I would say that this is the beginning of beginning to be good. I don't own. Cheers!
Chapter 3: First Impressions
or
"I Get By with a Little Help from My Friends"
Finally, the five Bennet girls pulled into the drive way of the Lucas residence, Highlander. The girls were there to prepare for the gala hosted by the family, which was to be held later that evening in the banquet hall of Tres Célèbre, the local five star hotel. Lizzy all but ran up the driveway and banged on the door. Charlotte's mother opened the door, just as the other four reached it.
"Hello girls! It's so good to see you again," Mrs. Lucas smiled. "Charlotte and Maria are upstairs, in their rooms. I told them that you wouldn't be long and they should start to get ready."
"Thanks Mrs. Lucas! Mare's holding the truffles our mom wanted to give to you," Mary handed over the elaborately wrapped box as Lizzy explained. "We'll see you in a few hours!" Lizzy said as they disappeared up the stairs.
Lizzy burst through the door of Charlotte's room. The little five foot two girl was laying down on her king sized bed with her earphones in, eyes closed. The music was audible even from where Lizzy was standing.
"HEY CHAR!" Lizzy yelled from the doorway. Charlotte's dark brown eyes snapped open and she looked up, brilliant smile lighting up her tanned face.
"Lizard! Janey!" she screamed as she jumped up to hug her best friend.
"Charizard!" Lizzy laughed, affectionately using the nickname that they had decided on to match 'Lizard.'
"Oh my God you two have to tell me all about the city and I have so much to tell you later Lizard." Charlotte said, all in one breath. "Can you believe the parentals? I knew I shouldn't have gone to U of Hert, it's way too close. They hardly ever let me out unless it's for a semester abroad!" she continued dramatically, without letting them get past the greeting.
"Char, we have time to catch up later!" Jane exclaimed at their friend's exuberance. "We have a gala to prepare for right now!"
They took turns curling each other's hair. Jane and Charlotte opted to put their hair up, but Lizzy left hers down and stuck a few of Charlotte's pretty pins in to hold some pieces up.
"Hey, I brought you something, Char," Lizzy mentioned off-handedly, taking something out of one of the garment bags she had brought.
"You didn't! You did! Oh my God, Liz, is it one of yours?" she asked, all in the same breath. Lizzy laughed.
"Yeah, it actually is. Hasn't been showcased yet. But when I drew it, I immediately thought of you. I knew I had to find somewhere for you to where this to. The model that Dianna hired looks something like you, tan skin, dark hair and eyes, just taller," Lizzy laughed again. Charlotte's face continued to look gratefully surprised. "I called it 'Charlotte's' in the lookbook," Lizzy explained softly.
One of Lizzy's best kept secrets was Rosaline Campbell Elizabeth, her second job. The main reason she'd volunteered to go to the city was her sketchbook full of clothing designs, built up from ten years old and on. High profile super model Elizabeth Bennet turned down a lot of jobs. That's what made her so desirable. She was exclusive and elusive. Her small staff, Jane, Charlotte, Aunt Di, and she were the only people who knew why she turned those jobs down. That was the way she wanted it. It kept her work and her passion separate. And the dress that Charlotte was hurriedly pulling on was good enough reason.
"You designed this?" she asked in awe.
"Yeah," Lizzy answered casually. But inside, she was celebrating because Charlotte seemed to like it so much. The dress was gorgeous, one of her more recent ones. It was shimmering skin-colored gossamer layered over the same color taffeta. Miniscule sparkles glittered every time Charlotte moved. It was floor length, or at least, would be when Charlotte put some shoes on, and gathered at the bust by the shimmering jeweled halter straps. It looked absolutely brilliant with Charlottes bronze skin and dark hair.
"I brought you those shoes from the winter quarter, too," Lizzy said as she pulled out a pair of glittering heels.
"Holy hell. Those are as beautiful as I remember them being. And I'll be like your height, practically," she said, eyes going wide.
"Well, without her shoes on, at least," Jane pointed out.
"I hope you brought yourself and Jane dresses from this collection, too," Charlotte threw at Lizzy sternly.
"Yeah, yeah, Char. Don't worry. Janey and I are going to look stunning," Lizzy grinned. "Now let's finish up our makeup already! Gala's in an hour."
