A Modern Pride and Prejudice.

My mind was wandering through the pages of my book. I laughed softly into my hand at the subtle jokes and slouched further into the armchair I was sat in. Nothing could ruin this, I was completely at peace.

"Lizzy! Lizzy! Guess what?"

Okay, maybe two things could ruin my mood. Lily and Katy are two of my sisters, both identical in looks and annoyance. They came crashing through the living room door from the hallway and halted in front of me, giggling at each other like morons. Katy opened her mouth to speak to me when I raised an eyebrow but Lily nudged her hard in the ribcage.

"I'm going to tell her!" she insisted, grinning at me widely as Katy pouted behind her.

"Tell me what, Lily?" I asked impatiently, slamming my book shut between my hands. I'd have to listen to them or I'd never be left in peace.

Lily didn't answer immediately and only screeched with Katy. She was enjoying the secret and wanted to savour the moment as I grew more and more curious.

"Lily, I'm going to leave if you just came here to interrupt me!" I warned her, making a move to stand up.

"No! Sit down." she urged, pushing on my shoulders to force me back into my seat. "I'll tell you. God, don't be a spoil sport."

I was about to tell her that I wouldn't be so much of a spoil sport if she wasn't so much of an idiot but thought the better of it. It would only delay her further and I was already at the end of my patience.

"We saw Charlotte earlier. She told us that there were new people coming to town and you know the charity ball the council are holding tonight? They're going!" she said breathlessly.

I gaped at her and shook my head. "And this concerns me, how?"

Lily's mouth flapped open and she rolled her eyes at me, as if she couldn't believe how stupid I was. "They're rich, Lizzy. Ridiculously rich. They have money to burn!"

"And they're meant to be gorgeous." gushed Katy as she chewed on her bottom lip.

I mustn't blame them. They are only fifteen after all, I couldn't expect better from them. If they wanted to obsessed over arrogant, rich snobs then that was their problem.

I sighed and smiled mockingly at them as I heaved myself from the chair. "Well, that's wonderful! Do have a nice time getting to know them. Now if you could please excuse me, I'm going to read upstairs. Away from you." I added.

Lily was just about to say something back to me as I hurried from the room but just as I was slipping through the doorway, my mother had entered the living room from the other door. I was ascending the stairs just as Lily started launching into her tale to our mother and I couldn't help but smile to myself as I thought about how much she would love the story of rich newcomers.

I passed my father on the stairs and he stopped me with a knowing grin on his face.

"There you are, Lizzy. I was just looking for you. I suppose your sisters have filled you in on the obscenely wealthy newcomers?"

I smiled back at him. "I think they mentioned it in passing, yeah. You know them, can't keep much to themselves if their lives depended on it."

"I daresay your mother will become quite infatuated with these people. We all know how much she loves new friends. Especially of the rich variety." he said, starting to climb down the stairs again.

I snorted and headed for my room, shouting over my shoulder as I went. "Yeah, she'll probably go all eighteenth century on you and try and marry us off to one of them."

His chuckling carried up the stairs and disappeared amongst the high notes of my other sister, Mallory's, keyboard playing. She frequently plays songs on her well used keyboard and I know why she does it. She doesn't feel like she compares to the rest of us, she feels like she has nothing to offer. She'd be just as ludicrous as Lily and Katy if she really thought that.

I tip toed past her room and crept into my own. Jane, my oldest sister at twenty, was sat at the computer desk. I peered over her shoulder and saw her scribble loops around and round on the paper. I coughed loudly to distract her and laughed when she jumped.

"Lizzy! Don't scare me like that!" she gasped, clutching at her chest but smiling at me.

I threw my book on my bed and quickly followed it. My breath left me in a whoosh as I landed on the mattress and I stared over at Jane.

She was my opposite, in more ways than one. I had dark eyes and chestnut hair whereas Jane had pale blonde waves of hair and warm, blue eyes. She was incredibly beautiful though she'd never own up to it. She was also absurdly modest and shy whilst I was brash and usually spoke my mind. She never failed to see the good in people and I often told her that it was her downfall. She was the better sister.

"I suppose Lily and Katy have already told you their news?"

"Yes, they told me about ten minutes ago. It'll be nice to get new neighbours, Lizzy"

"Ugh, but Lily and Katy won't shut up about it for weeks now. I'll have no escape from it." I fumed.

"Don't worry, Lizzy. They'll soon be over these people." Jane assured me quietly, coming over to sit at the end of my bed. "I'm sure they'll be calmer once they've seen them at the charity ball."

I groaned out loud and looked over at our dresses that were hanging from the wardrobe. I knew it was compulsory for us to go, our mother was apart of the council who had organised the ball. She wouldn't let us off the hook even if we were ill.

"As much as I love to dance, I think all this talk about the rich people have put me right off going." I told Jane as I picked up my dress to change.

A flicker of a smile passed Jane's lips. "And I think Mum will be extremely angry with you if you didn't go."

"Yeah, tell me about it. I suppose she'll try and convince these snobs to donate some money...well, good luck to her." I huffed, pulling on the dress over my head.