Bestowing Pride with Forgetting Prejudice

17

I walk into the dining-room where our aunt and uncle are sitting. I walk past them to the stairs.

"Adelaide dear, you'd be welcome to accompany us."

"The Peak District is not Brighton and officers are very thin on the ground, which may influence your decision."

"Come to the Peak District with us, and get some fresh air."

"The glories of nature. What are men compared to rocks and mountains?"

"Believe me, men are either eaten up with arrogance or stupidity. If they are amiable, they're so easily led they have no minds of their own whatsoever"

I smile and just look at my family.

"Oh, take care, my love, that savers strongly of bitterness."

My aunt grabs a piece of mint and starts to eat. I look up at her then back down at the food.

———————————————————

I look up to the ceiling and think about everything. My sisters are most likely doing the same.

"I saw Mr Darcy when I was at Rosings."

"Why did you not tell me. Did he mention Mr Bingley?"

I keep quietly for a moment, I can't hurt her no more than she already is.

"No. No, he did not."

———————————————————

I'm lying in the carriage with my eyes closed, trying to imagine what it's like to be free. I can imagine being on a cliff of some kind overlooking the land. The sun hitting the trees and golden fields as the wind flows through my hair.

I can see the golden hues I've come to love, surrounding me in the truest beauty. I can see how the winds affect my cheeks and how the suns has given me a slight tan. Oh how I wished this could be true, how I want it to be true.

——————————————————

The carriage has broken down, it seems something is wrong with the axel. My uncle helps me out and moves us over to a large tree.

"Oh, what are men compared to rocks and mountains?"

"Or carriages that work."

We go and sit down on the tree's roots. I smile as I look around the beautiful scenery. My aunt hands me an apple. I bite into it as my uncle reads.

"Where exactly are we?"

"I think we're quite close to Pemberley."

I quickly look up to my uncle and frown.

"Mr Darcy's home?"

"That's the fellow. Very well stocked lake.
I've a hankering to see it."

"Oh, no, let's not."

"Oh, he's so...I'd rather not, he's so...He's so..."

"So what?"

"He's so rich."

My uncle looks down at me and laughs.

"By heavens, Adelaide, what a snob you are. Objecting to poor Mr Darcy because of his wealth. The poor man can't help it."

"He won't be there anyway. These great men are never at home."

If she only understands how true it was. Even after the fight and our wrongful words, I've come to the conclusion that I still dearly care for him. Maybe even as far as love him.

——————————————————

One of the men's carriage have agreed to help us. That's how we can to the front of his estate. I stand up and smile widely, it's so beautiful and the gardens are just how imagined. I laugh as we began to walk through the corridors.

"Keep up."

She leads us into a room with great artwork and many examples of how I expected art to be. I look around and there so many statutes of people thinking and many being the muse.

"Is your master much at Pemberley?"

"Not as much as I would wish, sir, for he dearly loves it here."

"If he should marry, you might see more of him."

"Yes, madam, but I do not know when that will be. He's a lot like his father. And most generous. When my husband was ill, Mr Darcy couldn't do enough. He didn't fuss. He just organize the servants for me."

I move over to a small statute of him, I smile as I look at the detailed features. I can't help but feel the heartbreak.

"This is he, Mr Darcy. A handsome face. Adelaide, is it a true likeness?"

"Does the young lady know Mr Darcy?"

I smile and think about how we met, how I thought of him as being godly made.

"Only a little."

"Do you not think him a handsome man, miss?"

"Yes. I very much do say, he's quite handsome."

I move over to where I see a drawing of him, I remember drawing them in the drawing room when I stayed. I look over to the woman and smile.

"Where did he gets this one from."

"I don't know miss, he said that a young woman dropped them. Mr. Bingley gave them and he wanted them hung up. Whoever did them must have been close, he isn't still for very often. Even then, he doesn't ask for them to be hung up."

"This is his sister, Miss Georgiana."

"Is she at home?"

I look to the woman as she leads me to a room. It's decorated with a red silk for curtains, the room itself was embroidered with gold and silvers.

I look around and lightly hear the piano. I turn to see a door slightly agar. I walk over to it and see a young blonde girl playing. She plays so beautifully, I see a figure come over.

She stops playing and jumps into his arms, I see him. He swings her around, they love each other. I go to step closer but they turn to me.

I quickly step back and make my way outside and down the steps. I get so close to disappearing before he calls my name.

"Miss Adelaide."

I slowly stops and turn to face him, I look at him but all I want to do is breakdown. The man in front of me is still the man I wanted very few months ago.

I can't stand here and not feel the pain I was put through, but I also can't forget about how I accused him of such things.