Pride And Prejudice Fan Fiction ❯ Pride: Vice or Virtue? ❯ CHAPTER V ( Chapter 5 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Darcy woke for the last time before the sun had time to rise. He stayed there, lying in his bed for about half an hour then, unable to fall back asleep again, proceeded to get dressed. He put on a light gray, buttoned down shirt with a deep blue vest overtop. He wore deep gray trousers, black boots, and his classic dark blue jacket.
He then proceeded to move to the downstairs and into the library. He finally managed to choose a book that he had not completed before, and moved over to a chair to read. The chair was positioned by the fireplace, which was not yet lit, yet had many candles near it, being a perfect area for reading.
Mr. Darcy was very close to finishing his book when his friend came practically bounding into the room. He looked perfectly awake, and had most likely gotten his fill of sleep, unlike Darcy. "Good morning, Darcy! I just had the most wonderful dreams! Perfect amount of sleep! And how are you this fine morning?"
Darcy smiled slightly at Bingley. "I was not as fortunate as you." He then went back to his book.
"I am sorry to hear that. I hope it was not the room or the bed that was the cause of such discomfort!"
Darcy shook his head.
"Was it then restless thoughts, perhaps?"
Darcy could not figure out how to reply. He did not want to tell Bingley about seeing Miss Smith sneaking off into the night, then coming back at such an hour. He did not want to mention how much torment his mind had gone through because of how worried he was about her. Darcy could not bring himself to tell Bingley all that.
"No, I do not think it was anything of that nature."
Bingley grinned. "Well, I dare say you better not be getting ill on me, Darcy!"
Darcy allowed a small smile, then went back to his book.

A while later, Caroline, Louisa and Mr. Hurst came down together, having met in the hallway. They said their good mornings and such civilities, and then were summoned into the breakfast parlor.
Mr. Darcy had finally finished his book, and decided to return it to its rightful place. He walked over to the library, unable to glance up the stairs and at the hallway above. He saw no one there, and started wondering where Miss Smith might be. As he placed the book back, he started thinking of whether he should go up himself and find out as to why it was taking her so long. He decided against it, considering their multiple arguments, and proceeded to the breakfast parlor.
They had been at breakfast for a quarter under an hour when they heard the sound of two people walking towards the room. All of the diners looked up from their respective plates to see who as about to enter.
One of Mr. Bingley's servants walked straight in, made a very formal ninety degree turn to his right, and then said, "Miss Smith, sirs and madams..." He then practically re-traced his steps back, and the next person entered the room.
She walked straight in and stopped a few feet away from the table. Bingley and Darcy rose from their seats and bowed, and the other ladies nodded their acknowledgement as she curtsied. Mr. Hurst was far too absorbed into his breakfast that he barely noticed her entrance, let alone wanted to leave his food.
Upon rising, Darcy could see her more clearly. She wore one of the dressed provided for her, and marveled at how it seemed to compliment her figure. He then stopped himself from thinking that, and looked reservedly into her face, trying to judge her emotions on seeing him.
Miss Smith's usually bright eyes seemed quite dull from an apparent significant lack of sleep. She seemed to be even worse looking, in that respect alone, than Darcy himself. Dark blue colors seemed to have started appearing underneath her eyes: another sign of a sleepless night. She stifled a yawn as discreetly as she could.
Bingley smiled. “Good morning, Miss Smith!”
Caroline put on airs of mock concern. “My goodness, Miss Kaelin! Did you attain any means of sleep at all last night? You look positively dreadful!”
Bingley seemed to shoot a look at his sister. Darcy looked, straight-faced, at Miss Smith, who merely smiled. “No, I’m afraid that I did not get much sleep last night. Though, I assure you the reason was in no way your fault!” she said, seeing Bingley’s uneasy look. “There were just... a few matters to attend to.” She quickly looked to Mr. Darcy and, meeting his eyes, looked back to Mr. Bingley.
Bingley grinned. “Well, please, eat up. Even if you seem to be able to function without sleep, I do not think the same can be done with food!” he said, laughing.
Miss Smith smiled at him, and took her place at the table. She looked to Mr. Darcy, an unreadable look upon her face.
“And how are you today, Mr. Darcy? Did you get enough sleep last night?”
Darcy thought he saw a smile play at her lips for a moment, then disappear. His eyes hardened. He did not want her to reveal anything that might rise questions and have him possibly expose the reason to his own lack of sleep. “I am quite fine, and I received enough sleep, thank you.”
Her expression did not change, but she rapidly blinked a few times, as if surprised. She then started her own breakfast, and Darcy continued his.
Breakfast was yet another awkward and uncomfortable event. Neither Miss Smith or Mr. Darcy said much over the course of the meal. If asked anything and were required, by rules of etiquette, to reply, they gave a simple and frank answer, usually quieting the person asking said question.
Mr. Darcy excused himself promptly after finishing his meal, saying that he had to write a letter to his steward of estate business. He glanced momentarily at Miss Smith before he exited, and noticed a slightly dejected air about her. Darcy then noticed that she was staring right at him, watching him leave. He, embarrassedly, turned around and hurried out of the room.

