"Is that what they wear in 2013?" She looked down at my rough, plaid, cotton dress, leather boots and white handkerchief.
"Oh, no, you see I work at a living history museum and we wear costumes from that period in time, which in my case is the 1830s." I loved my job I remember I got really sad when I was a kid that most of things that I wanted required a time machine and Sturbridge let me go to a much more interesting time.
"Then they are still ahead of our time, you can borrow one of Jane's or my dresses, until we figure this out." She sat down next to me on her and Jane's bed, I instantly stood up and went towards her closet, I couldn't be to near her if I was it might all go away and I so want this to be real.
"These are amazing." I breathed, I'm not going to lie period dresses are my drugs, I'm not ashamed of this, and to have a real one not just some reproduction. The one I picked out was classic 1812, muslin, trimmed with lace, long sleeves of clear muslin, and a shirt of the same, trimmed with lace. The fact that I know this on the list of reasons why I am perpetually single.
"They're only what we could make, there are much finer elsewhere," She turned away as I put on the dress, "We must introduce you to Mamma and Papa if you're to stay here, I will say you are a friend..."
"That you met in London." I added, I would do many things in England going to small town Hertfordshire is not among them.
"While visiting my aunt and uncle. Very good Amelia, you should know Mamma and Papa are having a small argument, you see we have a new neighbor and Papa refuses to visit him and introduce the family which Mamma believes has doomed me and my sisters to being spinsters."
"For every young man in possession of a large fortune must be in want of a wife." I smile, echoing Jennifer Ehle's sarcastic tone.
"My mother's thoughts exactly." Lizzie laughed and grabbed my hand, "Let's go introduce you, Papa will adore you as I do." Mr. Bennet exited the door to the, well to whatever room Lizzie was pulling me towards as we were about to enter it.
"Papa this is Amelia Towne, a friend I met in London, she's in Hertfordshire a while may she please stay here for her trip?"
"Of course, my dear. Why don't you and Miss Towne come with me to the study, your mother is absolutely in raptures over the my announcement." He grinned like the cat that got the canary
"You did introduce us, you really shouldn't mock Mamma so." Lizzie laughed and turned to me, "One day he will go too far and her head will explode."
"We shouldn't bother Miss Towne with such trivial nonsense, how do you find Longbourne Miss Towne?"
"Very lovely, sir." I smiled, slightly worried about my accent
"Then you haven't been here long. I was unaware that my Lizzie had a friend in America, you met in London you say?"
"Yes sir, Lizzie was visiting with her aunt and uncle Gar-" She hadn't told me their surname, shit, "Graciously, I happened to be in London at the time and we have been corresponding ever since." Nice save
"Where are you from Miss Towne?"
"Sturbridge, Massachusetts sir. It's about an hour's drive from Boston."
"And your father, what does he do?"
"My father is a gentleman and a justice of the peace, though he dabbles in politics. The money came from farming, my grandfather was forward thinking and invested in modern technologies that no one thought would be worth our time." He ate up the customary speech I gave visitors and my friends said that Sturbridge was dull.
"My kind of man, his name?" Mr. Bennet grinned up at me from his desk.
"Salem sir, Salem Towne."
"Excellent, there is the small matter of the beds, I suppose Jane could sleep with Mary and Miss Towne could take Jane's spot with you. I hope you have brought some formal clothes, Miss Towne, for there is a ball tomorrow fortnight and two gentleman of large fortune will be there I'm sure either would make an excellent souvenir of England." I like Mr. Bennet he was kind and funny and caustic, "May I call you by your Christian name Miss Towne?"
"Of course sir." Imagine that, living in a world where men had to ask before calling you by your first name. I was used to men calling you anything from babe to bitch the moment they saw you.
"Excellent, I'm Thomas." I knew it wasn't Claude.
