Rule Number 12: Middle names are off limits to any form of teasing, blackmailing, or general use at all.
I can't help but feel a little discriminated against. It's not my fault I don't have one!
Rule Number 14: It has been agreed that the exam period is the only time we do not have any visitors at Austen House. None of us can afford the distraction.
And don't listen to George when he argues against this! He can be very distracting… - The Rules of Austen House by Ellen Dashwood with Commentary by Emma Woodhouse.
Emma was relieved to be back at University – not that it lasted (more on that later). Her last two weeks had been horrible on her. Well, on one hand, it hadn't been that bad, she had finally finished her first draft of her Dissertation, finished one of her assignments, spent time with Harriet, and been able to relax with Taylor as they sorted through all the presents from her baby shower. But on the other hand, her father had made her visit Dr Perry three times (as he was convinced she caught something terrible in that awful hospital), she had not been able to make amends with Professor Jane Fairfax (who had left to visit friends by the time Emma got back), and there was no George.
No George at all. Not a single sight of him in Highbury, no messages to let her know he was okay, no phone calls so she could hear his voice. No George accounts from anyone as he had wanted to avoid her so much that he left the freaking country. Yes, because that's always done wonders on a girl's ego!
Just the very thought made her want to scream. She would have done if she had been home, in her bedroom, and had a pillow to muffle the shriek so no one knew she was screaming. But unfortunately she was actually in public, surrounded by her friends, in a very quiet corridor, about to make her apologies.
And this is where her relief to be back at Uni dies a tragic death.
"You can do it," Fanny encouraged her with a smile, "after all you already did the hard part by apologising to her aunt."
"Yeah," Emma said weakly.
Miss Bates had been so kind to Emma when she returned to Highbury. So kind that Emma felt even guiltier than she did when she first apologised to the talkative woman. She didn't deserve the warm welcome, her favourite cake served alongside tea, and a never-ending stream of flattery that she received when she visited Miss Bates. She definitely deserved whatever coldness she was about to receive from Jane once she finally knocks on her door.
"She's not going to bite your head off," Lizzie rolled her eyes, "it's Professor Fairfax. She's the fairest professor of this department."
"Besides it's something you need to do," Ellen jumped in, "for yourself, more than anything. You need to close the door on this, permanently."
"For our sanity as well as yours," Cathy added nervously, "We're all starting to feel rather guilty as well."
Emma frowned in confusion at Cathy. She was glad to say that she was not the only one as Lizzie, Anne, and Ellen wore similar expressions, and Fanny had a look of motherly concern on her face. "I think that's just you," Lizzie said, "and it has something to do with your own problems that we will resolve after this."
"No, no!" Cathy flailed a little. "It's over. He'll never want to see me again, and I don't really want to see any of Tilneys either. I was a horrible guest and-"
"Guys!" Ellen interrupted with a chiding tone. "Can we discuss this when we're at home, and you know, not in front half of our lecturers?" they all blushed a little as they realised a couple of their professors had stopped in the corridor to watch them, and a few more had stuck their heads out from their office. God whatever happened to the good old London policy of ignoring drama? Can't a couple girls have a bit of a breakdown out in public in peace? "Emma," Ellen shot her a look that was probably her sternest, most non-nonsensical, look ever. It certainly made Emma feel like a five year old that had been caught troublemaking. "We're all here for you, you're not doing this alone, but you will be soon if you keep hesitating. We have essays to hand in and work to do. Knock that door or one of us will."
Emma bit her lip and tried to muster her courage. "Oh for fuck sake!" Lizzie snapped, and she banged on the door on Emma's behalf. "There! It's done!"
There was a muffled reply from inside the office that Emma couldn't make out. "I think she's busy," Emma said brightly, "let's come back another day!" she turned to leave when Ellen grabbed hold of her firmly and turned her round.
"Oh no you don't!" Ellen said fiercely.
It was then when Anne opened the door and Ellen shoved Emma into the office. Emma's mouth dropped open at the sight she witnessed while some of the other girls gasped. "Oh my God!" Cathy cried out, her eyes looked like they were about to pop out from their sockets.
