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F or the tenth time, Elizabeth wondered when she would see Darcy and could not help but look towards the direction of the hill.

The children ran around her excitedly, enjoying the outdoors.

A day ago, Georgiana had written to Lady Martha, inviting them to join the siblings for a picnic by the lake.

Georgiana felt happier after confiding her thoughts and concerns with her brother and wanted to spend time with him like before.

Whereas Darcy never wanted to neglect his sister again due to his personal battles. He admired the way Elizabeth had steered Georgiana in the right direction.

Since the first day they met, she had impressed him in every small way on every occasion. Though she had openly acknowledged her disregard towards him, he hoped to gain her affection.

He knew she would never accept him for his status or wealth.

In the past few days, he had spent more time with Georgiana.

They went on a ride together and spent time reading.

Darcy also sat with Georgiana every evening when she practiced on the pianoforte.

It was on one such evening that Georgiana proposed the idea of the picnic, and Darcy agreed not only to please his sister but also for the opportunity to meet Elizabeth.

The men were to join the women later that day, and Elizabeth felt restless at the prospect of seeing Darcy. Her mind replayed every word she had said to him during the dance, and she felt guilty when she sat next to Georgiana.

What would Miss Darcy think if she knew about my harsh words?

Lady Isabella had joined them as well but seemed as distracted as Elizabeth. Elizabeth could not understand her at all. She seemed to have an invisible wall around her that stopped anyone from getting too close to who she was.

“I do not think we will get any more warm days like this, dears. We must enjoy it while we can,” Lady Martha exclaimed.

“Are the winters very cold here?”

“Oh! Yes! The storms are severe; we get a lot of snow. The children love the snow, though,” she replied.

“Do you have a set date for your travel, Lady Isabella?” Georgiana asked.

“Yes, we will leave at the end of this month.”

“Oh! A few more weeks then,” Georgiana said with sadness.

They saw the men emerge down the hill on their horses just then. Darcy, Mr. Anderson, and Lord Ashton joined them within moments.

Elizabeth fought hard to remain composed when she greeted Darcy and was relieved when the children pulled him away from the group with the request to play some games.

Elizabeth observed how patiently he adhered to all the requests of the twins. Suddenly, he looked in her direction and caught her eye, and Elizabeth immediately looked away.

Georgiana suggested walking along one of the trails that ran along the lake, and Lord Ashton and Lady Isabella joined them.

Elizabeth tried to suppress her smile because she was aware of Lady Isabella’s interest in the outdoors.

She realized the lady wanted to escape being alone with her mother-in-law.

Georgiana asked Darcy to join them, and Elizabeth could sense a hesitance on his face. He finally left the children with their nanny and joined the party.

The trail was beautiful, but Elizabeth could not enjoy its beauty as she walked along with Georgiana and Darcy as Lord Ashton and his wife fell behind.

Georgiana chatted away happily, oblivious to the tension between her brother and Elizabeth.

“Do you remember, Brother, the time a squirrel stole bread from our picnic basket, and Richard chased it around till it ran up the tree?”

“Yes, I do. I hope you will forgive any squirrel tempted to do so today.”

Georgiana laughed, and Elizabeth remembered having heard a lot of stories about Richard.

“You must meet my cousin, Miss Smith. He will make you laugh.”

“He already does when you describe his jokes,” Elizabeth said, and she immediately saw a frown appear on Darcy’s face.

“He is in Kent now and will join us for Christmas at Pemberley.”

“Kent?” Elizabeth asked with shock.

“Yes, he is in Rosings Park. I do not know if I have mentioned this before. My mother’s sister, Lady Catherine, lives there.”

The mention of Lady Catherine startled Elizabeth.

“Richard and my brother help assist my aunt in estate affairs, and it's not that she has no help there. There is her parson, Mr. Collins, whom my cousin has an amusing time with.”

When Mr. Collins was mentioned, Elizabeth felt dizzy. She did not pay attention to the path and tripped, but Darcy caught her hand before she fell.

