I do not own Divergent. Credit goes to Veronica Roth.
I do not own Pride and Prejudice. Credit goes to Jane Austen.
Only the idea of combining the two and placing characters in their respective places is mine.
It happened as though it ought to have. Lauren married Eric in a small church in Amity and then traveled back to Abnegation almost immediately to visit her family. Mr. Prior protested at first but much to everyone's suspicions Mrs. Prior was the one who had the say in the matter. And so it was that the newlywed couple arrived.
When the carriage had come in through the yard, Lauren was already jumping up and down excitedly, waving at her sisters.
"Married and she still seems to make a spectacle of herself," commented Myra.
"Yes, yes, that she does," Mr. Prior stated simply as his wife ran out to meet their youngest daughter.
There were cries and laughs of joy between Natalie and her daughter before she turned to see Mr. Eric Wickham come out from the carriage and bow to her. The man who was once hated and despised for making her 'innocent' youngest daughter run away and engage in frivolous matters was now the most handsome son in law to be had.
"Pleasure to see you all once again," Eric bowed.
When Eric came to stand right side up his eyes looked over at Beatrice and she regarded him with a look of shame. Beatrice could not believe that she once fancied this man, especially after all his dealings with Mr. Eaton and sweet Marlene. Now to see that Eric had worked his charms on Lauren too made her feel a bit foolish for her actions when she first met the man.
Natalie hugged her son in law and brought Lauren straight away into the house. "I want to hear everything my dear," she proclaimed as if the whole affair had not left her in a state of distress for the past weeks.
"I passed Sarah in her carriage earlier," Lauren began telling a story. "So I took off my glove so that she might see the ring. And I bowed and smile like anything," continued Lauren as Natalie and her went to entertain themselves in the sitting room.
Beatrice tried as much as she could to avoid her sister and her sister's husband. However dinner was something she could not avoid forever.
Unfortunately Lauren wanted to sit near Beatrice.
"I do believe you envy me, sister," said Lauren to Beatrice as she sipped her glass of wine. "Was my husband not a favorite of yours once?"
She and Eric may have been close at one point but seeing that she knew his true character and not just from his dealings with Lauren and herself, Beatrice knew how to answer her sister.
"Not at all, I assure you," Beatrice turned to smile at Lauren.
"I should have taken you all to Brighton," Lauren commented. "That way I could have found all my sisters a husband," was stated loudly and to all of them.
Christina smiled at her end of the table. Myra wanted to open her mouth to say something. Instead it was Beatrice who made the reply.
"Thank you for my share in the offer but I do not particularly like your way of obtaining husbands," Beatrice responded.
Lauren was not the least bit affected by the comment. To Lauren it was not like she did anything naughty. In fact she glorified herself. Lauren secretly believed that being the first to share a bed with a man, even in their unmarried state, and being the first to accomplish it made her superior to her sisters.
"I am to travel north and be stationed up there, sir," Eric commented to Mr. Prior in an attempt to smooth over the conversation after Beatrice's reply.
Eric knew that Lauren was a silly girl. That could be why Eric had decided to set his sights on Lauren as a bed companion. However, Lauren had continued.
"I wish Eric could have been married in his red coat and have a few guards with their swords drawn," Lauren said dreamily. "But the officers could not be spared from their duty." At least that is what she believed.
"Do not know why they could not be there," asked Beatrice.
"Regardless it did not matter," Lauren waved it off. "All I was thinking about was the officer waiting for me at the end," Lauren smiled over to Eric who nodded to her in return.
He was being all flattery and gentlemanly now but Beatrice knew exactly who he was.
"Our Aunt kept chiding me as though she was giving a sermon at church," Lauren drank some more wine.
"Can't you understand why?"
The two sisters continued. One of them recalling stories of her 'special' wedding while the other insistent on scolding her.
"I wish I could have been married at the church here in Abnegation. Where father could give me away and my sisters would be my bridesmaids," Lauren said with a small smile. "In the end there was no one there but Uncle Arman, Aunt Victoria, and Mr. Eaton."
Beatrice's silver fell from her hands and on her plate.
"Mr. Eaton was at your wedding," Beatrice whispered to Lauren.
Lauren nodded eagerly finally happy that her sister would desire to speak of her wedding.
"Someone had to be groomsman," Lauren shrugged. "I wished it could have been one of our other friends like Edward or William."
"Mr. Eaton," Beatrice asked again. "Mr. Tobias Eaton was there? He was there at your wedding?"
"Like I said he," Lauren paused and gasped covering her mouth like she had spoken a curse word in church. "I forgot I wasn't supposed to say a word."
"What do you mean," Beatrice stared at her. "Are you certain, Mr. Tobias Eaton?"
"Hush Tris," Lauren told her. "Don't say a word. I wasn't supposed to say a word. I had promised the both of them so faithfully, too."
Beatrice could not understand why he of all people would have been there. Beatrice looked up to see Eric staring over, wondering about the conversation that she and Lauren were having. Quickly Beatrice asked to be excused.
Beatrice had to write to her Aunt Victoria. She needed to know why Mr. Tobias Eaton was there.