April 2011

Longbourn, Hertfordshire.

Sitting in front of the vanity desk in her childhood bedroom, Jane took a couple gulp of airs to settle her nerves. When it fails, she pinched the back of her hand.

"Stop it, Jane! You're going to leave a bruise." yelled Lizzy, snapping closed her lipstick tube.

"Yeah, I really don't want to deal with mama 'fit of nerves' today." quipped Lydia, not looking up from her phone screen. "Especially after the flowers fiasco yesterday."

Jane cringed at the memory. Ahh... those poor florist. they faced the wrath of Frances Bennett just because-

"Come here, Jane." Lizzy interrupts her inner monologue, grabbed her hand and pulls her in front of the standing mirror. Hugging her sister from the behind, Lizzy propped her chin on top of Jane shoulder. Catching her sister's eyes in the mirror, Lizzy's face softened. "You look breathtaking, Jane. Like a fairytale princess." They smile at each other through the mirror.

"With your blonde hair and blue eyes, you look more like a classy and beautiful barbie doll to me." Both ladies turn over their shoulders to look at their youngest sister.

Lydia approached her older sisters, tugging her strapless dress up with one hand while the other busy snapping pictures on her phone.

"Smile."

Bending her body this and that way for a different angle, Lydia giggled behind her phone. "And Charles do resemble a Ken doll, quite a lot. Ahh.. your babies are going to be sooo beautiful with a perfect blonde hair and blue eyes. I'm sooo going to be their favourite aunt."

"Lydia, you're 13. Aren't you're too old to still play with a barbie doll?" Lizzy narrowed her eyes at Lydia.

"Lizzy, you're 15. Aren't you're too old to still believe in fairytales?" Lydia crossing her arms and glaring back at her older sister.

"Stop it, you two. Today is my wedding day. To the man of my dream . I'm so happy I could float to the sky, and I want my sisters- all my sisters, to share my happiness. Is that too selfish of me?" uttered Jane with feeling, looking pointedly at Lizzy and Lydia.

She glanced behind them seeing Mary engrossed in a book at the corner of the bed, and Kitty with a curling iron in her hair, her bohemian halter dress sways with every move she makes.

Looking contrite, Lizzy and Lydia apologized, making Jane grinned and shakes her head.

"Sisters hug!" She spread her arms wide.

Mary and Kitty stopped what their doing and runs to their sisters for a group hug- or better known to them as sisters hug.

Just like they always did.

Yes, little sisters can be anoying, most of the time. And loud. And nosy. And they stole your clothes too. But, she could always count on them to lift her up when she's down and be there for her when she's having a rough time.

Yes, she wouldn't trade them for anything in the world.

Letting go a after a short while, Jane blue eyes scan over her sisters. Who all wore the same shade of forest green bridesmaid dress, albeit in a different style.

Standing on her right side is Elizabeth Margaret Bennett, wearing and off shoulder sweetheart neckline flowy dress.

While she loves all her sisters very much, Lizzy hold a special place in her heart. Jane blinks a few times to clear her welling eyes.

Itzy bitzy little Lizzy. A tiny little thing with a capful of dark hair. The newborn look just like a doll to her then 10-year-old mind and stealing her heart on the spot. Jane used to changed her diapers, feed her, sang her lullabies, and rock her to sleep. She would throw a hissy fit when her mama tried to take away Baby Lizzy from her arms. But it was her startling violet eyes that captivates Jane the most.

Now, a 15-year-old teenage girl, Lizzy is as bright as she is stubborn . More often than not, the cause of their mother 'fits of nerves'.

Her gaze move to a 14-year-old Mary Agnes Bennett standing in a dress two size too big for her. The long-sleeved, shapeless dress making her look boxy and unattractive. Not doing her curvy figure any justice. Jane inwardly sighed, hoping she realized someday that a single digit dress size does not represent beauty and shows off her curves proudly.

"Why don't you let Kitty do your hair for you, Mary? She really does have a magic touch with hair, you know." Jane smile gently, touching a few of the thick brown curls escaping form the tight bun.

"Yeah, I would love to get my hands in that curls of yours. Would you let me do it?" Grinning, Kitty curled her arm around Mary shoulder.

