Chapter One

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single girl in possession of a good fortune must need a man in her life. However, the opposing feelings or views of many such girls are not taken into consideration. The inconvenient truth is not so well fixed in the minds of their parents and so she is considered as their rightful property.

"Lizzy! Lizzy!"A flustered Frances Bennett— known to all as Franny— rushed into the kitchen. Her cheeks were flushed pinker than the flimsy blouse she wore. Her immaculately coiffured, bottle-blonde tresses, on the other hand, had not one hair out of place. "I've got an infection!"

"What?" asked a voice, belonging to a pair of denim-clad legs, from under the kitchen sink. Lizzy already knew her mother had entered the room before she had spoken from her signature scent of Coco Chanel.

Her mother tutted and peered under the sink. "I've got an infection," she repeated.

"Are you sick?"

"No, silly girl. I can't log into the forum again." Franny peered under the sink.

Lizzy swore under her breath and threw down her spanner. Her mother spent most of her time trawling online "mothering" forums. Her particular favourite being, Mothers United. After thirty years of marriage and producing five daughters the youngest seventeen, she felt she had not quite perfected motherhood. "You mean you have a virus." As Lizzy inched backwards from underneath the sink she struck her head on the granite kitchen worktop. "Ouch! Shi..."

"Don't use that language in front of me," scolded her mother. "You spend too much time in the company of uncouth men. Anyway, what are you doing?"

"Fixing the leak."

"Someone else could have done that. I don't know why you insist on pretending to be an employee. You are a shareholder in the business for goodness sake."

"I don'tpretend to be an employee. If there's a leaky sink I can fix it. I'm a shareholder and a qualified plumber."

Franny cast her critical eye over Lizzy's denim dungarees and a long-sleeved t-shirt. "Why can't you dress more professionally and go to work in the office with your sisters. Mary is fine, but Kitty is in dire need of someone to help her with motivation. I have tried my best, but she just won't listen to me."

Grimacing as she straightened herself, Lizzy rubbed her smarting forehead and flinched. "It may have escaped your notice Mum that Kitty swears more than I do. Her lack of motivation is fifty percent apathy, fifty percent laziness. If she spent less time obsessing over celebrity culture, reading Z list celebrity magazines and watching morons on YouTube we might get a decent conversation out of her."

Franny pouted and placed her hands on her hips. "I haven't noticed." She stood a good three inches taller than her daughter, although it was more because she more often than not, wore high heels.

"You mean by professional like you wear," Lizzy's straightened her dungaree straps, which had fallen around her shoulders. Staring at her mother's tight fitted, black pencil skirt, she shook her head. "You know I hate wearing skirts and dresses" She pointed to Franny's shoes. "Those things will give you bunions."

Her mother's hazel eyes flashed with indignation. "I like them," she hissed.

Lizzy sighed with resignation. "What makes you think you have a virus on your computer?"

"I don't know if it's the same as last time. I can't log into the forum. I tried logging off the computer and switching it off and back on again."

"Did you forget your password again?"

Franny remained silent and avoided eye contact with her daughter, preferring to keep them fixed on the kitchen door. Just then the door opened with a bang. "Ah. Your dad's here," announced Franny.

"Saved again," muttered Lizzy. Her father had a knack of arriving at the right moment.

"I have some news Franny." he bellowed.

"What might that be?"

Pulling back a chair from the kitchen table he flopped onto it and continued, "I've just been at Mrs Long's fixing her blocked drain. She will insist on pouring oil down the sink. It doesn't matter how many times I keep telling her she still does it."

"She fancies you, Dad," interjected Lizzy.

"She's old enough to be his mother," Franny snorted.

"I haven't lost my looks yet." Peter ruffled his greying hair and tugged on his grey overalls emblazoned with a red and blue logo titled: Plumb It. "or maybe she likes a man in uniform."

Franny rolled her eyes and folded her arms across her chest. "Before your head swells any further. You had some news?"

Peter yawned, stretched out his arms and then bent down to untie his boot laces. He tugged off his boots and tossed them in front of him. "My feet are killing me. Can I have a cup of tea Lizzy?" He gave his daughter a sly smile and a wink.

Keeping her face as straight as she could she nodded, headed towards the kitchen area and flicked on the kettle switch. She knew her dad thrived on frustrating his wife to the point of distraction. They constantly bickered to the point that neither could work together and yet their bickering could not be considered malignant. Moreover, their farcical disregard solidified their marriage. "Are you having sugar in your tea?"

He had no time to think before Franny exploded. She clenched her right hand into a fist and punched his upper arm. "Peter!"

"Oh yeah. No need to beat it out of me," he said with a grin. "Mrs Long told me that Netherfield has been sold. A wealthy young man from the north came down last Monday to see the place. He liked it so much he put in an offer there and then and it was accepted. If all goes through he'll be in by the end of the month."

His wife's face fell. "We should have put in an offer."

"If I remember correctly you said you were content living in a grade II listed Georgian house and that you would never settle in a vulgar barn conversion," retorted Peter, amused by his wife's contradictory behaviour. Leaving his seat, he placed his arm around Franny's shoulders and kissed the top of her head. "And here's me thinking I was the one who was going to lose my marbles first."

Franny jabbed him with her elbow. "Get away from me you fool and let me think." Peter returned to his seat and chuckled.

Lizzy placed a large tea mug in front of her father. "It's got half a teaspoon sugar." She grabbed another coaster from the middle of the table and placed her mug of tea on the table. Sitting down in the opposite seat, she swallowed a large mouthful of her unsweetened tea.

He lifted to his tea to his mouth and took a sip. "Thanks love. Just how I like it."

"Did Mrs Long tell you if the wealthy young man was married or single?" asked Franny.

"Oh no. Mum has that look in her eyes again," announced Lizzy.