"Holy shit!" Lizzie yelped equally shocked.
There, right before their eyes, stood Frank Churchill and Jane Fairfax, their professor, snogging. Really, really, snogging. Emma's cheeks turned pink for a whole different reason now as she awkwardly looked away.
Jane must have caught sight of them because she pulled away from Frank and shrieked a little. "Wha…?" Frank mumbled dumbly. He turned and cursed violently when he caught sight of the girls. "Fucking hell," he repeated again, "Fuck! Em, I can explain. I'm sure you know that I never intended any romantic connection with you and-"
"I really don't need to hear your apologies," Emma interrupted as soon as she found her voice. And she really didn't need to hear any apologies because what did Frank need to apologise for? "We were only ever friends, I'm just….really shocked."
The other girls murmured their agreement as Jane blushed a red that was probably darker and brighter than all the girls' blushes put together. Is that even possible? Emma thought dazedly to herself. "I don't usually do this sort of thing," Jane agreed as she tried to straighten her blouse, "but Frank and I were celebrating."
Frank draped an arm round Jane's shoulders and her blush deepened. Emma was certain that her professor's head was about to explode or implode out of sheer embarrassment. "I finally told my mother about our relationship, and that I no longer needed her controlling my life, and therefore Jane and I can go public," Frank said cheerfully, and perhaps a little sheepishly as well.
"It helped that Frank has also finished his degree work and has found a job to help him remain financially independent from his mother," Jane added.
"Heh," Frank smiled sheepishly, "Dad and Taylor have been very supportive as well."
"Well…erm…" Emma suddenly felt even more awkward than she was before. "Congratulations, really, I'm happy for you….erm…I just came to, well, say sorry. For my behaviour over Easter!"
"Oh! It's okay! You already apologised!" Jane blurted out equally flustered.
"Right," Emma said, "So….erm…I'll just go now."
"Okay," Jane agreed, "I will see you in class."
They all shuffled to leave the office when Lizzie suddenly snapped. "I'm sorry, but no," she said angrily as she pushed away from the girls, stormed up to Frank, and sunk her fist into his stomach. Frank made a horrible groaning noise as he fell onto his knees and gasped for air. "That's for Emma and Professor Fairfax," she informed him.
"OH MY GOD!"
Emma was glad to say that she was not the only one to scream that. Ellen grabbed hold of Lizzie, before she could attack Frank again, and tugged her out of the office. "I'm sorry!" Emma called out over her shoulder as she rushed after the girls.
"What the hell, Lizzie?" Cathy shrieked.
"He deserved it," Lizzie shrugged.
"He did not!" Anne appeared almost hysterical. Emma couldn't blame her, she felt a bit on edge herself, after all who would expect Lizzie to just punch someone like that? "Why? Why would you do that?"
"He deserved it," Lizzie repeated firmly, "just as Charlie Bingley, George Wickham, and Willoughby deserved it."
Emma's eyes widened in understanding. It wasn't Frank who had been punched today; it had been the men who had hurt the important women in Lizzie's life. The men who had made her sisters cry that she had punched.
Frank had just been the wrong-doing guy in the wrong place.
"Let's discuss this later," Ellen said sensibly, "before we get escorted out by security."
JAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJA
NO VISITORS ALLOWED!
By order of all members of Austen House, there shall be no friends, no surprise visits, and no boys (yes this includes you George!) until the exam period is over.
If Harry was an anime character he would have sweat-dropped. If that was the correct terminology for this strange mix of exasperation, nervousness, and fear. He really wasn't sure as he wasn't an anime/manga fan like Cathy was, and the only anime he does remember seeing had been popular TV shows when he was a child. Nothing he remembered in great detail.
His reaction to the sign didn't matter though. Because this was surely a sign from God, a laminated and nailed to the front door sign, telling him that he was most certainly not welcome right now.
He had come to apologise but looking at this sign had told him that he was far too unprepared. What on earth could he say to make it better? What magic words were there to make her forgive him?
He had allowed the worst to happen to her, and all because of his pride and anger.
