Disclaimer- I don't own anything. The plot is all thanks to the wonderful Jane Austen though I wished I owned Mr. Darcy… but who doesn't?
Chapter 2
Elizabeth stood in front of the large mirror in her room and sighed. She never really cared about her appearance before but she wanted to look at least presentable tonight. She was wearing a pair of jeans with a black sweater because it was going to be colder out. She pulled her hair up and clipped it in place. Jane walked in and smiled.
"You look so pretty Liz." Elizabeth rolled her eyes as Jane grabbed a necklace off her nightstand. Jane was the real beauty of the family; the only daughter to get their father's blonde hair. Elizabeth smiled and picked up her notebook.
"Jane was a true beauty. She was the epitome of feminism and the women in their town envied her for it. Short blonde hair, that looked as if she had been wearing curlers all night, with beautiful blue eyes that reminded Liz of her father so much. She had skin that looked like porcelain; like you could break her if you held her too tight.She also received her father's personality; quiet, unbearably shy, reserved, polite and the sweetest person Liz knew. As she stood there in a white tank top, blue over shirt and black pants Liz could safely say, in a way, she envied Jane too."
Jane looked at Liz and smiled.
"What are you writing?" Liz looked up and closed the notebook.
"Nothing, just noting something." Jane laughed nervously like she always did before going to parties. Elizabeth made a mental note to put that in her notebook, she always loved that laugh.
"How is "the book" going?"
"Fairly well, I guess. I mean it's hard when inspiration hits in the middle of washing dishes or folding laundry."
"Well, I wouldn't worry. You're a fantastic writer Liz. I loved your last book even though you're too afraid to get it published." Elizabeth sighed. This was about the thousandth time they had discussed the issue of the book she had written. She wrote it after she had broken up with her fiancé and after writing it, never re-read it, afraid of what it might say. It was basically her baby and she didn't want it being corrupted.
"No, I just…I can't Jane. Umm…will you help me with my make-up and stuff? You know I'm no good with that kind of stuff." Jane nodded.
"Of course."
After an hour of Kitty and Lydia changing their outfits a hundred different times, they were finally walking out the door. They practically ran all the way while Jane, Elizabeth and Mary walked behind them.
"C'mon! You guys walk so slow!" Lydia yelled, stomping her foot as she stood outside the gates of the Lucas' home.
"The party isn't going anywhere Lydia, so why rush?" Elizabeth said.
"Because I don't want all the men will be taken by the time we get in." As they finally caught up to Lydia and Kitty, the five entered the yard.
" Lydia, there are better things to think about than men like perhaps your studies." Lydia scowled at her and walked faster. Elizabeth really didn't like her sister's skirt. It was too short and she would be freezing in about five minutes. But, she was eighteen now and…but something broke her thoughts. She heard a scream and looked up fast enough to get engulfed in someone's arms. Elizabeth started laughing.
" Charlotte!"
"Oh, Lizzie, it feels like forever since I've seen you!" As Charlotte let go, she finally got a good look at her. Charlotte was probably her best friend aside from Jane; at first Charlotte seems quiet and shy but once you get to know her she is outgoing. She looked a bit tanner as if she had been in the sun for awhile but mostly the same; Elizabeth was convinced that Charlotte and Jane should switch names, making the assumption that considering looks Charlotte deserved a name like plain Jane and Jane deserved a unique name like Charlotte. She mentally noted to write that down when she got home.
"Come, Lizzie, you must tell me everything that has happened." Jane smiled and looked around.
"Where did Lydia and Kitty..." she looked next to her, "and Mary go?" Elizabeth shrugged and so did Charlotte. "You two go and I'll find them." Elizabeth half-smiled at her sister, there she went playing the mom role again. They all went inside but Jane parted with them and Elizabeth and Charlotte continued into the backyard. It was full of decorations and people, there was a large stereo playing music and there were a lot of people dancing. Charlotte pulled her over to a semi-secluded spot.
"How was London?" Elizabeth asked.
"It was amazing. So different from here, people were so polite and they have the best accents too. But, the real beauty was the countryside. It was breathtaking. We went to this town or place I don't know, called Derbyshire and it was so pretty. I felt so artistic out there, lots of inspiration for a writer." Charlotte winked and Elizabeth just shook her head.
"Or a painter like you."
"Apply for that internship. You'd really love it. I want to go back already."
"I'm not sure I could afford to leave my sisters right now. It's hard enough trying to get a paycheck but even harder to get Lydia to go to class. But, enough about me I want to hear more about what was the name? Derbyshire?"
"Oh yes, it was just…words can't describe it, Lizzie. You will think of nothing else but the scenery because of the grandness of it, nothing else in the world matters. I even forgot about men."
"What are men to rocks and mountains?" Elizabeth looked over and saw Mary standing there, looking half-interested in the conversation. Liz was taken back by this, Mary hardly said two words but whenever she did, it was always something striking and philosophical. She should be the writer of the family. Liz made another mental note; must use Mary's quote and also include her in the book more.
"Where is Jane?" Elizabeth asked Mary.
"She is pulling Lydia away from some young banker guy." Liz nodded.
"Oh that's right, I forgot to tell you about Pemberley." Charlotte said. But, before she could go on there a huge crowd of people came outside.
"What's going on?" Mary asked.
"I bet Mr.Bingley is here." Elizabeth said.
"Oh, I met him when I got home this morning. He is such a nice man." Charlotte smiled. The crowd dissipated slowly and Elizabeth saw three people standing there. A handsome blonde-ish haired man, a woman who looked similar to the blonde man and then a handsome dark haired man.
"Who is that?" Elizabeth asked.
(A/N- Thought I'd leave you with a bit of a cliffhanger because I'm going to put the next chapter up quicker. I had a couple moments of a mental blockage but all better now. They are actually in Pennsylvania, I thought about making it in England and then decided against it and considering that state is a countryside I knew sort of well I made the setting in an un-named town. This one is a little rough but I hope you enjoyed it. I tweaked Charlotte's character because I thought she needed a bit of an update! Bear with me though; I hope you enjoy this chapter! Thanks for all the great comments! Keeps me writing! And yes I will fight anyone for Darcy lol! ENJOY!)
