I met Will Darcy on the 31st of December 2006, and I instantly knew that we were going to have our differences. It was just after Christmas, and my family hadn't gone away anywhere, unlike many of the students at my school, whose parents whisk them away to exotic places like Central America, Tahiti or Australia. It also meant that like every year, we would attend the annual Lucas New Year's Eve Party, one of the biggest events on the social calendar for the utterly rich and in the right social circles of London. This funnily enough, didn't include me or my family.
The only reason that we were going was that the eldest Lucas child, Charlotte, was my best friend. That and my father had known Sir Lucas (yes, he's a Sir) from university. The only good thing about the party was that Charlotte was going to be there.
"Lizzie dear, I've laid out an outfit on your bed. I think you will find it is very attractive," Mum called from the kitchen. "Very hip and very now." She was smiling at me in that gross, motherly way.
"Mum, I've just turned eighteen. I think I can choose my own clothes." Kitty and Lydia snickered, and I rolled my eyes at them. "Why don't you choose Lydia's clothes for a change? Maybe then she'll stop looking like a baby prostitute." I glowered at my younger sister, who was wearing a red dress that barely covered anything up. Lydia protested, whacking my arm.
"Just go upstairs and get dressed Lizzie, we're late enough as it is," Mum replied sternly. I grumbled, and went upstairs. No doubt she would have picked out something completely horrible for me.
I stared at myself in the mirror. I looked like Bridget Jones in the turkey curry buffet scene. No, I looked worse. I tugged off the material that looked like Bambi road kill, and chucked on my favourite pair of denim jeans, a black singlet and a dark turquoise crossover, complimented by the pair of ballet flats I had bought from French Sole the other day, the ones in navy print that had cost a whole week's pay.
"You're not wearing mum's outfit then?" I turned around, and saw Jane wearing a beautiful blue wraparound dress, her coat slung over her arms.
"No," I laughed. "I look like Bridget Jones at the turkey curry buffet. I do not know why I can not stay home," I whinged at Jane, grabbing my coat and heading back downstairs.
"It won't be that bad. Charlotte will be there," Jane pointed out.
"Yeah, well, she has to be there. It is her parent's stupid party."
"True, but at least she will still be there," Jane counteracted.
"Didn't say that there was another family coming to the party? A new family in the upper crust of the lives of London's wealthiest socialites," I asked.
"Two new families that the Lucas's have been introduced to. The Darcy's and the Bingley's," Jane corrected me. "They are from Derbyshire apparently, and the latter has two daughters and a son in our year, and earlier a son our age and a daughter Lydia's age."
"Interesting," I said. "Hopefully they are nice. We need a new change in faces."
"Are we that bad as company Lizzie?" Jane laughed, playfully pushing me down the stairs.
"You're not wearing the dress?" Mum's voice was high pitched and stressed from all the preparation for tonight. I rolled my eyes.
"Mum, five words. Bridget Jones, carpet, Turkey Curry and Buffet." She sighed.
"Well, you cannot change now. We have to go because we are late," she fussed. "Mary get off that stupid piano and get into the car now!" I walked past Dad to get to the car.
"By the way, that was six words, not five," he whispered into my ear. "Seven if you include the "and"." I looked at him in admiration. He winked at me. I was glad I had Dad. I do not think I would be able to make it in this family without him and Jane.
When we arrived at the Lucas' house, the New Year's Party was in full swing. We could hear jazz music playing as we stood outside on the doorstep, waiting for the butler to open it. He finally did, and Mum waltzed in first, flinging her coat at him. "About time you opened that door. It is freezing outside," was her remark. Jane and I threw him an apologetic look as well shrugged out of our coats and handed them to him.
If it was one thing the Lucas's could throw it was a party. And this New Year's Party was no exception. An ordinary person could make HAPPY NEW YEAR 2007! banners look incredibly tacky. Mrs. Lucas however, made them look über chic. We stepped into the main living room, which was about the size of our kitchen and lounge room combined.
Red, gold and black balloons hung in batches in the corners of the room. Another banner, larger than the one in the hallway but with the same words had been hung from one side of the left wall to the other. Underneath it was a table filled with all sorts of savoury foods and sweets. About ten little children milled around it, checking to see if any of the adults noticed that they were taking the sweets. The adults did not notice this thievery, because they were too sloshed to notice it. Waiters in the same red, gold and black as the balloons walked around the room, flutes of champagne in one hand.
I saw Mum waltz once again, this time towards the host and hostess, who were chatting to a couple I did not recognise. "Lizzie, I was wondering when you would arrive!" I turned around, giving Charlotte a hug. "Char! God, don't you look gorgeous!" I yelled above the noise. She was wearing a wrap around dress like Jane's, only with white spots on a black background. "Mother insisted that Maria and I had new clothes for tonight, considering it is a New Year!" she yelled back. "It is quite nice, is it not it?" I said, steering Char to the side of the room, the one closest to where the food was.
She nodded in reply, the music too loud to talk over. Unfortunately we had chosen to stand by one of the speakers, which was currently blaring Michael Buble's version of L.O.V.E.
