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

And, maybe, just maybe, when those girls picked Mr. Bennet a wife the new Mrs. Bennet would not mind an old lady's offer of friendship- true friendship, not one where a person looked down their nose at you all the time.

Time to Go

Ch. 4

Adelia stood on the sidewalk, gazing at the old building that had been a part of her family's life for so long. They had served dinner to more than one reenactment group -mostly civil war ones- before her father had moved his business to a newer part of town. This place was a red brick structure, with faded signs and boarded windows, surrounded on three sides by a chain linked fence. The morning sun cast a warm glow on its walls, but she knew it was only a matter of time before it would be reduced to rubble for it was no longer in use. Sad truth was, very few had been inside for a good six months and the city was discussing have it torn down.

She had been inside a few times, but it had always been at night as to lower the odds of being seen going in. It had been during those times she had seen Mrs. Bennet and her daughters Mary and Kitty. They had already come through the hearth and the trip had made Mrs. Bennet ill; thankfully, she had pepto-bismol pills on hand. Adelia had warned the lady what some of the side effects may be, but assured her not to worry, things would be just fine. She had the lady's daughters take a break in a private room because Mrs. Bennet had wanted to talk to her privately. It was then she had asked her to go through the door, said it was meant to be. Adelia had finally agreed, but only because there had always been a pull inside to the regency period. They had returned to their world, leaving her with a promise and a mystery as to why Mrs. Bennet had felt it was meant to be.

The other person Adelia did not know though she would recognize them if they were to be seen again. They had come from the same world as the Bennets and had stayed even less then the three Bennet ladies, for Adelia had not even been given a name to connect to a face.

"Mary and Kitty Bennet really need you, please, go to them as soon as possible. Do not drag your feet. Take only enough time to learn the basics in order to survive in our world."

Adelia looked at her reflection in a cracked window. She wore cowboy boots, jeans, a shirt and a fringed jacket only because a college friend had needed help at a drama rehearsal and her fellow college student had flaked out. Now the lady was debating whether to go through the door that night or wait tomorrow; there was no way any door could be entered with the attire Adelia had on.

"Adelia!" Tandy came running up the street almost out of breath. "Adelia!"

"I heard you the first time." Adelia laughed and asked her what was up.

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Haven't you heard?"

"Apparently not?"

"They are going to demolish that building tomorrow morning. I know how much you loved it when your father had his business there."

Adelia had known it was coming. She had heard the council talk. However; the lady had been under the impression a final decision would not be made for another month. Guess that trip was going to be tonight.

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Car lights could be seen in the distance, but none shone around the block where Adelia was now rapidly walking in a long, country, Regency gown and carrying a small traveling bag. It only held what might be seen in Mary's own bag. And there was nothing on her that shouted she would have come from anywhere but Mary and Kitty's homeland. However, more than once, she had to slip into a crevice to avoid being spotted by a stray car or a group of thugs. Normally, she would not have been concerned, but tonight, she had no steel-toed boots on her feet.

Looking both ways, she quickly crossed the street and slipped into the building. Nonetheless, yet again, she had to duck low and stay crunched down because a police car came down the street and its car lights shone onto the building. Holding her breath, Adelia only let it out when the lawman passed the building by.

"Once you go, there is no returning. They can also only come once. Why they can return and not us, she could not tell me. It was just something the lady knew. There is none of this slipping between two worlds; that is simply not a reality." Anne's words rang in her ears, and Aurelia stepped into the hearth and disappeared from sight, just as another police car shone its light on the main window of the building.

Officer Thompson saw a lady near the fireplace. He slowed down and stopped the car. However, before he could even open his door, the woman disappeared, and the fireplace collapsed but then slowly rose right back up without the main structure having ever moved "That is it. I have got to go home and get some decent sleep. This overtime is killing me." With that, he turned the car around and left the area, thus missing seeing a sizzling blue light as if a wire was finally being burning out.