First Impressions: A Modern Pride and Prejudice Adaptation

Chapter 37.1

When Darcy reentered the sitting room after seeing Liz and the Gardiners out the door, Caroline was sprawled dramatically across the couch. One arm was thrown back over the top and her head was tilted back at an odd angle so her hair could spill over the cushions while still leaving her with line of sight towards the archway. As soon as his foot crossed the threshold, she let out a great sigh. "Really, I have no idea what Liz Bennet was thinking. I don't know why she would do that."

Her question was met with silence. When she realized no one was looking at her, she scowled and wriggled on the cushions, trying to push herself into a more upright position. Louisa didn't look up from her phone. Georgie and her brother were focused on the dog. Darcy had ducked her eye contact as he returned and, facing his back towards everyone, had stepped over to one of the built-ins, combing his fingers across the spines of the books.

She waited until he found the volume he wanted, slipping it out of the shelves and tucking it under his arm, before she spoke again. "I mean, blue? Why in the world! It looks horrible. And it's barely even even! There was definitely a chunk missing somewhere. I mean, her hair used to be kind of pretty, when it was long, even if it was a bit boring, but wow what a bad choice."

"I kind of liked it," Georgie said, still not looking up from her work as she dragged a brush methodically across Apple's coat. There was a growing mound of pale fur on the floor next to her. "I keep thinking about dying my hair pink." Brush, brush, brush. She sighed. "But then I always chicken out."

"I think you'd look very nice with pink hair," Bingley informed her solicitously.

"Then maybe I will."

The room fell into silence again. Darcy sat in the armchair in the corner of the room, his usual spot taken by Caroline's sprawling, and looked around. He looked at his hands, at his shoes, at the corner of the rug that had been bent out of shape over time and really needed to be pressed down to make it lie flat again. In short, he looked everywhere that wasn't at another person. His mind was too occupied to manage a connection. On one side, pressing and pertinent, his discussion with Louisa. On the other, the curve of Elizabeth's hip, the triangle of skin shown through the bathing suit, the slight gradient of tan to pale along her upper thigh. He bit back a sigh and pressed his hands more tightly together.

Caroline remained where she was, petulantly tossing. She bided her time until Georgie left the room, clipping on Apple's leash, and Bingley went upstairs to his room. "Fitz, do you remember last summer, when we all went to Meryton, and everyone tried to convince us that Liz was the prettiest girl in the whole town. I mean, sure, I guess by their standards. But I never—"

"Caroline, you're making a scene," Louisa said, her voice soft but firm.

Caroline twitched, flicking her hair over one shoulder. "Louisa, what are you talking about? I am not. I'm only saying what I'm—what we were both thinking last summer! It's not—"

Louisa was in no mood to indulge her sister, nor to let her inflict her grudges on others. Her sour expression seemed almost sinister when she locked the screen of her phone, throwing her face from bright, cool light into shadows. "I think you've ruined enough relationships for a while, don't you?"

Without waiting for a response, she pushed herself out of her chair and walked out of the room, head held high and shoulders squared. Caroline sputtered. She believed her own judgment on Darcy's feelings towards Elizabeth—much as she was loathe to acknowledge his attraction, she thought too highly of herself to believe that her appraisal might be wrong—but she had never considered at any moment that Louisa's opinions on the girl might have changed. This made her uncomfortable for reasons she could not name. She didn't try to name them, either. Her feelings made her rash and ready to fight. With all other avenues expended, she turned that fight towards Darcy again. "You agree with me, Fitz! I know you do. I don't remember your words—tolerable?" she asked with a laugh.

Darcy would have been more than happy to escape the room at that moment, but he had promised himself he would discuss matters of importance with her when he could find a moment alone. So far, the promise had trumped his own feelings, but it was getting pretty close to tipping. "Maybe. Once. But regardless of your opinion of her, I happen to find Elizabeth Bennet to be one of the loveliest women of my acquaintance."

Only when she sneered and made to rise did Darcy realize he had gone... Well, not too far—he stood by every word he said—but he had not put her in a mood to be receptive. He reached out his hand, searching for her wrist but accidentally finding her hand. "Caroline, wait. We need to talk about something—not about Elizabeth Bennet." He would really have liked to talk about Elizabeth for several hours, but certainly not with Caroline Bingley.

"What?" she snapped. She did not draw out of his grip, though, and drew herself closer as she turned, so she was almost pressed against Darcy's chest.

"We made a mistake over the summer."

She gaped for a second, her brows drawing together as she processed his words. "What are you talking about?"

"Telling your brother that Jane Bennet wasn't interested in him."

Caroline's expression of astonishment froze into something stiff and cool. "I think we did exactly the right thing." She began to extricate herself from his grasp.

He shook his head but let go of her. "It's not what we thought it was. Jane wasn't—"

"Jane wasn't what? Where did you get your information from? If it's from Liz Bennet, then she's biased."

His frown deepened. "She wouldn't lie to me, Caroline—"

When Darcy did not correct her on the source of his information, she felt a real ache in her breast, a sore wound opening in the region of her stomach. "She wouldn't lie to you?" she repeated incredulously. "Since when did you two have that kind of... relationship?"

Darcy only sighed. He shook his head as he looked away. "I know their mother—"

"Is an inconsiderate gold digger."

"I know their mother," he continued with an edge to his voice, "is what she is, but the Bennet sisters are not what we thought they were."

"Oh my God, I cannot believe you right now! Just because you think you heard something from someone you've known for, what, three months, and then you happen to run into her again doesn't mean it's true! Don't be so naïve, Fitz. You think you can trust her over me?" As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Caroline realized that she did not wish to hear the answer.

She watched with a sudden shock of trepidation as Darcy's eyes flashed; his eyebrows drew together and his jaw clenched as he pressed his lips and teeth together. He drew back from her. "I don't know. Maybe I can."

Dropping his arms to his sides, he fled the room, leaving her alone to all the satisfaction of saying the very words that would draw from him the answers that would injure her the most.