Page 43 of Fortuitous Encounters

“Yes, it was surprising.”

“How terrible is it going to be?”

“I shall endure, Mama. A bet's a bet.”

“What is that little smirk I see there, my girl? You are hiding something.”

“I am only following your advice from a decade ago, Mama.”

“Which advice was that? “

“You told me quite literally, 'The next time you want Bennet Darcy in the slimiest and stinkiest part of the mill pond and wish to keep him there for a half-hour, you should perfectly well be able to do that with your words alone.'“

“I remember—but what does that have to do with anything?”

“I decided I wanted him in the mill pond.”

“Why, you sneaky little minx. Does he know he has been played?”

“Who says it was he that was played?”

“You mean?”

“I mean he has been working at this for a decade. It is quite impressive when you get right down to it. How could you not love a man who would crawl through poison ivy or eat bugs over a bet and come back for more?”

“When you put it that way, I think the two of you deserve each other.”

“Yes, Mama… that we do. Love is funny sometimes, but we do quite love each other.”

“Yes, my girl. It most certainly is.”

Circles

During the Hunsford proposal, Elizabeth goes to extraordinary lengths to try to be civil and polite in her rejection, which is effective… for a while.

Note: This was my first big hit. I wrote in 2017, and some well-established JAFF writers encouraged me I had the makings. Perhaps they were right.

Chapter 1

“And this is all the reply which I am to have the honour of expecting! I might, perhaps, wish to be informed why, with so little endeavour at civility, I am thus rejected. But it is of small importance—” Pride & Prejudice Ch 34

~

Upon hearing the words, Elizabeth Bennet was ready to scream. How many degrading and insulting proposals was she meant to endure? Mr Collins' prediction of never receiving another proposal certainly did not hold true with two in four months, but such a proposal! It was not to be endured! Her anger rising, she started to address him.

“I might as well enquire, why with so evident a desire of offending and insulting me, you chose to tell me that you liked me against your will, against your reason, and even against your character?”

Elizabeth stopped abruptly. Her anger was nearly ready to overwhelm her, and she was quite prepared to make her displeasure known in no uncertain terms, but something caused her to pause cautiously. She knew from his own words that he was a man of implacable resentments, whose good opinion once lost was lost forever. She had heard that from his own lips in Netherfield, and had no reason to doubt what happened when people angered him. He had denied Mr Wickham his living purely out of spite and jealousy. Lastly, she had the testimony of Colonel Fitzwilliam regarding Jane that Darcy would take it upon himself to break relationships when they did not satisfy his desires, regardless of the sentiments of those involved.

Altogether, she had three alternative sources about what happened to people who crossed Mr Darcy, and wondered if she might receive similar misfortunes. It was without question unwise to anger such a powerful man with such a well-known bad temper. The consequences he could rain down upon her with a word or a gesture were incalculable and nothing she wished to suffer. With this in mind, she decided it would be much more prudent to temper her response, fall back on propriety and civility, and try to avoid any further censure or retribution. It would be difficult, for speaking her mind would be quite satisfying for a time; but doing so would not be to her ultimate advantage.

She took a deep breath, attempting to calm herself. Striving for the utmost composure, she answered him as calmly, politely, and civilly as possible.

“Mr Darcy—I have always done my very best to be civil with you, your family, and your friends. If my reply lacks civility, pray accept my apologies so we might put this unfortunate conversation behind us. I have no desire to offend you, sir, so might I request that we end this interview at this point. You have my most sincere gratitude for the kindness and honour of your address, but I believe we have nothing more to say to each other.”

Mr Darcy took this non-answer as another incivility. He stood straighter, walked towards where she was sitting, and said angrily, “I beg to differ, madam! That is not really an answer, or a reason for your rejection. Might I kindly ask for more of an explanation?”

Elizabeth was becoming somewhat frightened. Mr Darcy at the best of times was a formidable and intimidating person. His great height and strength might ordinarily have made him the most handsome man of her acquaintance; but his forbidding countenance and deplorable manners now made him truly terrifying. He had walked from the fireplace to tower over her, and Elizabeth unconsciously shrunk back into herself. She tried to make her presence even smaller and less offensive, desperately hoping he would just go away, while surreptitiously eyeing the door and wondering if she could run through it quickly before he could react.