What Would Mr. Darcy Do

this! Whatever will you do when you see him again?”

“I believe that a wide range of options are possible. Being civil seems a possibility, though hiding or running away in a panic might be more appropriate. Or, if all else fails, I could always behave badly again.”

An earnest

Elizabeth had smiled at him.

It had been a different sort of smile from the arch one she had worn so many times before. No, this had been a genuine—dare he say affectionate?—smile, something Darcy had despaired of ever seeing. It was only four months since Elizabeth had emphatically rejected his proposal of marriage. She had done more than just reject him, by Jove; she had said he was the last man in the world she could ever be prevailed upon to marry! She had accused him of ungentlemanlike behavior, of cheating a childhood friend, of destroying the happiness of her own sister. Her hands had been clenched