Chapter Three: Lizzie

We were back at home. Fancy clothes and hair, had made way for ponytails and pjs. I looked over at Jane in her bed. We had shared a room since Kitty came along and even now at the age we were, I still enjoyed it. It was nice having someone to talk to late at night. I was going to miss Jane so much when I moved away. I glanced around at the boxes already packed and suddenly felt very home sick and I hadn't even left yet. I had relayed my dislike of 'Green Eyes' to Jane as soon as we were alone. She was not of the same opinion. "Oh Lizzie! Stop! She was not giving you daggers. She's a nice woman, Charlie introduced us and she seemed genuinely nice."

I snorted. "Whatever" I continued. My sister Jane was not the most ideal person to discuss first impressions with, as rarely did she meet someone she didn't like. I heaved a sigh and pulled the covers over my legs relishing in the feeling of my own bed something else I would be leaving behind tomorrow. "I don't like her, or Mr Darcy. Which is most unfortunate since I'm bound to be working with one, if not both, of them come Monday. At least I don't have to worry about it for another couple of days. I rolled over and turned off the bedroom light.

"Lizzie?" Jane breathes into the darkness.

"What?" I yawn, almost asleep.

"Charlie asked dad if he could bring Mr Darcy along to the barbeque, and dad said yes." She rushes out in one long breath.

Silence.

I bolted up right in bed. Seriously? I let myself fall back down onto my mattress pulled the cover over my head and screamed my frustration into my pillow. Great, so the day after tomorrow I would be spending the day keeping my flirtatious mother away from my new boss. What a way to spend my last day at home. I lay awake for ages thinking about the tall dark and handsome stranger I had met today. I doubted he even remembered meeting me let alone my name. He was obviously of the opinion he was better than everyone who had been at the ceremony today. I didn't need someone with that level of self-importance in my life.

He was my boss.

He was my boss. I had been lusting after my boss. Had, being the important word here. I no longer harboured any attraction for him, no matter how attractive he was. The fleeting moment of weakness had passed and now I could only think of the aforementioned tall dark and handsome stranger as the thing that could scupper any chance of happiness between Jane and our Mr Bingley. He looked the sort that would chew you up and spit you out as soon as look at you. He had one night stand written all over his face, so proud and conceited it streamed out of him just the way he stood and gazed after the couple as they talked. Like he knew he could take her away from Charlie. Like he wanted to play with them, and my sister was worth a whole lot more than that. A whole lot more than Mr Darcy. Even if he was impossibly good looking and incredibly sexy. I punched the pillow in anger wishing it was his miserable face. I told myself it was just the clothes. Anyone would look that good in those designer labels. He was rich, Very rich. He most likely had a personal trainer to help him stay in shape. I expect he had a ripped body beneath that impeccably put together exterior. I shook my head clearing it.

He was my boss.

"Mum claims to have heard he is very, very wealthy." She whispers into the darkness.

"Mr Darcy? I'm sure he is, his family own the firm. Why should that be of any consequence to us?"

I hear her turn over in her bed and I imagine her moving to face me. "I think he liked you. I noticed him looking at you more than once."

"Oh Jane! He was looking at you, obviously, how could any man notice me when you are in the room? Remember you're the pretty one." I tease.

"What does that make you, the clever one?"

I pause thinking on it. Jane was just as clever as me, as was Mary. If I wasn't pretty nor particularly clever what was I? "Impertinent. Would be more accurate." I admit.

"Lizzy." A pillow lands on my bed and she chuckles. I throw it back. "You won't be too hard on Caroline and Mr Darcy tomorrow will you?"

"No not at all. Another thing, I don't see why we should all have to address him as Mr Darcy. It's so formal."

"To tell the truth I don't think I could be persuaded to call him anything but Mr Darcy. He is far too superior and fearsome to allow me to think we could ever be more than passing acquaintances."

"You say this and yet you are the one who a moment ago was telling me you suspect he liked me."

"I know. I still do. I said I should never be able to talk to him, not you. You have much more bravery than me. You would probably call him on his weaknesses and even laugh at him. Something I could never do." She sighs and I think she's going to go to sleep but she breaks the silence again. "He's very …" she trails off.

"Very?" In my head a train of remarks present themselves; ignorant, spoilt, snobby, over bearing, pretentious.

"Tall." She answers simply.

"Tall? That's all you have to say."

"Well how would you describe him?" I open my mouth to answer when she laughs. "In fact no don't tell me. I'm sure by now you already have a whole heap of witty sarcastic comments just waiting to be thrown my way. Save them for dad, he gets your humour much more than the rest of us."

I punch my pillow shaping it more comfortably. "Enough about Mr Drab and Dreary, what about your Mr Bingley?"

"Charlie is not my Mr Bingley."

"Not yet but I suspect he soon will be." I smiled to myself and realised I hadn't actually asked my sister what she thought of him. "Do you like him?"

"I do Lizzy. He's sweet and funny and handsome and everything a man should be don't you think?"

"And owning a large estate like Netherfield had nothing to do with it?"

"Lizzy! You know very well that doesn't interest me. I wish to marry for love. Money is of no matter to me."

"But still, it would be nice to have both would it not?" I joke.

"Like you could settle. You would never be tempted by money alone. You would always go for love. I know you Lizzy, you might not have believed in fairy tales and waiting for handsome princes to come and carry us off like the rest of us, but you always remained steadfast in your prospects for the future."

