Chances Come, Ney Mitch [snow like ashes series TXT] 📗

“No, just let me feel this now,” she argued, “I just need to confront this side of myself. By so doing, I may overcome it. Now, let us speak no more of this.”

And with that, she was gone, closing the door behind her.

I thought to go after her, but I theorized that perhaps, it would be best to let her go. She had a revelation, and while it was perhaps too hard of a revelation for her to have about herself, maybe she needed to have it. Yes, I was correct, and it was not her fault. Yet, I believe that it was proper for her to feel such deep inner disquiet, because her confusion came from a place of love.

Every doubt, every self-reprimand, was an act of love in this case. Therefore, god forbid that I took that from her!

Chapter 3 Living on Faith

The next morning, I woke up, was refreshed, and was prepared to face the world.

Going downstairs, I was able to sit at the table for breakfast and my uncle and aunt looked at me, warily. I felt as if they viewed me as a spooked animal that they were afraid to accost. Therefore, softly, they decided to tread.

Yet I, out of a desire to not spend the day appearing as if I were a victim, allowed my cheery disposition to return to me. Sitting down, I allowed us all to be as we always were. Wickham was gone, and with any luck, I would never see him again. However, as with all things in life, I had the feeling that my wish would not be granted.

However, come what may, and be they chances or misadventures, I had one glimmer of hope on the horizon. If he would keep to his promise, Mr. Darcy would come today.

Therefore, making certain to have no fixed engagements, I sat in the parlor, seated in a window that overlooked the street. I knew that my appearance there would look desperate, but I was too flustered to behave in any other way.

And Mr. Darcy did not suffer me to remain in disappointment for long. Once the time of visiting hours began, no more than ten minutes of me sitting in the window did I see a carriage drive up and the familiar form of Mr. Darcy emerged from it.

Once stepping out, in front of my uncle’s home, I saw him look up and his eyes scanned the length of the windows. Very quickly, his eye fell on me. I leaned forward in the window and smiled down at him.

He tipped his hat to me and waved very insecurely, I might add. I gestured to him that I was coming down the steps and he nodded, walking up the steps to ring the doorbell.

The door was opened by the doorman, and Mr. Darcy entered just as I came down the steps.

“Good day,” Mr. Darcy began, allowing the doorman to take his coat, “I am come to see—”

He immediately stopped speaking when he saw me.

“Us,” I finished his sentence. “You have come to see us.”

“Well…” Mr. Darcy faltered, “yes, I have.”

“And we are glad that you have come so soon, Mr. Darcy. Truly, I was hoping to see you again.”

When I voiced this, he removed his hat and took a few steps toward me, quite forgetting that the doorman was there. I came down the last bit of steps and offered him my hand.

“Will you shake hands with me,” I asked, “for you are most welcome here.”

Truly, I wished to display all my powers of pacifism with him, for I wished him to know that I was truthfully overjoyed to see him.

“For I shall like to believe that we are friends,” I continued, "still, after all this.”

Mr. Darcy took my hand and closed his fingers around my palm.

“Still,” he repeated, “after all this.”

I looked past him, at the doorman.

“Jacob, inform my aunt and uncle that Mr. Darcy has come to see us again. They shall be happy to know he has paid us a visit.”

“Very good, Miss Elizabeth,” Jacob said, and then he left us alone.

“I was hoping to see you before we were joined by company,” I admitted, “there is so much that I have to tell you.”

“You have?”

“First, thank you again for coming to rescue me the other day. And—”

Sooner than I had wished, my aunt entered and greeted Mr. Darcy. She was smiling and filled with affability, and yet, I had desired that she had not come as soon as she had. For I worried that I would not get another chance to speak with him, alone. After all, now that he had entered my life, there was no chance of me secretly going to see him at his townhouse.

Mr. Darcy was escorted into our sitting room, where Jane also attended us, along with Aunt Gardiner and her children. She made apologies for our uncle not being there to greet Mr. Darcy, because our uncle was seeing to his business at his factory.

When mentioning our uncle’s trade, I wondered if this would make Mr. Darcy flinch. Yet, he received the mentioning of my uncle’s profession without any outward signs of disgust. This lack of negative reaction was a sign I took for a good omen, in hopes that it would lead to smoother waters between us from thenceforth. However, since he had protected me the other day, I doubt that anything frightened him now, and he feared no intimacy between us.

Our aunt asked him the traditional pleasantries that one should ask someone when they visit, and Mr. Darcy’s answers were as they always were: short and simple. His lack of refinement in the gentility of his voice worried me. I feared that the first impression that he would give my aunt was a short and unsociable disposition, so I thought it would be best if I helped him on.

“How does your sister do, Mr. Darcy?” I asked. “Though I have not ever met her, Miss Bingley’s