Fourteenth!
...yeah.
Disclaimer: -ahem-
-Sanded Silk-
There was a clamor downstairs as Elizabeth and Jane ventured down the staircase. Elizabeth saw the door closing, and hurried to find the source of the clamor.
Lydia was circling the living room and squealing with glee, while Kitty was sprawled on a sofa, screaming insanities into the cushions. Mary, Aunt Rose, and Uncle Tom were looking on solemnly, as Mrs. Bennet tried to circle the room with Lydia and Mr. Bennet tried to comfort Kitty.
"Why don't I get to go?" Kitty wailed.
"Because I'm so much better than you are," Lydia sang.
"Go where?" Elizabeth sighed, sitting on the arm of the sofa to pet Kitty's hair.
Mr. Bennet looked up. "Mrs. Forster visited just now—you know Mrs. Forster, right? The hostess of the party that welcomed the soldiers home. Lydia and Kitty dragged you to it, I believe."
"I remember. Why was she here?"
"She came to offer to take Lydia traveling with a group of soldiers. They're going off to Brighton to visit some sort of camp or something—"
"It's a lodge where a whole bunch of soldiers are staying," Lydia squealed. "I'll be completely surrounded by tall, handsome young men all day!" At this, Kitty's wails heightened a few octaves.
Elizabeth dragged her father aside. "You can't let Lydia go!"
"And why not?"
"She's the most flirtatious, most improper girl in the world! She'll bring shame to all the Bennets to come!"
"First of all, you five girls are the only Bennets, and since your children will not inherit the Bennet name, you don't have to worry about them carrying around that burden. Secondly, she will continue to be flirtatious and improper if she stays here the rest of her days. She needs to go somewhere unfamiliar, someplace where there will be much more important people than herself. She has to learn that she isn't the biggest thing that ever happened in world history."
"But it's not safe!"
"Lizzy, don't think I'm insulting Lydia, but she's not nearly rich enough—or appealing enough in any way, shape, or form—to incite the advancements of some predator. Believe me." He sighed. "Besides, if she doesn't leave, we won't have peace for the rest of winter break."
Elizabeth gaped. "Is that all you really care about? Peace and quiet?"
"Well, you have to admit, the idea is very appealing. Besides, the Forsters are a sensible couple. They won't let anything happen to Lydia."
"But what about Kitty?"
"I'm even less worried about Kitty. Kitty's got it in her to learn someday without having to leave Hertfordshire, but Lydia—not so much. Lydia can't get much worse than she is now, you know."
Elizabeth glanced at Lydia, who was mockingly comforting Kitty, and sighed.
Aunt Rose was talking in a low voice with Uncle Tom, and when he nodded and smiled at her, she smiled back before somehow making her way through the living room to Elizabeth.
"Lizzy, your Uncle and I were thinking about going straight from here to Amorie Falls. You've heard of it, haven't you?"
"Yes, I heard that it's a very nice place."
"Your Uncle and I were wondering if you wanted to come with us before school starts. Also, there are no soldier's-lodges near Amorie Falls, which we think is a huge plus for you."
Elizabeth laughed. "It really is a huge plus for me!"
"Come with us, then. Get some fresh air. Amorie Falls in the winter is especially stunning."
By then, Uncle Tom had wormed his way past the clamor to Aunt Rose's side, and was listening in.
Out of the blue, Will's face suddenly flashed across Elizabeth's mind—his doleful stare, his dark windblown hair, his strong jaw. Elizabeth flinched.
"The glories of nature. What are men compared to crashing waters and solid rock?" She said suddenly. "Men are either arrogant or stupid, and if they manage to escape both categories and make the amiable category, then they have no mind of their own."
Uncle Tom choked. Aunt Rose's eyebrows rose. "That was really random, Lizzy. Did something happen in Kent?"
Elizabeth looked away. "No. Do we leave tomorrow?"
"Yes. But—"
"At dawn?"
"For heaven's sake, Lizzy, I was joking."
Elizabeth smiled. "I know." She moved to walk away, then looked at her aunt and uncle, the smile gone. "I'm sorry. It's just been a stressful few days for me."
They nodded, not daring ask what her troubles had been, and she detached herself from them to join Jane in comforting Kitty.
-o-o-o-o-o-
That night, while Lizzy was re-packing the clothes that she had just dumped out, Jane walked in.
"Lizzy, do you need any help?"
