Disclaimer: Gilmore Girls and Pride & Prejudice are the wonderful creations of ASP and Jane Austen alone. I own nothing and am simply writing with them.


Chapter 2


Rory's eyelids felt thick and heavy, and she still felt groggy from the night before. As she sat up in bed, she heard another tap at the door, and, realising that's what awoke her in the first place, beckoned them into her room.

"Oh, Good Morning, Miss Gilmore, and what a fine day it is today," the maid said in a bright voice, as she whisked over to the window, pulling the curtains open without so much as a warning. Rory simply groaned in response, pulling her bed covers grumpily up over her face. But, just as quick as they came up, they had come off; the plump old maid throwing them into her wickim laundry basket.

"Your mother is expecting you down for breakfast in ten minutes, mam. She wishes you to dress first, for Mr Huntzberger has requested a walk with you before brunch," she said, as Rory fixed her with the best withering stare she could muster.

"No! I don't want to go downstairs, I certainly do not wish to take a morning stroll with Mr Huntzberger, and... I want my blankets back!"

The maid's face remained plastered, "Mrs Gilmore will see you down for breakfast in nine minutes. Good day, Miss."

The door snapped neatly closed behind the maid, leaving Rory shivering in her empty bed. With a long and tired sigh, she made it to her feet to get ready for the hopeless day ahead.

Rory was usually friendly towards the maids, or polite at the very least. But in the last few days her patience had been growing thin, as the reality of her engagement was beginning to set in. Rory picked out a yellow, frilly dress in a fetal attempt to change Logan's mind, and pulled a brush lazily through her wavy, silk-like hair. She placed the brush down beside the open book on her dresser and made her way downstairs. She hadn't read since the Hunztbergers had arrived, but in all honesty, it was just another thing she had lost in the life that was being forced upon her.

"Rory! Oh, Rory, come, come, sit-", her mother said before her face turned quickly from eagerness to something resembling disgust, "What is that obscurity you're wearing?!"

Logan was quick to stand as she entered the room, "Miss Gilmore, you look simply stunning this morning."

Wow. Either he was perfectly capable of telling a lie, or suddenly that old, grey petticoat she had picked out for tomorrow wasn't looking so promising anymore.

"Um, thank-you."

"Rory, come sit next to Mr Huntzberger. We've been talking about you all morning," her mother chirped, guiding her to the seat so suspiciously close to his.

"Oh. How... uh, nice. That's nice."

"Why, yes that certainly is very nice isn't it. He's been dying to hear about all those fun, crazy books you've been reading, haven't you, Mr Huntzberger?" her mother prompted excitedly, and somewhat unsubtly.

"That is simply ridiculous, Emily," Richard Gilmore remarked, now looking up from his morning paper, "There is no such thing as fun, crazy books, and our sensible daughter would certainly not read such a thing."

"Oh, well actually, I haven't been reading much of anything lately," she interrupted, before her parents got out of hand.

"Well, that's a fine thing in my opinion. Why, a lady's job is to cook, clean, and to look after the children. I couldn't imagine why you should wish to be reading."

Mitchum Huntzberger nodded at his wife's opinion, "Yes, yes. Terrible waste of time if you ask me-"

"Ah, so father, will my cousin be joining us this morning?" Logan asked, hoping to change the subject.

"Oh, not this morning I'm afraid, he's ah -"

Mitchum shared a glance with his wife, who answered for him, "Not well. He's, ah, not well."

"Sorry to hear that," Logan answered without expression, "So, Emily, do tell me..."

Not well? How could he be not well? He seemed fine yesterday, or was she too busy yelling at him to notice? Suddenly, she felt a heavy weight of sympathy and guilt sit somewhere in the pit of her stomach. She had been quick to decide she hated him, why, she had barely gotten to know him at all. He hadn't been that rude, had he? Well, okay, maybe he had been rude, but if he was feeling unwell, perhaps that was the reason why? Why was she giving this so much thought anyway?

"Rory!" she glanced up lazily from the plate in front of her, resting her eyes upon her mother, "Don't be rude. Answer Mr Huntzberger when he speaks, won't you?"

Rory blushed slightly, "Oh, I'm sorry. What were you saying?"

