TALE AS OLD AS TIME
CHAPTER 1
Once upon a time, there lived a bright young woman, Elizabeth. She was a beautiful twenty year old who lived with her father and two youngest sisters, Catherine and Lydia. Her older sister and younger sister had married. They were five sisters. Their mother had passed away when Elizabeth was only fifteen. She missed her mother dearly.
Elizabeth Bennet was intelligent, well read and witty and was her father's favourite. Her youngest sisters, though not unintelligent, were vain and frivolous. They would never hurt someone on purpose, but sometimes, they never understood what their words meant to others, being only seventeen and fifteen. Elizabeth and her father tried to curb their exuberance, but were largely unsuccessful. She loved her sisters and they her, but sometimes, she felt like that they had to learn to behave with more propriety.
One day, Maurice Bennet received news that only two of his ships had returned, the other thirteen being lost in sea. He was very worried, but he did not tell his daughters, though Elizabeth suspected that something was wrong. Her father immediately prepared to go on a journey.
"Girls, I am going for some business. I will only be gone a week. I am leaving Lizzy in charge. Be good dear ones. Also, do you want anything from there?" asked their father.
The younger girls immediately started talking about how many jewels they wanted, what all other trinkets they expected. Elizabeth saw her father get more worried with each demand, though he promised his girls to try his best. Then he turned to her.
"And what would you like Lizzy?"
"Just a white Rose Papa." was her reply
"Just a white rose? Are you sure my dear?"
"Yes Papa."
"Very well. I shall try my best to get it, given the weather now."
"Thank you."
Her younger sisters immediately asked her why she would not ask for something like them, but she only smiled and said that it was what she wanted. Soon, their father left.
Elizabeth went out for a walk with a book in her hand as she was wont to do. Everyone in the village was used to this habit of hers, and tried not to come in her way as she never paid any attention to where they were walking.
While walking, a man named George Wickham stopped her. An arrogant and handsome man, all the girls in the village would swoon when they saw him, and hope that he would marry them, though Elizabeth was an exception. She did not trust him. As always, he had come to convince her to marry him. And as always, she refused.
"What are you reading Elizabeth?" asked he, snatching the book from her hands, and holding it upside down. "The story looks so interesting."
"First of all, how would you know if the story was interesting or not? You are on the first page of the book which only has its name. Second, you have held it the wrong way." was her annoyed reply.
"Well of course the book is upside down. I am trying to admire it from all sides." said he, trying to cover up for his mistake. "Anyways, have you given it any thought?"
"I already told you, I will not marry you."
"But look at me. I am such a handsome man."
"A narcissist." muttered Elizabeth under her breath.
"I am so kind to everyone. I give good advice."
"More like unwanted advice." she thought to herself.
"Yet you refuse me. Why?"
"For the last time Mr. Wickham, I am not going to marry you. If you try to force me once again, I will have this matter taken up to the magistrate." Replied Elizabeth.
Hearing this, he managed to smile and almost positively fled away.
She laughed and continued on her way, and then went home.
She had hardly been at home for five minutes, when she heard horse's hooves coming up to their house. She looked out the window, and saw that it was her father's horse, Phillip, but without her father. She rushed outside to the horse and tried to calm it.
"Philip why are you alone? Where is Papa?" asked a worried Elizabeth.
She went back inside to tell her sisters about Philip's return and that she was going to look for their father.
"Be careful Lizzy." said Kitty, scared for her.
"You promise to bring him back?" asked Lydia, with tears in her eyes.
"I promise." replied Elizabeth. She gave both of them a kiss on top of their heads before climbing on Philip and going.
Author's Notes- Hello everyone! I am a new author and this is my first fanfiction. I have taken two classics that I love and combined them into one story. I hope you enjoy reading it. :-):-):-):-)
I will try to update as fast as possible, though it may be only once a week or once every two weeks. I am still in school, in Grade 10, and so it will be a bit difficult for me to update regularly. I will still try my best. :-):-):-):-)
I know that this chapter is short. I am making the others longer, but I could not really fit in anything else in this chapter from my story.
All reviews are welcome. Please criticise me to your heart's content, because I know that the reviews are helpful (though the reviews I normally give never really make sense as it is just me putting my excited emotions into words and fangirling) and I want to hear your opinion of the story. I hope you enjoy this.
So on with Pride and Prejudice and Beauty and the Beast all rolled into my first fanfiction!
Thank you!
-NACC