Jane had mysteriously disappeared from my side, probably to see if any of her girlfriends from school were around. "Where are all the people who are around our age?" I asked when the song finished. "Oh, Mum and Dad gave us teenagers a separate room to them. Come on, I will show you," she said, pulling me out of the room and toward the stairs.
"Charlotte - can I see your library?" Mary asked, popping out of nowhere. "Sure Mary. You know where it is - there's some new piano music in the piano stool too," Charlotte said. "Thanks," Mary said, and disappeared into another room. "She is the only one who actually uses that piano," Charlotte said, as we climbed the stairs. As we climbed, the music changed from jazz to pop. Ashlee Simpson's L.O.V.E to be more exact. I suspected the work of Lydia to be at hand.
We entered the upstairs lounge room, which was a room mainly for Char and her younger sister Maria. We walked in, and I noticed many of the kids from school. Jane and a girl in our year at school, Caitlin, were talking close to the door. Kitty and Lydia were giggling over in the corner with a bunch of friends from school, including Maria.
They kept glancing to where Michael Horner, a boy from their year, was standing quite awkwardly in the middle of the room, playing a PSP and wearing a revolting purple suit. I kind of felt sorry for Michael Horner. He was basically Seth Cohen from the O.C, minus the hotness factor and the good sense in clothes factor, plus the neediness and really bad acne. Down the other end of the room, the plasma TV was hooked up to a PS3, and the screen was divided into four sections, with four boys glued to the lounge staring intently at the screen and yelling obscene comments at each other to try and put the other off.
'Wow, Char this is one raving party," I said sarcastically, looking at my friend with a smile. "Oh, do not worry, I agree." We laughed. I noticed a table in one corner.
"Ooh - food!" I cried, moving towards the table of crisps, sausage rolls and sweets. Charlotte followed me, and I grabbed one of the little sausage rolls, dipping it in some sauce. I turned back to Charlotte, about to tell her that a party is a party, but a New Year's party with mini sausage rolls is something special.
Charlotte was occupied however, talking to a boy around our age, with brown hair that had hints of copper in it. He was tall and gangly, with a cute smile. He was talking away animatedly to Char, a girl of the same age standing next to him and another boy who looked to be our age on his other side. "Lizzie," Charlotte called, just as I turned away to talk to Jane who was coming towards me. "Come meet the Bingley's." I grabbed Jane by the arm, pulling her with me. Jane and I straightened up, and I wiped the crumbs from my mouth, poking my teeth with my tongue to make sure no bits were caught in between the gaps.
"This is Charlie Bingley, his sister Caroline and his friend Will Darcy," Charlotte introduced. "Hullo," I said, extending my arm. Charlie shook it eagerly, Caroline took my hand and shook it once, as if it was made of poison and the other fellow, Will Darcy, just looked at me with a look that was a combination of boredom and disgust.
I retracted my hand, feeling the heat race to my face as my temper flared up at the rude greeting I had been given by Will and Caroline. "I have another sister, Louisa, but she's occupied at the moment," Charlie said, pointing a girl by the wall who was snogging Mitchell Hurst. "I'm Elizabeth, but please call me Lizzie, and this is my sister Jane," I said, bringing Jane out of my shadows and forward.
Charlie broke out into the widest smile I had ever seen. "Hello, Jane," he said, holding out his hand. Jane shook it, smiling back at Charlie and saying hello herself. We stood there a little while, until Charlie said to Jane, "Would you like a drink?" just a tad too eagerly.
I saw Caroline roll her eyes. Will stood there; looking utterly bored and with a look on his face that read that he thought he was above everyone else in this room. "I am going to the toilet," Caroline said, making a beeline for the door. "Char!" I heard Maria call from the other side of the room. "I will be back," Charlotte said, leaving me alone with Will.
"Do you like London?" I asked Will Darcy, trying to start up some conversation. "It is alright," was the reply. "How long have you been here, in London for?" I tried again. "Long enough." I was taken aback. Though he was incredibly good looking, with his black hair and chiselled features, Will Darcy's attitude stunk. I turned around and left Will standing by himself, and went and poured myself a drink. I looked around for Jane, but she was disappearing out the room with Charlie. I laughed. Jane Bennet! I thought. You little rascal!
--
"I was just saying to Mr and Mrs Darcy here that our Jane is quite the beauty of the family," Mum said, as Jane, Char and I walked up to where she was standing with a group of people, including Will and Charlie. "Mum," I started, but she cut me off. "Of course, a few of the lads at her school have often thought so, and she has often been whisked out to the cinema on a little date. One was ever so kind enough to write her a little love poem." I cringed. Delving into Jane's past dating history was not the sort of thing a mother should be talking about, especially in front of a potential boyfriend.
"So that put paid to it. I wonder who discovered the efficacy of poetry in driving away love!" I said quoting something from a movie I had seen a few years ago. "I though poetry was the food of love," Will spoke up, staring at me. "Of a fine, stout, healthy love it may, but I am convinced that one good sonnet will starve it completely." "What do you suggest instead then?" Will enquired. "Dancing, even if one's partner is barely tolerable," I counteracted.
