Emma was rather pleased with herself.
She had successfully held onto a good paying job that paid for her rather groovy flat in London and had yet to feel the slightest twinge of homesickness. Then to make things even better she has started to matchmake two people together and it was looking as if they shall be married by next year.
Philip Elton (who prefers to be known only by his surname) lived in the house at the end of the road with his mother who Emma has yet to meet though Elton is quite insistent on it for some reason. He was a bit of poet (though not a very good one) and was often seen at readings in cafes and restaurants in the 'bohemian society' as many called it with a sneer, John Knightly being one of them when Emma told her family about a really cool little cafe not so far away. He was also good-looking, a kind man, a church-goer and held a very steady high paying job which made him perfect for Harriet. Harriet was also a church-goer and needed a good wealthy man to help bring her mother over from her home country which she is finding a struggle on her own wages.
Elton was very attentive to Harriet and with a tiny bit of prodding from Emma he was complimenting her constantly, dancing with her, admiring her singing, and always offering her a drink.
On the other hand he does have a terrible needy side to him for her expertise as he is constantly looking at her with a pleading look for help.
To make things even better she has finally met Frank Churchill her old nanny's husband's son. He had always been some sort of myth in her childhood and she had made it a goal to at least meet him and now they were the dearest of friends. Frank was just as outgoing and living every moment he can as she was, they shared similar interests in food, movies, and music, and so far their only disagreement had been about love. He was her friend and nothing more no matter how much he flirts with her.
George as well was starting to enjoy things. He had originally come to disapprove of everything and try to convince her to come back home to her father but now he joins her at every poetry reading, every house party, every trip to cinema, and now every trip to the new nightclubs that had opened recently.
She always knew he can dance and now he has proven he can dance the new dances just as well as the old ones though there was plenty of hilarity when George had first tried them.
Everything was going just splendidly well and then one night the beginning of the end of her happy little life happened.
They were going clubbing once again only this time with Harriet who had a night off (she was working as a cleaner for several business buildings and had perhaps two nights a month off). George remained cool and calm about it while Emma and Harriet were excitedly rushing off in their high heels only to be caught by the dashing Frank and Elton with Jane frowning with disapproval. As her friendship had grown with Frank the one she could have had with Jane diminished bit by bit and Emma couldn't understand why.
They reached the new night club Elton had told them all about excitedly. The DJ was supposed to be the best in London and the drinks were cheap and the people good. Frank, Jane, and Elton were let in without any problems but just as Emma and Harriet was about to step in through the threshold an arm blocked them.
"She's not allowed in," The man at the door said gruffly, "no blacks allowed."
Harriet ducked her head down in shame the faintest change of colour on her cheeks proved she was blushing in embarrassment. Emma was furious; no one should be embarrassed or ashamed because of their skin colour. "I don't see how her skin colour affects her dancing skills," she said tartly.
The man at the door shrugged. "I don't make the rules lady I just enforce them. If the owners don't want good British folk to mix with coloureds who am I to argue?"
"Harriet is British," Emma hissed, "she comes from one of our colonies, she has a British birth certificate and passport, and to add more injury to the insult we invited her here to work the job we cannot fill. She is doing us a wonderful favour and we should welcome her with open arms not insults."
"Emma, darling," Elton said loudly as he stepped out again and took Emma's hands into his. "There's no need to make such a scene. I'm sure Harriet doesn't mind going home and you were looking forwards to dancing tonight, remember?"
Emma looked at him in disgust and horror. "How can you allow someone to insult the woman you love?" she demanded to know.
"No one has insulted you, my dear."
"Not me!" Emma cried out horrified. "Harriet. You love Harriet!"
A cold look of anger swept across his face as he let go of Emma's hands and stepped back. "Harriet," he spat out as if he said the word dirt, "why would I waste any time on her?" Emma was aware of George stiffening at those words, Jane's gasp of horror, Frank's angry look, and the tears of shame shimmering in Harriet's eyes. "I was only kind to her because she was your friend. I love you Emma not Harriet. You are the perfect wife for me once you put those short skirts and silly job aside. I would never dream tarnishing my family name and bloodline with such dirty Negro blood."
Emma snapped. There had been many times when she had to shield Harriet from men like this and she had hoped that Elton would love Harriet for her sweet kind soul, for those beautiful dark eyes, rich singing voice, and how she gave the person who was speaking to her her whole attention. Not for her colour of skin. Why should that matter at all? Often people sneered at Harriet for her colour of skin but never had it sent her into such tears before.
Emma slapped him.
A loud cracking slap that echoed across the street.
"How dare you?" she hissed. "How dare you? You're not even worth to be the ground she walks on!"
George had wrapped a comforting arm round Harriet as she sobbed helplessly it was obviously one insult too many for her. Jane and Frank stepped outside from the doorway, Jane stepped on Elton's foot (he let out a nice yelp of pain much to Emma's satisfaction) while Frank wrapped his own arm round Emma's shoulder.
