Chapter Five

A bleary-eyed Jane and Lizzy shuffled into the kitchen— still in their nightwear— late Saturday morning. Their younger sister Mary, who sat at the kitchen table, pushed her glass back into place and stared at their dishevelled appearances. She didn't attempt to hide her smirk. "Good morning, you two look like you had a rough night."

"You mean a good night," said Lizzy.

"Whatever," replied Mary? She returned to sipping her morning caffeine fix from her personalised cappuccino cup.

"What are you doing here so late in the morning Miss Bright-eyed and Bushy Tailed, I thought you were supposed going in the office today?" asked Jane. Mary was punctual to a fault. She also irritated her older and younger siblings by her confidence and energy first thing in the morning.

Mary carefully placed her cup down in its saucer and brushed out a crease in her immaculately pressed skirt. "I have already done some of the work from home on my laptop. I was up long before Mum and Dad." She picked up a laptop bag on the chair next to her. Standing up she said, "Actually I am on my way. I am sure you are capable of washing my cup. See you later, bye." Without another word, she opened the kitchen door and away she went.

Lizzy put Mary's cup into the dishwasher, opened a kitchen cabinet and rummaged around until she found the breakfast cereal she liked. "Is it just me or is Mary very annoying in the morning?"

Jane laid the table with two bowls, spoons and two small plates. "Nope, it's not you." She took out four pieces of bread from the bread-bin and popped them into the toaster. "She's annoying, most of the time, but mostly in the morning."

Lizzy sorted. "Yep, but what do you expect from an accountant."

Jane scratched an itch on the bridge of her nose. "You can't say that of all accountants. She is also doing an excellent job as office manager."

"I am not saying all accountants are. Frosties or muesli?" Lizzy's hand hovered over the bag.

"Muesli."

"I thought so."

Jane yawned and stretched her arms out over her head. "I could murder a coffee." The toast popped up out of the toaster with a clang.

"I could murder William Darcy," said Lizzy. "What an awful guy, how does Charles put up with such a misery guts?" She turned to look at her sister whose face coloured by the mention of his name. Grinning she asked, "Oh yes. I want all the sordid details of last night seeing you were reluctant to enlighten us with anything apart from, he is a nice person."

"There are no sordid details." Jane avoided Lizzy's inquisitive gaze. She went to the fridge for the butter, took it to the kitchen counter and then with meticulous care buttered the slices of toast. Although she had only avoided the inevitable, when she went to the table and sat down to eat breakfast, Lizzy pounced on her.

"I'll make you a deal. You tell me everything and I'll tell you everything about the high and mighty Mr Misery Guts."

Jane took a sharp intake of breath and exhaled slowly. "Make me a coffee and pinky swear you won't gossip with Kitty and Lydia. Then we might have a deal."

"Pinky swear." Lizzy held out her little finger and twisted it around Jane's.

Jane giggled. "You're an idiot Lizzy. Go get me that coffee."

Her sister mock saluted and did as she was asked and also made a large mug for herself. While they ate breakfast she related to Lizzy the pleasant time she had spent in the company of Charles Bingley. She told her he was a perfect gentleman. However, Lizzy was disappointed to hear that they had made no plans to meet again, apart from seeing each other at his Christmas housewarming. Jane, on the other hand, did not seem to be disheartened by this, but she confided that she would not be looking forward to revealing this to their mother. After she finished nibbling on her first slice of buttered toast, she stared for a long time at the second slice, lying on the plate.

"Are you going to eat it or do you think you can digest it by glaring at it for long enough?" asked Lizzy.

Jane continued to stare at it while she spoke. "You know it doesn't get any easier after all these years. The pressure to stay thin is bad enough without…" She pushed the plate aside and began to chew on her thumb nail. "It's hard to get out of the habit of obsessing about everything you put into your mouth."

"I'm fussy about what I put in my mouth too."

Jane glanced up to see Lizzy with an ever-widening grin on her face. "You get worse," she scolded.

"I know." Lizzy pushed the plate back towards her. "Eat it or I won't tell you about William Darcy." She lifted the toast from the plate and waved it in front of her face.

Jane tutted and took it from her hand. "Go on then know-it-all, tell me."

Not until you eat at last half of it." Jane took a large bite, followed by another. Satisfied, Lizzy began. "The Lucas's have a lot of," She lifted her fingers and made air quotes, "contacts, Charlie told me that William Darcy's family were extremely wealthy at one time. George Darcy, his father inherited a large estate. However, they lost most of their fortune in the 1987 stock market crash. This happened three years before Mr Misery was born. To pay off their huge debts, they sold land they owned to the National Trust and their estate was auctioned and bought by a leisure complex. His father died eight years ago and his mother remarried two years later, taking his much younger sister to live with them in Spain. He remained here on his own."

"Poor man," said Jane.

Lizzy wasn't so sympathetic. "It doesn't excuse him from being contemptuous, miserable and snobbish."

"I think you are being a little harsh."

Lizzy shook her head. "I'm not. I find him very rude. Besides, he is definitely not my type."