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D arcy rode on without knowing in which direction he went, and his horse seemed to sense his temperament and resonated ruthlessly in its gallop.

That morning, he had started to Ashton Park with no intention of proposing to Elizabeth.

He had not expected to find her alone, but the moment she mentioned her travel, he poured out his heart in a sudden rush of emotion, unable to let her leave.

He knew she would not accept him immediately, but he hoped she would consider his proposal. But now, he felt utterly lost.

She does not respect me. She does not love me and has no regard for me. How could I have been so blind in love? How could I have fallen for someone who does not want to consider my proposal?

What am I to do now? How am I to live in this world with the torment of being near her?

Her words echoed in his mind.

She accused me of ruining her life.

His heart broke when he realized how much distress he had caused her.

She must see me as another wealthy man who does whatever he pleases without caring about her feelings or well-being.

He could not imagine meeting her again, not just because he still loved her dearly, but because he realized the truth in her words. Darcy was guilty of ruining Elizabeth’s peace and happiness in her current life as a governess.

God knows what she has been through as a governess, and I have ruined her life here, as she seemed very happy in Ashton Park.

What she says is right; we could never be in the same room together again.

She has to endure me for the sake of society and act cordially because of my relationship with the Ashtons.

She values Georgiana’s friendship, and she is an employee at Ashton Park, so she cannot avoid me explicitly.

I wanted to keep her happy, but I have achieved the opposite.

The pain in his heart reminded him of his torment when his mother passed away.

Elizabeth’s refusal was equivalent to his mother’s loss, and Darcy realized how much he valued and loved her.

He also knew that there was no hope of winning her heart.

She had decided against him, and as much as he hated to admit the truth of it, she had no second thoughts about it.

She truly hates me.

***

And yes, she hated him with all her heart. In Ashton Park, Elizabeth hurried to her room before anyone could spot her state of distress. The moment Darcy left; she had burst out crying.

Now, she locked herself in her room in agony. She was completely shocked by his declaration and tormented by his intentions.

How could he? How could he want to marry me? Me, a governess? A nobody?

She could not make sense of it and could not understand how Darcy could expect her to be the mistress of Pemberley. She was baffled by his regard for her, and she could not believe his words.

She had belittled him and termed his regard as feelings of pity. But Elizabeth was not a fool. The emotion in his voice and his heartfelt declaration of his love were nothing but sincere. But she could not accept it because she hated him.

She hated him from the moment she saw him on the cliff. She hated the man who saved her life, who argued with her and looked at her with his piercing gaze every time she was in his company.

Elizabeth hated him because she felt extremely vulnerable in his company.

Her wall of defense melted away when she held his gaze because she felt he could read her lies.

And the hate multiplied now more than ever because he offered her a future filled with happiness and love, forcing her to accept everything she had decided against.

Out of all these reasons, the most important was that she hated him because she had fallen in love with him deeply a long time ago.

Now, she understood he felt the same way, but she was in no position to accept him.

Elizabeth could not accept him because in her heart she knew that she did not deserve him.