Chapter Seven- Homecoming

The group alighted from the beach house in Rye in the late afternoon. Everyone had been too hung-over to wake up before midday, so it was four o'clock by the time everyone was packed up and ready to go. Suitcases were put in the car and people (Caroline) squabbled over seats, and so it was that Jane and Richie swapped seats but everyone else was sitting where they had been on the way up. Most were happy to be going home, Richie and Louisa had enjoyed the trip but we're happy that the twins would be splitting up from the group when they returned to Hertfordshire, as much as they liked them, time spent with them resulted in time spent listening to Caroline complain. Charles was sad to see the girls go; he and Jane had come to an understanding, though of what no one else knew, and he thought that Lizzy was simply charming. Will was happy to see Lizzy go because maybe then he could get her out of his head, and get Caroline off his back, she had been spending almost as much time teasing him about her as she did throwing herself at him. Caroline was glad that Lizzy was so weird, because surely Will would be over his momentary lapse of judgement and ready to, finally, start a life with her. The trip back promised to be uneventful and it was until Lizzy decided to read. She bent down to her bag and pulled out her book and something else, Will was not watching, of course, but he could not help but notice when she unfolded a pair of small black glasses. No, no this is not happening. She does not need glasses. They must be someone else's. This rationale lasted the two seconds it took her to put them on her nose and settle down to read.

"What are those?" Caroline asked, looking over her shoulder to see Will staring and wanting to know the source of his interest.

"What do they look like?" Lizzy retorted, her eyes not moving from her book.

"But, you don't wear glasses." Will said stupidly. That made her look up and give him a very sarcastic, "Oops, well then I better take them off since you know best." She went back to her book with a shake of her head. Jane turned around and said, "She wears contacts mostly, it's easier. But she lost one the first day we were here and was too lazy to get more."

"Glad someone can think straight." Lizzy muttered from behind her book. Will suddenly remembered her red eye and how she had rubbed it and said she had 'mostly' seen his and Caroline's kiss. Damn her, he thought scowling, why did she have to be so enigmatic and alluring? Glasses were just another tick on his preferred looks criteria.

Lizzy did not stir from her book for the rest of the trip, not even when Will noticed she was not reading the book he lent her. Jane was required to say, "It's in her bag, she finished it already. She's not being rude she just gets car sick and so tries to concentrate on her book instead." Will just nodded; he would not want to talk to him either. He had been patronising, and stared at her the whole trip, no wonder the girl hid behind her book. I wish I had never called her a savage, he thought despondently as he stared out the window and rain began to fall, mirroring his feelings.

Lizzy was glad to be home, glad to be in her own bed above Janes- bunk beds -and listening to the reassuring sound of rain on the roof. Not that the trip had not been fun, she and Louisa got on like a house on fire. She found that while Louisa had very little willingness to start a conversation herself, she was very lively when she got started, and many things she had to say to Lizzy would send her into hysterics. Richie though almost 8 yrs her senior, was her perfect match, he was mischievous enough to get Louisa started and but mature enough to keep her in check. Charles, Lizzy loved, he was the male epitome of all that was kind and sweet, a perfect partner for her Jane, his exuberance brought Jane out of herself in a way Lizzy never could, and her sense brought him a maturity to his thoughts. Caroline was as snivelling and grotesque as ever, and Lizzy felt sure that she would never, in all her life, meet someone she detested so much as she, the shallow, whining creature that she was. Although, she thought, William Darcy does come close. I do not hate him though I just cannot make myself like him. He can be so charming and considerate and then he goes all poker faced on me and that stare! Lizzy would give any amount of money -should she have possessed it- to know what he was thinking when he turned that gaze on her. She was so sure he felt nothing more than contempt and pity for her, and that he ridiculed her at every opportunity. How wrong she was, for at that very moment…

"Lizzy Bennet really is not a pretty girl." Caroline said as she sat on the couch next to her sister, who just made a non-committal 'hmm' so as not to give her sister reason to continue this topic, and not to insult her friend. "I would have thought that knowing her better would make her prettier, but no! She is simply too independent," she spat the word as though it burned her, "the way she dresses, her piercing and tattoo against her mothers wishes!" She looked at Will who was standing next to the empty fireplace, and attempting to ignore her. "I'm sure you would not wish for your sister to graffiti her body like that, would you Will?" she asked, ignoring the fact that she had a hole in her nose from where she in a 'sheep' (1) moment had had it pierced.

"Definitely not." Will said, thinking of how sexually provocative the piercing and tattoo had made her body, no wonder she had tried to hide them.

"Well," said Caroline smugly, "I guess that and her apparent disregard for good manners, -her little run in the water when we got there! - have poisoned your love of her 'fine eyes'."

"Certainly not. I think her eyes were brightened by the exercise, and while I should not wish for my sister to act in such a way as she does it certainly lighten the mood."

Caroline's open and closed like a fish out of water, but, but, but, she mouthed silently. Will turned away and turned on his laptop to email his sister.

From: Fitzwilliam Darcy [mailto:
Sent: Wednesday, 2 April 2008 7:28 PM
To: Gee Gee Darcy
Subject: Homecoming

Yes, the trip was good. Charles seems enraptured by Jane, the blonde Bennet twin, and she seems almost as enamoured of him, although she is so subdued, one can hardly tell! Before you mutter something about wanting details on this girl, allow me to begin thusly:

Name: Jane Elizabeth Bennet

DoB: May 4th 1990

Hair: Blonde, straight

Eyes: Bright Blue, with a touch of green like the ocean (Charles made that particular observation)

Height: About the same, as Caroline and very slender, Charles also observed that she is as sweet as a lily with the same attributes. Yes, he has gotten poetical in his attraction, and we know that means he is serious.