If he hadn't left to do some research which he only did for two reasons. The first had been his pride, he wished to strive for the best grade on his thesis, and therefore let his pride dictate to get this work done as soon as possible and to the highest quality. This had, of course, distracted him long enough for what had happened to Cathy to happen. The second reason had been his own anger. He was so upset, so infuriated, that Cathy could think such things about his family. Sure his Father was not the nicest person in the world – as proven by his own actions to Cathy – but that did not mean he was a killer, and it was an insult to Harry's mother and her judgement, to think so. He left eagerly to fume and because of that he had abandoned her.
When Ella phoned to tell him what their Father had done, he had been horrified. It was the middle of the night! It was unsafe out there! Cathy was only just twenty years old and Lord knows she was very sheltered and naïve! God knows what could have happened to her! She could have been mugged, or attacked, or raped, or worse, killed, and all because she was in the wrong place in the wrong time because his Father kicked her out.
And why did he kick her out?
Because she was poor.
Honestly, Harry was so ashamed that he could die of it.
He had a blazing row with his Father the moment he had come home. He then searched for Cathy, and was relieved to find that she was safe with friends, when she sent an email to Ella a few days later. Out of respect of her friends' trouble and, much to his everlasting shame, fear of rejection, he stayed away. Instead he ordered his affairs as he cut all ties with his Father and was now actively seeking for immediate employment after he has completed his education.
He was now as poor as any other student in Britain. Poorer still as he had nowhere to go, no home to call his, and no family, apart from Ella, and she has nothing but what is Father's, to rely on.
He had nothing but burdens to give.
Cathy was probably stressed to ridiculous heights with her exams. He would only add to it if he knocked now…
He would come back after the exams.
And he would grovel.
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Not long after the punching Frank incident (which fortunately didn't cause any legal problems, as Lizzie knew it wouldn't – not that any of the girls would listen to her as they fretted for days, Jeeze!) the girls soon found themselves swamped. There was Dissertations to finish, essays to write, exams to revise for, and their one last play to rehearse for. It was a never-ending whirlwind of work, and it was exhausting.
Thank God for Darcy! Lizzie never thought she would ever think those words, ever, not even if pigs flew, but now she thought them day in and day out. He was her constant comfort that this chaos would end soon enough. Without his never-ending stream of witty commentary though text, Lizzie wasn't sure if she would be able to smile. She certainly would have snapped if he hadn't been for his support during the whole punching Frank incident (finally someone got it!).
Anyway! Enough about Darcy. It was another terrible, hot, May Day, and it was spent in the kitchen, surrounded by books and housemates, as Lizzie crammed as much revision as she could for her final exam. This was when Emma gives them all an unexpected break.
"Crap!" she cursed. "Did you know we need to book our tickets for graduation now?"
Everyone frowned at her in confusion. "What exactly does that have to do with revision?" Lizzie asked.
"Erm," Emma smiled sheepishly, "I may have stopped working and started playing on Facebook."
"Emma!"
"I know, I know, but I needed a break!" Emma protested. "But graduation! If we don't book now we might not get tickets at all, and I don't know about you, but I'd like to have my father see me accept my diploma."
Lizzie inwardly shuddered at the thought of her telling her mother how she won't be able to see Lizzie graduate because she didn't book her tickets in time. That was not a scenario anyone in Meryton would appreciate her making into reality. In fact the whole county would hear of it. "This is ridiculous," she grumbled as she opened Internet Explorer, "we don't even know if we've passed yet! How can we be expected to book our graduation now?"
"I'm sure we will get our degrees no matter what," Ellen said calmly, "after all it isn't like we've been failing any of our assignments or exams in the last three years."
"Still," Lizzie muttered darkly. She didn't like the lack of logic behind this at all.
"We have to order our photos and robes as well," Emma said as she typed her own details in, "they want us to give our measurements for the robes."
This only furthered to disgruntle Lizzie. Why? Why do they have to fill out these ridiculous forms with their utmost personal details before they sit the exams that decide whether they get this day or not? Utterly stupid.
"I'll get the measuring tape," Fanny said as she stood up.
