Twilight/Pride and Prejudice
Chapter 1
"In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you..."
Elizabeth's astonishment was beyond expression. She stared, coloured, doubted, and was silent. This he considered sufficient encouragement; and the avowal of all that he felt, and had long felt for her, immedieately followed...
I slammed the book shut; a reflex action to losing my concentration and tripping over yet another tree root as I slowly walked towards the top of my road. Why did they have to grow trees in such awkward places? Clumsy people such as myself have enough trouble trying to avoid hitting them whilst walking, never mind when they're reading at the same time! I tucked my book under my arm and carried on walking, smiling slightly to myself as I recounted the scene I had just been reading. Of course it was my own fault for attempting to read whilst I was supposed to be walking; I and everyone around me knew what a klutz I was, so it didn't suprise anyone if I tripped, or fell or bashed into someone; they always knew it was most likely to be me, and in the small town of Forks which I lived in, there weren't many people I could hide my clumsiness from. Everyone knew each other, and everyone knew each others business whether you wanted them to be aware of it or not. I turned and began a steady stroll down my road, keeping my head down as I focused on moving my feet in the correct order: left right left right let right left right...
"Bella!"
I glanced up and immediately stumbled over my own younger sister Alice was running frantically from our house towards me, her long dark hair bobbing up and down in a ponytail. She had a huge grin plastered across her face, and her cheeks were red as she hurried to me and quickly conveyed the information her lips were quite clearly bursting to reveal:
"Oh Bella you must come quick! What took you so long? We have amazing news! You know that big posh house just the other side of town? Well it is now being occupied! Mum says it's a young man who's about twenty years old! He's apparently extremely handsome, and he's gonna be joining our school when we go back next week! Mum says that if we play our cards right he might want to go out with one of us, and maybe even marry one of us! Then oe of us would get to live in that amazing house with him, and then the rest of us would be able to meet more handsome young men, and then we could marry them! And then..."
I circled round Alice whilst she continued her excited babbling, and headed towards our front door. It was obvious that the majority of what came out of her extremely immature mouth had been put in there by our mother. She was an incredibly pushy woman, who lived only to see her five daughters married to rich, fine young men- not that there were many in this day and age. This was one of the reasons I liked Pride and Prejudice so much; it seemed that the situations in my lifestyle mirrored some of those in Elizabeth Bennet's, although I was never going to be swept off my feet by anyone with good looks, riches or attitude such as Mr Darcy; in fact it hardly seemed likely I was ever going to be wanted by anyone. I was a plain, quiet, self conscious seventeen year old who preffered to sit in the back row of everything, and not be the centre of attention; it seemed I'd landed with the wrong type of mother for that to ever happen.
I let myself into our house, leaving the door for Alice to close. I dashed quickly up to my sister's and my room and dumped my coat and book on my bed. Then I headed back downstairs towards a source of commotion going on outside my father's study: Alice and my other sister Jessica were both poised at the keyhole, listening to a rather heated conversation taking place the other side of the door, and giggling like a pair of hyenas. Going imediately into responisble big sister mode, I walked right up to them and scorned them for their lack of respect upon our parents' privacy.
"Alice, Jessica! What have I told you before about listening at the door? It is incredibly rude and you're both old enough to know that-"
"Sush Bella! We know all that. But this is about something that concerns us!" whispered Jessica excitedly.
"Yes it's what I told you just now about that young man who's moved into the big house!" giggled Alice, "Apparently he's seriously wealthy and earns more than the Queen of England!"
I highly doubted that part, and just rolled my eyes at my sisters' stupidity. Grabbing them both by their jackets, I began to tug them away from the door, but Alice had not finished recounting what she'd overheard:
"And there's rumours that he has other people with him, but the best part, do you wanna know the best part? He's SINGLE!"
Jessica's expression went into a dreamlike state, just as a soft voice whispered in my ear "Who's single?"
"A wealthy young bachelor apparently," I answered before turning to my elder sister Jane. She had a small smile on her face as she watched me tugging ruthlessly at our youngest sisters.
"Eavesdropping again I see," she stated simply, before relieving me of Jessica's clothing and pulling her away herself.
"Oh come on Jane!" moaned Alice as we manouvered them away from the door, "wouldn't you like to know more about this elusive stranger?"
"All in good time," replied Jane as all four of us collapsed on the living room sofa and a strong fit of giggling took over.
"I hate to think what they would be like if we ever got to meet this young gentleman," said Jane smiling at me.
"Oh please don't make me think about it," I grinned, "We'd have to put them both on leashes!"
Jane laughed and suddenly we heard the door of the study creak open and the sound of our mother's hysteric voice entered the room:
"But we can't visit if you do not, as you well know my dear Charlie! You must go and visit him at once!"
Alice and Jessica were off the sofa in an instant, and immediately ran towards our beloved, worn out father, and began pestering him.
"Oh dad you must go and visit him! We would love the chance to get to know him! Please, please yu must!"
"You've got to listen, please, you never listen, you must go at once!"
Charlie came casually strolling into the living room hampered by our mother, Alice and Jessica. The third eldest in our family, Bethany, small, opiniated and intelligent, hovered lightly in the doorway. A look of confusion on her face as to what was going on.
"Dad please, please, please, please please!" begged Alice, dancing round the room like an excited pixie.
Dad out up a hand to silence her, and a smile formed across his face. "Begging will not get you nowhere my dear, as I have already called upon our fascinating new neighbour Jasper Hale."
So his name was Jasper Hale; that sounded very promising, and the look on our father's face was not one of dissaproval as he said his name.
Mum was in a state of shock. Alice and Jessica leapt up and resumed their frantic dancing around the room, squeals of delight erupting from their lips.
"There's more than that," our father stated calmly, "Mr Hale was kind enought to inform me that he would love to have the pleausre of meeting all five of my daughters at the School Welcoming Ball next week."
The room erupted into shouts of excitement. Jessica grabbed hold of Jane and asked what she could possibly borrow from her closet for next week. Alice began singing, her voice full of delight, Bethany turned her nose up and carried on reading from the book she held in her arms; mum flew herself towards dad and planted a very loud, wet, sloppery kiss upon his lips. I cringed and turned towards my sisters, and found myself laughing at their enthusiasm and excitement; feeling a mixture of both feelings began to fill my body and fuel my laughter.
Next week couldn't come too soon for anyone in this household!