More than once during her walks in the park, Elizabeth unexpectedly met Mr. Darcy. She felt this was very bad luck. To stop it from happening again, she clearly told him that this path was her favorite place to walk. It was very strange, then, that it happened a second and even a third time! He did not just say hello and leave; he actually turned back and walked with her. He never said much, and she did not try to talk to him either. However, she noticed that he asked unusual questions about her thoughts on Mr. and Mrs. Collins’s happiness, and about her love for walking alone.
One day, Elizabeth was walking and reading a letter from her sister Jane. She noticed that Jane sounded very sad. Suddenly, she looked up and saw Colonel Fitzwilliam walking toward her. They greeted each other and walked back to the Parsonage together.
"Do you really leave Kent on Saturday?" Elizabeth asked.
"Yes, if Darcy does not change his mind," Colonel Fitzwilliam replied. "I am completely under his control. He likes to do whatever he wants."
"I do not know anyone who enjoys getting his own way more than Mr. Darcy," Elizabeth agreed.
"He is rich, so he has the power to do what he wants," the Colonel explained. "Younger sons like me are poor and must learn to live without things. We cannot always marry whoever we want."
"Unless you want to marry a woman with a lot of money, which younger sons often do," Elizabeth said with a smile.
They changed the subject. Elizabeth then asked if Miss Darcy, Mr. Darcy's younger sister, was difficult to manage.
"I am one of her guardians, along with Darcy," he answered. "But she is not difficult. Her brother is a very good man. He is great friends with a man named Bingley, and Darcy takes very good care of him."
"Oh, yes," Elizabeth said drily. "Mr. Darcy takes wonderful care of Mr. Bingley."
Colonel Fitzwilliam smiled. "I really believe Darcy does take care of him. Darcy recently told me a secret. He said he had just saved a good friend from a very bad marriage. He did not say the friend’s name, but I am sure it was Bingley."
"Did Mr. Darcy give you reasons for doing this?" Elizabeth asked, trying to hide her shock.
"He told me there were very strong objections against the lady."
Elizabeth made no answer. Her heart swelled with anger. Fitzwilliam noticed she was quiet and asked what she was thinking about.
"I do not see what right Mr. Darcy had to decide if his friend's love was proper," Elizabeth said coldly. "Why should he be the judge?"
Soon after, they reached the Parsonage. Elizabeth went straight to her room. She finally had time to think about what she had just heard. There was no doubt that Darcy had separated Bingley and Jane. His pride had ruined every hope of happiness for her lovely, generous sister. Jane was beautiful, smart, and kind, but Darcy likely objected to their family's lack of money and social connections.
The stress and tears from this realization brought on a terrible headache. By evening, Elizabeth felt too sick and too angry to see Mr. Darcy. She decided to stay home while her cousins went to Rosings to drink tea with Lady Catherine.
Vocabulary List (15 Words)
- unexpectedly — surprisingly; without warning.
- unusual — not common; strange.
- control — the power to direct people's behavior or decisions.
- guardians — people who are legally responsible for the care of someone.
- drily — in a matter-of-fact or ironically humorous way.
- secret — something kept hidden or unexplained.
- objections — reasons for disagreeing with or opposing something.
- swelled — became larger or fuller (often used for emotions).
- anger — a strong feeling of annoyance or displeasure.
- proper — correct, appropriate, or socially acceptable.
- separated — caused to move or be apart.
- pride — an overly high opinion of one's own status or achievements.
- generous — showing a readiness to give more of something than is expected.
- connections — social or professional relationships with important people.
- realization — the act of becoming fully aware of something as a fact.
True or False
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Elizabeth told Mr. Darcy the park was her favorite place to walk because she hoped he would join her.
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Colonel Fitzwilliam claims that younger sons often have to consider money when they marry.
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Mr. Darcy told Colonel Fitzwilliam that he had recently saved Jane Bennet from a bad marriage.
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Elizabeth agreed with Mr. Darcy's decision to separate his friend from the lady.
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Elizabeth stayed home from Rosings because she had a headache and was too angry to see Mr. Darcy.
Fill in the Blanks
- Elizabeth was reading a sad letter from her sister when she met Colonel Fitzwilliam.
- Colonel Fitzwilliam explained that he and Mr. Darcy were the of Miss Darcy.
- Mr. Darcy said he helped his friend because there were strong against the lady.
- When Elizabeth heard the secret, her heart with anger.
- Due to a terrible headache, Elizabeth decided not to go to to drink tea.