Jane Austen | Pride and Prejudice | 1813

Mr. Darcy,

I'm sure you're shocked to be getting this letter via the internet, as you have no idea what the internet is, but I ask you to set aside your biting wit and intellect for a moment and focus instead on the content of the letter rather than the manner in which you are receiving it.

I knew that I liked you from the beginning, even when you rebuked Elizabeth, I could tell that it was not because you didn't like her, but that you, like me, aren't moved to like anyone that you just met. You're shy. I like that. Forgive me, am I being too plain and forward? It's unbecoming of a lady, I know, but I do live in 2010, so I do hope that you will forgive me.

I think you're the most generous person that I know, and by knowing you, I know that I don't know you but I do. You exist fully within the pages of my favorite book and I've been looking for someone much like you ever since I came to know you in the past few years. Lucky for me I found him. He, like you, is an upstanding citizen, who works hard to make other people happy. He seems overly intelligent and unfeeling too, like you. But because I knew you, and I knew how you operated, I was able to know him too.

So I wanted to extend this letter of gratitude. To you, for being who you are. Although you are too proud at times, it is something that we all suffer from, I think. You, to me, are a romantic, and because I knew that about you, I found out that I'm a romantic too--even though we're both highly logical people.

I'm so logical, in fact, I'm writing you an email--ah, but I guess that's the romantic in me.

Sincerely,
Samantha Perry