"And I would love to have a go at that sorry excuse of a dress. Give me 30 minutes. And a sewing machine. I can transform it into a dress even Cinderella would envy, dear sister." Lydia twirled around, humming a song from the animated Cinderella movie.

"And you said I'm too old for fairytale." muttered Lizzy under her breath.

"Shut up, Lizzy!"

"You shut up!"

"Ummm, maybe another time?" Mary soft spoken-words stopped the bickering sister. "I don't think we have enough time to comb through this rat's nest of mine." Adjusting her glasses, Mary look at the twins. "And this dress is comfortable and easy to walk in with, so that's enough for me. I don't need a fancy smancy dress that I'm not going to wear again."

Jane inwardly sigh again and faced the twins. Her two youngest sister. The double trouble, as their father like to called them. The only way to tell the twins apart was their hair color. Kitty was born with a light sandy-brown instead of Lydia's dark chocolate-brown locks.

At the age of 13, Catherine Hadley Bennett have a lot of interest- and talent in painting. Be it objects, landscape or portraits. She excels in them all. A fact that delight their mother to no end, and love to boast to any ears willing to listen.

Younger by 5 minutes, Lydia Harper Bennett is their family drama queen extraordinaire . If not musing about fashion and boys, she most likely busy planning one shenanigans after another, that usually ends up with broken Longbourn heirloom antiques. Sending their poor mother abed in one of her 'fit of nerves'.

"JAANNEEE!" Mrs. Frances Bennett burst into the room in a tizzy.

Ahh. Speak of the devil.

"Jane! Did you know that Charles best man won't be attending the ceremony today?" Mrs. Bennett paced the length in front of her bed, high heels clicking with every step she takes.

"Ohh, that wretched, wretched inconsiderate man." twisting her silk handkerchief as she continued to pace.

"Does he know how hard it was to plan a wedding? All the hardwork is ruin! Ruin, I tell you! Now, who would stand up with Charles? And we can't have an absent best man. How would it looks like in the photos? Bad! That's how it looks like! I can't have bad photos on my first child wedding. Ohh, the nerve of that man. How could he do that to his own best friend? That pompous arrogant-"

"Mama" Grabbing her mothers arms to stop her tirade, Jane uttered somberly. "Mr. Darcy have a very good reason yo not come today, Mama." Taking a deep breath, she continued, "He just lost his sister a few months ago."

"Oh." Deflating, Mrs. Bennett slump down the bed. "I- I didn't know. I didn't mean to-"

Sitting on the bed next to her, Jane squeezed her mother's hand. "It's okay, mama. You didn't know. Mr. Darcy didn't like to talk about it."

"Mr. Darcy? Isn't that Charles new boss ?" Elizabeth cocked her head and look at Jane.

"Yes, they attended the same boarding school and have been good friends ever since. After Charles passed the bar exam, Mr. Darcy employes him as one of their staff attorney at Darcy Corporation."

"Oh. It must be hard for him. Carrying such a big responsibility of running a huge company on top of losing his sister. His only family." uttered Lizzy sadly, her heart aching for a man that she never met.

Clearing her throat, Mrs. Bennett patted Jane hand. "Jane dear, do send my deepest condolence to Mr. Darcy when you met him. Ohh, the poor darling."

"I will, Mama."

"Right. I'm not trying to be callous, but the grieving will have to wait another day, my dear. It wouldn't do to have your makeup ruin by tears. Not today. Today is my firstborn wedding day. And no child of Frances Bennett Nee' Gardiner will have a less than perfect wedding. Over my cold dead body." with a determined nod, Mrs. Bennett rose from the bed. "If you excuse me girls, I'm going to somehow stuffed Mr. Collin in one of your father suits."

They all shuddered at the mental image.

"Eww. Whatever for." grimaced Lydia.

"Well, we do need a best man. And he's the only one available at close hand on short notice. But, I would not tolerate the abominable thing he wore as suits!" She shivered as she walked to the door. With a hand on the doorknob, Mrs. Bennett turned her head. "Desperate times call for desperate measures, girls." With a wink, she flounce downstairs to search her next unsuspecting prey.

"Oh, Mr. Collins. Where are you?"

Hi guys! Merry Christmas and Happy holiday.

I've been lurking a long time but I finally find a will and commitment to start writing. This was my first attempt so I hope you guys give me some slack and kindly pointed any mistakes I made.

Comments on your thoughts.

xoxo