The three girls snuck in through the back door of the banquet hall. They were late. After an hour and a half, the three of them finished their hair and makeup, and Lizzy and Jane had put on their dresses, which, as Lizzy had promised, were stunning. Jane's, as Lizzy had written in her design log, was "the color of fresh cream. Strapless, lace detailing…everywhere. Gossamer layered over lace bodice skirt, cinched at the waist with a silver band. Ask Jane to be in the show for this one?" Jane, already the county beauty, was glowing. This was one of the problems of being late with Jane Bennet. Everyone stared, because she was just so damn beautiful. One of the pluses was that Jane was like a bright light: incredibly visible, but also incredibly blinding. People hardly noticed anyone else standing by her, or so Lizzy thought.
"So Charizard. Where are our lovely guests of honor?" Lizzy asked dryly. At first, when Jane had told her about who had moved into their neighborhood, she had been ecstatic. But now, after a few days in Hertfordshire without seeing hide or hair of them, she thought they might not be as wonderful as she had initially pegged them.
"They're probably coming in a few minutes. Fashionably late or some shit like that," Charlotte answered. Just as she was saying that, the clock struck seven. Fifteen minutes until dinner. Good. Lizzy was starving, and dinner promised to be delicious tonight. On the sixth chime, the front doors opened, and the general babble of conversation changed into a dull hum. Five figures walked into the room gracefully. Lizzy looked at Charlotte, who nodded. Then she turned to Jane.
"So which one of our painted peacocks is our Mr. Bingley?" she joked. Jane was just as obsessed with Poetry on Fire as she was. Ignoring Lizzy's mocking tone, Jane answered anyway.
"The one on the left, silly Lizzy," she whispered, "Then that awful woman from the bathroom! His sister Caroline!" she gasped. Lizzy groaned.
"Oh, wonderful," she ground out. "And the taller one? He looks miserable." He was tall. Taller than Bingley, who was easily over six foot. If the woman was Bingley's sister, she knew the other two of the party, the couple. The Hursts, Louisa being Bingley's other sister, and her husband. Charlotte answered her question.
"Miserable he may be, but poor he is not. You know him, Lizard! Lord Darcy of Pemberly in Derbyshire," Charlotte whispered, as they passed.
"Darcy," Lizzy said breathlessly. He was an amazing musician. But he really did look quite miserable. Charlotte tapped her shoulder.
"Oh look, Liz. My father's coming this way. To introduce us, no doubt. I have no idea why he wants me to settle down so badly. Bloody business man," Charlotte observed.
Indeed, Mr. Lucas was coming to introduce Charlotte to the newly arrived party. Since Jane and Elizabeth were standing with her, he took them too. They had about five minutes until dinner, and most people were standing next to their seating cards on their tables. It was ten people to a table, and Elizabeth noticed that the five were at this table, along with her, Jane, Charlotte, and Mr. and Mrs. Lucas. Mr. Lucas spoke first, addressing Mr. Bingley.
"Mr. Bingley! So good of you to come. These three girls- my daughter Charlotte, her friend Elizabeth Bennet, and Elizabeth's sister, Jane- they'll be sharing this table tonight. My wife and I are supposed to sit here too, but I'm afraid that since this is our party we won't be doing much sitting!" he laughed, as he walked off. Charlotte simply shook her head.
"Hello, my name is Charlotte. My father did an awful job of introducing us," she gestured to herself and Jane and Lizzy.
"I'm Elizabeth Bennet, but please, call me Lizzy. People over forty call me Elizabeth."
"Jane," Jane said simply, smiling lightly in the direction of Bingley. He smiled back and as they sat their party introduced themselves.
"Well, you know me, Charles Bingley. I go by 'Bingley' or 'Charlie,'" he said.
"Caroline. I go by Caroline," said the same blonde woman that they had met in the bathroom. She did not look pleased to be at this party, and even less pleased that she was seeing the two sisters again.
"Louisa, I go by 'Lou,'" and as she said this, her sister glared at her. Lizzy did not miss this, and assumed that it was because 'Lou' was more of a family-friend name than a country acquaintance name.
"John. I don't think it gets shorter," said her husband, without humor. Louisa and John were not rude, or mean. They were simply boring, and bored, Lizzy surmised.
"William Darcy. Darcy," Darcy said shortly. While Jane's introduction had been sweet, his was tenser; as if he was vaguely uncomfortable with three people he didn't know knowing his name. He also had insisted on being called by his surname, which bothered Lizzy a bit. She nodded and smiled after every introduction, and then the food was brought out. Which was just as well, because other than Jane and Bingley making light small talk and the Hursts speaking lowly to each other, no one much was talking. As soon as the waiters were bustling around the table, (Where were the Lucas's? Even Charlotte had disappeared on Lizzy), Lizzy bent down, took her phone out of her small bag, and sent a text to Jane:
"Darcy? Reminds me of those pompous-ass photographers that insist on being called by the first letter of their name- first or last." She got a reply almost instantly, which was surprising considering that she didn't even know Jane had her phone out.
