The Worst Case Scenario
By Aurelia Calliope
Disclaimer: No, I do not own Jane Austen's fabulous characters, or anything else of hers. How unfortunate!
Author's Note: I thank you all very much for reading my story (however whether you read this not or not will be entirely at your discretion). I would encourage you all to review, even if it's negative, but please try to be constructive in all criticism. Tell me why you hated it, that's all I ask. I hope you all enjoy this AU, "what if" version of Pride and Prejudice. The action in this story begins right after Mr. Collins proposal to Elizabeth. Cheers, Aurelia Calliope
Chapter 1~ What a Day!
BANG! The door of Longbourn was firmly slammed shut by a young lady, walking so quickly from the house it was clear her fondest wish was to distance herself from it and all of its inhabitants, permanent, and most especially visitors. As soon as she was out of sight, and beyond the gardens, she began to run wildly, without direction, thinking only of escape. Perhaps it was not ladylike, but she had little inclination to behave herself while she was in this mood.
'The stupid, thoughtless, piggish man! To think I should want to marry him! To say to my face it was not likely I would ever receive another offer of marriage! OH!' she muttered to herself, as she threw her bonnet off her head and sat down by a tree stump. Elizabeth Bennet sat infuriated with everyone, her mother, her sisters – excepting Jane of course- and, after pounding her fist on the ground in frustration-producing only the effect of causing herself pain-, once again commenced stormily marching through the fields contemplating his insolence, his stupidity, the possibility that she should have married him – she married to Mr. Collins! Luckily her father had interceded on her behalf, but she could not stand another moment with her mother's irrational temper tantrum. Even now she fancied she could hear the echoes of her mother screaming from Longbourn. "Lizzy, how could you have refused Mr. Collins? The thought that you should have been Mistress of Longbourn! Oh! I shall surely die my nerves have endured so much! You don't know how I suffer! You are the most stubborn, headstrong...OH HILL! Fetch me my smelling salts!" the voice of Mrs. Bennet replayed in her head again as she cringed with the thought of what she must eventually return too, and wondering if it might not be better to run off and become a gypsy. At least Mrs. Bennet's irritation at that might afford her some amusement. Lizzy was absolutely convinced that she, Jane, and her father were the only sane ones in the house. "As though I should care if she ever spoke to me again!" She said out loud. "Indeed it would be a blessing on my nerves!"
She walked on like this for several hours, minding neither her direction nor the darkening sky. She tried to think of a topic to lighten her mood, but none could achieve her goal. She tried to think of Bingley and Jane, and how happy they both seemed, but that only brought back memories of the Netherfield Ball: her dance with Mr. Darcy; her family's behavior; Mr. Collins! At this rate her sour mood could go on forever. She could hardly think of the entire event without abhorrence.
As Lizzy walked she scarcely noticed how far from Longbourn she had come. Indeed she was, without her notice, coming very close to Netherfield. She ran, and ran, and ran from the unpleasant memories that were chasing her, which she was madly trying to escape, taking only short stops to catch her breath every once and a while. She looked up at the sky, and was almost pleased to see that its color perfectly reflected her mood. This, of course, was all before she felt the ground under her drop out. She fell, sprawled across the ground in a rather deep ditch, with her ankle painfully twisted under her body. Her dress and hands were streaked with dirt and mud. As if the day was not cumbersome enough, Elizabeth Bennet found herself in a situation which was much more complex, frustrating, and humiliating.
"GOOD GOD! The idea that I should then trip and fall into a ditch." She exclaimed. She looked around her and noticed that this ditch also happened to be filled with mud that covered her. She sighed, smacking her hands down into the dark, sticky mud in dismay and frustration. The entire situation was so ridiculously awful; she could barely contain her emotions. She smiled although a tear ran down her face, and she could not help but thinking what on Earth Miss Bingley would do if she saw her now.
"The situation improves I see! Well," she yelled at the sky, as though demanding an explanation from the higher power which put her here, "I suppose I am now to find that you will begin raining hard, I shall have a broken ankle, and be stuck here for a good long time, for I have no 'knight in shining armor' to rescue me from my present affliction."
As she spoke these words a torrent of rain was unleashed from the sky. Lizzy laughed at the thought that her prediction should come true, even though the sheets of rain that were soaking her to the skin were a bit foreboding, and certainly not a welcome sign. Perhaps when she left Longbourn for good, which would be very soon, she hoped, she would leave it as a gypsy fortuneteller. Wouldn't Mama be Proud! However, even though she dreaded going back home,- especially now, when her mother could gloat over her muddy appearance, and yell at her even more- it was not prudent to sit outside in the rain like a nitwit. As she rose to pull herself out of the ditch and hurry home, at least as quickly as she could, for she was dimly aware of a sharp pain radiating from her ankle, her ankle gave way. With a muted shout of pain, surprise, and frustration, Elizabeth Bennet fell backwards into the ditch, which was transforming itself quite quickly into a mud puddle.
