Not tolerable enough to tempt me(Modern Pride and Prejudice)

Chapter 2

It's been 2 weeks since her choice to accept the room at the Darcy home. She has researched Pemberley and found them to be quite influential in England. Other than that, she hasn't found much about the Darcy family. It turns out that they must be pretty private to stay out of the media.

She now was getting off of her plane in London. Waiting at the baggage claim for her luggage, she finally has a chance to take everything in. It definitely is very different compared to her small hometown. Cars on the opposite side of the road, horns and traffic that are not common in a small town, and tourists walking around looking at the sights.  Finally, her luggage arrived and she made her way toward the exit to call a taxi. Just as she was about to call a cab, a middle-aged woman tapped her on the shoulder. The woman had light brown hair neatly pulled into a bun and wore a midlength tan skirt and white blouse. Lizzie gave her a questioning glance. The woman finally said;

"Oh! Dear me. Where are my manners? Are you Elizabeth Bennet?" Lizzie answered in the affirmative. "Perfect. I'm Anne Darcy. A pleasure to meet you. I realize you weren't expecting me but I thought that making you take a taxi would be pointless since I could just come and get you myself. It will give you the opportunity to get to know me better and I, you. Also, I can show you around London on our way home." She then stuck out her hand to shake which was kindly accepted by Lizzie. "Nice to meet you. Please call me Lizzie, everyone does. Thank you for taking the time out of your day to come and pick me up. It is greatly appreciated." She smiled at Mrs. Darcy.

"Nonsense. It was no problem whatsoever. Ever since my late husband passed away, my son has taken over the businesses leaving me bored at home. That being said, I hope we can become friends. If you wouldn't mind, I would very much like to spend time with you to learn more about you and if you don't mind me saying, to occupy my time. There is something about you that I like. Only of course, if you don't mind spending time with little old me." She smiled a friendly smile that warmed Lizzie's heart.

She followed Mrs. Darcy to her car. To Elizabeth's shock, she wasn't going to be in just any car. Mrs. Darcy has a personal driver. At first, Elizabeth thought the driver could possibly be rented or a taxi but her doubts were soon put to rest by Anne introducing the driver.

"Lizzie, I want you to meet our driver, Charles Bingley. You will be able to use him as well." As Anne introduced Charles, he tipped his hat in greeting. 

"Hello miss. Pleasure meeting you." spoke Charles. 

"Hello, nice to meet you as well." After replying to his greeting they got into the car. 

As they passed through the streets of London, she watched in amazement as various sites passed by. Everything looked so different but all so exciting. Eventually, Mrs. Darcy took her out of her reverie by speaking. 

"So Lizzie, I know you are from a small town in the country so you probably aren't used to the hustle and bustle of a big city like London."

"You are absolutely right about that, Mrs. Darcy. To be fair, it's a little overwhelming"Lizzie confessed nervously.

"I know what you mean. I used to not be particularly fond of the big city myself but eventually I just got used to it. I guess it just comes with the family job." Mrs. Darcy then turned in her seat, looking straight at Lizzie. "Also, dear, if we are going to be friends, I insist that you call me Anne. The only people who can me Mrs. Darcy are my acquaintances and I'm hoping that we are more than mere acquaintances." Anne gave her another friendly smile.

Lizzie felt a wave of friendship and maybe even a small maternal feeling she has always longed for. "I feel the same way and I would be honored by your friendship, Anne"

Finally, after passing through the rest of the city in quiet, they turned down a lane which was lined with perfect trees. Elizabeth was gazing out the window imagining future morning walks she could rake among these. She hopes that this area was for the public or the owners were kind and that it wasn't too far from the Darcy House.

After getting to the end of the lane, a view of a garden greater than anything she has ever seen appeared before her eyes. Anne spoke up then. 

"I saw you admiring the lane we drove up. You should go for a walk down it some time, it has a lovely view."

"Do you think the owners would let me? I don't want to trespass."

"I don't think you would be trespassing. You just asked the owner after all." Mrs. Darcy gave a cheeky smile.

"You own it?" Lizzie asked in disbelief. 

"Yes. My family owns it. Along with over there." She points to the gardens she was recently taking in. "And our house is right over there." At those words, Elizabeth followed Anne's gaze. If she thought she was ready for the sight ahead of her, she was very much mistaken. She knew the Darcy family was influential, but this was indescribable. Never in her life has she seen a bigger and more stately house. Oddly enough, the house had a nice comforting feeling unlike most big houses. The garden was stretched around the front lawn overlooked by a porch. The look on Lizzie's face must have revealed her inner thoughts because Anne chuckled and said.

"I know it probably looks daunting but the family and guest wings are quite homie. I hope you like it."

"I have never seen a more spectacular view. I'm sure I will love it. Thank you again for the amazing internship and room. I can't thank you enough."

"No problem at all, dear. It really is a fair trade since I've done some research and found that you are quite dedicated to your work. You will be a great extension of our family. Speaking of which, my daughter will be home from school soon. She's 16. I hope you guys get along well. She's a little shy and self-conscious but I think you will be a great influence on her. She doesn't hangout out with a lot of girls her age. My son will probably be home a little later since he normally stays later at the office." The car pulled up to the house. "Well! Let's go inside for a tour."

~~~

The tour had Elizabeth in more astoundment. Each room was perfectly decorated with expensive furniture and accessories. All of the room's decor added to the house's beauty without making it too stuffy. The family rooms felt warm and cozy with family pictures and other personal touches. The guest wing gave off the feeling of comfort making her suite very inviting. Anne was always welcoming by giving brief descriptions of each room. As well as inviting her to family dinner that night.

"Are you sure I should come? I don't want to impose on your family." replied Elizabeth hesitantly.

"Oh yes, you must come. After all, you're going to become practically family while you stay with us why not start today? I also know my daughter would love to meet you." Anne insisted vehemently.

Then, Elizabeth was left for a couple of hours to relax and get settled in her new room.