With everyone distracted, Lizzie took full advantage to voice her frustration through text. You could have warned me how fricking annoying graduation actually is. I'm having to be intimate with a measuring tape instead of doing my revision, she moaned to Darcy.
After dropping her phone back onto the kitchen table, she started filling out the forms, fortunately some were automatically filled from the University's database, but unfortunately they were filled from the University's database which meant her middle name. God why did they need that?
"Urgh," Ellen moaned, "why do they need our middle names at all?" she asked voicing Lizzie's own complaint.
"Oh don't be a drama queen," Emma rolled her eyes. As usual she was her lovely, understanding, sympathetic self, and not at all being intolerant because she didn't understand their pain. Ah…maybe she was being a bit of a drama queen herself. "There's nothing wrong with your middle names."
"Says Miss I Have No Middle Name," Lizzie pointed out.
"My parents sadly lacked creativity to come up with a second name," Emma said with mock tragedy (and she called Ellen a drama queen!), hand on her chest to emphasis her mocking. "Something my sister, sadly, inherited."
Okay, Lizzie could definitely give Emma that one. All five of her mons- err, she means charming nephews and nieces were named after their parents, grandparent, and aunt, and uncle. There was no originality at all.
"What do you have against your middle name?" Cathy asked curiously. "It can't be too bad….mine is Laura."
"It's Grace," Lizzie admitted grudgingly. She hated her middle name. For many reasons but mainly because how it sounded when her mother shrieked her full name out for the entire town to hear.
"Elizabeth Grace…" Cathy murmured thoughtfully, "that's not horrible,"
"No," Lizzie agreed, "but when you take in account that my sisters' names are Lydia Chasity, Katherine Temperance, Mary Patience, and Jane Prudence, you notice the theme of feminine virtues that my father picked out as a joke." He thought he was being clever, and would often say (in his usual dry wit) that he was being hopeful his children would exhibit those virtues. "It's embarrassing."
"Better than mine," Ellen muttered.
"There's nothing wrong with Ellen Rose!"
"I have my reasons to dislike it."
Ellen's tone made it clear that they were not to question it. There was so little that Ellen hid from them, so little that she refused to talk about, that whatever it was, Lizzie knew there was no point in pursuing it. Something miserable though, she thought as she observed the paleness of Ellen's lips as she pursed them tightly together her eyes took a stormy shade of blue-green as well. Definitely time to drop the subject.
"Honestly," Emma rolled her eyes again, "neither of you have the right to complain. Anne might-"
"Why?" Cathy interrupted. "What's Anne's middle name?"
Anne grimaced behind her laptop. "Regina," she said quietly, "it's Regina."
"That's pretty."
"It's also my sisters' middle name," Anne scowled a little at that. Elizabeth couldn't blame her at all. It was annoying and rather embarrassing to share a theme with your sisters when it came to names, but it was even more so when your parents can't be bothered to be more imaginative and give you a different name entirely. It was like having a boy and a girl, and naming them Christopher and Christina, no actual thought being put into at all. "We're all named after Queens of England. My name is a Queen's signature."
"I like it," Cathy said, "It's a nice historical twist."
"You can have it."
Only Cathy was surprised by Anne's bitterness. The others had known her long enough to know that, if she could do it for free, Anne would have changed her name a long time ago. Nothing too drastic or melodramatic, just a lack of middle name, and perhaps a change of surname.
"I'd definitely take it," Fanny smiled as she entered the kitchen, measuring tape in hand, "in fact you and I should swap middle names, Anne," she said in a joking manner that implied it wasn't really a joke.
Emma stood up and allowed Fanny to measure her. As Cathy, who was far too interested in this topic for anyone's liking, but then again Cathy had no graduation forms to fill out, and anything was always better than revising (Lizzie knew this well as she often found herself cleaning her room to get out looking at her notes for the thousandth time.), asked, "Why what is so bad about your middle name, Fanny?"
"Nothing really," Fanny said pleasantly. Far more than any of the others, yes Lizzie included herself in this, had been about the subject at hand. "It's the most common middle name for girls in our generation, I quite like it really."
"Why what is it?"
"Louise."
