The next morning, Elizabeth was sitting alone and writing a letter to her sister, Jane. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. She was surprised because she hadn't heard a carriage. To her great shock, Mr. Darcy walked into the room alone.
He seemed surprised to find her by herself and apologized for interrupting. They sat down, but they both felt very uncomfortable. Elizabeth decided she had to say something to break the silence.
"You all left Netherfield very suddenly last November, Mr. Darcy," she said. "I hope Mr. Bingley and his sisters were well when you last saw them in London?"
"They were very well, thank you," he replied shortly.
"I heard that Mr. Bingley might not return to Netherfield again," Elizabeth added.
"It is possible," Darcy said. "He has many friends and a busy life."
The conversation was difficult. Elizabeth decided to let him find something to talk about. After a moment, he commented on the house.
"Mr. Collins is very lucky to have such a sensible wife," Darcy said.
"Yes," Elizabeth agreed. "Charlotte is a very wise woman, although I am not sure if marrying Mr. Collins was her smartest choice. Still, she seems happy."
"It must be nice for her to live so near her family," Darcy remarked.
"Near?" Elizabeth cried. "It is nearly fifty miles!"
"That is only half a day's journey," Darcy argued. "On a good road, that is very close."
"I would never call it close," said Elizabeth.
Darcy moved his chair a little closer to her. "You cannot be so attached to your home that you find fifty miles a great distance."
Elizabeth looked at him, surprised. Darcy suddenly seemed to realize something; he pulled his chair back, picked up a newspaper, and asked coldly, "Do you like the countryside in Kent?"
They spoke briefly about the area until Charlotte and Maria returned. They were very surprised to find Mr. Darcy there. He stayed for a few more minutes and then left.
"What does this mean?" Charlotte asked. "My dear Elizabeth, he must be in love with you, or he would never come to visit us like this."
However, when Elizabeth described how silent he had been, they decided he probably visited just because he was bored.
From that day on, both Mr. Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam began to visit the Parsonage almost every day. It was easy to see why the Colonel came; he clearly enjoyed Elizabeth’s company. But it was harder to understand Mr. Darcy. He often sat there for ten minutes without saying a word. When he did speak, he seemed unhappy or bored.
Charlotte watched him closely. She noticed that he looked at Elizabeth a lot, but she couldn't tell if he looked at her with love or just because he was thinking about something else. She sometimes thought he might be in love with Elizabeth, but Elizabeth just laughed at the idea. Elizabeth still disliked him, but she told Charlotte that if she ever had to choose between the two cousins, Colonel Fitzwilliam was much more pleasant.