Note From Author: After just completing Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, I was compelled to rewrite the story, yet set only in the universe of Newsies. Mr. Darcy is one of the haughtiest and hottest cue Colin Firth> written and who else could be a perfect replacement than Spot Conlon. This one should be fun to write...
OF PRIDE, PREJUDICE, AND BROOKLYN
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife—or a good lay.
PROLOGUE
They were busying themselves in the infant ward of the foundling home when Kitty rushed through the entrance with such great force that it was enough to cause her to spill to the hardwood floor, bloodying both knees, but not enough for her to struggle to her feet and exclaim, "Oh girls! Girls! You will never guess the news I just heard!"
From the floor on her knees, Juliet raised her eyes to scathingly regard the disheveled girl. She never once broke from scrubbing. If anything her grip on the brush firmed and she scrubbed with more a vengeance. "Catherine," she replied archly, "do lower your voice. You will wake all the children and it will be even more work for all of us from Mrs. Prowth!"
Kitty did not seem perturbed and walked over to Jane and Emmy, her eyes pleading and a hint of good humor still on her lips. She had a good secret that a young lady could just not contain to herself. "Oh, Emmy, Jane!" she cried, her eyes brightening. "You will never believe the good news that I got! Ever!"
The elder girls exchanged fleeting smiles. Jane snapped the sheet she was fixing so that it billowed into the air to resemble a white cloud. "What have you heard now, Kitty?" she inquired in good nature, tucking the sheet neatly into the small bed.
"Yes, do tell, Kitty," Emmy interjected, an eyebrow arched, as she lay an infant once more into its crib. "It wouldn't have anything to do with the Dashing Cowboy and his band of outlaws, would it?" Her lips curled into a smirk as she regarded Kitty with a hand on her hip.
Kitty's eyes alighted in delight as she rushed over to Emmy, grasping hands, and grinning like a fool. "Oh, Emmy, how did you know! You always guess what it is I am thinking. But wait until you hear the news I have! Lily and I were down at the distribution center to see the boys when we saw Jack talking to one we had never seen! Oh, Emmy, he was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. I think I am in love." Placing a forearm to her brow, Kitty mocked swooned, falling to a laughing Emmy.
"Oh, get up you silly girl. What else do you know?"
Kitty regained her composure, but her face was still flush with excitement as ever. "Oh, but I do swear on the name of Mrs. Prowth that I have seen the most gorgeous boy ever! Of course Lily and I went over and Jack just had to introduce us. His name is Victor Ace and he is living in the lodging house. Oh what I wouldn't give to have even a moment in the wash room with him!" She sighed loudly.
"Kitty, you know it isn't proper to say such things," Jane reprimanded softly.
Kitty looked at Jane from under her tangles of dark hair. "Isn't proper of me!" she cried, her chest swelling. "Then you would just imagine what proper about Lily!" She released a high giggle and fell against one of the cribs.
"Where is Lily, anyway?" Juliet demanded, sitting on her knees and throwing the bristle brush into a bucket of filthy water. Her dark eyes burned on Kitty. "That stupid girl was supposed to be on duty with me scrubbing floors as a punishment from Mrs. Prowth for being caught having one of those disgusting newsboys in here."
"Racetrack Higgins," Kitty sighed ostentatiously. "Oh if he isn't as dreamy as they come! Lily is down at the distribution center still. She wouldn't let go of Ace for the life of her!"
"It figures," Juliet snapped, rising to her feet and brushing her skirt off with a quick snap of the wrist, "that that silly girl is caught up with those newsboys. She and Kitty are always running off, disregarding their studies." She addressed Kitty. "Well what is going to happen to you when you reach twenty-one and they kick you out of here? No knowledge, no intelligence, no manners. Will you run away with a newsboy?"
"Yes!" Kitty exclaimed rapturously, flinging herself in a circle. "I will run away with my dear Cowboy to Santa Fe!"
"Will you help him brand cattle?" Emmy asked with a straight face.
"Of course not," Kitty sneered, adding with a devious smile, "but I wouldn't mind branding him."
