Emma had never disliked anyone in her life. There had been moments where she had felt irritated with something (especially with Miss Bates) and there had been times where she looked down on a person (Mr Martin comes to mind at this) but she had never disliked someone.

Until she met the new Mrs Elton.

It had been bad enough that she had to comfort Harriet who had been heartbroken over the news, and it had been even worse that she had to endure Jane's pointed looks that almost screamed 'I told you so' while comforting said friend. But it had been even worse when she actually met the woman.

Mrs Elton was pretty enough with blue eyes and blonde curls done up elegantly while she was dressed in what was apparently the latest fashions though Emma really wasn't sure since she never followed them and preferred to wear mostly simple gowns unless there was a special occasion. She was apparently a clever and talented woman, the perfect accomplished woman that men dream about marrying, but Emma saw very little actual intelligence in the woman and she has yet to see any real talent apart from constantly talking.

And it was not even the annoying babble like Miss Bates which can be easily ignored. It was terrible, irritating, bragging and thinly veiled insults with a sickly sweet voice. Emma felt a terrible violent urge to smash the teapot over Mrs Elton's head midway their first meeting it had been only her self control and Jane's presence that kept her temper restrained and the urge only a small daydream.

She wondered why Mr Elton would marry someone who would be so quick to insult his home but then Mr Knightly's voice drifted in her mind about the twenty thousand pounds and then a small little reminder that Mr Elton did not grow up in Highbury like she had made her realise that Mr Elton perhaps did not care as much as she did.

The afternoon steadily got worse as the vile woman had not only insulted Mrs Weston and Emma's lifestyle but acted over familiar towards Mr Knightly (referring him to Knightly without any formal address, the nerve of that woman!) and then she decided to take it upon herself to mentor Jane.

Jane did not need this women's interference! They were all perfectly happy without Mrs Elton's opinions before she had come and they would continue to be happy without them for the rest of their lives!

As soon as the Eltons left (which could not have happened sooner!) Emma decided to take out her frustrations and anger on the piano much to Jane's distress.

Jane had always been a lover of music which will always be her second love to Frank and to hear Emma brutally murder every single song she played was doing nothing good to her own agitated nerves.

When Mr Knightly arrived that evening for a visit everyone sighed in relief. Miss Bates even voiced loudly what Jane had been thinking.

"Oh thank the lord you are here Mr Knightly! Perhaps you could cheer up Miss Woodhouse so she could stop that terrible noise. Oh dear! I did not mean to be so rude and insulting! I only had meant..."

"I know what you had meant, Miss Bates, and I know you do not mean to insult Emma," Mr Knightly said gently as he took his gloves and hat off, "I shall talk to Emma now and save your ears from any more pain."

Within a few moments of leaving the Bates, Mr Woodhouse, and Jane alone there was an instant silence much to everyone's relief which caused another round of sighs. Jane stood up and left the parlour to see how Emma was now she had calmed down or was at least being chided by Mr Knightly.

She was a little bit astonished to find Emma and Mr Knightly sitting so close on the music bench murmuring quietly to one another. Jane smiled to herself happily as she saw the growing contentment on Emma's face.

She wondered how long it shall be until Emma realised that Mr Knightly meant to her what Frank meant to Jane.

EWEWEWEWEWEW

25th April 1816

My beloved Jane,

I am filled with longing to be home by your side. It is the most excruciating pain I have to endure in my whole life as I miss you more and more each day. I miss how your eyes light up when you smile, I miss your laugh that fills the room, and I miss the warmth you give me when I hold you in my arms. I find myself missing Highbury just as much, I miss the scenery, I miss Hartfield's stifling warmth as every fire is lit, I miss your aunt's endearing babbles, Emma's cheerful demeanour, and I miss being able to see my father and stepmother on a regular basis.

So I must thank you for sending me news regularly, I must say that Mrs Elton does sound ghastly, do give Emma my sympathy, and I must also apologise for not being able to write as often as I should. My aunt is always questioning every move I make and I dare not allow her to get a whiff of my more than sibling attachment to you. I take this opportunity to write to as I am writing to my beloved stepmother and father as well to inform you and our dear friend Emma that I have convinced my uncle it is in my aunt's best interests if we moved to Richmond where it is good for the health. I will be able to visit Highbury more often than I would here and we would finally be able to have our ball together.

I am looking forwards to when I can dance with you and dream of it every night until it is truth.

With all my heart,

Yours only,

Frank.