Darcy was walking up the stairs and the hallway, thinking about how frank her responses were. "She could have used a bit more decorum in her address..." He could not get past the way she had spoken to him the night before, with such cold, harsh words. Echoes of his own words said in the forest weaved in and out of her own.
He opened his door, and shut it rather decidedly in back of him. He glanced around the room for a moment, his gaze falling upon, with a rapid intake of breath, his own bed.
Perched upon the middle of the bed was a very familiar jet black hat.
Darcy's mouth opened, as did his eyes, in amazement. All traces of filth and ill characteristics from being thrown off of its wearer's head had been removed. It looked exactly how it had when it had been first bought: crisp, proper-looking, and perfect.
He moved closer, and picked up the hat, in an attempt to inspect it closer. A piece of folded paper fluttered onto the bed. Darcy promptly picked it up, unfolded it, and read it as quickly as he could. He then, with hat and note in his possession, practically ran out of the room.
Any servant that he encountered on his search of the manor was asked of the whereabouts of a certain young lady. None that Darcy questioned seemed to know of the young lady’s location. Finally, upon hearing another person being questioned, one young boy said that he thought he saw someone going out the main door, though he could not see the person’s face. Darcy thanked the boy, and hastened outside.

Darcy had been roaming outside for quite some time. He had been unable to find her in the back or front yards, and then decided that she must be in the forests. As he walked towards the line of trees, he read the note again.

“Mr. Darcy,
As you are most likely now aware of, I have helped restore your hat to its former glory. I hope that it is close, at the very least, in how it was before your ride with Mr. Bingley.
Yet again, I must make my apologies to you. I did not wish to be an imposition, and it was only by a happy coincidence that you found me that day. I fear that if you and Mr. Bingley would have either averted your path before encountering myself, or had merely left me there, thinking myself to be simply asleep, I fear that I would not be feeling as positive as I am now. I also apologize for having scared your horse, thus tossing you off of your mount. If this has caused any physical pain to you, I apologize again. I fear now that my apologies are far too numerous to name, so I will stop for the present.
If you have any questions, as I am sure that you do have at the very least one, please, do not think of hesitating in asking them. I believe I owe you, and Mr. Bingley, an explanation as to the reason for the condition you both found me in. I will answer you as best I can. Please forgive me for keeping my secrets. I believe that we all have them, and I hope not to be thought forward in believing that you possess them yourself. I fear I have written far too much.
Miss ‘Kaelin Smith’

He then looked up from the letter upon entering the woods. As he walked around, he fidgeted with the paper and the hat, the latter of which he was not aware of still having in his possession. The only thing that he could think of was finding her.
Darcy had been searching for over a half hour when he stopped to rest against a very large tree. It was situated overhanging a small brook, and seemed quite peaceful. He was almost out of breath now, having ran a good distance, and was in need of a short rest before continuing his search.
“My goodness, Mr. Darcy! Whatever could possibly be of such importance that it requires you to run on foot all this way from Netherfield manor?”
Darcy’s eyes widened in shock as he turned away from the tree. He looked around, trying to find the source for that all too familiar, teasing voice.
“I am up here, Mr. Darcy.”
He finally located her, seeing Miss Smith sitting above him on one of the lower branches of the gigantic tree. In her hands was the very book he had been reading that morning. She looked down inquisitively at him.
Darcy’s head tilted in confusion as he attempted in making small talk. He addressed one of the less important questions in his mind. “For what reason do I find you sitting up in such a place reading, Miss Smith?”
Kaelin smiled in a slightly more friendly manner. “I have a great love of reading, as you should be aware of. I also enjoy reading in trees. It gives one a feeling of being away from the world, and one may be able to forget the unpleasantries of the present day.”
He nodded, and silence fell upon them for a few moments.
“I see you found your hat,” she said, unsure of whether to acknowledge this.
Darcy looked down at his hand, at last realizing the present custody of the object. He set it down on one of the higher roots of the tree, yet made no reply.
Looking down at the letter, he raised it up for her to see. “Is this all true, madam?”
She looked surprised at him having it with him, but nodded.
“Every word of it?”
She nodded yet again.
Darcy averted his gaze, looking down at the ground. He started to think rapidly. How much he had erred in loosing his temper as he had! He then reflected upon what she had said.
"I am sure that your skills of riding are great, yet I suppose that not even the stately and proper Mr. Darcy could stop an animal from throwing him into a bush!”
She had only been teasing him, and he could not accept that fact before. He had lost his disposition completely and, even if she had been joking with him, amused at the thought of the so-formal-looking Mr. Darcy being tossed, he should not have gone off as he had!
Darcy sighed, trying to put his thoughts into order, and figure how to express them.
"Miss Smith," he started, calling her attention. She laid her book aside, granting him her full attention. He cleared his throat, then continued. "I believe I owe you an apology myself." She looked startled at this reaction, and he continued, looking straight into her eyes. "I do not think that you deserved the horrid description of yourself that I gave to you. You are neither vain or an imposition upon Mr. Bingley, or myself, and such statements were completely undeserved. I hope that you can forgive me for loosing my temper with you." He looked down again, embarrassed, and said, though very quietly, "I am not used to people teasing me, especially on matters such as falling off of a horse... which I assure you does not happen often, as you have most likely guessed. I was humiliated about what had happened, and unreasonably lost my state of mind with you."
Kaelin smiled at him, then hopped down from the tree with her book in hand. She stepped tentatively closer to Mr. Darcy. Darcy rose his look to her face, and then was drawn to her eyes. Her eyes were filled with regret, remorse, guilt and... kind forgiveness, he thought?
"Mr. Darcy... I, too, should be making more apologizes. I am afraid that I do not know your character all that well, and was not aware that you are not used to teasing. I probably should not have stepped as far as I did... and though you apologize for your statements, there is a possibility that parts were all too true. I am afraid that I am proud, but of a more independent kind than the way you described, for example." She blushed at admitting this, which Darcy could not help but admire how pleasant she looked. "So I believe that we should come to an agreement: since both parties have reasons to regret what was said, both parties should forgive the other."
Darcy smiled in agreement. Kaelin looked surprised at seeing him finally smile, an honest smile. Yet, it was a kind sort of surprise.
"Shall we head back to the house now, Miss Smith?"
"Yes, I believe so, Mr. Darcy."