Page 19 of A Sisterly Bond

He paused, taking a slow, heavy breath, as though forcing the final admission past a deep-seated reluctance.

“As harsh your words are, I shall not defend myself. I am not proud of my actions in this. When his sister mentioned Miss Bennet was in London, and they had met, I should have informed Bingley. After witnessing his joy and hers at their unexpected reunion, I can admit my good intentions cannot compensate for my errors. I am a man of my word, and I shall present my apologies to your sister. I have already done as much with Bingley.”

“Oh…that is very gentlemanlike of you, sir,” Elizabeth said, softening slightly despite herself. “I assume Mr Bingley has forgiven you, and my sister will do the same. They are both sweet-natured and kind-hearted.”

“Bingley did not forgive me easily, nor completely, and rightfully so,” Mr Darcy added, his tone sombre. “He accused me of not trusting his wisdom and judgment, which is probably true when it comes to affection and admiration. Perhaps I have seen him charmed too many times, and I simply assumed he was enchanted by your sister’s beauty but that it would pass soon. As I said, I was wrong.”

A short pause followed, with their eyes still locked. He seemed honest in his regrets, and she assumed his discussion with Mr Bingley had been as difficult as he deserved it to be.

Eventually, she formed a smile.

“You might be the best master and the best landlord, Mr Darcy, and you might be educated and clever and the best brother, but you are certainly not an expert in matters of the heart.”

Her words clearly surprised him, and his expression brightened immediately.

“That, I cannot deny,” he admitted. “I am glad that Bingley proved me wrong. Georgiana wrote to tell me that she had visited your aunt and sister, with Bingley. From her detailed letter, I believe you should expect news soon.”

“So…you knew Miss Darcy visited my sister? You approved of it?”

“Of course.”

“Oh… Now it is my turn to admit my wrong and to apologise. I assumed that, since you found my sister unsuitable for your friend, you would find her and me even less appropriate to befriend your sister.”

“No apologies are needed, but indeed you have been wrong, Miss Bennet. I did not always approve of the manners displayed by some members of your family — I shall not deny that — but I never found anything wanting in you or your eldest sister. I believe a friendship with you two would be an important asset for Georgiana, regardless of whether Miss Bennet marries Bingley or not.”

His words caused a stir of emotions in Elizabeth, and she needed a moment to compose herself.

“Thank you, Mr Darcy. I find a strange satisfaction in knowing we were both wrong and have admitted our errors. I must hurry back now, but I hope to have the chance to talk more again soon.”

“It is my pleasure to share the guilt with you, Miss Bennet,” he answered with a smile and in a teasing tone. “And I certainly hope for another meeting very soon.”

The encounter with Mr Darcy changed Elizabeth’s state of mind; in fact, it improved it greatly.

The conversation had been more honest, more open, than she could ever have imagined; Mr Darcy — of all men — had admitted his unfair intervention between Mr Bingley and Jane and apologised for it.

There were more questions she would like to ask, but to what purpose? After all, the matter was settled; he was willing to remedy his mistakes, and he approved of his sister’s friendship with her and Jane. What had caused that change of heart mattered little.

Furthermore, if Jane found her happiness with Mr Bingley, indeed, nothing else mattered at all.

When she returned to the parsonage, she found the party in awe, as Lady Catherine had invited them to dine at Rosings the next day. It was the perfect fulfilment of their expectations and the answer to Mr Collins’s prayers. As for Elizabeth, she thought of Mr Darcy for the rest of the day, with a tumult of feelings that distressed and pleased her at the same time. He was certainly not a man without faults, as Miss Bingley once called him, but he was honourable and fair. At least he seemed to be as much. But how could he have treated Mr Wickham so unfairly and disregarded his own father’s dying wish? There must be more to the story, and it was something Elizabeth desperately wished to know; perhaps she would gather her courage to enquire the next time they met. But would she dare?

The following morning, Elizabeth went for a walk again, without even daring to admit any particular expectation.

Her unvoiced hopes were fulfilled when in the same spot as the previous day, she found Mr Darcy. Neither of them pretended to be surprised, they only exchanged greetings and fell into step together for a while. She did not dare ask anything particular, except general enquiries about Lady Catherine, Miss de Bourgh, and Colonel Fitzwilliam. Mr Darcy expressed his joy at the prospect of dining together.

“Bingley just wrote to me about his intention to reopen Netherfield,” Mr Darcy said.

“He asked your advice, I assume? He is not upset with you any longer?”

“He is upset, but he did ask for my advice.”

“Mr Bingley must learn to decide for himself, without asking for advice,” Elizabeth said. Mr Darcy smiled.

“Bingley is an excellent man but not very confident in matters of business. He has never owned an estate before, so asking for advice is proof of his wisdom.”

“I am tempted to agree, as long as the advice is only in regard to business,” she replied with a smile of her own.

Their walk continued with less conversation than the previous day but with more strange mixed feelings for Elizabeth. She had never before been alone with Mr Darcy for any length of time, and she had always known she disliked him. Now they found themselves in each other’s private company for the second day in a row, and she was surprised to feel equal disquiet and pleasure. Could her new friendship with Miss Darcy be the reason for that? His manners were also somehow changed. He was still restrained, but his smile, his voice, and his countenance seemed somehow different, though they were very much the same.