Chapter Four

We arrived at Netherfield after a very uncomfortable carriage ride. I longed for the suspension of a car. We were shown into the house by servants and escorted to a drawing room. Upon a couch sat a very fine lady who I could only guess was Caroline Bingley and a handsome man stood behind her. I knew instantly that this was Mr Darcy and imagined that Amanda must have been in trouble. She always did fall for the tall, dark and handsome men that never appealed to me. He definitely fell under the category of tall and handsome and by the evil looks he was giving the Bennet family I would think dark also.

The Bennet family had already been introduced to Darcy and Caroline but the duty fell to Mrs Bennet to introduce me. Mr Darcy looked at me surprised and Caroline only managed a sneer which I felt very much that I would like to slap off of her face. Mrs Bennet then managed to babble continuously that the rest of us seemed to tune out until a slim blonde girl, Jane, came through the door escorted by Mr Bingley and my sister.

'Jane! My heart has not been right since I discovered you were gone' Mrs Bennet exclaimed as she went to hug her daughter. This was the point that Manda realised that I was stood with the Bennet girls.

'Eli!' she screamed and ran and hugged the life out of me. 'What are you doing here?' she whispered in my ear.

'I came to find you' I whispered back.

'How weird is this? We are in Pride and Prejudice! But everything is going wrong. Elizabeth hasn't met Darcy! I kissed Bingley and then had to make him fall in love with Jane by telling him I was a lesbian' Manda squeaked in her excitement and panic.

'Shhh… calm down, we'll sort things out when we can talk properly' I hissed to her. I was always the more rational one out of us.

Whilst we had been having our whispered conversation, the rest of the party had continued to talk about Jane's illness.

'With the permission of my host's I am quite ready to return home' Jane nodded to her mother.

Beside me I heard Manda mutter 'Come on Bingers' and I almost laughed aloud. I knew she desperately wanted the story to go right and for Bingley to fall in love with Jane.

'Oh right you are' he said embarrassed. However, I for one did not miss the nervous look that he cast at Darcy and immediately my suspicions were raised. 'Errm, I'll bid you good day madam'

'That was pathetic' Amanda muttered again and she immediately moved to Jane's side to give her some comfort for Bingley's behaviour.