Chapter 2

Allison was really a fish out of water in England, 1798. She wished that she had woken up in Middle-Earth again. At least she knew that place well enough now. But here she was, smack dab in the middle of Jane Austin's Pride and Prejudice. She sighed. She wouldn't mind so much if it weren't for the fact that she hated the dresses that everyone wore. But, what could she do? There was a purpose to her being here, and she figured that she might as well fulfill that purpose. She wondered where Eric had woken up, if he was here at all. The reason that Allison did not give her actual last name was because she figured that her Chinese last name would set her rather far apart from the English here. In addition, it didn't seem like the Chinese were very prominent in England at this time, and even if they were, they were probably lower class, and discriminated against. Allison didn't look too Asian, since her mother was white, but she didn't want to be questioned too much into her family history with a weird name like 'Leung' and run the risk of segregation. Now, 'Eadig' wasn't all that common either, but it was at least more English sounding. She thought to use her mother's maiden name, but was afraid that she would not remember to respond to it when someone called her by it. At least she had once been an 'Eadig' in her former life in Middle Earth, as it was Éomer's last name. So she adopted the surname once again, but this time not for the purposes of marriage. The Bennet sisters took her into Meryton and into a dress shop where she bought a dress that was half way decent. She still hated it, but it would have to do until she had time to go into the city and buy a better one. The dresses were very inexpensive, in comparison to her jeans and sweater, which she folded up and tossed into her bag. The bag, though modern, had to do for the moment as Allison had far too much stuff of value to her in that bag to let it go. The three walked back into town, and Elizabeth said to Allison, "Miss. Eadig, are you have me believe that you are a time traveler?" "It's not something special to just me. There is a portal in my house in America that allows me to travel through dimensions. Anyone can travel between dimensions, you just have to find the right entry point." "I hope you will not find me in the least bit of incivility when I say that it is a rather difficult idea to comprehend." "No, I understand completely." "You do not seemed so shocked as we are, to find yourself in a foreign time and country." Jane said. "This is my fourth time 'dimension hopping' as I call it and my third time in a different dimension. You get used to waking up in funny places after the second or third time it happens." Allison said nonchalantly. "Well, I suppose with that kind of history one would become more or less accustomed to this, 'dimension hopping' did you call it?" "Yeah. It happens." "Is there some kind of reason that you end up in the places that you do?" Elizabeth asked. "As far as I can tell, not really. But I like to think, for ego's sake, that I have some kind of purpose to fill." "Has your hypothesis been justified concerning this?" Allison shrugged. "More or less. I think I'll just on believe it though. It makes me feel better about imposing upon people's houses and such." "I would imagine, that ones ego could be severally bruised when trespassing on another's home for a significant amount of time without anything sensible or of value to show for it afterwards." Elizabeth said agreeing. "As we have seen in our current guest, Mr. Collins." "Lizzy!" Jane exclaimed. "I do not apologize for speaking the truth, my dear Jane, for it is true." Allison chuckled a little. Soon, the three's discussion was interrupted by someone calling the Bennet sisters. They turned and waved to a man in regimentals that Allison recognized as Mr. Denny's and three other officers. "Oh bless A&E DVD series." Allison thought to herself. [A/N: if you don't know, Pride and Prejudices was made into an A&E series] "Good afternoon Mr. Denny. It is a pleasure to see you in town." Jane said. "Good Afternoon Miss. Bennet, and Miss Bennet." he said cordially, and met eyes with Allison who smiled. "Let me present to you our acquaintance, Miss. Eadig from America." and turning to Allison, "And this is Mr. Denny." Mr. Denny bowed, and Allison curtsied, "What brings you to travel so far from home? We do not often receive travelers from so far away." Mr. Denny asked. "Uh." Allison was thinking of some kind of reason, "I have family here." was all she could think of. "oh that's lame" Allison thought. "Really? I do not recall knowing anyone in this town of such a name as Eadig, though I have not been resident of Meryton for very long." "Well, they actually live in London. I'm just stopping here to." "Visit with us. Her family is very close to ours. We consider her something of a sister." Elizabeth said quickly. Jane gave her a queer look, and Elizabeth just smiled. "Marvelous! Will you be attending the ball at Neitherfield then?" "Oh, I don't think so." Allison said hoping that he would change the subject. "Mr. Denny, you have yet to introduce us to your companions." Elizabeth said noticing Allison's discomfort. "Oh yes." He quickly turned everyone's attention to the three officers with him. So Allison's surprise, the three looked exactly like Frodo, Merry and Pippin. She tried not to gasp, but could not help keeping a look of astonishment off her face. "Do you recognize these men, Miss. Eadig?" "Uh.they look remarkably like a few friends I have in.America." she stammered. "Let me present Mr. Wood, Mr. Monaghan, and Mr. Boyd." It was their names that dawned on Allison. She had spent so much time in Middle Earth that she had forgotten that those she saw as Frodo, Merry and the likes were portrayed by actors in her dimension, whose names happened to be Elijah Wood, Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd. After acquaintances had been made, and the officers departed Allison turned to Elizabeth. "Thank you so much for covering for me! I'm eternally grateful!" "Do not consider it anything but a deed done from one sister to another." the three laughed and continued on their journey. At the end of the day, when it was time for Elizabeth and Jane were to return home, they both insisted they Allison join them under the guise that she was a long, long, long, long lost cousin on their mother's side. They figured that Mrs. Bennet wasn't likely to remember anyone on her side of the family anyhow, so it was a safe guise. Jane and Elizabeth were discussing their new friend later that night when in the candlelit solitude of Jane's bedchamber. "What is your opinion of Miss. Eadig, dear Jane?" Elizabeth asked. "Oh well, she is very amiable. Though she does have a rather.rash way of speaking, she is very kind I think." "Yes, I agree. However, there is the matter of her um, abilities of transportation." "I would very much like to believer her, yet, my rational will just not allow it." "Under normal circumstances, I would readily agree with your judgement, for I am not one to disagree with someone so reasonable as you, Jane. But these are not normal circumstances." "Then, you take Miss. Eadig's word for the truth?" "What else have I to believe? She was not dressed like I have ever seen anyone dressed, her dialect, accent.mannerisms, they are all so far different from our own. How can I not believer her?" "Well, I do not like to mistrust anyone's word..." "Then do not. It is unlike you to not believe anyone. You're view of the human condition is so much more pleasant than mine." "I'm afraid that I will have to agree with you, Lizzy, that I will have accept Miss. Eadig's explanation, for there is no other one that I can rightly conjure." "Nor I." Elizabeth agreed, and then departed for her sister's bedchamber