"But I never get to do anything!" Kitty wailed as she draped herself across the sitting room couch. "Why can't I go to Brighton too"
"Oh hush Kitty. You wouldn't know what to do when you got there anyway." Lydia scowled at her whining, spineless sister before strutting out of the room.
"I really don't get to do anything in this family. It's not fair!" Kitty cried to Lizzy in one final plea for understanding.
"Not now, Kitty." Lizzy shot her a look which told her she meant "not ever.
Kitty quivered as she held back her tears. She stood up very determinedly and with her head held high walked out of the room. She continued down the hallway, pausing once when she heard Lydia's high-
pitched chattering. She turned away from the open door and kept walking. She slipped out the side door of the house and found her way to a tall oak tree. She sat at the base of the trunk and held her knees to her chest, finally letting go of a mad rush of tears, and many bitter thoughts.
She never got to do anything. It was always Jane, beautiful Jane, or dear Lizzy, her father's favorite. If not them, it was Lyida, the high-spirited, eager, fun-loving one, chaser of men, schemer of scemes, and mother's personal favorite.
Kitty had always known she was second to Lydia, even when they were children playing. It was always Lydia- Lydia who thought of the games to play, Lydia who told the funnier stories, while Kitty could barely string two coherent words together. Before Kitty could get a word out, Lydia rushed in with a more clever line, and stopped Kitty in mid-speech. Lydia was always speaking for the two of them. She had the stronger personality (and the louder voice).
Overtime, Kitty had learned to accept her subordinate personality. It was more fun just to go along with Lydia's ideas than fight to be heard. She was just upset that Lydia would be allowed to go to Brighton without her! Lydia was sure to find a husband in Brighton, as she had assured Kitty three times that morning.
Jane had been courted by two men, and fancied by countless others without the courage to speak up. Lizzy had Mr. Collins, even though Kitty thought him a particularly ugly and stupid man. She wanted somebody, even if just so she could have the power of rejection, and choosing her own independence.
Finding a suitor in Longbourne was highly unlikely for her. Strike that, it was impossible. There were a very limited number of boy in the area period, each of them poorer and filthier than the last. None of them were good enough for Miss Catherine Anne Bennett.
Kitty only hoped that Lydia would find a rich husband, so she would be able to live with them and have some respectability.
She looked up at the sunlight streaming through the tall trees and felt a vague sense of hope. Perhaps Lydia would find someone with a handsome brother, she speculated.