Introduction
The small room was lit only by a few tall candles.
'How lovely, very atmospheric ' Mrs Darcy thought to herself 'Just as these things ought to be. For, can any real party be a true success unless there is an old gypsy woman who is brought in to tell the future?' She continued her internal monologue.
"Sit my lady, please sit " the old woman crowd "do cross my palms with silver, and I will tell you what I see"
A kind smile on her lips, Mrs Darcey, lowered herself into the chair opposite and placed the silver coins across the outstretched hands. In a single, swift moment, not expected for a woman of such advanced years, the gypsy took all the coins in one hand and firmly gripped Mrs Darcy's own hand with her other. Turning the ladies palm upwards the old woman studied it intently.
"I see news not of you, but of the darling son you carry within " Mrs Darcy looked up in surprise. How could this woman know what she herself at only began to suspect. For she did indeed believe herself to be with child.
"He will be strong, grow well. And I see…" she brought the hand closer to her squinting eyes. "yes, I see. Your boy carries a most wonderful blessing." The old crone looked up, staring intently into the stately ladies eyes.
"You see, when he finds himself at his darkest hour,he's soul mate, his one true love, will come to him. And there she will stay for the reminder of their lives…."
P&P
Chapter One: one night
The room was large. Six empty beds filled it. Three along one wall and three along the opposite one. The Moonlight shone through the part pulled curtains. Muffled sounds drew her attention to one of the furthest beds. So not all of them empty after all.
"Hello? " She called out, her voice clear as crystal in the vast room. A form in one of the beds set up in surprise. She couldn't quite make them out in the poor light. Her little legs edged her closer.
"What? Who's that, who's there? " A distinctly male voice called out.
She watched him look around and soon his eyes fell on her. He saw what appeared to be a small girl dressed only in a night gown.
"Good heavens!" He exclaimed, quite alarmed, as he hopped out of bed to knell in front of her. "You must be chilled to the bone" A mixture of confusion and concern filled his voice as he pulled the blanket off his bed and wrapped it around her small shoulders, the poor child couldn't be more than five, maybe six years old " How on earth did you get in here. Edgerton! "he thumped the end of the bed opposite to his own "help me here "
"There's no one there " The girl stated "and I don't know. I went to sleep in my bed and then I was just...Stood there " she she pointed to the far side of the room "Just there by the door" she shrugged her shoulders. "This is the strangest dream" She took a moment to scrutinise the boy kneeling before her. He was tall, somewhat older than herself. "Where are we? Who are you? I'm Lizzie, I'm six, how old are you? Do you live here? I went to sleep. Is this a dream? What's happening? " As unaccustomed as he was little girls, he's little sister little more than a baby herself, he had no idea how to follow, let alone answer the quick fire questions.
"I'm 13 " Was his stiff reply as he rose to his feet, and sat back on the edge of his bed. "A dream would make sense, I fell asleep in the carriage. The Headmaster took me straight to it after he finished talking to me, thank last thing I need is the other boys to hearing me cry... " The lad halted, wide-eyed "I mean I.. " He faulted again.
The little girl, Lizzie, climbed up and sat beside him. Gently she took his hand in what she hoped was a calming manner. Emotions didn't scare her, with four sisters, even at such a young age, she'd seen more than her fair share of tears.
"Why were you crying? " She asked kindly.
"Never you mind! " The boy barked out in pain poorly disguised as anger "I didn't... I mean I wasn't...I...Look, just forget what I said immediately!" The pure unrestrained grief in his voice was impossible to ignore, even without the tears that were beginning to stream down his face.
"Well" she put forward, trying to put this logic thing that her Pa had been teaching her about into use. "if we are right, and this is a dream then one of us isn't real. So what does it matter if you tell me why are you cried. Please tell me, what upset you? Sometimes it helps. Whenever Janey is sad she says it helps when she talks to me. Janey says talking always is best" she looked up at him beseechingly. Her kind intelligent eyes spoke to him. He trusted her.
"Little over a year ago, my mother gave birth to my little sister " he looked straight ahead refusing now to look at her "Georgiana "a small smile softened his previously severe features "she is the sweetest little thing. And I got to stay with her for a what time, I didn't start school here until a few weeks back as I'm 13, I have to attend now.
But after Georgiana was born mother… She was never the same " the floodgates opened the tears streaming down the boys face unhindered "she was so tired and weak, and the doctor kept coming " he looked at her now, grasping a hand for dear life. "I was sure she would be alright, but... " the unbearable grief flooded him as he struggled to say whatever it was. "She's dead" he finally whispered "My mother is gone " All ability to control himself had long is left him "I'm on my way home now, I think anyway. What am I to do? How do I continue? "
The girl, overwhelmed with compassion, for this lost young man, pulled his head down onto her shoulder with no real idea on what to do. So she simply mimicked what she had seen and felt her own mother do when she or one of her sisters were overwrought.
Gently stroking his hair she quietly repeated " All will be well, Lizzie is here, all will be well"