"Oh Catherine Kane!" Jane cried in smile, turning quickly to toss a folded sheet at the younger girl's head. "If you ever want to be a respectable lady you mustn't say such things!"
"Respectable isn't in Jack Kelly's vocabulary," Emmy said, her eyes glittering. "If you don't watch your mouth I am sure he would be obliged to meet your needs."
Kitty stood erect, shaking her hair out and causing the sheet to fall to the ancient hardwood floor that Juliet was so dutifully attempting to clean. "I shouldn't care what needs he wants to meet, just so that me will dance with me tonight!"
Jane and Emmy exchanged glances. "Dance with you tonight, Kitty?" the former said with a touch of wariness.
"Well of course, at the party tonight," she replied flippantly. Her eyes suddenly grew and brightened, as knowledge seemed to dawn upon her. "The party! Oh yes, the party! I forgot to tell you girls all about it! Jack is throwing a poker part tonight for everyone to meet Ace but I hope it won't be a poker party all night! Oh but will I wear?"
"A party? At the lodging house tonight?" Emmy exclaimed in disbelief.
"Oh yes, " Kitty replied, turning over her shoulder, swishing her skirt in her hands. "Everyone is going to be there."
"But don't you forget that Mrs. Prowth forbade from leaving the house?" Jane reminded, trying as best as possible to abstain the disappointment from her voice.
"Yes, all on account of Lily's actions with the Italian," Juliet reminded helpfully, watching with delight Kitty's countenance of ecstasy fall. Tear welled in her eyes. "Oh but it's not fair! It's just not fair! Oh I hate Lily Everstine! I just hate her so much! She always ruins every thing for me!" She stomped her foot fervently to the ground, crossing her arms sulkily across her chest.
Emmy and Jane's glances interlocked. Jane nodded in the direction of a nearly hysterical Kitty as she continued quietly to make the beds. Emmy took the lead and strode over to the girl, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Kitty, I find it quite possible that we may find a resolution."
Kitty raised her head, her eyes rimmed with tears of chagrin. "What kind of resolution?"
Emmy looked at Jane as she spoke. "Well, I think that if you might go and get Lily and bring her back and promise to do your chores and studies, that we might deceive Mrs. Prowth for a night of our whereabouts."
The reaction was noticeably different on Kitty's face. The tears immediately vanished and a bright smile appeared in their place. "Oh Emmy! Oh Emmy!" she exclaimed happily, throwing her arms about Emmy. "Oh you are so wonderful to me!" She resembled a whirlwind grabbing her bonnet and exiting the room. Her disposition was forced to bring a laugh to Emmy's lips.
"Oh, Emmy and Jane, you are so wonderful! I will return with Lily before you can count to ten and we will help Juliet scrub the floors and we will do out lessons and time tables! Oh the paryt starts at dusk! Don't forget!"
The room was soon left quiet again, save for the sporadic wail or coo of an infant. Emmy regarded the door where Kitty had been with a smile, her heart lighter that tonight she would see Jack Kelly. She returned her attentions to a particular fussy baby, yet soon raised her head when she felt a set of eyes burning into her. She looked up to see Juliet standing before her, arms crossed, dark eyes narrowed, and cheeks a furious red.
"Yes, Juliet?" she asked nonchalantly.
"Emma, you are not really going to allow them to go to that—that place tonight for an orgy are you?" Juliet demanded, her voice barely above a whisper, struggling to control the rage in her voice.
Emmy's gaze fell past a smoldering Juliet and to Jane who had halted in making beds to regard her with a placid—yet mischievous-smile. Emmy returned the favor.
"Do you have concerns, Juliet?"
"Of course I have concerns, Emmy! Mrs. Prowth strictly forbade any of we five from exiting this building after nightfall. But not only do you want to break her orders, you want to allow them to attend a newsboy party? So I reiterate myself, Emmy, are you really allowing them go to that place?"
Emmy's gaze flickered from Juliet to Jane. The expression her companion wore caused her smile to broaden and her heart to swell more. She looked directly at Juliet. "Not only are Kitty and Lily attending, Juliet, but so are we."