Status: Want to re-write a few chapters, make some longer etc. Esp. 16/17 - think I can make that better. I'll let you know in this status which ones I've changed.
A Modern Pride and Prejudice.
Discovery.
The next few days at James' Grandmothers house passed by in the the blink of an eye. The visit had hardly been eventful, the only time we left the house was to see Miss Darcy and William.
I was still confused at the conversation which had taken place between us during that first visit to Miss Darcy's but there had been no repeat questions since then. He and I returned to casual politeness when together but on the second visit the following day, I was pleased to befriend his cousin, Jonathon.
He had instantly won me over, saving me from one of James' snide remarks, as well as being above the average level of cheerfulness. This may just be the result of spending time with people who usually wore apathetic expressions on their faces and spoke as if my very company was draining them.
Still, I was more than happy to spend my time with him, walking around Miss Darcy's large gardens on sunny days whilst the others remained in the house.
It was on one of these warm afternoons that Jonathon revealed shocking news to me.
"How long have you known William for then, Lizzy?" he asked, snapping off a twig from a low hanging branch.
"Hardly long enough for us to be called friends. Still, that hasn't stopped him popping up wherever I go. I met him a few months back, when he moved to my city with his friend Charlie Bingley."
Jonathon grinned at me. "I know Charlie! Nice guy...his sister's a bit, uh - "
"Mean? Evil? Unbearable?" I suggested, receiving a knowing smile from him.
"Yeah, you could say that."
"Speaking of which, I'm astounded that Charlie is friends with William. When we first met, he was so cold towards everyone, there wasn't a person I knew who liked him!" I said, settling on a brick wall and leaning back for the sun to catch my face.
"William isn't that bad, you know. I heard he helped Charlie out recently, in fact...girl troubles from what I've been told." he revealed, hoisting himself onto the wall beside me.
I froze and squinted against the sunlight at him. "Girl troubles?"
Jonathon twisted in his seat so he could face me, looking very much like an old woman prepared to gossip.
"Well, apparently Charlie met this girl, right? But William didn't think she was good enough for Charlie, something about her family, I think. Oh, and the girl didn't seem to like Charlie anyway. William wanted to spare him the embarrassment of being turned down."
"Go on..." I demanded, my insides turning to ice.
"So William managed to convince Charlie to move back to London for a while, to get over this girl. From what I know, Charlies still there with Carol." he said, finishing his story.
"Oh my God." I mumbled under my breath, feeling myself sway a little on the wall.
I heard Jonathon shift beside me. "Lizzy, are you okay?"
My head snapped in his direction and I pushed myself off the wall.
"What gave him the right to butt in like that? It was none of his business!" I barked, making for Miss Darcy's.
Jonathon looked flabbergasted at my outburst and held his hands up to me. "Charlie and William, they're best friends. He was looking out for him."
"It doesn't make what he did right." I snapped, pushing hair from my eyes.
Darcy had some nerve. He deliberately split up Charlie and Jane, like he didn't even think about how she would have felt. I wanted to scream, or punch something, or anything. I stopped in my tracks and looked up at the house.
I couldn't go back in there, I couldn't face him. Not after this.
"Jonathon? I don't feel too good, I'm gonna go back to Felicity's, okay? Tell the others."
I barely heard his feeble reply as I raced off in the opposite direction, storming through the long glades of grass and flowers.
He split them up.
I ran out into the road, following it to James' Grandmothers house. I knew the way off by heart now.
How dare he split them up!
I pushed open the fence and sprinted up the garden path. My hand reached under the welcome mat and pulled out the spare key. I felt numb all over.
My sister was hurt. He had done that to her.
I flung open the bedroom door and collapsed onto the mattress face down.
Charlie obviously adored Jane. How could he do that to his best friend?
I rolled onto my back and stared blankly at the ceiling, breathing deeply and trying not to cry.
William Darcy was going to pay.
I was still confused at the conversation which had taken place between us during that first visit to Miss Darcy's but there had been no repeat questions since then. He and I returned to casual politeness when together but on the second visit the following day, I was pleased to befriend his cousin, Jonathon.
He had instantly won me over, saving me from one of James' snide remarks, as well as being above the average level of cheerfulness. This may just be the result of spending time with people who usually wore apathetic expressions on their faces and spoke as if my very company was draining them.
Still, I was more than happy to spend my time with him, walking around Miss Darcy's large gardens on sunny days whilst the others remained in the house.
It was on one of these warm afternoons that Jonathon revealed shocking news to me.
"How long have you known William for then, Lizzy?" he asked, snapping off a twig from a low hanging branch.
"Hardly long enough for us to be called friends. Still, that hasn't stopped him popping up wherever I go. I met him a few months back, when he moved to my city with his friend Charlie Bingley."
Jonathon grinned at me. "I know Charlie! Nice guy...his sister's a bit, uh - "
"Mean? Evil? Unbearable?" I suggested, receiving a knowing smile from him.
"Yeah, you could say that."
"Speaking of which, I'm astounded that Charlie is friends with William. When we first met, he was so cold towards everyone, there wasn't a person I knew who liked him!" I said, settling on a brick wall and leaning back for the sun to catch my face.
"William isn't that bad, you know. I heard he helped Charlie out recently, in fact...girl troubles from what I've been told." he revealed, hoisting himself onto the wall beside me.
I froze and squinted against the sunlight at him. "Girl troubles?"
Jonathon twisted in his seat so he could face me, looking very much like an old woman prepared to gossip.
"Well, apparently Charlie met this girl, right? But William didn't think she was good enough for Charlie, something about her family, I think. Oh, and the girl didn't seem to like Charlie anyway. William wanted to spare him the embarrassment of being turned down."
"Go on..." I demanded, my insides turning to ice.
"So William managed to convince Charlie to move back to London for a while, to get over this girl. From what I know, Charlies still there with Carol." he said, finishing his story.
"Oh my God." I mumbled under my breath, feeling myself sway a little on the wall.
I heard Jonathon shift beside me. "Lizzy, are you okay?"
My head snapped in his direction and I pushed myself off the wall.
"What gave him the right to butt in like that? It was none of his business!" I barked, making for Miss Darcy's.
Jonathon looked flabbergasted at my outburst and held his hands up to me. "Charlie and William, they're best friends. He was looking out for him."
"It doesn't make what he did right." I snapped, pushing hair from my eyes.
Darcy had some nerve. He deliberately split up Charlie and Jane, like he didn't even think about how she would have felt. I wanted to scream, or punch something, or anything. I stopped in my tracks and looked up at the house.
I couldn't go back in there, I couldn't face him. Not after this.
"Jonathon? I don't feel too good, I'm gonna go back to Felicity's, okay? Tell the others."
I barely heard his feeble reply as I raced off in the opposite direction, storming through the long glades of grass and flowers.
He split them up.
I ran out into the road, following it to James' Grandmothers house. I knew the way off by heart now.
How dare he split them up!
I pushed open the fence and sprinted up the garden path. My hand reached under the welcome mat and pulled out the spare key. I felt numb all over.
My sister was hurt. He had done that to her.
I flung open the bedroom door and collapsed onto the mattress face down.
Charlie obviously adored Jane. How could he do that to his best friend?
I rolled onto my back and stared blankly at the ceiling, breathing deeply and trying not to cry.
William Darcy was going to pay.