Chapter 1- First Impressions

Elizabeth was furious with herself. All her life she felt she had not taken a selfish decision ever. But now she felt as though she shouldn't have come, stayed home and been selfish for her own comfort. She couldn't bear the thought of her poor sister in sickbed, without a family member. It was all for Jane. Even then, she thought Miss Bingley and the proud Mr. Darcy were making her stay at Netherfield unbearable. All the comments about her walking alone, was discussed all the time as if she wasn't even present in the room. Miss Bingley even went to say that her father must get help monetarily from someone to be able to afford her family another carriage. That was the peak. Elizabeth for livid with anger. She somehow thought of Jane and how unbearable it would be for her to stay alone in her present condition and composed herself.

If Miss Bingley vexed her by talking. Mr. Darcy vexed her by staring. From his insulting remarks at the assembly, Elizabeth was sure that he was scrutinizing her tolerable appearance and not being handsome enough to tempt him or anybody for that matter.

Rarely was Elizabeth a poor judgment of people's minds. Darcy's thoughts were the opposite. He kept staring at her as he had not seen a woman in his 28 years of life like Elizabeth. Yes, it was Elizabeth to him not Miss Elizabeth Bennet. He found a deep sense of peace when he addressed her in his thoughts by her Christian name.

It was two weeks since he saw her first. At the assembly he had looked at her only to criticize, he commented on her being tolerable without even glancing at her. She was not tolerable indeed, she was tempting. Tempting in mind, body and soul. One look at her smiling face he felt an inner peace and happiness. His mind did not stop painting happy images of her smiling at him in his Pemberley estate, looking at the lake holding his hand, laughing happily with Georgiana. He couldn't stop. He knew he could not offer for her. He would not be able to tie with that family of hers. Not just they were lower in status, their manners gave him a headache, except Elizabeth and her elder sister that is. He saw her the second time at Lucas's, she refused to dance with him, never in his life a woman had done that. Guess she was no normal woman; she had her own decisions and preferences which she exposed to the world without a second thought. That impressed him. She didn't care who he was, she did not want to dance with him, he wondered why. He saw her the third time on his ride to Oakham mount. She was sitting on top on a wide wedge looking over the hills with a book in hand. She looked so beautiful. He wanted to ride up the hill and greet her, but he was not confident of speaking to her without expressing something more on his side. So, he rode back to Netherfield, only to find her walking towards him next morning. He remembered his conversation with her.

"Miss Bennet."

"Mr. Darcy."

He looked at her gasping. She looked as though she was a character out of a story, her eyes bright, cheeks pink, hair all messy in the wind, her eyes sparkling.

"I have come to enquire after my sister Mr. Darcy."

"On foot?" He smirked.

"As you can see."

She was neither angry nor embarrassed at his enquiry on her mode of getting to Netherfield. Another lady would have apologized for her appearance, elaborated on how she was concerned for her sister and walked all the way, and may even have tried to faint in his arms. But Elizabeth, yes Elizabeth was different, she did not. She had not once tried to impress him with fluttering eyelashes like Miss Bingley. She simply was herself kind, witty and unassuming.

He led her into the house and went to his room. She would be here to tend her sister for a few days, what harm would it do to just enjoy her company, he cared for her. But he could not allow anymore to develop in his heart, she was just too low in family circles for him to even think about anything deeper. He would leave Netherfield in a few weeks and forget all about her.

Little did Darcy know that he would not be able to leave, nor would his heart obey his rational thoughts.