I think back how difficult it had been in my past to find someone. Even when I had met someone whose company I enjoyed, we soon ran out of things to talk about. I had known men who would pander to me and agree with every with thought I had, without having an opinion of their own, men who wanted to force their own opinion on me and those that I just had no respect for whatsoever. All of which I could never be happy with above a couple of weeks. My most important relationship so far lasted six months and the past two we barely saw each other. There had never been anyone special. I was still young and had no intention of settling down anytime yet, but it would be nice to have someone want to be with me. The real me; not the one I was supposed to be as to not frighten prospective partners away like my mother was always reminding me. I had a stubborn streak and impetuous nature, it would take a strong willed man to understand my personality and even stronger to be able to live with it. I couldn't believe such a man existed, "I'm only twenty one Jane, I can't even imagine getting that far. Right now I would be happy to meet someone who I like to spend time with and do just that." I lied. "Like you and Mr Bingley, there can't be anything serious there yet, you've only just met, but who knows a few months down the line we might be having an entirely different conversation." I snuggled down to finally go to sleep. "Just for the record, when at some point, 'Green' I mean Caroline and Mr Darcy show their true colours to you, I told you so."

Saturday came and went in a blur of packing, cleaning, shopping and all things barbeque related. I noticed Jane was spending her time picking out what to wear when I walked into our room Sunday morning. She was choosing when I had gone down for breakfast, she was still choosing when I got back. I had just been for a lovely hot shower - a pure luxury in a house of six women - I loved Sundays for that reason alone. The others had their lay-in Sunday, so if I got up early I could have the first scolding hot shower of the day.

I loved Sunday mornings.

"Jane, what gives? Why are you taking so long deciding what to wear to a family barbeque in our garden, with our own family?" I smirked. I knew exactly why she was taking so long to choose an outfit. I had the sinking feeling I should be spending more time and effort selecting my clothes. It soon passed. I spent the next twenty minutes repeatedly telling Jane how beautiful she looked in every outfit she tried on, not because I had to, but because in truth, she did look outstanding in every single thing she threw on. She settled in the end on a white linen skirt and pale blue sleeveless shirt, it matched her eyes. She looked like a goddess.

Knowing I only had a few minutes before my services would be required downstairs I rummaged around in our shared wardrobe until I found what I was looking for. My trusty denim skirt and white fitted shirt. I pulled on my white flip flops and glanced in the mirror as I pulled my hair into pig tales on either side. I didn't see what all the fuss was about. If someone was going to fall for you surely it was better for them to do so when you are not all dressed up and caked in make up? At least with me you could see what you were getting from the get go. I shrugged at myself and went downstairs.

Mum was flapping around the kitchen shouting orders out left right and centre while my dad was laid in a deck chair next to the barbeque -apparently supervising. Jane and I went out to set the table. Mum following us, re-setting it in our wake. As the doorbell rang, mum caught a glance at my pig tales and practically hyperventilated. "Elizabeth! What are you trying to do to me? Take them out immediately. You are not seven!"

I found myself blushing beneath my mums stare and immediately pulled the ties free, my hair fell in curls created by tying it up while it was still damp. I didn't have a mirror so I had no idea how ridiculous I looked. From the smirk on Caroline Bingley's face as she walked into our back garden, I can imagine, quite a lot. Charlie followed her in and immediately sort out Jane, before greeting me and introducing himself to a giddy Kitty and Lydia. Mary was laid under a tree at the bottom of the garden, ipod in ears, seemingly oblivious to anyone, let alone our guests. I left her to it, who knows how many precious seconds she had until...

"Mary! Get over here child and meet our new neighbour!"

Sorry Em, you should have stayed out of sight; that was your first mistake. The second was thinking you can hide from our mother. No one can, I swear it's like she's the female equivalent of Liam Neesom or something!

I could sense eyes on the back of my head, the hairs on my neck began to stand up. I cautiously looked over my shoulder and stopped dead in my tracks. There were the big broad shoulders. He was wearing another suit and tie. He looked so good in them I wondered if he wore them to any and every event. This was a family barbeque ad he looked like he had just stepped out of an important business meeting. His gorgeous big brown eyes fleeted around the garden, for a second they locked with mine and seem to soften just for a moment before they landed on Charlie and Jane and immediately hardened. My defences automatically peaked. What was he scowling at? It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, how could anyone not find it endearing and romantic? Maybe he wanted Jane, maybe this was jealousy I was witnessing. I didn't get the chance to second guess, as 'Green Eyes' wound her manicured nails around him and pulled him away.

The day seemed to pan out pretty well, Jane kept Charlie entertained - all day. Kitty and Lydia eventually calmed down. Even my mother was behaving herself. Everyone was, except for my arsehole boss Mr Darcy. He had barely uttered three words the whole day. Except when it was in Miss Bingley's ear. I did feel like saying at one point 'you know it's rude to whisper' but my mother would never have forgiven me. We had had it drilled in to us the night before, this was Jane's day, Jane's chance. I wasn't going to ruin that for her, no matter how much I wanted to put that pompous so-and-so in his place. And her. Don't get me started on her! She refused to eat anything that was put in front of her, complained about the choice, or lack thereof. I hate her so much I could scream.

Finally. Finally, it was time for them to go home. I was leaving later that evening to go to my new flat with my bare essentials. My mum and dad would be bringing the rest down next weekend. I went round the back of the garage to see if I could find anymore boxes while everyone was round the front bowing down to our new neighbours and saying their goodbyes.

That's when I heard them.