Elizabeth looked up, and smiled. "Oh, no thanks. I only unpacked some of my clothes. Just need to refold them."
Jane watched Elizabeth for a moment, then shrugged. "Okay."
Just as Jane's back disappeared through the door, Elizabeth called her back. Jane backtracked, stood at the door. "Yeah?"
Elizabeth sat down on her bed, putting the sweater she had been folding aside. She had to tell Jane.
"I saw Will in Kent."
"Really?" Jane paled slightly.
"Yeah. Apparently, he's Catherine de Bourgh's nephew."
"Wow! Really? That explains why he's so rich to begin with."
"Yeah." Elizabeth opened her mouth to tell Jane about the proposal, the refusal, the argument, the letter. Charles. But she suddenly realized that something was forcing her jaw closed, and she couldn't utter even a word of what had happened.
"Lizzy? Is something wrong?"
Elizabeth shook her head slowly. "No."
"Why didn't you tell me about Will before?"
Elizabeth didn't answer.
"Did he..." Jane leaned against the door frame. "Did he mention Charles?"
Elizabeth stared at Jane for a moment. "No." She shook her head some more. "Not at all."
"Oh." Jane looked down at the floor to regain her composure, to hide her pain. "Okay," she said quietly, and left.
-o-o-o-o-o-
Elizabeth stood at the majestic foot of Amorie Falls and stared in wonder. How long had it been since she'd been so close to nature? So exposed to the trees, the snow, the biting-cold air? For some reason, as Elizabeth stood on a snow-covered rock in her most comfortable winter clothes in awe, all her worries—about Charles, Will, George, Lydia, Jane, Uncle William and Charlotte—seemed far away, mere specks in the grand scheme.
Uncle Tom walked up next to her. "Ah, what are men compared to crashing waters and solid rock?"
Elizabeth laughed freely. "Sorry if I insulted you, Uncle. I was..." She couldn't quite explain, but it didn't bother her.
"It's all right," her uncle chuckled. "In my sister's household, no one is allowed to go about stress-free."
Elizabeth laughed again, then looked at her uncle. "Where exactly are we?"
Aunt Rose was standing next to her uncle. "We're actually very close to Pemberley," Aunt Rose piped up.
Elizabeth's stomach jumped to her mouth, then plummeted. "What?"
"Pemberley," her uncle repeated. "Why?"
"That's..." Elizabeth struggled to form words with her mouth. All thoughts about the majesty and peace of Amorie Falls had been sucked out of her. "That's Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy's home. Isn't it?"
"Yes, that's his name," her uncle said, waving his arm. "I heard that his lake is choking with fish. You know, come to think of it, I would really like to see how the fishing goes there—"
"Oh no, let's not," Elizabeth cut in.
"What? Why not?" Uncle Tom and Aunt Rose were puzzled at Elizabeth's sudden, unhesitant denial.
"I'd..." Elizabeth shrugged, and looked back at the waterfall. "I'd rather not."
"No good reason?"
Elizabeth shrugged again, looking down at her gloved hands, which were clasped together in nervousness. "I'd just rather not. He's so...he's so..."
"So what?" Aunt Rose asked, increasingly confused.
"He's so rich."
"So rich?" Uncle Tom laughed. "You're such a snob, Lizzy. It's not his fault that he's so rich, anyway. He's the nephew of Catherine de Bourgh, and he's a very gifted businessman. Besides, he himself won't be at home. He's almost never at home."
Elizabeth couldn't create a reason not to go, not with her mind so frazzled, so she stared at the waterfall and waited for her aunt and uncle to go off exploring before allowing herself to sag and pace restlessly.
Go see Will! That was the last thing Elizabeth wanted to do. According to her uncle, he wasn't home, but she didn't want to take any risks. What if he was home, and they saw each other? How would she explain her being there?
Elizabeth sighed. He probably hated her, for the way she mercilessly criticized him. He wasn't innocent of those crimes, but they had been well-reasoned—especially in his denying George of more money—
Elizabeth wanted to scream. She didn't want to see him! But she couldn't tell her uncle and aunt the real reason why she didn't want to go.
Elizabeth squatted down, pulling her knees to her chest, and despaired.
A/N: Wheeee! Fourteenth chapter done XP There are probably some really stupid typos in here, but I'm not bothering to check because I'm actually supposed to be finishing up history homework, which is due tomorrow...and which I haven't started yet...hmm.
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-Sanded Silk-