Fault or Virtue: An Imaginative Retelling of Jane Austen's 'Pride and Prejudice' Read Online Free PDF

room.
Mr. Collins sat in awe of the alleged compliment, and all remained quiet,
digesting the statement. Elizabeth hid her smile with her hand and glanced at Darcy,
determined to find humor in his expression if any indeed existed. Darcy felt her stare and
they locked eyes. Elizabeth was soon too lost in her study to remember her intention.
    Later, Elizabeth and Jane discussed their dinner companions.
“Indeed not for all of Derbyshire, not even the miserable half, dear sister!” she
whispered to Jane later between fits of giggles. “I suppose he is handsome,” she said,
once her mind was made up. All of their important discussions took place by candlelight
under their sheets.
“Mr. Darcy is very handsome,” Jane agreed.
“But I would settle for a grinning sweetheart for half the income all the same,”
prodded Elizabeth, wishing for her sister to admit her feelings for Bingley.
“Elizabeth!” Jane cried, playfully slapping her. “We hardly know our new
acquaintances! I should not say such things if I were you, and I will not admit to agreeing
with you just yet!”
“Then will you admit to wanting to spend more time with him?” Elizabeth
demanded.
“I would, but only because Mr. Bingley is everything every young man out to be.
Handsome, amiable…”
“Rich,” continued Elizabeth.
“But that is yet all we know,” Jane finished.
“Indeed, in a few weeks he might turn out to be as disagreeable as his friend, or
his sister.” Elizabeth laughed heartily.
“They are not so bad, Lizzy. Though I still cannot believe what Mr. Darcy said
about you.”
“It is of no consequence. I can admit that he is handsome despite his slights
against me, so I must be the better for it.”
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    “For your sake, I am relieved of his departure to town, but I dislike being only
able to think ill of him when he goes.”
“You will soon be in the company of Mr. Bingley again, and you’ll be allowed no
other thoughts at all.”
Their conversation dissolved into fits of giggles as each became preoccupied with
their thoughts of certain gentlemen.
Chapter 6
    Elizabeth found herself wide awake rather early the next morning, and, fearing
that she may meet Mr. Collins if she stayed at home, slipped out of bed and set out for a
long walk. Thoughts of dinner the night before distracted her from any one particular
direction, and she soon found that she was directly in line to meet a tall figure upon the
same path. She could not make out who it was in the early morning light, but was sure
that his company could not be avoided as he surely would have spotted her already.
    “Miss Elizabeth,” Darcy bowed.
“I’m surprised to see you, sir,” she said. She felt a small pang of embarrassment
recalling that she had deemed him handsome the night before. More embarrassment
washed over her as she noticed that he was even better looking than she had given him
credit for.
“I’m sure that you’re rather closer to Netherfield than Longbourn,” he assured
her.
Elizabeth looked around and was shocked to see that she had indeed wandered
very close to Netherfield.
“I had not realized my direction, I must be quite distracted this morning.”
“Are accomplished walkers allowed such leniency?” he asked playfully. When
she made no reply, however, he said, “I am stretching my legs before my journey to
London.”
They continued on slowly together, back in the direction of Longbourn. She did
not yet know how Darcy would behave at this meeting. So far he had been congenial, but
in the past he had been rude, taciturn, mischievously comical, but not all at once and not
any for very long. Elizabeth, weary of guessing which it would be, was just about to
suggest he return to Netherfield and prepare for his journey, when he spoke first.
“How long will your cousin be in town?” he asked carelessly.
“I hardly know. We did not expect him for a few weeks, he was not direct with
his intentions,” she trailed off, working out what