Logan let out a chuckle, "I was just wondering if you would like to accompany me for a walk before we sit down again for brunch?"

"Oh, yes of course. I would love to."

Logan took her hand, and led her out into the fawyer.

"Mayella, you may bring out the tea now!" her mother called towards the kitchen. A faint shatter came in answer to Emily's request, and she sighed, "Mayella? Mayella?! Richard, I'm afraid we'll have to let this one go."

"If that's what you think is best, Emily," he replied, his face again hidden by his paper.

x - x - x - x

Rory and Logan had been walking for a while now, and she was quite surprised at how well it was going. They had talked about traveling, their family, their lives since they had known each other as children, and now they were simply walking in a comfortable silence, staring at the scenery by the lake. Perhaps that was what love was supposed to be; a feeling of comfort, safety, and knowing that you would always have someone to depend on. She was happy with Logan, wasn't she? Would her life be so terrible as Mrs Logan Huntzberger?

"So, Ace," he said, breaking the silence, "Excited to see the house?"

She gave him a genuine smile, "Wait. We have a house?"

"Quite a big one actually."

"That's wonderful!", but she came to a sudden halt, her face dropping sadly, " Logan?"

"What is it, Ace? You don't want to live in London? Because we could always find a place near here."

"Oh, no. That's sweet. But, it's just... is all you expect from me to cook and to look after the children?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it's just that your mom-"

Logan sighed in sympathy, putting his hand gently on her arm, "Ace, come on. Don't listen to my mother. Of course that's not what I expect of you."

"Then what do you expect?" she asked sadly.

"I expect you to be who you are now. Intelligent, beautiful, and sensible."

He brushed a lose strand of hair behind her ear, and smiled at her warmly. On the surface she felt comfortable and safe, but on the inside, she was slowly breaking. Intelligent, beautiful, and sensible. Was that who she was? Was that who she wanted to be?

She sadly returned his smile as he grabbed her hand, leading her back up to the house for brunch.

x - x - x - x

Rory and Logan were ascending the porch steps, when they found themselves face to face with none other than Jess Mariano.

"Morning cuz!" he said in a mockingly cheerful voice, and then turning to Rory, a small smirk spreading across his face, "Like the new look, and I have to say, the ruffles really pull it off."

Rory crossed her arms in front of her chest, scowling at him, and, despite her anger, felt her cheeks growing hot with embarrassment. Jess smirked again, brushing in between them as he made his way down the steps. He pulled out a thin, paper back novel he had shoved in the pocket of his slacks, and began to read as he walked. Rory's eyes followed his every move with shock.

She turned to Logan with confusion, "I thought he wasn't feeling well?"

Logan sighed, "Look, Ace, I'm sorry that I have to apologize on his behalf, but, sometimes he can get a little absorbed in himself that he forgets his manners towards others; obviously. He's never gotten along with anyone, hell, not even his own mother. He was sent to my dad to get straightened out, but I'm afraid he's so set on being rude and indifferent he simply won't have it. It's hard to get him to come along to things like this, let alone expect him to socialize with anyone. Don't take it personally. It's just the way he is, Ace."

"What happened with him and his mother?" Rory asked, watching his distant figure sit down upon the bridge that lay across the small lake.

"I'd rather not get into it, Ace. It's a long story, but let's just say that his mother tried to bring him up in the way that every mother does, and like always, Mr Self-centered Mariano threw it all back in her face, screwing everything up like normal."

"Oh, his poor mother," Rory sympathized, and bringing her eyes to rest upon Logan again, asked, "and I'm guessing you don't get along with him very well either?"

Logan let out a small chuckle, "Come on, Ace, we should get inside."

He opened the door and placed his hand on the small of Rory's back, guiding her gently inside. Rory gave Jess one final glance, then with another sigh, made her way to the dining room with the safety and comfort of Logan behind her.

x - x - x - x


AN: I hope you liked this chapter! I worked hard on it considering the amount of wonderful reviews I recieved for my last chapter. Thank-you so much, without them I wouldn't have been inspired enough to write this chapter. So if you want me to work hard on the next chapter, then please review and make me the happiest girl on earth!

Next chapter: As always, Emily and Richard are on the search for a new maid. Who will it be??