“Are you well?” he cried with concern.

“Yes! Yes, forgive me. I did not notice the rock.”

“Are you hurt?” he asked, oblivious to anything else around him, his eyes fixed on Elizabeth’s face.

“No, no! I am all right,” she said, inwardly wincing at her lapse.

She had not heard the name of Mr. Collins mentioned for a long time, and she was distressed beyond measure to know about the connection between the Darcy family and Kent.

Darcy reluctantly let go of her arm, and Georgiana worried about her friend.

“Are you sure your feet do not hurt, Miss Smith?” she asked with worry.

“Yes, it is nothing. We can continue to walk,” Elizabeth replied, utterly mortified.

When she looked at Darcy, she could see his concern. She looked ahead, unable to hold his gaze.

Darcy had begun to understand her more and more. He could distinguish her minute expressions, and now he knew something troubled her.

Something about the mention of Kent or Lady Catherine has distressed her. She looked aghast when Georgiana spoke of Rosings. What could it be?

He always felt that there was something secretive about her and wondered what it was.

Lord Ashton and Lady Isabella caught up to them, and the party split into two.

The men walked forward, and the women followed them.

Georgiana and Elizabeth conversed as Lady Isabella said little.

Elizabeth saw Darcy turn around and check on her occasionally.

Somehow, the mention of Mr. Collins brought back all the horrifying memories of the past, and she was glad when the picnic ended, and they left in their respective carriages.

Elizabeth felt as if the world was closing in on her. She could not believe the association between the Darcy family and Kent.

Meanwhile, in the carriage, Darcy was in deep thought; however, when he saw his sister, he smiled.

She was busy reading a book Elizabeth had given her.

“What are you reading, Georgiana?”

“Oh! This book is wonderful, brother. It is a book about various forms of art around the world.”

Darcy glanced at the book and found it very intriguing.

“Miss Smith gave it to me. She said she found it in the library at Ashton Park.”

“Did you enjoy the picnic?” he asked her.

“Of course I did. I loved having Edmund and Emily accompany us.”

“And?” Darcy asked in a teasing tone.

“You tease me so, Miss Smith, as well,” she said with a laugh, but immediately her expression turned to sadness.

“I must make the most of the time I have left with her.”

“I do not understand you.”

“Did I not tell you? She plans to travel along with Lord Ashton and his wife?”

“What? I know he is leaving with his wife to go to Grovnor Park in a few weeks. I did not know Miss Smith was leaving also.”

“She is, as the children are going. Even though it is just a month, I will miss her very much.”

Darcy did not know what to say. The thought of Elizabeth being away pained him beyond measure, and he knew he could not stop her from going.

He felt that during the picnic, she was cordial and conversed with him without hesitating like before. Darcy was unsure if Elizabeth did it for Georgiana’s sake.

He contemplated what to do, and the next morning, he rode to Ashton Park after breakfast without informing Georgiana.

When he reached the house, the housekeeper informed him that Lord Ashton had taken the children to the village, and Lady Martha was visiting a friend that morning.

“I was hoping to talk to Miss Smith; I have some books my sister asked me to return,” he said.

“She is in the parlor, sir. Please come this way,” the servant said, leading him onto the upper floor.

Elizabeth sat in the parlor, basking in the mid-morning sun through the windows. The children had left with their father, and she sat reading a book, waiting for them to return.

Suddenly, she heard the servant announce Darcy’s name and came face to face with him.

His arrival was unexpected, and she did not know why he wanted to see her. She curtsied, and Darcy bowed without a word. Elizabeth was confused by his presence.

“I have brought some books Georgiana wanted to return to you,” he said, placing them on the nearby table.

“I thank you!” she said and continued. “Lord Ashton has taken the children to the village, and Lady Martha is visiting Mrs. Chawton.”

“I am aware,” he said.