"Play nice, Liz. Go make small talk with D."
Lizzy laughed a bit. Then she took Jane up on her advice.
"So, Darcy," she paused, struggling not to laugh at her private joke. He looked up. "Are you enjoying your time in Hertfordshire?" she asked smiling lightly. He raised an eyebrow.
"As much as I can, I suppose," he answered stiffly. Caroline interjected here.
"My brother positively dragged us here, as I told you the other night, Elizabeth," she said, calling Lizzy by her full name. Lizzy looked at the blonde woman and said,
"Please, call me Lizzy. Elizabeth just sounds so formal," she said. It was true. She also preferred to distance herself from R.C.E., which was easier when people got used to her name being Lizzy rather than Elizabeth. Caroline smiled at the correction. It was not a nice looking smile, even though her teeth were straight and white. It looked vicious.
"So, Lizzy, tell me, where do all the women in Hertfordshire get their dresses for these things, so far away from the city?" she asked, mock questioningly. But Lizzy could tell every word was meant in condescension. She sighed. Jane was still occupied by Mr. Bingley, and Charlotte could be seen over at a different table, mingling with her guests. It was going to be a long night.
"Well, I'm not sure where anyone else got their dresses," she paused as her eyes went over to Mary, who was wearing one of her own designs, "But I know that I brought in a few from the city for some of my sisters and Charlotte," she said. Caroline raised her eyebrows, as did Darcy.
"You purchased multiple dresses in the city? That must have been quite expensive," Caroline said, digging. Darcy looked as if he had seen this coming, and was silently berating Lizzy for walking straight into a trap.
"Yes. I did. Jane and I make enough money," she said shortly, and then continued, "But tell me, Caroline, where did you get your dress?" she asked, first tersely, and then sickeningly sweetly. Spending copious amounts of time with cutthroat photographers, agents, and other models had taught her how to respond in these situations. Confuse your target. Indeed, both Caroline and Darcy looked a bit confused at her rapidly changing tone.
"Erm, I also bought mine in the city," Caroline said. "But no where you would have gone, though I'm sure you've heard of it. I purchased my gown in the R.C.E. boutique," she said snobbishly. This caught Jane's attention, and she knew that Lizzy was toying with Caroline out of pure boredom. She gave one more small smile to Bingley before saving Caroline.
"Really, that is impressive, Caroline. I've heard that Rosaline Elizabeth only creates ten of every gown. You're very lucky to have such a unique dress," she said sweetly. Lizzy was over on the side, out of everyone's notice but Jane's, pretending to gag on her spoon. At least, she thought, she was out of everyone's notice. Darcy looked at her with a raised eyebrow, and said something quietly to her, also out of everyone's notice.
"Are you quite alright?" he asked. She was shocked. It was the longest sentence he had uttered, and only now she was noticing that he had an English accent. Which really shouldn't have surprised her considering the whole party was from England, and Bingley and Caroline certainly had accents. She was also shocked because she hadn't counted on anyone but Jane noticing that she was gagging on her spoon. She immediately stopped and attempted to look dignified.
"I'm fine. It's only that I happen to know that Caroline's dress is not Rosaline," she said, just as quietly. He looked at her in surprise.
"I wouldn't have pegged you as the brand-name type," he said in such a way that he did not find this as a good thing. She shrugged and answered his unasked question.
"I'm not a label snob. I just don't like it when people use my— croscopic details like a label as a way to show off in society." It was poor cover. Jane looked at her skeptically. Darcy didn't seem to notice her slip-up. Microscopic details? Lizzy thought to herself. The same expression was all over Jane's face. When they made eye contact she pointedly turned back to Bingley and Caroline, who were talking about the upcoming fall fashion week in New York. Lizzy decided that it was best if she stopped making small talk with the absurdly good looking man next to her, because his quietness made her want to fill in the silence with words. Words she might regret.
"Yes, I think we should attend. I was almost invited last week, you know, by Rosaline Elizabeth herself," Caroline was saying to her brother. Jane raised an eyebrow.
"Really, Caroline? You know her quite well, don't you?" she asked. Lizzy could barely contain her laughter. This was one of her favorite things about her secret. People loved to name drop, and she was a huge name. There was nothing like catching someone in a lie, to know their true character. Caroline answered Jane in the affirmative. Jane nodded enthusiastically. She really is to nice to people who don't deserve it, Lizzy thought.