"That's quite pretty as well," Cathy agreed, "So what's the problem?"
Seriously? Did Cathy not see it at all? Lizzie had seen it the moment she had accidentally read Fanny's full name on the class list back in First Year, and had cringed on her behalf. "Honestly, Cathy!" she snapped having lost all patience. "You go to school with a name like Fanny Lou and then you tell us what the problem is."
Cathy's eyes widened as her cheeks flushed pink. "Oh!" she cried out. "Oh that's horrible! I'm so sorry!"
"It's ok," Fanny said softly. "I'm used to it." But it wasn't something someone should be used to. That was another thing that enraged Lizzie on a daily basis, people being used to verbal abuse from their peers. The conversation fell flat at that as everyone focused on either their forms or their revision. Fanny had finished measuring Emma and had then moved on to Anne and Ellen, it was when she asked Lizzie to stand that Emma started a new conversation.
"Fanny," she said quite loudly, but then they had been virtually silent and a whisper would have sounded like a shout. "you're not booking your tickets?" it was worded like a question but it sounded more like an observation, and Lizzie couldn't help but wonder where Emma was going with this.
"I have no plans to go to my own graduation," Fanny confessed as she started to measure Lizzie's head (yes, they have to measure their heads for the hats, and yes, she agreed, it was ridiculous!) "So it would be a waste of everyone's time and my money if I were to book tickets."
"But you have to go!" Emma protested. "It's an important day that is celebrating a great achievement of yours! You worked hard for the last three years to get to this day! You ought to be able to celebrate it!
"Emma," Fanny sighed, as she moved the measuring tape to measure Lizzie's chest, "I have no fam-"
Emma obviously knew what Fanny's argument was going to be, and didn't like it, as she immediately interrupted her. "We want to see you graduate!" she cried out. "After all you're seeing us."
"I am?" Fanny sounded perplex. Lizzie couldn't blame her. She felt rather confused as well.
"Yep," Emma nodded happily, "I ordered you a ticket, along with Cathy, and my Dad."
"Emma!" Both Cathy and Fanny half cried out, half wailed (well okay, Cathy was the one that wailed), in exasperation. "We can't-"
"Trust me," Emma interrupted in a firm, do-not-argue-with-me, tone of voice. "It's not a favour. My Dad is incredibly…." She trailed off as she was unable to find a nice (and probably inaccurate) description of her father's issues.
"High maintenance?" Lizzie suggested.
"I suppose that is the kindest way to put it," Emma agreed, though it didn't sound like she thought Lizzie's words were at all accurate, "But that's not just why I want you two there. I want you two to be there on one of the most important days of my life, because you're my family, and in return I want to be there on your important day. So come on, let's get you measured for robes."
Reluctantly, though her smile suggested otherwise, Fanny obeyed Emma, and was in the middle of being measured when Darcy finally replied to Lizzie's text. Did the measuring tape give you any flattering news? He had asked. Lizzie felt her cheeks heat up at that. They had taken to talk constantly since she left Pemberly, and it had been comforting, and nice, and funny at times, especially when you think about how much she hated him just last month, but the more and more they spoke to one another, the more flirtatious he got with her…and she liked it. She liked it a lot.
I cannot divulge our conversation, she replied snootily as possible, after all it is uncouth for a lady to reveal such personal information, and more so for a gentleman to ask.
He didn't reply but Emma's phone did go off not that long afterwards, and Lizzie knew who it was. 'Don't you dare' she had mouthed to Emma, but she was ignored as Emma, the little evil minx she was, gave Darcy exactly what he wanted.
He was insufferably smug for the rest of the day.
Emma was no better.
Lizzie gave up on revising after that.
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"I can't believe it," Lizzie said as the curtains closed. "Our last performance. Ever."
Ellen couldn't believe it either. It had already been five weeks since the Easter holidays ended, she had finished and handed in her Dissertation (you have no idea how empty that had left them all feeling when that had happened), she did her last assignment, sat her last exam, and now performed her last performance for the Drama Society. Everything about her university life was now officially over.
It was terrifying.
