“My behaviour to Miss Woodhouse indicated, I believe, more than it ought. – In order to assist a concealment so essential to me, I was led on to make more than an allowable use of the sort of intimacy into which we were immediately thrown.”
– Jane Austen
Emma, Chapter 50. In Frank Churchill’s letter to Mrs. Weston, he accepts the seriousness of his mistakes and deceptive behavior. He admits pretending to have feelings for and flirting with Emma in order to conceal his secret engagement to Jane. Frank’s confession and apology, while not absolving him, does show signs of him maturing and growing into a better person.