-1A/N I'm trying to write a chapter at a time, and keep it as close to the book as possible. I'm aiming to get a chapter out a night. Any ideas are welcome, please Read and Review.
Chapter Two- Pretty Enough
"Hurry up, hurry up." Mrs Bennet's shrill voice came rushing through Lizzy and Janes open door, "Lizzy, quickly make sure Jane looks perfect. She is much the prettiest and likely to get his attention!" Jane winced at her mother's interference, if any had ever thought to ask her she would say that she thought Lizzy far prettier than she. While Jane was tall and slender with long straight blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes, she envied Lizzy. Lizzy was short and petite, her hair was as longas Janes but it was so curly it barely fell past her shoulders, and her eyes were a brilliant green that always seemed to twinkle with mischief. The twins loved each other dearly and could never bear to hear any speak ill of the other.
"Oh, my poor nerves! Do you never think of my poor nerves?" Mrs Bennet rushed into the girl's room and clapped her hands in delight when she saw Jane. "Oh, you look so pretty Jane! But what good that will do if we do not hurry. One or another of those horrible desperate girls will already be all over Mr Bingley if we do not hurry." Mrs Bennet held a hand to her forehead in a dramatic manner, and then grabbing Janes arm pulled her from the room with the barest glance at Lizzy, "I suppose you look nice too dear."
Rolling her eyes with a sigh Lizzy followed her sister and mother from the room. She felt she looked good in her forest green sleeveless knee length dress, with a big brown belt and leggings that tied around her ankles. A wire headband held her hair back and curls ran down her back. While she felt, she could never match Jane's innocent beauty in her pale blue halter neck dress and black leggings, her hair pulled back in two small braids while the rest was left to fall down her back.
While their parents and little sisters piled into the family mini van, Lizzy and Jane were being given a lift to the Lucas Australia Day Party by Charlotte Lucas herself. A best friend of the girls she knew they wouldn't want to get out of the car amongst squalling and fighting of their three younger sisters and the pushiness of their mother.
All of Hertfordshire was present at the party. It was the 'not to be missed' start of the year party, three days before school started again and the drudgery of schoolwork bleached the fun out of these partygoers. By the time Lizzy and Jane arrived, their family were well into party mode. Lydia was making eyes at the recent high-school graduates and Cathy was fawning over one of the boys who had classes with Lizzy. People often thought them to be the Bennet twins, more likely to match than Jane and Lizzy they were both tall, with curvy dark blonde hair and wore matching black skirts and tank tops, Cathy in blue and Lydia ever the Barbie girl, in pink. Mrs Bennet was screeching into the ears of Charlotte's mum, 'Jane is so pretty, he is sure to want her. Who knows he may even marry her!" and Mary was sitting in a corner headphones in, black nails tapping her knee in time with whatever beat was screaming despondently into her ears. Ever the 'Goth' chic, she were her classic black, black commando boots, torn stockings clipped together by safety pins, a short pleated black and red tartan skirt, and a black corset.
The much famed Mr Bingley and crew had yet to arrive so Lizzy moved over to the drinks table to grab a soft drink, never one to drink while her parents were present. Meanwhile, a sudden hush came across the party as MR Lucas came into the backyard with three young men and two young women. MR Bingley was easily recognised by his flaming head of hair, and Lizzy instantly liked him for the sincerity radiated from his sparkling blue eyes. Behind him came a short, slight dumpy woman flashing a large diamond ring on her left hand, and holding tightly to a 30 something man, with slightly balding hair a beer belly and a very red nose. Must be Mr and Mrs Hurst. Lizzy thought turning her attention to the last couple in the group. A very skeletal girl with peroxide blonde hair, and red roots, and an absurdly small Gucci dress and too much sparkly jewellery, was clutching the arm of a man. Caroline and the mysterious friend, a Mr tall dark and handsome. Lizzy thought, as she surreptitiously looked the man up and down. Tall, much much taller than she, he had very tanned skin, and a head of messy ebony curls. Mmmm, she thought moving over to Jane and Charlotte who were about to be introduced to the group, just my type, all he needs is an accent.
"Hello!" Mr Bingley said brightly smiling at everyone he saw until his eyes fell on Jane and his smile matched that of the Cheshire Cat, he couldn't tear his eyes from her, now blushing, face even as he spoke in them same cheerful tone to MR Lucas.
Ben Lucas never one to miss a possible match introduced the girls. "Mr Bingley ("Charles, please call me Charles" to everyone but meant for Jane), allow me to introduce my daughter Charlotte, and her friends the infamous and beautiful Bennet twins, Jane and Elizabeth." Both of the 'infamous and beautiful' Bennet twins blushed at the introduction, and then again at their mothers voice from the other side of the yard "Jane is definitely beautiful, but no one will ever think Lizzy is when she's next to Jane."
