Chapter One:
A slice of sunlight peaked its way from over the eastern horizon, covering the tiny little town of Meryton with a bright warm glow. The little shops and cottages were losing their dark dull sleepy look and their whitewashed walls with their light brown beams and window shutters had a new cheerful shine. Coming closer to the outskirts of this tiny town, the farms were just beginning to awake and if someone happened to be listening, they would be able to hear little soft baying coming from lambs that were, one by one, waking up by the dawn's light.
Elizabeth Bennet's eyes fluttered open as the sun's rays tiptoed on her face and, upon hearing the familiar sounds of the farms in the morning and the birds singing their usual morning serenade, a little smile appeared on Elizabeth's face.
Oh, how I love morning. She thought to herself, quietly slipping out of bed to not disrupt her sister Jane, whom was still deep in slumber. With a few quick strides, Elizabeth was at the window, gazing out with a content smile at the world around her.
Because it was early in summer, many traces of spring were still present such as the tulips in the garden, but the trees had regain their full leaves once more and the sunlight danced off them creating a pleasant glowing effect. Elizabeth smiled fondly at the sight, until suddenly a robin swooped past the window where she was standing. Elizabeth followed the bird with her eyes and watched it make its progress through the air, diving and gliding upwards in the familiar bird-like fashion. Until, suddenly, the bird flew past a carriage, which arrested Elizabeth's attention.
Like most carriages, this one had a black color but Elizabeth knew it could not have been the coach for the driver was far too well dressed. To further provoked Elizabeth's notions was the state of the two lovely creatures pulling the vehicle. Though she were no expert on horses, Elizabeth was certain that they cost far more than any man dare pay for a coach horse, or at least, the two curtain horses were much better attended to that of a common horse.
Attempting to gain a closer look at the carriage as it continued rolling its way along the road as quietly as it could in the early morning, Elizabeth's eyes finally were able to make out the only thing that could prove her presumption. There, at the door, stood out an unfamiliar crest that could only belong to an extremely wealthy family. Thus, the carriage was a private carriage, not the coach.
Happy that she ended up being correct, Elizabeth's eyes then wandered away from the vehicle and towards what must be it's destination; Netherfield Castle. Netherfield Castle had always looked magnificent in the early morning. Elizabeth would not say it was magical, which her sister Jane was more prone to say, but it was an impressive structure.
It stood much higher then everything else in the little town and was made of what appeared to be grayish blue stones. Elizabeth heard that there was even a tiny village within the castle's walls, but she had never seen it and so she stubbornly refuse to believe it. The thing that Elizabeth found to be the most remarkable about the castle, however, was the clock tower. It was a magnificent tower, the clock seeming to be craved out of crystal. The tower also happen to be the tallest structure in the village, rising far above the heads of the villagers so that it could seen from miles away. But what Elizabeth found to be the loveliest characteristic of the clock tower was that whenever the clock struck at twelve, a beautiful chime would sound. A sweet, strong, yet delicate chime.
"Lizzie? Whatever are you doing?" Jane's voice rung, not unlike the chime from the clock tower.
"Just looking at the scenery." Elizabeth answered with a small smile at her sister, and then returned to looking outside.
Upon hearing movement, Elizabeth was not surprised in finding Jane joining her at the windowsill a short minute later.
The sisters stood there in peaceful silence for a while, until Jane broke it upon saying, "It is beautiful this morning, isn't it?"
"Hmh." Elizabeth answered completely lost in the scene before her.
"Netherfield Castle is looking especially wonderful today, don't you think Lizzie?"
That caused a small smile to tug on Elizabeth's lips and she had decided to agree with her.
"What is that over there?" Jane suddenly asked her eyes attached to the very same carriage that Elizabeth had looked at earlier.
"It is a carriage that, I believe, is carrying a visitor to the royal family of Netherfield."
"Who do you think is in there, Lizzie?"
"Probably a young lady. Isn't the prince unattached?"
"I do believe so. But I am not certain."
"Oh, Lucinda and Clarinda will be furious!" Elizabeth said with a playful smile, "finally, their hopes of winning the prince's heart will be dashed away from them!"
"Lizzie, it isn't nice to tease." Jane said with a struck look on her face as she then quickly added, "Nor would it be kind to tell them. Please do wait until we are certain that our cousins will not be able to marry the prince.
"But Jane!" Elizabeth exclaimed seriously, "Why would I dash away this opportunity to teach them a lesson? And it would be very cruel of you to take this valuable lesson away from them!"
Jane gave Elizabeth a stern look that prompted her to laugh and finally say, "Very well Jane, for you, I will do anything."
More moments of peaceful silence washed over the room, like warm water for a bath. Elizabeth and Jane both basked in the moment, enjoying it for all it was worth; but these moments have the nasty habit of only lasting for a very short time and so, before either of them had had enough to be content, a sudden pounding came from the door and a harsh voice said;
"Jane! Elizabeth! Get out of bed! Work needs ter be done!"
Both sisters listen as the heavy footsteps stomped away and they both in unison gave a sigh, though Jane's was more of disappointment and Elizabeth's more out of frustration.
"Come Lizzie, time for a new day." Jane said softly as she left the window with one last look at Netherfield's clock tower.
"Yes, another day." Elizabeth said with a murmur, taking in one more moment of the dawn before leaving to get dressed, the last of her glance involuntarily at the mysterious carriage.