you here, sir.”
“I confess I hoped to see you. In fact, I have walked these paths for the last three days to that end.”
“Oh…” The honest confession caught her unprepared.
“Are you feeling better today?”
“Not entirely.”
“I am sorry to hear that…”
“There is no need, sir. It is only an annoying headache that has bothered me lately.”
“I can imagine…”
“Have you seen the Gilroy children recently? I hope they are in good health?”
“Yes, yesterday. The children are well. Mrs. Gilroy, I was told, has some backache that keeps her to her bed. I have asked the physician from Hunsford to visit her.”
“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.”