Family: Well off enough, they own one of the only other estates in the area. Her mother is horrible, her father tolerable but sarcastic, her youngest sisters, Lydia and Cathy, are poor examples of femineity, Mary is a great friend of the colour black and frequents places that would set even my knees trembling. Her twin Elizabeth, known as Lizzy to her friends, is the only member of her family with any tact -which says much since she is as blunt as a poor butcher's knife- but seems to genuinely care for her sister.

Caroline had the audacity to kiss me, I do not recall if I told you that while I was away, but Lizzy and I had been on the beach, separately for the most part, when it began to storm, and when we took some time getting back the others began to get worried. Jane threw herself into her sisters arms then took on a matronly role and sent her to shower and change, when I was accosted by the vile creature. I Was so disoriented, by the rain of course, that I just stood there stupidly, but then, I will not give you the details, and I came to my senses and pushed her away. Needless to say, I am in need of a new toothbrush as my old one has been worn out.

I enjoyed the book you told me to read, I lent it to Lizzy, it seems she is a fan of Elizabeth Haydon.

I miss you sister. I wish I could go home soon so we can return to Pemberley, but business will keep me here til the end of the year. I suspect it will keep Charles here much longer.

Love from your favourite confectionary.

From: Gee Gee Darcy
Sent: Wednesday, 2 April 2008 8:45 PM
To: Fitzwilliam Darcy
Subject: RE: Homecoming

You know me too well brother. I am glad you enjoyed your trip, but happier that Charles has found someone to love. She sounds really nice, I want to meet her but you will not let me come their to visit you. I am so bored, Marshall keeps coming to visit, but it is not the same as having you here.

I noticed you said little about Jane's sister, except to mention she was blunt, protective, a Haydon fan and got caught in the rain with you. You never do that unless you are avoiding something, if you hated her you would have described her vileness, like you do with the Bing Bong Witch.(2) Do you like her? Does she like you? Are you dating? What is she like? Is she pretty? Can I meet her?

Caroline is gross, use mouth wash, or acid…it might get rid of any lingering germs. Be careful, if she is an alien, as we always thought, she may have impregnated you with her kiss.

Elizabeth Haydon rocks! Tell your mysterious Lizzy to read The Floating Island(3), I just finished it, it is pretty good.

I want details, and I want them soon. Missing you, come visit me soon.

-[©-[Gee Gee-[©

-[xoxox-[©-[xoxox-

From: Fitzwilliam Darcy [mailto:
Sent: Thursday, 3 April 2008 10:30 AM
To: Gee Gee Darcy
Subject: RE: RE: Homecoming

You my sister are too curious for your own good. Curiosity killed the cat, did you know that? Lizzy is a nice girl, wild and radical but nice. However, since you will not let go of this until you know everything here is what you got about the twin.

Name: Elizabeth Jane Bennet (yes, named for each other)

DoB: May 4th 1990 (twins)

Hair: Chestnut brown with some auburn highlights you can only see in the sun, very, very curly.

Eyes: Green, they change colour depending on her mood and go the same sea green as Jane's are, when she is angry, or a very pale green when she is thinking. (we argued a lot, do NOT read anything into that!)

Height: Tiny. Shorter than you, and very slight. She would have excelled at ballet had she the inclination.

Family: You already know.

Extras: I had more opportunity to learn about Lizzy than I did Jane. She is an active environmentalist, goes to protests and rallies regularly, she does Legal, Politics, Australian and Revolution history, and Literature. She has aspirations to one day study in England and become a journalist with a history degree. She is a member of green piece and has their stickers stuck to almost everything she owns. She wears a locket she received from her Nan before she died and has two piercing in each ear and one at the top of her left ear. She also has her navel pierced and a tattoo of a Cattelaya Orchid on her left hip, it is her favourite flower. She loves the novel Pride and Prejudice, and reads avidly.

I am sure there is more but I just brainstormed and came up with everything I can think of. Oh, her best friend is a year old and her name is Charlotte Lucas who calls herself Charli, pretty but not much of an acquaintance, and they both detest Witchiepoo(4), which I'm sure in your mind, as I confess it is in mind, is an endearing quality.

As to your inquiry of our 'relationship', I assure you we have only the barest of friendships, if it can indeed be called that. We argue more often than not, and due to an ill thought comment of mine upon first meeting her, (I called her a savage and not pretty enough) her thoughts of me would not be very flattering.

Soon sister, soon.

Love your favourite confectionary

A/N We needed to bring Georgina into it earlier. I want to give you some knowledge of her character before we meet the dreaded Wickham. The emails are also meant to establish the relationship between Gee Gee and Will. It also highlights where he thinks the relationship between Jane and Charles is going and how he currently has no objection to it. I am going to change that. It is also meant to shed some light on just how much he knows about Lizzy, whereas she knows about him very little. I know this one is short but I get to introduce Collins soon! And you should all still love me from my long update this morning.

I will also eventually explain Will's sign off. But not yet.

1. Sheep follow the herd, and have no mind of their own, just like our dear Caroline.

2. Reference to the rhyme 'Ding Dong the witch is dead, which old witch? The Wicked Witch?"

3. The Floating Island by Elizabeth Haydon is the first book in The Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme.

4. Wilhelmina W. Witchiepoo the wicked witch in the H.R Pufnstuf series.