Modern P&P
(With a bit of a twist)
In Each Other's Shoes
Will Darcy tired by his mother's endless prattling had left the family arguing in the living room and had gone to bed.
From his bedroom window he could see a long way, across Plumstead the town he lived in, across Sidcup and right down to the big city of London. He could see the lights flickering across the city.
"Marlowe House, Canary Wharf" he muttered to himself as he saw the sights; although he lived in the suburbs, he lived right at the top of Plum Lane, a very hilly road. He could see for miles.
He looked across to the big house that loomed out of all the others on the other side of the town.
He'd christened it 'Haunted Mansion' once, but he'd long forgotten the name. Tonight, though, it all came flooding back. It had once been alive and full of people. Twelve years ago, when he was just twelve, a family called the Gardiners had rented the house for a summer.
He could still remember the cousin, a pretty girl with dark brown hair and stunning deep brown eyes that turned black when she was angry, and how much they'd played together that summer. The girl he'd befriended who was exactly 1 year his junior, they became fast friends over discovering they had the same birthdate.
Her face was beginning to fade from his memory, and he only vaguely remembered her as being called Ellie, but her slightly snobby manner and beautiful way of carrying herself, as well as her sharp-as-a-needle with was still clear in his mind.
"I wonder what she grew up to be?" he wondered to himself, blushing still as he remembered that she was the first girl he had ever kissed. It had been a disaster of a kiss, but she was so shy and sweet and he still remembered her words
"Let's marry when we grow up, Will?"
He'd firmly agreed and they had begun planning their future and deciding on the number of children they would have. At the end of the summer they'd promised to write, but slowly they lost contact.
Something caught Will's eye and broke his reverie. The lights were being turned on in Netherfield hall. It was no longer dark and gloomy, and Will could see figures moving around the windows.
"Mum!" he called "Netherfield House has either been burgled or has finally got a family moving in!"
His mother charged into his room, knocking aside his laundry basket over and waving so wildly she nearly knocked his stereo off its shelf.
"Kenneth" she screeched after seeing the lights "Netherfield Park is let at last!"
(24 hours later)
"Georgina?!" Will winced at the harsh tone in his mother's voice when she spoke to his little sister "Get down here now. I want you to go out for me"
"Where mum?" Georgina arrived at the door smirking "I'll bet you want me to go up to Netherfield Park and pretend I've lost a ball?"
"Well? What if I do?" her mother snapped
"Mum" Georgina said winking at Will "Netherfield is a whole mile from the house, we can't use that excuse"
"Well, you'd better go and find some excuse, or maybe I'll go over and introduce myself as a neighbour and see if they really have five really rich daughters as Miriam said. I'll ask if they knew the Gardiners, you were quite friendly with their daughter once, weren't you Will?"
Will grimaced and looked for an escape route
"I was um, twelve, mum"
Mrs. Darcy took out her pocket mirror and began to powder her nose, a habit she did when she was annoyed.
"Well, she was the only girl ever to display much of an interest in you Will" this was completely untrue, but it didn't stop it from hurting "What with those cat-like looks, you're never going to find a wife, so you'd better be happy to come along with me and have a look at those girls"
Just as Will was about to let loose a string of expletive words at his mother, Charlie walked into the room
"Don't let it get to you bro" his eyes flashed at Will. Ever since they were three, Will and Charlie could communicate telepathically. It made their mother very mad sometimes, but Mr. Darcy assured her that it wasn't an international plot against her; it was simply something twins did. Yes, Charlie and Will Darcy were twins and looked like they came from different races, forget different families.
Charlie was blonde and blue and had a frank openness about him that made people take to him immediately. He wasn't as academic as Will, but kept up with him in sports quite easily.
Will, on the other hand, had a darker face framed by black hair, and extraordinary green eyes. His mother always referred to him as her 'Catlike son' and it never failed to hit its mark. For a while, he'd worn coloured contact lenses, but he looked even more ridiculous in any other coloured eyes, so stuck with green.
The twins' personalities were completely different as well. Charlie believed the best in anyone and everyone and was slightly niave, while Will was far more careful and had a very quick tongue.
"Mum, Will's not going with you" Charlie said firmly "He's got to go and make an important work call, right Will?"
Will knew that he had to make no such call, and Charlie was just trying to cover for him, as Charlie was Mrs. Darcy's favourite son.
"Yeah, that's right - I've got to speak to the lawyer on the Hetty case. I'm meeting her for the first time tomorrow morning. Stupid bimbo."
Charlie followed him out of the room, as Mr. Darcy attempted to tell his wife not to go to the Netherfield house yet because they would be so busy unpacking.
"You wouldn't think we were nearly twenty five would you?" asked Charlie "She keeps trying to marry us off and we're perfectly able to have a love life of our own."
"It's like we're five, not twenty five. Although, Mum hasn't said anything much about you liking that Doctor in your department"
"Oh, she just tolerates me because she doesn't believe for a minute it's serious. Jane isn't that poor though, because she has an expensive car and a funny accent." Charlie began to go slightly red and twist his fingers. However, nothing went past his twin, who'd known him for twenty four years.
"You seriously like this girl, don't you?" he was worried; Charlie was the only barrier between Mrs. Darcy's wrath and himself, and he kept the house together. If he went off and married some girl then the whole family would fall apart. Will knew with a cold certainty that if Charlie went, he would go. Even though his mother had refused to let him go before, he would go with or without her permission.
BRRRRrrrr
His phone made both of them jump out of their thoughts.
"William Darcy"
"Mr. Darcy" a clipped tone replied "It's Liz Regan. I'm just confirming our meeting tomorrow at 10am. Hetty Smith will not be present, will your client be present?"
"No, this is just a lawyer to lawyer talk" Will said, trying to turn on the charm "Good. See you tomorrow" she hung up
"The other side's lawyer who's making sure you don't sleep at night because you're worrying about the case?" Charlie asked
"She's good, I'll give her that, tomorrow I'm meeting her for the first time. I think she's got quite a name for herself as a divorce lawyer, but she is such a cold horrible woman"
Charlie smiled "They usually get somewhere in life. Did I tell you that Jane's sister is a divorce lawyer too? It could be the same girl. Actually, from your description of her, it probably isn't; Jane's twin could never be so unfeeling"
"Jane's a twin?" asked Will, interested
"Yes, she's the younger by a few minutes, like me. I think you and Elle, her sister, would get along quite well, although I've heard that Elle is a bit more outgoing and clever"
"You sound more like Mum every day when you talk like that" Will snapped unkindly
Charlie didn't reply, he just deliberately turned his face away from his brother, and changed the subject to something neutral.
"Sorry bro" Will apologised after a minute "I'm going to bed now, I'll see you in the morning"
"I've got an early start tomorrow so I'm going to bed" he called down to his mother, who didn't reply "Goodnight" he said again
Suddenly, as if something had struck her, Mrs. Darcy came running out of the lounge.
"Is that the case where the people call themselves Bob and Hetty Smith but are really famous and if the media knew they were divorcing they would get as much coverage as Paul and Heather McCarthay had? The one where you'll get a lot of money if you win your case"
Will just looked at her for a long five seconds before turning his back and slamming his door.