Chapter 1
As the sun set behind the mountains that bordered the town of Meryton, few people were about as most were getting ready to go to the latest assembly ball that was to be held that night. However among the shadows, caused by the dimming light, was a lone figure heading up into the mountains. From the village you couldn't see who it was but the town knew.
Elizabeth Bennet was a young lady of one and twenty years. She had experienced more betrayal of those she called family and friends than anyone who lived in the town. When she was sixteen years of age she left her parents home and single handedly built herself a cottage high on the mountain. Every day at dawn she would come down into the town and help the tenants of her parents and she cared for the elderly in the town that most of the villagers forget about. She worked as a seamstress for a local merchant and as soon as the sun began to set she would pack up her things and head back to her home on the mountain.
When she was ten years of age she and her elder sister by one year made a promise, to never marry or become romantically involved with any man except for the deepest and purest of love. Four years later her sister Jane broke that promise.
A rich Duke had came to the village and after seeing Jane he stayed for three months before offering her parents and Jane money which they took out of greed and the Duke took Jane as his Mistress.
A year and five months had passed after jane left for the Dukes country estate, when a rich merchant came to town. Her parents who were consumed by greed agreed to take money for her to be wedded to him. As she didn't love home Elizabeth refused and left her family's home that night.
It took nearly two months to build her new home, using whatever materials she could scavenger from the forest. At night she slept in a cave about two miles from where she was building her home.
Five years had passed and she still remained estranged from her whole family, except for one of her younger sisters, Mary.
She was kept up to date with the rest of the family's doings from Mary's visits and the townsfolk as the Bennet's were the main cause of gossip and ridicule. Although the townsfolk adored Elizabeth and Mary they took any excuse to gossip about the rest of the family as they were always acting above their station and never appreciated the work of the townsfolk and they were always degraded them and Elizabeth and Mary. Thankfully the townsfolk never took the Bennet's bait when they asked about Elizabeth as they respected Elizabeth and Mary more than their family. Because of her mothers love of gossip every inhabitant knew why she had left her childhood home and none of them could find fault in her decision.