AU Pride and Prejudice

Reminder In this AU ALL ESTATES except Pemberly, are within either walking distance, or no further than a day's drive.

Unbreakable Bonds

Previously:

"I think that is a splendid idea; I will let your father know what is going on."

Search and Found (sort of)

Ch. 7

The theatre group was gathered on stage, going over their lines. The stage was set with a backdrop of a Victorian street, with a lamppost, a carriage, and a couple of shop windows. The props and costumes were authentic and elaborate, reflecting the historical period of the play. Everything was going smoothly, except no one seemed to know where Adelia was. Tandy was almost beside herself.

"She should have been here by now," she said and kept looking at her watch almost as if checking to see if it had quit working.

"Did Adelia promise you she would come, or did you just assume it? It is not like she is a real actress. She simply helps out because of her knowledge of history and reenactments." Anne asked, not revealing what she suspected.

"Well, no, she did not actually promise, but this play is based on all those reenactments she is always doing." Tandy said, trying to justify herself. When Anne looked at her with an eye-rolling type of look, Tandy defended herself. "Okay, so it is not the same time frame, but give me a break, eighteen fifty is close enough."

Anne was about to make a reply, but two policemen showed up and pulled her and Tandy out into the hallway.

The stage was actually part of an old community college who no longer used that department and allowed others in the public to use it. Its halls were barren of any students and flyers that now hung on its walls were more for community events rather than for any college classes. None of that mattered to the two lawmen who had pulled Tandy and Anne away from the stage.

"Have you seen Adelia Perry lately?" one of the policemen asked, as he pulled Anne and Tandy out into the hallway.

"I told you something was wrong," Tandy blurted out nervously. She said she hadn't seen Adelia, but that she was supposed to be on stage by now.

"You don't seem as concerned as your friend," the other policeman said, looking at Anne, who seemed rather annoyed at Tandy.

"Only because Adelia never promised to be part of this play, so I fail to see how she was supposed to be here in the first place," Anne said. She then focused on the policemen, who were questioning the whereabouts of Miss Perry. "I will become concerned when you two give me a reason to be, not when…" She jutted a finger towards Tandy. "...her nerves tell me I should."

"Miss Perry never arrived at her parents' this morning, and her mother called us," the first policeman said. He noticed Anne went from looking annoyed to appearing stunned. "I take it that is not in her standard routine?"

"No, if she is going somewhere, my cousin will normally let a friend or a relative know in some manner or other," Anne said. She then asked when the last sighting of Adelia was.

"We are not sure," the shorter policeman said. "A man said he had spotted her coming out of a costume store, wearing clothing that could easily fit into the late seventeen or early eighteen hundreds."

"And another, one of our own, said - somewhat hesitantly, I might add - that he could have sworn he had seen Miss Perry in the old red brick building that was demolished this morning. But when he went in to check, the lady was nowhere in sight."

"Call me crazy," Tandy said, visibly shuddering. "But I fear you should check under all that rubble. She is famous for hanging around that old place."

"As much as I hate to agree with Tandy," Anne said, feeling goosebumps rise on her skin and the hair on the back of her neck stand up. "I do not think that is a bad idea. Your officer may not have found her, but that means nothing; only that she may have quickly hidden from him." Once again, Adelia's cousin was not about to mention any passageway.

88888888

A fire had started at the sight of the torn down building only a few hours ago, but it had spread hotter and faster than anyone thought possible. Its flames raged for hours, consuming the rubble and the remains of the old building. The firemen gave their best effort to put the fire out, but it was too late to save anything or anyone inside. The crowd watched in horror and sadness, wondering if anyone -if they had been inside - had been able to get out alive.

Anne, Tandy, and other family members were among the spectators, holding each other and praying for a miracle. They had followed the policemen to the scene, hoping to find Adelia or some clue to her whereabouts. They had no idea how she could have ended up in the building, or what she was even doing there. Yes, she had visited there often, but to go inside a condemned building was something the family could not comprehend.

Finally, the fire was extinguished, and the firemen began to search the ashes for any signs of life. They found none, except for one charred body, that of a woman. She was wearing what appeared to be a blue and white long dress, that was barely recognizable. Her face and hair were burned beyond recognition, and a locket lay next to her burned also to badly to be recognizable.

The policemen approached the body and examined it. They assumed it was Miss Perry, as she was the only person reported missing in the area. They felt sorry for her and her family and wondered what had caused the explosion and the fire. They called for a stretcher and a sheet and prepared to take the body away.

Tandy saw the body and gasped. She recognized the dress, as it was the same one that Adelia had worn when she had last seen her. The girl felt a surge of grief and shock, and tears filled her eyes. Adelia was dead, and she had lost their friend and cousin.

Anne felt horrible for people, but she also felt a flicker of doubt and hope. She remembered their conversation and knew that Adelia had indeed found a secret, a passageway that led to another time and place. Therefore, while she felt horrible for whichever homeless person had perished in the fire, Ann knew in her heart Adelia had escaped through the passageway before the fire and was still alive somewhere else.

Nonetheless, Anne was not stupid enough to reveal any of that. Hence the decision to keep her thoughts to herself; and lshe let the policemen and the firemen assume that the body was Adelia's. And besides, who wanted to complicate the situation, or expose Adelia's secret. She also did not want to give false hope to Tandy or the rest of the family, as she had no proof or way of finding out the truth at this point. Therefore, Anne let the body be taken away, and hugged Tandy, who was sobbing uncontrollably. She whispered words of comfort and consolation.