"There you go dear Jane," Emma said cheerfully as she passed back Frank's letter to her friend. "Frank had not written so often simply because he wanted to protect you. He has not grown bored of you or anything as silly as that."

Jane was beginning to regret ever mentioning her worries to Emma. The last month had been silent without Frank writing often and Jane allowed her own insecurities about her financial and social status as well as the hints Mrs Weston dropped about Emma and Frank prey on her mind. All she could think was the silence from her fiancée had to be because he no longer desired her and was bored of her constantly writing. Emma had found her worries far too silly and repeatedly told Jane so at every private moment they had together which is more often than many people would believe.

"What is silly?"

The two girls turned to see John Knightly standing by their bedroom door which had been left open by one of his little horrors who had been far too overexcited. Emma quickly folded the letter away into her jewellery box.

"Nothing that is of your concern, John," Emma said calmly, "are the children all in bed?"

"Yes, and everyone else is waiting upon you two," John said somewhat impatiently, "Who was the letter from?"

"It is really none of your business, John," Emma said before Jane could stutter out a lie (she could feel her heart beat faster at the idea of lying to the man she considered as an older, if somewhat distant and not so close, brother). "Come along before the Eltons arrive and that woman finds something new to criticise."

"It is not a love letter from another poor man you are encouraging on the behalf of another woman is it?" John teased Emma as they headed down the hall and towards the stairs.

Emma glowered at John Knightly for the reminder of his previous teasing over the Christmas Holidays about Mr Elton. Jane could not help but giggle a little at the look on Emma's face while John smirked as they headed down the stairs.

"I have you know that I am avoiding the matchmaking business after the upsetting few months Harriet has been through. Although I do not wish to admit it, I do confess your brother had been right, this is the last time we talk about this topic," Emma said with all her dignity and pride.

They reached the bottom of the stairs with John still smirking down at Emma as older teasing brothers usually do. "If you wish, Emma," he said.

"Now please," Emma said losing all pride and dignity rather quickly, "please, be agreeable."

"When am I not?" John asked bewildered at the sudden change of topic.

"I will not list the times you were not for we would be here all evening!" Emma retorted. "I am asking you as your sister in law to please be agreeable to this woman. I know it will be testing but please."

"Why on earth did you invite the woman if you cannot stand her?" John asked. He turned to Jane as if to ask her what could possibly be going on in Emma's mind right this moment in time.

"It is unfortunately Emma's duty as the leading lady of Highbury's society to welcome Mrs Elton," Jane said softly, "the evening will be far more endurable if we all act agreeable and give Mrs Elton no cause to speak maliciously."

John sighed heavily. "Very well, if the sensible one says so."

"I am sensible as well!" Emma protested.

Much to Emma's indignation John left the hallway laughing loudly and very soon Mr Knightly would join in his laughter in the drawing room before the Eltons arrive.

No one else, Miss Bates especially, could not understand what the joke was.

EWEWEWEWEWEWEW

The long and very tiring evening was finally over as Emma gladly saw the door close behind the Eltons. Mr and Mrs Weston had left early due to exhaustion on the behalf of Mrs Weston, and Mr Knightly will be leaving shortly after perhaps another drink or two with John. As Emma ensured the Eltons were definitely gone she was greeted with a grinning John once more and knew she would not live this evening down.

"Be agreeable John, you asked, please John be agreeable, you had said, well I was not the one being disagreeable this evening was I?" John teased.

"Oh do not tease me tonight John Knightly!" Emma snapped. "That woman could test the patience of a saint! You and your brother have regularly told me I am the exact opposite of one therefore I can lose my temper with such a horrid woman! How dare she insult Jane and the Bates so?"

The teasing demeanour of her brother in law faded at an instant as he looked as grim and irritated as she felt. "I know," he said coolly, "it had been uncalled for to say such things. It was especially uncalled for her to interfere in Jane's life as she was trying to."

"Has Miss Bates calmed down yet?" Emma asked worriedly.

"Isabella managed to soothe her somewhat and I believe your father is reassuring her that she is not a burden and is always welcome in Hartfield."

"Well she is! I do not care what that woman says, Miss Bates is a dearly loved friend who has always paid for her own things and would not allow us to treat her to anything more than the roof over her head and the food on her plate. Jane is my foster sister that means all of her expenses including a small dowry if she so wishes to be married will be paid by my father. There is no charity, there is no sordid business going on like she implied, and there is definitely no need for Jane or Miss Bates or poor Mrs Bates to leave Hartfield!"

