First Impressions: A Modern Pride and Prejudice Adaptation

Chapter 47

Liz was ashamed to admit that if it had been any other of her sisters skipping around so disgustingly in love and happy, she would have begrudged them. But it was Jane, so she could not. She had never felt any jealousy towards Jane; her sister was too ready to praise Liz, to praise all of them, how could any of them deny her?

So, Liz sat and smiled and allowed her silent anxieties to turn into joy for her sister's happiness. She did not comment when Jane's praise of his character sounded a little too much like introducing a new partner to the family and a lot less like reconnecting with a friend she was slowly forgiving.

Even in the morning, Liz's mood remained lightened. She couldn't help but grin at the full breakfast table, all five Bennet daughters settled around it after months of separation. The world felt like a wooden puzzle box that was slowly being clicked back into place, one piece at a time.

None of them, but especially not Jane, who had dressed with great care, taking the time to brush her hair until it shone before tying it into a low ponytail that hung gracefully down the back of her neck, was surprised by the early knocking. Jane tried to excuse herself but Cat was faster; she didn't pause for the niceties, merely rocketed to her feet and bolted towards the front door. Chip said something, too low to make out the words at the back of the house, and Cat responded with bright, bold laughter. Then, unnecessarily, she yelled at nearly the top of her lungs, "JA-ANE! YOUR BOYFRIEND IS HERE!"

Almost as loud, Jane called back, "HE'S NOT MY BOYFRIEND."

Mrs. Bennet beamed. Mr. Bennet didn't say anything, but he did sigh and try to catch Liz's eye. She looked away from him; she had decided that she would much rather her sisters be embarrassing and gleeful than well-behaved and miserable. The teasing would do nothing to reconcile the gap between happiness and good behavior.

Jane announced, "I'm going out," to almost no fanfare. No one was going to stop her. Cat did make a face as she walked towards the door, though, and Jane stuck her tongue out in response, just out of Chip's eyeshot.

He did not speak at first, when she joined him on the front steps, or when she reached back inside to firmly slam the door shut behind her and the prying ears. "It's too nice of a day to stay inside. Walk?" she offered.

"Lead the way," he replied.

The day had no intentions outside of basking in each other's company. Jane walked down the steps quickly, her hair swishing across her back. Chip, watching her and not his feet, almost tumbled down the final step. He kept his eyes on the ground then, watching as the way they walked turned from grass to gravel to pavement, back to grass, and then to smooth stepping stones. Only when he was sure of his steps did he look up again.

He reached for her hand and she let him take it, swinging it gently between them as they walked through the garden. Ringed by sunlight, Jane's hair glowed golden. Chip stared at her as if she were a painting in a gallery. He stooped quickly to pluck a sprig of white and green buds, then reached up to slip it behind her ear.

She laughed. "You know this is a weed, right?"

"A pretty weed," he corrected her.

She looked at the sky and tucked loose strands of hair behind her other ear. The brilliant blue was interrupted only by the wispiest of clouds. Thought the breeze was light they swam across the sky with speed.

Chip, to her side, was struggling. He resisted the urge to clear his throat, the sound twitching in his throat. His mind was in disarray as he tried to marshal his thoughts into phrases and sentences that he could say out loud without sounding... Like what? Like he was jumping the gun on their romance? Like he was asking her to let him incorporate his life into hers? Like he wasn't entirely, obsessively, infatuated with her? At least one of those was true.