Sorry about the long wait but here it is! College was much harder than I anticipated.
Disclaimer: I do not own the names the Characters are using but technically I do own the characters.
Jane and Elizabeth made it up to the main building at exactly quarter to nine, and walked in, Jane leading the way. Elizabeth was fuming slightly about Mr. Darcy. Just because he was chosen as Darcy doesn't mean he has to be so rude. Mr. Darcy was rude to Elizabeth in the beginning of the book because he was shy and nervous, not because she accidentally ran into him.
"Are you all right?" Jane asked.
"I'll admit I'm a bit annoyed, but I'll get over it soon. After all only my pride is wounded." She said linking arms with Jane as they walked though the building. The main building was actually the house that they had all came through yesterday. Today, however there were wooden signs on all the doors, thankfully they did seem to go in numeric order. As they entered the room there were already a couple of ladies seated. It looked much like a sitting room except there was a huge space cleared in the middle of the room.
"Where do you want to sit?" Jane asked Elizabeth, who was glancing around the room. She immediately noticed Emma sitting in one corner with two other girls; she immediately looked the other way, and together they joined a table with one other girl already seated there.
"Hello there, may we join you?" Elizabeth asked. The girl looked up shocked.
"Certainly feel free to," as they sat she continued talking. "Sorry if I looked so surprised. I only have younger "siblings" and wasn't expecting to be approached by anyone."
"Yes it does seem to put you at a disadvantage if you have no one the same age in your household." Jane said. "Luckily for me I have Lizzie here to keep me company."
"And I'm such good company." Elizabeth proclaimed laughing. "And because we aren't suppose to introduce ourselves… may I introduce my sister Jane Bennett."
"And my younger sister Elizabeth Bennett." Jane finished. The girl looked amused.
"That is actually quite funny, and because I know no one in this room, I feel it would be alright to introduce myself. Charlotte Lucas at your service."
"Oh, irony" Jane said laughing. "We end up sitting at the same table as Charlotte Lucas and Elizabeth ran into Mr. Darcy on the way here." Charlotte's eyes got wide.
"No!" She asked whispering because more people began to filter in.
"Yes!" Elizabeth said. "And if you must know he was very stuck up and snobby. Most likely the fact that he was Mr. Darcy went to his head. He's not even that handsome…"
"And you say only your pride is hurting." Jane teased.
"I'm sure he's only trying to appear that way because that's what people expect of Mr. Darcy." Charlotte said inquisitively.
"Yes you never know Lizzie, he could have had a bad morning, or something else could have happened to make him upset this morning." Jane said softly.
"Yes I suppose" She said as if she wasn't really listening.
"I know I wasn't to happy to wake up at 7 on summer vacation." Charlotte said grinning. They all laughed. It got them quite a few looks from the other girls in the room. Lizzie groaned inwardly when she saw Emma stand up and make her way over to them.
"Hello Jane, Elizabeth." She said smiling. "Would you mind introducing me to your friend?" She seemed to direct this question mostly to Jane.
"Oh certainly! Miss Emma Woodhouse, this is Miss Charlotte Lucas, Charlotte, Miss Woodhouse."
"Pleasure to meet you Miss Woodhouse." Charlotte said curtsying.
"Same to you Miss Lucas."
"Well I hope you all won't think I'm intruding but we were just curious as to what was so funny?"
"Well…" Elizabeth started cutting in "We were simply discussing how ironic it is that we all willingly signed up for a camp that requires us to wake up by 7 A.M. each morning when most our age are most likely still fast asleep." She raised her eyebrow up and gave Emma a curious look.
"Well I suppose that's the choice we all made." Emma replied giving Elizabeth an odd, narrowed look.
"Yes but that doesn't stop it from being funny." Elizabeth responded back. Emma looked shocked. "You did want to know what we were laughing about."
"Yes" she said nodding. "Well I should be going back to my table. Nice talking with you."
"Pleasure talking to you as well." Jane responded. As soon as Emma's back was turned, Jane slapped Elizabeth on the arm. "What in the world was that?"
"She was trying to establish her rule, I put an end to it. At least as far as it applies to us."
"What in the world are you talking about?" Jane whispered.
"Miss Woodhouse is employing tactics similar to the cheerleaders at my school. They act nice to gain information on you and then at the opportune moment snap! They use it against you."
"You have no way of knowing that's what she was doing." 'Jane said exasperated.
"Actually I think I'm on Lizzie's side, may I call you Lizzie?"
"Certainly may I create a nickname for you?"
"Most definitely what were you thinking of?"
"Perhaps Charlie, Lottie or Chuck perhaps, I'm fond to Chuck."
"If I'm Chuck you're Eliza"
"Very well Lottie."
"Glad we straightened this out Lizzie. Anyways has Emma approached you before Lizzie?"
"Yes yesterday immediately after I announced who I was, she pounced on me, said the boys would be after me, I disagreed and walked away."
"Ah, see she was trying to get you on her side and now that you won't…"
"She's trying to either get some dirt on me or get revenge some way because I wouldn't join her group. It seems she does still want Jane however." Lizzie finished and Jane blushed red.
"Lizzie that's ridiculous." Jane said.
"Not really did you not see how all the boys acted when they saw you?" Elizabeth asked.
"Yes but I'm sure they were simply being polite." Jane said, causing Elizabeth to scoff.
"Good morning ladies!" Mrs. Gardiner said striding into the room. Jane gave Lizzie a look that clearly said this conversation wasn't over.