Disclaimer: No, I do not own Jane Austen's fabulous characters, or anything else of hers. How unfortunate!
Author's Note: I thank you all very much for reading my story (however whether you read this not or not will be entirely at your discretion). I would encourage you all to review, even if it's negative, but please try to be constructive in all criticism. Tell me why you hated it, that's all I ask. I hope you all enjoy this AU, "what if" version of Pride and Prejudice. The action in this story begins right after Mr. Collins proposal to Elizabeth. Cheers, Aurelia Calliope
Chapter 1~ What a Day!
BANG! The door of Longbourn was firmly slammed shut by a young lady, walking so quickly from the house it was clear her fondest wish was to distance herself from it and all of its inhabitants, permanent, and most especially visitors. As soon as she was out of sight, and beyond the gardens, she began to run wildly, without direction, thinking only of escape. Perhaps it was not ladylike, but she had little inclination to behave herself while she was in this mood.
'The stupid, thoughtless, piggish man! To think I should want to marry him! To say to my face it was not likely I would ever receive another offer of marriage! OH!' she muttered to herself, as she threw her bonnet off her head and sat down by a tree stump. Elizabeth Bennet sat infuriated with everyone, her mother, her sisters – excepting Jane of course- and, after pounding her fist on the ground in frustration-producing only the effect of causing herself pain-, once again commenced stormily marching through the fields contemplating his insolence, his stupidity, the possibility that she should have married him – she married to Mr. Collins! Luckily her father had interceded on her behalf, but she could not stand another moment with her mother's irrational temper tantrum. Even now she fancied she could hear the echoes of her mother screaming from Longbourn. "Lizzy, how could you have refused Mr. Collins? The thought that you should have been Mistress of Longbourn! Oh! I shall surely die my nerves have endured so much! You don't know how I suffer! You are the most stubborn, headstrong...OH HILL! Fetch me my smelling salts!" the voice of Mrs. Bennet replayed in her head again as she cringed with the thought of what she must eventually return too, and wondering if it might not be better to run off and become a gypsy. At least Mrs. Bennet's irritation at that might afford her some amusement. Lizzy was absolutely convinced that she, Jane, and her father were the only sane ones in the house. "As though I should care if she ever spoke to me again!" She said out loud. "Indeed it would be a blessing on my nerves!"
She walked on like this for several hours, minding neither her direction nor the darkening sky. She tried to think of a topic to lighten her mood, but none could achieve her goal. She tried to think of Bingley and Jane, and how happy they both seemed, but that only brought back memories of the Netherfield Ball: her dance with Mr. Darcy; her family's behavior; Mr. Collins! At this rate her sour mood could go on forever. She could hardly think of the entire event without abhorrence.
As Lizzy walked she scarcely noticed how far from Longbourn she had come. Indeed she was, without her notice, coming very close to Netherfield. She ran, and ran, and ran from the unpleasant memories that were chasing her, which she was madly trying to escape, taking only short stops to catch her breath every once and a while. She looked up at the sky, and was almost pleased to see that its color perfectly reflected her mood. This, of course, was all before she felt the ground under her drop out. She fell, sprawled across the ground in a rather deep ditch, with her ankle painfully twisted under her body. Her dress and hands were streaked with dirt and mud. As if the day was not cumbersome enough, Elizabeth Bennet found herself in a situation which was much more complex, frustrating, and humiliating.
"GOOD GOD! The idea that I should then trip and fall into a ditch." She exclaimed. She looked around her and noticed that this ditch also happened to be filled with mud that covered her. She sighed, smacking her hands down into the dark, sticky mud in dismay and frustration. The entire situation was so ridiculously awful; she could barely contain her emotions. She smiled although a tear ran down her face, and she could not help but thinking what on Earth Miss Bingley would do if she saw her now.
"The situation improves I see! Well," she yelled at the sky, as though demanding an explanation from the higher power which put her here, "I suppose I am now to find that you will begin raining hard, I shall have a broken ankle, and be stuck here for a good long time, for I have no 'knight in shining armor' to rescue me from my present affliction."
As she spoke these words a torrent of rain was unleashed from the sky. Lizzy laughed at the thought that her prediction should come true, even though the sheets of rain that were soaking her to the skin were a bit foreboding, and certainly not a welcome sign. Perhaps when she left Longbourn for good, which would be very soon, she hoped, she would leave it as a gypsy fortuneteller. Wouldn't Mama be Proud! However, even though she dreaded going back home,- especially now, when her mother could gloat over her muddy appearance, and yell at her even more- it was not prudent to sit outside in the rain like a nitwit. As she rose to pull herself out of the ditch and hurry home, at least as quickly as she could, for she was dimly aware of a sharp pain radiating from her ankle, her ankle gave way. With a muted shout of pain, surprise, and frustration, Elizabeth Bennet fell backwards into the ditch, which was transforming itself quite quickly into a mud puddle.