"It was a good show though," Emma smiled. "I think it's the best last performance we could have."
It was. They did a series of sketches, mostly written by Anne that rewrote various fairy tales, myths, legends, and fables. They played multiple characters, wore gorgeous costumes that many members had slaved over for years to make, kept the set minimalistic, and finally the techie side of it all went smoothly. It had been a fantastic show, perhaps the best, but it was the saddest because they weren't coming back next September.
It was also the saddest because certain members of their audience weren't there. Which Ben had picked up on. "Hey Emma," he called out, "where is George? He's usually here by now congratulating me on my greatness."
Emma's smile fell of her face as the other girls, Ellen included, inhaled sharply. Asking about George Knightly had become a bit of a taboo over the last few weeks. Ellen didn't know why he was being such a crap friend recently but she did know that Emma was heartbroken without him, and he was definitely not in London wherever he was. If he was Fred would have told Anne by now. Anyway! With George being a taboo subject it meant Ben wasn't long for this world unless Ellen intervened;
"I have to go!" she blurted out.
"Go, where?" Emma frowned in confusion.
"Work."
"Work?" Lizzie questioned. "Christ sake, Ellen! It's almost eleven o'clock at night!"
"I'm doing the Graveyard shift," Ellen shrugged. It was exhausting, and she was going to be so dead when she finally got home, but what was there to do? She finished everything. She was done. She can sleep the whole day away and it won't matter now. "There was no one else available so I said I would."
"But our last performance!" Emma cried out. "Our last after show party ever! We're celebrating that the exams are over now as well!"
"I can't celebrate," Ellen said firmly, and very truthfully. She couldn't celebrate until she found something more meaningful in her life again. Working in Tesco and eating food was not living. "I still have to make up for all the shifts I missed when Marianne was will and-"
"And you need the money," Emma, Lizzie, Cathy, and Anne all finished in unison. They had heard this before. Quite often over the last week as well since Ellen had been unavailable for movies, shopping trips, and whatever little adventure the girls (mostly Emma though) had planned that day.
"Sorry."
It was all Ellen could say and there was little else for anyone to say in return. Quickly, Ellen changed into her uniform and rushed off to work, desperate to escape that bittersweet atmosphere of celebrating the end….and the sourness of how some friends weren't there.
Her shift was uneventful. She stacked the shelves, drank a lot of tea, and read a novel for fun for the first time since last summer, and then soon enough the sun came up and she could go home. Or she would have gone straight home if it wasn't for the fact she got pulled aside by her manager before she could leave the staff room.
"Ellen," her manager said cheerfully enough (obviously she hadn't spent the last twenty four hours without sleep), "a quick word. Don't worry you're not in trouble. I just wanted to thank you for taking the night shift, and for all the extra hours you've been doing, I know it can't be easy on you…"
"I struggled a little," Ellen admitted sheepishly. "But it's been nothing that a good cup of tea wouldn't fix."
"You're working yourself to death," her manager stated.
"Oh, well not really, not anymore, I mean!" Ellen quickly backtracked as she realised to what she had accidentally confessed. Yes, bed was definitely on her agenda the moment she got home. "I no longer have any assignments due in, or exams to sit, and I did one last play….I'm free. Fee to work as many hours as you like."
"Ellen, I don't want you to work more hours," Oh my God she has just been fired! Okay, maybe not in so many words, but what else could it mean? What did she do wrong? Did she accidentally put all the dairy products in the bakery section? Was she rude to customers without realising it? God, what was she going to do without this job? "I want you to take a holiday."
It was then Ellen sighed a heavy sigh of relief. God, she has definitely spent far too much time with Cathy and Emma if she was internally freaking out like a melodramatic soap opera character. Her relief quickly turned into confusion as her manager's words sunk in.
"I just had a holiday," she frowned.
"No, you had sick leave because of a family crisis," her manager corrected her, "That's not a holiday. When have you last relaxed?"
"I'm fine," Ellen lied.
"I don't believe you." damn! Ellen needed to work on that. "And I won't be giving you any hours for the next week. Take a break Ellen and I will see you a week on Monday."