"Good morning." Most of the girls in the room responded. Many looked surprised.
"I notice the perplexed expressions on your faces, I suspect many of you did not expect me to come and act like this." She received many uncertain nods. "Well I wouldn't be able to teach you much otherwise. The fact is that to try to teach you years worth of social customs in two months is crazy, so we have to condense that as much as possible. So..." She walked over to the cabinet in the room and pulled out several large packets. "This is a packet that summarizes everything you need know. By Thursday I want this read, so that I can give examples or answer any questions you may have. If something happens this week you are unsure of ask a consular or save it for me to answer on Thursday. In this classroom, at least for the first couple classes we have, ask as many questions as you'd like. Better to ask a question now, and learn from it then to make a mistake. Because we will be making you act like you're from the early 1800's. Now I don't want to touch onto that anymore. You all know what you signed up for. Any questions?"
Elizabeth looked over at Jane who looked very amused.
"Why are you smiling?" Elizabeth whispered.
"Mrs. Gardiner is my aunt, she's very nice but also very strict. She wants all of this to go well."
"She's your aunt?"
"Yes now hush! I'm trying to listen" Jane whispered back. Mrs. Gardiner had begun talking about how to greet people, and being introduced. At 10:50 they were released and they shuffled out of the room.
"I feel as if my head is about to explode!" Elizabeth said walking outside into the sunlight.
"Bonnet." Jane said handing Elizabeth a dark brown bonnet. Elizabeth regretfully pulled it on. "Sunblock." Jane added handing over a little tube of sunscreen.
"Why do I need sunblock?"
"See the straps?"
"Yes." Lizzie said hesitantly.
"Do you want straight white tan lines on your face because I certainly don't." Jane reasoned.
"What would I do without you Jane?" Elizabeth said smiling, passing Charlotte the sunscreen. Charlotte's schedule was the same as theirs, except she had sewing and music revised.
"We've known each other two days and you're already saying that." Jane teased linking arms with Lizzie, who linked her other arms with Charlotte.
"So Charlotte, how many siblings do you have?" Jane asked over Elizabeth's head.
"In real life or here?"
"Both I suppose."
"In real life I'm the youngest of 3, which is horrible. But here I'm the oldest of 4, two brothers and one sister. They are 16, 14, and 12 respectively."
"How old are you? We're 16 and 15." Lizzie said filling her in.
"I'm 17." Lizzie groaned.
"You two are so old!" She said jokingly.
"We are hardly old!" Jane said laughing. They had reached the stables by now where many of the others their age had already gathered.
"Look who it is Sir Stick up my…" Jane hit her arm again. "You know I'm going to have a bruise there."
"Act like a lady and it won't happen." Jane said smiling.
"You are severely rude!" Elizabeth pouted. The instructor got started, and for the first hour he talked about the basic rules for behaving around horses, don't let them eat the grass, when walking behind a horse stay close to the horse. They also learned the basics of mounting and dismounting. They had a couple saddles on wooden sawhorses to practice. Then, after stressing that no one would be forced to go faster then a walk, they began getting on the horses. They only had ten horses available to be used, so they paired off. While one was riding, the other was practicing mounting on the sawhorse. Elizabeth was partnered with Jane, who allowed her the courtesy of going first. After putting on the helmet, safety first after all, she mounted a beautiful paint named Philippe who, she was reassured, was very well trained. Charlotte rode beside her as they followed the instructor and walked across the ground.
"Charlotte! Back here." She turned around and waved to the boy behind as he rode up next to her.
"Elizabeth this is my brother Henry Lucas." She introduced. "Henry this is Ms. Elizabeth Bennett." This must be the 16 year old Lizzie thought, though he seemed to be younger.
"Pleased to meet you Ms. Elizabeth." He said nodding his head in her direction; he couldn't bow on a horse after all.
"Pleasure to meet you as well Mr. Lucas." She responded before turning her body slightly. She had rode astride before but sidesaddle was beginning to get on her nerves.
"May I introduce my friend to you Charlotte?" He asked. He seemed rather excited. A tall man on a black horse came up on Lizzie's right side away from Charlotte and Mr. Lucas, and Lizzie inwardly groaned and cursed her misfortune. "Charlotte, Ms. Elizabeth may I introduce Mr. Darcy of Pemberly. Mr. Darcy this is my oldest sister Charlotte and her friend Ms. Elizabeth Bennett." Elizabeth felt slightly proud to see a bit of shock on his face at her name.
"Pleasure to meet you both." He said quietly.
"Oh but we've already meet haven't we Mr. Darcy?" Elizabeth asked in a rather sweet tone. "But surely you haven't forgotten that already?" She said, taking much pleasure in the fact that his face went slightly red. "After all I'm simply a high school twit." She finished. Nodding slightly in Henry Lucas' direction, and saying goodbye to Charlotte she urged the horse a little faster, so she was right behind the instructor. She did not in anyway want to hear one thing come out Mr. Darcy's mouth. She had gotten her revenge her pride was satisfied. Now if only lunch could come quickly she felt as if her day would be complete. However her day only seemed to have other plans as they headed into the dining hall for lunch.
I'm trying to get all my stories on a three week schedule for the time being. So that every Sunday/early Monday morning, I will update a different story. I'm really hoping this type of schedule will be easier for me to stick with so expect the next chapter of this to be released in 3 weeks time.
Please review and let me know what you think!