Ever the gentleman Charles' smile fell from his face as he glanced at Lizzy, "It's a pleasure to meet such beautiful girls, in fact the whole yard is full of beauties (eyes on Janes). May I introduce my sister and brother in-law, Richard and Louisa Hurst, my younger sister Caroline, and my dear friend Mr F-" he stopped at a glare from Tall Dark and Handsome, "William Darcy."
"We're pleased to meet you," Jane smiled at Charles, and Lizzy added, "I hope you like Hertfordshire?"
"Hardly likely, especially after New York, don't you agree Will?" Caroline piped up in a decidedly nasal voice. He ignored her, gently attempting to pry her off his arm.
Charles ignored this remark and looked up excitedly as he heard the music change, "Dance with me will you Jane?" He asked a blush now settling on his own face. When she nodded shyly, he swept her off without another look at his companions. Lizzy hid a smile, her mother had been right. When she turned back from Jane dancing contently with Charles she saw Charlotte laughing softly and the rest of the Bingley company standing in the corner of the garden.
"Oh, Australian bogans. I can't believe we have to live here, how am I supposed to graduate with a bumpkin teacher?" Caroline whined unabashedly. Lizzy decided she really didn't like this girl.
"I doubt you will have more trouble than you did the last two times your studied year 12." Darcy spoke with a very regal British accent. Lizzy thought her knees had turned to jelly, he was good looking, and had an accent, and he was giving Caroline what she deserved.
Quite some time later, when Jane and Charles had been dancing so long they both needed to stop for a drink; Lizzy was standing beside the table again, getting herself a drink after some wild dancing with friends from school. Charles had noticed Darcy brooding alone in a corner, the Hursts were dancing drunkenly and Caroline was making out with some guy while throwing looks at Darcy to see if he was jealous. She watched him approaching Darcy, and he said "Darcy! Why won't you dance? I demand that you dance!"
William Darcy, Lizzy saw, just glanced about the party disdainfully. "Why? You're dancing with the only really pretty girl in the place. And there's no way I'm dancing with Caroline."
Charles lit up at mention of Jane and started talking about how beautiful, sweet, and kind she was. Oh yes, thought Lizzy, he is just fine for my Jane. As for Mr Darcy, he has a bit of an attitude, though I guess h doesn't really know anybody.
"What about her sister? Lizzy?" Charles suggested, Lizzy stiffened at her name and turned her gaze to the dancers. "She is beautiful too, almost as pretty as Jane." Lizzy smiled at the complement to both her and her twin.
Darcy gave a rather undignified snort, "What the girl with the curly hair? Some might call her pretty, but she's a little savage looking for my tastes. No, she is not pretty," he stressed the word, "enough to tempt me."
Lizzy lifted her head in indignation and walked right past Charles and Darcy, Charles looking upset that she had heard their conversation while Darcy only looked mildly put out. She smiled charmingly at Charles and glared at Darcy whose impassive face fell for a moment. As their eyes had met, he had realised with surprise that her green eyes positively glowed with emotion.
Lizzy walked away to find Charlotte and tell her what she had overheard. Chuckles filled the air as Lizzy put a dramatic spin on the whole thing to banish any pain she had felt from the barb. Darcy felt a sudden unexpected burst of regret, maybe he should have asked her to dance with him.
By the end of the night, when the bennets returned to their home at Longbourne, the Bennets had decided that Mr Bingley, though six years older than Jane, was a remarkable amiable man, the Hursts were companiable enough before they started drinking and quite fun when intoxicated. Meanwhile Caroline Bingley in the opinion of everyone but Jane, was thought to be shallow, scrawny and hardly worthy of Bingley as a brother, as for Mr Darcy the entire town felt he was a proud and arrogant man, and to slight Lizzy! With her fiery and passionate nature and Jane's sweet and compassionate temperament, combined with their almost ethereal beauty, they were town favourites. For someone to slight Lizzy as only 'pretty enough' and to compare he to a savage, well suffice to say, the town felt MR Darcy quite undeserving of being even stepped on by their Lizzy. Even Mrs Bennet was heard to say "My Lizzy, not pretty enough to tempt him? Any young man would be terribly lucky for my beautiful Lizzy to look at them. Even if she is not as pretty as Jane."
Lizzy however, after her initial hurt, found the whole thing to be quite amusing, though she felt there was no way that she could ever like Mr Darcy and swore if the opportunity should ever arise, she would refuse to dance with him.