Then Elizabeth felt a warm hand on her shoulder. The protective wall of imaginary glass between her and the rest of the world was shattered in an instant and all the worries of her life came flooding back into her head. She took a deep breath as the real world came back into view. The realities of life back to haunt her.
She turned round and was stunned into paralysis by the sight before her eyes.
“Good day to you Miss Elizabeth. Don’t you just love a successful morning?” grinned Mr Darcy. How had she not heard him coming? Surely she should have heard the clatter of footsteps and the crash of the closing marble doors. She was both angry and embarrassed at the fact that he had seen her drenched in rainwater and that he had generally sneaked up on her.]
“Mr Darcy...” she acknowledged.
“If you may permit me to speak so boldly. What are you doing out here?” Darcy was merely silent and handed her a letter which was written on a yellow parchment and in the most beautiful italic writing she had ever seen. She looked at him confused. He then walked off. Without any more witty comments. Without any more sarcastic looks. Elizabeth got up, letter in hand, and advanced towards somewhere where the prying eyes of the raindrops couldn’t see or destroy her secret letter. It was sealed with a seal of red wax, obviously from the candle in the Courts waiting room. She chuckled and then broke the seal, then opening the crisp yellow paper. The letter read
My dear Elizabeth,
Though I know not of any feelings on your behalf towards me, I would like to express mine towards yourself. I apologise if this letter will in any way offend you, but i feel that it is necessary for you to know how I feel. From the first moment I met you, I looked into your eyes, and experienced such a surge of love which I had experienced none other like in my life. I covered up my feelings for you with a complete denial of anything I felt and I feel that at this time, I managed to sincerely offend both you and your family. I apologise for my actions in speaking so poorly of you and your, sorry to say, poor relations. I was afraid of falling ion love with someone who wouldn’t boost my position in the business world and for that I am sincerely sorry, for I now realise that true love is a thing which is only experienced on very rare occasions in one’s life. Elizabeth Bennet. I love you more than words can say. If love could be measured in numbers, my love for you would add up to a higher number than there are stars in the sky. In the Milky Way. In the galaxies that surround that and those around them. I can’t deny that I don’t regret anything that I said in court or the turnout of the case, but I plead to you that if you can find it in your heart to forgive me for my sins and unforgivable actions, and love me as I love you, then I pray you would accept my hand in marriage and make me the happiest man alive. Please find a ring behind the flowerpot on the left hand side of the door. If you feel my proposal unfit, then you may do as you wish with the ring which is 2 carats of diamond. If you feel the same way about me that I feel about you though, please meet me in the breakfast room at 5pm sharp.
Yours,
Fitzwilliam Darcy
Elizabeth Folded the letter up, out it in her pocket and then sat down with a thump on a cold stone bench, her heart pounding with both delight and disgust. Life always threw either stones or sweets at her. Normally she wouldn’t get to choose which one she got. This time however, she could. She could chew on the huge sweet or the large lump of coal. Her decision. No one else’s.
