CHAPTER FOUR: ONCE UPON A DREAM

Author's Note: I've had so much stuff go on today that I almost forgot to upload a chapter! I went to see Inside Out and it was absolutely adorable. Anyway, the fourth chapter in this installment is ready to go.

Not a long entry but everything is set up for the pursuit of Mr. Bingley and the adventures at Netherfield Park. Please review if you have the opportunity!


Mrs. Bennet and Mrs. Lucas were impressed by the girls in bringing home such fine furniture for such a small price. The girls parted ways and Ariel and Aurora joined their party with a few ribbons from a shop. They were disgusted that the three eldest had been doing exactly what their mother told them not to do but they were hushed anyway.

They arrived home from town with the good news about their adventures. Mr. Bennet was still not convinced to go to town by the urgings of his three daughters, even if the shop owner was kind. Everyone carried out their daily duties as the day passed.

That evening, Mary-Margaret and Emma dragged Belle to their room and as they prepared for bed, Belle read from the storybook. It was probably intended for children but the stories were so captivating that even the girls wanted to take part. Belle sat by the window, with her curly brown hair wrapped in a braid.

"What is the title of the book?" Emma asked.

"Once Upon a Time," Belle replied. "I don't know much about it, but every story begins with 'Once upon a time…' but almost every story that mom told us when we were growing up is in this book."

Emma didn't care- the book had beautiful pictures and had more than just the simple stories that put her to sleep. They listened to Belle's reading as they settled in to sleep. Mary-Margaret was the first to go but Emma began to drift in an unusual story of a swan princess and dashing pirate.


The next morning, news broke in the house about the militia arriving today and Mrs. Bennet was inconsolable. Ariel and Aurora were in an uproar that they would be able to return to town to watch the militia march in. Emma eyed her father during breakfast and he snickered over the edge of his newspaper.

Breakfast was almost done when their servant, Betsy, arrived with a special post for Mary-Margaret from Netherfield. Mrs. Bennet was in an uproar that there was finally a reply from Mary-Margaret's potential suitor.

"Praise the lord, we are saved," Mrs. Bennet joked. The younger girls chuckled as Mrs. Bennet urged Mary-Margaret to open her post at the table.


My dear friend,

If you are not so compassionate as to dine to-day with Jacqueline and me, we shall be in danger of hating each other for the rest of our lives; for a whole day's tête-a-tête between two women can never end without a quarrel.

Come as soon as you can on the receipt of this. My brother and the other gentlemen are to dine with the officer's to-night.

Yours ever,

Caroline Bingley


"Dining out!" Mrs. Bennet shouted. "How unlucky."

"Can I take the carriage?" Mary-Margaret asked.

Mrs. Bennet immediately ripped the letter from Mary-Margaret's hands and began to read its contents. "This is unaccountable of him, dining out indeed!"

"Mama, the carriage," Emma urged.

Mrs. Bennet was quite stricken with the news that her daughter's potential suitor was not interested in spending any time with her. She had to concoct a plot for Mary-Margaret to stay longer at Netherfield longer than intended. The rain in England was always a daily event and it was looking dreary that morning.

"Certainly not," Mrs. Bennet announced. "She'll go on horseback."

"Horseback?!" Emma and Mary-Margaret interjected.

A rumble of thunder roared across the sky. Mrs. Bennet smiled for she was content about the decision of the fate of her daughter. Emma looked to Mr. Bennet for consolation on his poor daughter but he was not bothered with their mother's ramblings.

Emma and Mary-Margaret continued their breakfast in silence while the rest of the family continued in their natural state. Once everyone was finished, they rushed upstairs to quickly pack Mary-Margaret.

Mary-Margaret had not been gone long before it rained hard. Her sisters were uneasy for her, but her mother was delighted. The Bennets carried out their daily chores, with Emma rushing out into the rain for something at the stables. Upon her return, she raced to the backdoor with a wet cloth in hand to wring out her wet hair.

Mr. Bennet opened the door and Emma rushed in. Mrs. Bennet was standing at the window, arranging flowers and Mr. Bennet had moved behind her in order to let Emma in the door.

"She'll have to stay the night, just as I predicted," Mrs. Bennet admitted as they looked out on downpour.

"Good grief, woman," Mr. Bennet relented. "Your skills in the art of matchmaking are positively occult."

"No, I don't think, mama, that you can easily take credit for making it rain," Emma added. She softly chuckled and closed the door to their house at Longborne.

Mrs. Bennet seized an opportunity to receive word about the militia. She took along Ariel and Aurora for her visit to Meryton because of the chance that marrying them off to an officer would be an excellent opportunity. The rain let up for that afternoon but the militia marched into Meryton in the mud.

The rain continued that evening without intermission; Mary-Margaret certainly could not come back. The Bennet family gathered in the drawing room to sit around the warm fire. Emma was continuously concerned for her sister in the chance to acquire a suitor of high status. She was also concerned at the great lengths that her mother would go for her to just win someone. It made her think harder on staying an old maid for the rest of her life.


End note: Like the little bit about the swan princess and the pirate? (It's important, keep that in the back of your mind) Next chapter will be earlier because I have a crazy weekend ahead.