"We'll be there, Lizzy and I, too you know," Jane answered in reply. Caroline looked surprised.
"Really? Do you usually attend events like these?" she asked, for some reason looking back at her brother, and then to Darcy.
"Um, well yes," Lizzy answered for her sister, who had looked at her awkwardly. They didn't like to talk about their profession upon first meetings. It left negative impressions, more often than not. "We, erm...we work at a lot of the fashion events in the city. Jane and I live there," she explained. They would find out soon enough, if not because of the show, and the fact that they were in a few of them, then because of the loud-mouth gossips that occupied Hertfordshire.
Caroline's features changed back from surprise to contempt. "Oh, I see. So we won't be seeing you in the audience then?" she asked, obviously fishing for a superiority compliment. Lizzy rolled her eyes. Did she think that both she and Jane would be working the lights or something equally idiotic? This girl had a complex. As she was rolling her eyes, she caught Darcy, also rolling his eyes, at Caroline's obvious attempt to one-up the sisters. The rest of the meal finally came, and they ate in relative silence, save the small talk that came around often enough to make the meal not awkward.
As this was a gala, there were speeches to be made, toasts to be given, and people to give thanks to for organizing, funding, and decorating this fabulous event. But in the end, everyone was really waiting for the lights to dim, the chatter to dull, and the music to start. The band started out with a moderate number, one that couples could dance to in a casual manner. Charlotte and Lizzy went out to dance a two-step waltz together, while an ecstatic (although she didn't show it), Jane was asked by Bingley. Caroline asked Darcy, and the Hursts took the floor together, as numerous other young couples went out. As they were dancing, but mostly people watching, Lizzy looked out for her sisters. Lydia and Kat both were dancing with two teenage-looking boys, who were awkwardly trying to keep up with the twenty and thrity-something couples that actually knew what they were doing. Mary, who hadn't been looking forward to the gala since planning began a few years back, had started a band, gotten good, and gotten themselves booked for this night. Lizzy looked at her younger sister that was currently on the stage, doing a very good job of singing and playing the piano, with her boyfriend on the drums, a random classmate from music theory on the bass, her best friend on the guitar, and one misfit she'd met in detention singing with her, playing the guitar. They were a good band, and this outlet for creativity suited Mary very well.
"Janey and Bingley look good," Charlotte commented. Both of them looked like they were so lucky to have secured their partner.
"Yeah, they do, don't they? He thinks she's beautiful, clearly," Lizzy observed. "Want to go sit and catch up?" she asked as the next song began.
Lizzy and Charlotte made their way to the now-empty table. Everyone else was dancing, even Darcy, who did not look too pleased that Caroline had secured him for the second song. Lizzy spoke first.
"So, what do you think of our most esteemed guests, Char?" she asked Charlotte while taking a sip from her wine glass.
"You know and I know that you have no interest in what I think. You just want me to ask you what you think." Charlotte really did know her too well.
"I think the Hursts are alright. Not snobby, but they keep to themselves. Kind of like Jane. Bingley's okay too. Nice, only he's flirting with Janey rather a lot. I don't want her heart breaking because of some rock star," she said as Charlotte nodded. She generally agreed with what Lizzy was saying. "Um, Caroline is a liar. A name dropper. I didn't design her dress. And Darcy's okay, I guess. Real quiet. But I can't fault him for keeping to himself. Lizzy finished.
"He's hot though, isn't he?" Charlotte asked, laughing. Lizzy laughed too and said:
"Yes, he is rather gorgeous." Lizzy thought for a second, "But what a shame! He looks as if we're not good enough. I mean, Jane and I have been to great parties before! But we try not to show it…"she trailed off, looking back at Darcy, who was walking over to the table that held drinks. He'd left Caroline somewhere. Charlotte looked over too.
"Yeah, it's a shame about his pride. But what I wouldn't give to have that in my bed when I wake up tomorrow morning."
In case anyone was confused (I hope not, because I should hope I explained it clearly), Lizzy is an undercover designer. The Hannah Montanna of the fashion world, if I may. Except much cooler, which isn't difficult. This plays out in the story quite a bit, I think. Ask questions if you aren't clear on anything!
Well? It will pick up, I promise! This will be the new standard length of chapters, by the way. I just want to get all this introductory stuff out of the way! Reviews help me update faster(:
-ifshoneydukes