"Em babe, let it go," he said soothingly, "he's not worth it. Let's go back to yours and have a nice cuppa with some brandy before turning in."
Emma allowed Frank to pull her down the street with the others. Jane had quickly excused herself because she needed to do some marking and Frank insisted on escorting her home. George came home with Emma and Harriet and made the cups of tea while Emma tried to reassure Harriet that she deserved better and shouldn't ever listen a crappy word that came out of Elton's mouth.
Harriet merely played with the purple beads on Emma's doorway to listen.
Emma didn't think Harriet would ever listen to her again after this.
After all it was all her fault.
EWEWEWEWEWEWEWEW
Within the next two months things went from bad to worse.
Elton married a month after that awful night to a terrible foul woman who was just as bad as he was. Emma and Harriet had to endure their sneers and loud insults as they walked past them on the street day in and day out. Jane grew colder, Frank became more and more flirtatious, Harriet was more prone to crying, and George watched everything with a disapproving eye.
One night they met at Frank's to watch his television since My Fair Lady was scheduled to come on and Frank thought it would be a laugh since Emma has not seen it since her birthday two years ago at the cinema with George and Harriet has never even heard of it.
His flat was painted a wonderfully bright orange that almost hurt her eyes. It was far bigger than hers and had the floor covered with several large beanbags and cushions. Emma fell into one and couldn't get out. It didn't help that not that much later Frank decided to rest his head on Emma's lap and she couldn't move for the rest of the evening.
"I am so glad we no longer have such a repressive society like that anymore," Frank said scornfully as the credits started rolling. "Although I do feel that we are still judged by how much money we have."
"I don't see how that is such a problem with you," George said coldly, "seeing as you have plenty of it."
"Yes but I don't throw it in people's faces," Frank said with a shrug, "besides it's not just money and class that is the problem but their repressive attitudes to sex." Emma felt her face heat up at the word. She had no experience in that particular topic and often got flustered with how calmly Frank talked about it. "They made it a crime to as so much as look at a pretty girl. Our generation has a much better idea of sex. It's ok to look and it's more than ok to touch if the girl wants it. Then don't get me started on fidelity and monogamous relationships. Free love all round I say, don't you agree Emma?"
"Um...yeah, sure," Emma said trying to sound somewhat cool about the whole subject.
George suddenly stood up all of a sudden. "I should go, I have an early morning," he said.
Frank suddenly shot up from Emma's lap. "No don't go yet! I wanted to ask you something, I had the most awesome idea for the Easter weekend."
George stayed where he was standing but he didn't sit down or showed any sign of wanting to listen to Frank either. Emma had to tear her eyes away from George to look at Frank while Harriet just nibbled on a biscuit that Frank had left out for them.
"A friend of mine has been telling me that there's this new craze of a holiday without having to go abroad," Frank said, "it's dead cheap and perfect for us to do. A caravan holiday, there's a park nearby in Box Hill and I thought it would be brilliant if us and Jane were to rent one and spend the weekend there with some drinks and campfire."
"Oh that sounds wonderful!" Harriet enthused.
"I would love to," Emma agreed excitedly. She had never been on a holiday before and a weekend away in a small home sounded terribly exciting.
She turned to George who didn't look that excited about the idea. silently she tried to plead with him, she had no doubt that the caravan would be very expensive and the more people coming the less everyone would have to spend and she knew Harriet wouldn't be able to come unless it was a cheap holiday.
"It sounds fun," George said with a great reluctance.
Emma doesn't know what it was but she could tell something had changed greatly without her noticing.
EWEWEWEWEWEWEWEW
The holiday went dreadfully.
As they left with their bags Harriet and Emma were sneered at by the Eltons who insulted Harriet so loudly that the two girls were flushing bright red when they greeted George, Frank, and Jane. The journey was almost two hours because of traffic and the poor quality of John's car, it was hot, suffocating and Emma didn't enjoy being squashed by George every time Frank made a sharp turn. When they arrived the girls were half horrified when they realised they were to share very small quarters with the boys.
They barely had room to take two steps on their own let alone live there for two days!
The small tables on either end turned into doubles and one of the cupboards could transform into a single bed. The boys shared one double much to George's disgust, and Harriet and Emma shared the other while Jane got the single. There was that awkward moment when they had to kick the boys out of the caravan so they can change clothes and that funny moment when Frank played the peeping Tom much to Jane's horror and George's frustration (watching George forcibly drag Frank away was far more funny than Frank trying to peer in the windows).
Then the first camp fire was unsuccessful and they (the girls) were horrified to find bites covering their legs and arms. Poor Jane let out a scream when she realised there was a tick on her shoulder but George heroically pulled it out for her.
