"And are you less certain now?"
Darcy smiled faintly. "I sincerely hope so. But do not mistake me. I have no particular talent for humility. If I had, we should not be standing here."
That drew a reluctant laugh from her.
"At the time I believed myself prudent. I imagined I was merely acknowledging difficulties which any sensible man would acknowledge. The longer I have considered it, however, the more I have been forced to admit that prudence was not the only thing speaking. Pride had a voice in the matter as well and, I fear, a very loud one."
Elizabeth stopped walking. "You astonish me, Mr Darcy. You appear determined to condemn yourself before I have the opportunity."
A look of amusement crossed his face.
"You mistake me. I am not seeking acquittal. I am merely attempting accuracy."
"I do not know," Elizabeth said at length, "that I can forgive you quite so quickly as youwish. The offence itself was serious enough, but I think what provoked me most was the certainty with which you delivered your opinion. You had judged my deficiencies and settled the questionentirely to your own satisfaction before I was even aware the question existed."
Darcy received the rebuke without attempting to interrupt.
"There is a great deal of justice in what you say. I can only plead that I was speaking from habits of thought which had gone so long unchallenged that I had mistaken them for common sense. It has since become very clear to me that common sense and prejudice are not always separated by as wide a distance as one imagines."
Elizabeth looked away towards the sea. "You make a handsome confession, sir, but it places me in some difficulty."
"In what respect?"
"If I remain angry, I begin to look unreasonable. If I forgive you immediately, I appear much too easily satisfied."
"I would advise neither course."
She glanced back at him.
"No?"
"No. I have no claim upon your forgiveness and every expectation of your displeasure. My only hope is that, in time, I may improve the opinion you presently hold of me."
At length Elizabeth shook her head. "Upon my word, Mr Darcy, I begin to think we have managed our acquaintance very badly."
"Abominably."
"I was prepared to dislike you."
"And I made the task uncommonly easy."
"You did."
The corner of his mouth lifted.
To her annoyance, she found the sight rather appealing.
"Then perhaps," she said, "the wisest course would be to begin again."
Darcy's expression altered. "I should like that very much."
"As indifferent acquaintances, sir?"
"Of course," he replied solemnly.
Darcy offered her his arm as they began making their way across the rocks towards the others. She accepted it without hesitation and tried not to reflect that beginning again as indifferent acquaintances already seemed likely to prove a considerable challenge.
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