Oh God, I thought. I've just had a movie quoting session with Will Darcy. Will looked at me with a look that I could not decipher. There was the tapping of a spoon on a crystal glass, signalling for the room to fall quiet. I turned to where Mrs. Lucas was standing with a champagne glass in her hand. "Ladies and gentlemen, it is fifteen minutes until it is midnight, so I thought I would start my speech now," Mrs. Lucas started. "Thank you all so very much for coming to my little party, as it is a real honour and privilege to be going into a fresh New Year of 2007 with all of you." I groaned inwardly.
Mrs. Lucas had used the same speech five years in a row now, with the only changes being in which year it was. I tuned out for a while, gazing around the room, until I looked past where the Darcy family was standing. Will was standing next to a man that looked exactly like him, only taller and older. There was a woman next to the man with chestnut hair.
A girl who looked to be around Lydia's age stood next to Will, with the same chestnut hair as her mother. I must have been staring too long, because Will chose that moment to look over in my direction, our eyes meeting for a split second. Will's dark brown eyes stared intently into my blue ones, with a glare. I turned away, angry with myself for letting myself be caught looking at that pompous idiot.
--
It was closing into midnight, and all around us husbands and wives, boyfriends and girlfriends or people who had just hooked up that night (namely Louisa Bingley and Mitchell Hurst) were gathering in small clumps, getting ready for the New Year Countdown. The Lucas's had opened up the balcony, and those who were brave enough to tolerate the cold stood outside, watching the snowfall as they waited for the fireworks to begin. Char and I sat on the balcony, our legs dangling off the side as we tried to catch snowflakes with our tongues. Two empty glasses of what had been full with eggnog sat by us, and we were giggling uncontrollably.
"God, it is freezing," I said, pulling my coat around me tighter. "It is beautiful though," Char said, sighing. Snow continued to fall around us slowly. We sat in silence for a while, watching the drunken people in the street yell out things or start a snowball fight. I opened my mouth to suggest to Char that we go down and start our own snowball fight, but voices interrupted me.
"Why do you not find someone to talk to Will, and stop being unsociable? Find a girl or someone to bring in the New Year with," Charlie said, leaning against the balcony a little way away from us.
Obviously Charlie and Will didn't notice us there, all wrapped up in coats and scarfs. We looked invisible underneath all the layers we had put on before coming outside. "You have been keeping the only decent girl in here all to yourself Charlie," was Will's reply. "Jane has four other sisters Will. What about Lizzie, who we met earlier? She is quite pretty," Charlie pushed.
I lifted my head high, preening, send Char and I into a fit of quiet giggles. "Shhh!" she whispered to me.
"Not enough to make me interested though," Will said. I laughed aloud, and then covered my mouth with my hand. That rude, arrogant, conceited, ignoramus! I looked at Char. "Come on Will, she is not that bad," I faintly heard Charlie say as they walked back inside.
I sat there, not really absorbing everything because the eggnog was going to my head. I started laughing, and Char joined in. "Come on, let us go inside," I said, standing up and offering my arm to Charlotte. She and I linked arms, and trooped back inside. "I do not care for Mr. Darcy," I said, in an upper class accent. "I would not swap him for the whole of Derbyshire, let alone the miserable half." Charlotte snorted, and we burst into a fit of giggles.
"What are you two laughing at?" Jane said s she walked up to us. I relayed to Jane the conversation between Charlie and Will. "Surely not!" Jane said. "Why would Will say something like that?"
"Because he is a vaniteux cochon," I said, speaking in French. "Lizzie!" Jane scolded, while laughing at the same time.
"Look, it is almost time," Char said, pointing to the clock hanging over the mantelpiece. At that moment, Charlie popped up out of nowhere. "Um, I - I was wondering if you would like to ring in the New Year with me," Charlie said really fast to Jane. I looked at Jane, who had gone red. "Of course," she spluttered back. That left Charlotte and myself. "Come on - let's go get some more eggnog before the countdown," Charlotte said, guiding me towards a waiter. Everyone was gathering in the room now, making it a tight squeeze.
I saw Will and Caroline standing in a corner by themselves. Will looked over in my direction, and I ducked my head.
"This way, I laughed. Everybody started yelling at once. "Ten! Nine! Eight!" We grabbed a glass, and headed over to the front of the room. "Seven! Six! Five!" Char and I joined in, yelling at the top of our lungs. "Four! Three! Two! One! Happy New Year!" everyone screamed, hugging and kissing each other. 'Auld Lang Syne' started up, and soon everyone was singing and swaying, too tipsy to care who was watching. I gave Jane a hug. "Happy New Year!" I said.
"Let's hope it is a good one."
"Don't forget to make your resolutions," Jane said, laughing.
I was notorious in our household for never keeping mine. Not this year, however. "I am going to find someone who is funny, sweet, and cute and interested in me," I said to Jane, seeing Will and Charlie emerge from the crowd from the corner of my eye. "And it is going to be a fantastic year!"