“I am not in a hurry for the books. I did tell Miss Darcy that she could return them once I returned from my trip. You did not have to trouble yourself, sir.”

Elizabeth noticed Darcy’s expression change when she mentioned her travel. He looked troubled, and she did not know what to say.

They stood silently for some time, and Elizabeth understood he did not want to leave .

Maybe he will if I sit down.

She thought, picked up her book, and sat down. Darcy started pacing the room, but he never looked away from her. His handsome features were engulfed with tension.

Elizabeth did not know what to make of his actions.

Maybe he has come to reason with me for what I said during the dance .

Elizabeth looked at him calmly, unable to comprehend his behavior. He suddenly stopped and walked a few steps closer to her.

“In vain have I struggled, and it will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I love and admire you,” Darcy said as he watched her face turn red with embarrassment and shock.

“Almost from the earliest moments of our acquaintance, I have come to feel a most passionate admiration and regard for you. Do not think I am ignorant of your dislike of me. But I hope you can look past our initial animosity, as you know my heart now. I love you most sincerely, and all I ask you is for you to consider my proposal. I do not want an answer right away. But please trust me; I have nothing but admiration, love, and respect for you since the day we met.”

Elizabeth was shocked to hear his declaration.

“You must be jesting,” she cried with irritation.

“I do not jest, and it hurts me that you would think me to be so reckless to joke about my feelings.”

“Your feelings, sir, alarm me. Pray, tell me, how long have you known me?”

Darcy was silent.

“If you cannot find an answer, let me make it easy; a few months. I am amazed that you have feelings for someone in such a short time.”

“When it comes to what I feel for you, I do not think I need to weigh something so irrelevant as the duration of our acquaintance. Every moment I spent with you has made me fall in love with you more and more.”

Darcy saw the evident anger on her face.

“Me? A governess?” she asked him in a challenging tone.

“Yes, you. The only woman who looked at me as a man with flaws and not as the master of Pemberley.”

“What do you even know about me, sir? Are you even aware of anything about me other than me being an employee here?”

“I may not know anything about your past. All I know is that I cannot imagine my future without you. You told me frankly about your dislike for me, but I still cannot believe you hate me.”

“So, you say I lied to you. What gain am I to get by doing that? Do you believe that you could marry me and live happily?”

“Yes, I do.”

“And you did not hesitate even for a moment because of my status in society while you were contemplating your so called “feelings”?”

“I would be lying if I said I did not think of it; however, it does not matter to me. Your status as a governess does not make you less worthy. You have impressed me in a way no woman ever has, and all I care about is your consent, out of your free will.”

“My consent? You are too hasty, sir. You do not understand me as I do not intend to get married or live a life different from what I am living now. I understand you perfectly. You think you are saving me from misery by offering for me, which is indeed noble of you. But I cannot accept you. I wonder how you could imagine anything good coming out of your declaration after I expressed my opinion of you explicitly. I hope your feelings of pity will pass soon and you can look at me as an employee of Ashton Park and nothing more. As for me, I will try to endure your presence whenever I need to, giving myself the burden of forgetting your proposal. Though you say you did not care for my status in society, you must be sensible enough to know how uncomfortable you have made my life here after your declaration. I have nothing more to say to you.”

Darcy did not utter a word and looked at her intently. Though he had not anticipated her instant acceptance, he hoped she would understand the depth of his feelings, but what she declared now astonished him.

He had seen enough of her anger in the past to know the difference in her voice and tone.

In the words she uttered at present, there was an evident hint of sadness and guilt disguised in anger.

Her eyes were moist, and she was about to burst into tears.

The last thing he wanted was to leave the room while she was crying, and he very well knew he would never be able to.

He did not trust himself to walk away from the woman he valued so much in life while she was in distress.

“I understand you perfectly, madam. Forgive me for taking so much of your time,” he said and left her, taking one last look at her before he opened the door.

The moment the door closed, Elizabeth collapsed into the chair, unable to believe what had transpired between them.