Then there was the fact Emma was completely unaware what sort of clothes were suitable for this holiday and it quickly turned out none of her clothes were suitable.
The only saving grace on this holiday was Frank himself. He flirted with her, he serenaded them all and led sing alongs, and handed out plenty of drinks and joints which George and Jane disapproved of and Harriet and Emma were a little hesitant to try.
Tensions seemed to worsen by Sunday and then Emma's terrible wardrobe choices decided to ruin everything.
She decided to bring her new boots with her. They had the highest heel that she had ever worn before in her life and went up to her knees, coupled with her mini skirt; they showed of her thighs wonderfully well.
But they weren't practical to wear on a caravan holiday which she learnt the moment she tried to walk out and instantly tripped over the steps.
Frank was there immediately to catch her but the sheer force of her falling into him sent him flying back onto the floor and then what little she had of a skirt flipped up to show her underwear to the world just as Frank's arms went round her waist and she stopped mere millimetres away from his lips.
They stared at one another with wide eyes both surprised at what happened.
Then before they could collect themselves a horrified gasp echoed in the air before Jane ran off in tears.
George was staring down at them with a blazing fury that Emma had never seen before.
She swallowed involuntary she had the feeling everything had just shattered around her and she really didn't know why.
EWEWEWEWEWEWEW
George was beyond fury.
Emma had become as much as an alien to him as those on that Doctor Who. It started some time after he met Frank, she drank more, she talked more freely about very personal matters, she stopped writing to her father who was out of his mind with worry, she stopped visiting Isabella and John who were also worried and concerned, she visited very questionable places, she didn't even think of returning to Highbury for Christmas opting to stay with Harriet, and now she was having blatant sexual contact with a boy she had nothing but friendship with in front of them all!
He was angry, hurt, a tiny bit jealous, and frustrated. This was not his Emma anymore; this was Frank Churchill's Emma.
He snapped and grabbed hold of Emma's arm tightly before hauling her off of Frank and pulling her towards the wooded area surrounding the campsite.
"What are you doing?" Emma demanded. "George let go of me right now! You're hurting my arm!"
He immediately let go with the tiniest bit of guilt, never in his life has he ever wanted to hurt Emma Woodhouse. This however did not stop the lecture that he very much needed to say.
"How could you do this? I don't understand what has happened to you," he fumed quietly, "the Emma Woodhouse I know would have never done this. Put herself in such a disgraceful position."
"I did nothing!" Emma began to protest with a furious red flush on her cheeks. "I just tripped."
"Likely story," George snorted harshly. "This isn't just what happened Emma. It's about everything. You have become a selfish, self-absorbed, vain little thing that has no thought of anyone else but yourself. Have you ever thought about your father since you started life in London Emma? Because he has thought of nothing but how much danger you could get yourself in. He is always asking me if you are dressed warmly and eating well, I haven't had the heart to tell him that you lose more and more sense the shorter your skirts become! What about Isabella and John? Whatever happened to you visiting them weekly and reassuring them that you are safe? Isabella barely sleeps anymore because she is so worried. I despise what you have become, your attitude, your carelessness, and your behaviour has been appalling. Badly done, Emma, badly done indeed."
There were tears sparkling in her blue eyes and she looked so distraught and upset at his words that he could not bear to look at her anymore instead he pushed past her and walked into the woods the clear his head.
He could not be sorry for what he said because it had to be done.
It just had to be done.
EWEWEWEWEWEWEWEW
Soon enough he sat through an awkward car journey which he drove this time as Frank whispered constantly into a furious Jane's ear and Emma spent the whole journey staring out of the window while Harriet oblivious to everything sang quietly to herself.
The atmosphere immediately changed when he parked on Emma's road and Harriet spotted a chubby middle aged black woman outside her house with a suitcase. She leaped out of the car and cried out, "Mama!" before she ran into the woman's arms.
Everyone got out to greet Mrs Smith who had apparently arrived just this morning on a very long voyage across the ocean. When introductions were made Mrs Smith kept a tight grip onto Emma's hands and warmly kissed her on the cheeks. "I am so very grateful to you Miss Emma," she cried out in her heavily accented voice. "My little Hetty has written so much about you and I cannot thank you enough to give up your Christmas to nurse my baby girl back to health."
"Oh!" Emma blushed. "It was nothing but the flu I didn't do anything spectacular."
George felt like someone had punched him in the stomach. He had thought Emma spent Christmas with Frank out in the pubs and at parties. He never asked her why she stayed in London he just knew she wrote a vague note to her father with his present and after the New Year her letters stopped completely. She didn't act out of selfishness but selflessness...he had let his anger and jealousy take control and never bothered to ask Emma about anything.
How much has he gotten wrong?
How much rubbish did he spew out with his lecture?
How much did he hurt Emma with his lecture that had come without a single thought?
Dear God, what had he done?