John allowed Emma to vent out her frustration and only wished he could do the same. There would not be a single person who would not feel that urge if they had heard Mrs Elton tonight who would not secretly wish to slap the woman in the face. The foul woman had not only had the nerve to suggest that Jane should leave her home in favour of a governess job (to a family who had connections to Mrs Elton) but that there was something 'disturbingly odd' about Mr Woodhouse living in a house with four unmarried women at various ages. Perhaps if one was to look at this on the outside they would agree with Mrs Elton after all the arrangement Mr Woodhouse has with the Bates is not exactly proper and had cause great scandal when it first started but that did not mean a thing at all. The whole of Highbury knows that Mr Woodhouse has not touched a woman since the loss of his most beloved wife.

The whole of Highbury has seen the lifestyle at Hartfield at some point or another and they see no oddity disturbing or otherwise about the loving family environment given to three motherless children. Miss Bates did not live on charity and often argued to use her limited funds to pay for her own, her mothers, and occasionally Jane's clothing (she often lost on Jane's account for Emma had always been determined her foster sister wore the best like she did), she had been a great assistance in caring and teaching three rowdy children and continues to be a wonderful carer to John's own children when he and Isabella were in need of an afternoon alone.

John has never once thought that there had been something wrong about the way Hartfield was run. No matter what disagreements he might have had with Mr Woodhouse or Miss Bates or Emma there was he held them in the highest regard as part of his own family and he took it a great insult that Mrs Elton would imply such things about them.

The moment Mr Weston had mentioned he too lived at Hartfield from time to time and had left his son in Mr Woodhouse's and the Bates care Mrs Elton had kept silent on the matter. However that did not stop her persisting in Jane's position in life should be a governess and midway through the last course of the night when she had even gone as far to say Jane should stay at the Vicarage to make herself proper in time for her position Emma had snapped completely and coldly told Mrs Elton to drop the matter as well as simultaneously telling her to mind her own business while insulting the newly married woman.

The Eltons did not stay for tea and coffee afterwards much to everyone's relief and poor Miss Bates immediately broke down into hysterics causing the men to depart quickly as the women rushed to her side to calm her down.

"At least no one can say this evening had been boring," John said much to Emma's frustration.

"You...oh...I...urgh!" Emma let out a small shriek of outrage that caused John to struggle to hide his amusement. She reminded him far too much of her younger self when she had been prone to temper tantrums he could not help but idly wonder if his own little Emma will grow up to be exactly like her aunt. "I think I shall speak to the sensible brother," she said finally.

"I am the sensible brother," John said unbothered.

Technically he was the sensible one since he had a successful career, a good home, a wife of good birth, and five children which fitted in the standards of society but no one can say George was not sensible as he worked just as hard with the family lands and had not lost a single piece of the family fortune nor has he fallen for any sort of woman who would have only married him for his wealth.

He watched rather amused as Emma took her turn to laugh and walk away just has he had earlier this evening. Instead of speaking to his brother Emma embraced Jane who was on her way out of the parlour room and then called out her farewells to everyone before the pair went to bed.

Isabella came out just as the two girls were on the stairs. "Have you been teasing my sister again?" she asked in a mock stern voice.

John held his wife close before answering. "No more than usual, I am sure Jane will have her calm by morning and I will not be in any danger of retribution. Is your father and Miss Bates well?"

"Miss Bates is now fully calm and will go to bed after a nightcap, Father is his usual self, he insists we must have an extra blanket for he is sure there will be a draft tonight, and George is sitting with them for the time being, Father is trying to convince him to stay the night," Isabella informed him as she rested her head on his shoulder. "What a foul woman that Mrs Elton is," she murmured, "I do pity Emma for having to put up with the likes of her."

"I do not for Emma has shown she will not stand for Mrs Elton to behave in such a manner and I am sure within a few months no one will want to invite the Eltons to anything. That sort of woman will be bored quickly with no social events and wish to move quickly and then Emma will no longer have to put up with Mrs Elton," John said calmly. "Now go to bed Mrs Knightly and I shall join you once my brother has reassured your father he is not going to fall off his horse and leaves for the night."

"As you wish Mr Knightly," Isabella said with a familiar sparkle in her eyes.

As John heads down the hallway he cannot help but think this has been the most entertaining stay he had at Hartfield since Emma, Frank, and Jane were children.