Swipe Left on Mr. Darcy — Rain Check, Page 13
By Suha · Published
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Transcript
At the long Netherfield dinner table, Lizzie sits directly opposite Darcy, with Caroline and Bingley between them. Lizzie, chin resting on her hand, meeting his gaze head-on: 'Say it to my face, then.' Darcy, guarded but almost smiling: 'You're enjoying this.' Caroline's polite smile turns brittle as she glances between them. Bingley grins, thrilled by the sparring: 'This is great.' At last Lizzie and Darcy both look away at the exact same instant, each fighting a small, reluctant smile.
Image description
A six-panel dinner sequence: Lizzie and Darcy trade barbs across the table, Caroline's smile sours, Bingley grins in delight, and the two rivals look away fighting smiles.
About this chapter
Caroline Bingley invites Jane to Netherfield, and Mrs. Bennet — smelling opportunity — packs her off on a bike with no ride home just as the sky turns, betting a downpour will force Jane to stay the night. The plan works too well: Jane arrives soaked, spikes a fever, and is stuck under Bingley's roof, sick. When the news reaches home, Lizzie doesn't hesitate — she walks three miles of muddy road to reach her sister, arriving flushed, windblown, and unbothered by the mud on her jeans. Caroline is appalled; Bingley is charmed; and Darcy, who came to Netherfield certain Lizzie's laughter meant nothing to him, cannot stop looking at her. Cornered into the same house for one long evening, Lizzie and Darcy trade barbs across the dinner table — and by the time the rain is still tapping the guest-room window, Lizzie catches herself not entirely hating that she's stuck here.