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After everyone had recovered from the night before which unfortunately for five sixths of the house that wasn't until after dinner. If Fanny had been a more prideful and insufferable person she would have rubbed it in everyone's face that she wasn't as stupid as them to drink herself to death or work herself to death. Fortunately, Lizzie mused to herself, Fanny was far too kind for that sort of behaviour.
Lizzie wasn't but unfortunately she was one of the idiots that drank herself to death last night.
They had settled onto the sofa to watch crap TV when Emma just randomly blurted out, far too cheerfully considering she spent most of the day in bed with a pillow over her head, "So I've been thinking about our holiday!"
Everyone frowned in confusion at her.
"What holiday?" Lizzie voiced on behalf of the house.
"The one we always talked about since First Year but never taken because of finances, family stuff, and work," Emma explained.
"Oh! That holiday!" Lizzie said in realisation. "The one that is never going to happen. Not until we're like fifty and finally actually have some money."
"And you think we can go on one now?" Anne asked, as Emma either seemed oblivious, or just decided to ignore, Lizzie's snarky words.
"Yes, nothing to stop us-"
"We don't have any money!" Lizzie interrupted Emma.
"-Last real chance before we graduate and never see each other again-" Emma carried on loudly. So on purpose. Just to drown out Lizzie's very rational and reasonable argument.
"You're being ridiculous!" Lizzie shot back.
"-And Ellen has no work for the next week," Emma finished with a triumphant grin.
"Hang on!" Ellen cried out startled. "How did you know that? I haven't told anyone."
"Well…"
It didn't take a genius to figure out how exactly Ellen ended up with a week off Just as Emma decided it was time for them to go on holiday together.
"Emma!" Ellen reprimanded. "You can't just go behind people's back and-"
"I didn't!" Emma protested. "Your manager approached me when I was shopping for brain food-"
"And by brain food you mean a load of unhealthy sugar."
"Shut up, Lizzie," Emma snapped having lost all patience with Lizzie's snarky attitude. Not that Lizzie could blame her, if someone was giving her as much sass as she was giving Emma, she would have bitten their head off ages ago. "Your boss felt you needed a break, I agreed, now we're going on holiday, anywhere you want, just the six of us."
"Emma," Fanny sighed fondly. "Think about it. We can't go anywhere. Some of us don't have passports, none of us can really afford anything, and-"
"And you're being a stick in the mud!" Emma interrupted as rudely as Lizzie had been before. Huh, perhaps she was rubbing off of people after all? Fanny looked a little crestfallen which caused Emma to immediately backtrack. She shot the blonde girl an apologetic smile and said much more gently; "Hear me out! We don't have to go abroad, there's a lot in this country we can see, we don't have to stay anywhere expensive, plenty of Youth Hostels around, and we can take full advantage of student discounts while we still have them. So it won't be expensive. I promise."
"Hmmm…."
"Well," Lizzie said thoughtfully, "I can definitely bring myself to spend another week away from home."
And boy could she. As much as she loved her family, she had not been looking forwards to a month of anxiously awaiting for her results while her mother was being her usual overbearing self, Jane and Charlie being sickeningly romantic with one another, her younger sisters being loud, depressing, and just as anxious about their own results, teenagers, and her father being no help at all because he locked himself into his study. Lizzie wished she had her own study. It would be awesome and filled with lots of books…
"I'd quite like a holiday," Fanny admitted. "I've never been on one where I could go where I want."
"It's be a fantastic adventure!" Cathy said excitedly.
"I'd have to speak to Fred first," Anne said carefully, "I really don't want to leave him on his own," everyone grimaced a little at the reminder that someone was not where they should be. "But I don't see why not."
They all turned to look at Ellen expectantly.
"Oh fine!" Ellen huffed exasperated. "I have nothing else to do since I have no work all of a sudden," that last bit was delivered as snarky as Lizzie's own finest moments, and with a pointed look at the very (deceivingly) innocent smiling Emma.
"Excellent!" Emma proclaimed. "So I was thinking somewhere that could be far away enough to be considered adventurous."
"Like what?" Ellen asked warily.
"What do you think of Scotland?"