Doctor Addison had insisted he get some decent water from the compound, and she wasn't the sorta woman he'd argue with. He came out with a jug, which oughta last a while since he was just givin' the eight folks enough to keep 'em alive an' not chokin' to death.
The last person he expected to see was Miss Lizzy. She'd been gone for so long that he was sure his eyes had to be playin' tricks like they had with Miss Padme.
"Miss...Lizzy?" he drawled, walking closer. If'n he was wrong, sure 'nuff the lady would correct him.
Elizabeth curtsied immediately out of habit, and though she wracked her mind thoroughly, she could not for anything remember where she had met this gentleman before, though it was clear that he recognised her. But for all that, perhaps he could give her some idea where she now found herself. "I beg your pardon, sir -- I am Elizabeth Bennet -- but I do not believe we have met." She quite assuredly did want to know what sort of place this was, but it was not a question she immediately knew how to ask, not ever having found herself in an unknown place before.
Aw, Hell. Of all the times for a person to show up. He sure wasn't gonna make this any harder than he had to.
"Yes, ma'am, Miss Bennet," he drawled, making a shallow bow. "We...well, ma'am, this may be a bit hard for you to believe," he said, trying hard to kill the accent and talk more genteel like Janie. "I'm married to Jane, ma'am. And this here isn't Hertfordshire. I need to get back to m'wife, but if you'd like to come along, I can explain more."
"Married!" cried Elizabeth, not intending to be rude in the slightest, but so surprised that she could not put a more pleasant face on her astonishment. She had no doubt that he meant what he said, for his manner was honest, even if strange, and there was no hint of deception to him. "But -- I don't understand! I know I have been away from my sister some weeks, but she never breathed a word!" She did not think Jane's distress over Mr. Bingley's behaviour to be so great as to give up hope so soon, but she could think of no logical explanation for it otherwise.
It'd been a day or two since James had been to the rec room. The last time he'd gone, the bookshelf had given him a copy of a book entitled The Deer Hunter. While he hadn't thought it was very amusing, Sirius had nearly pissed himself laughing when James showed him the book.
For as crap as the title had been, James actually found he'd enjoyed the book. Today he was feeling particularly lazy, so he thought he'd return The Deer Hunter and see what else the shelf would give him.
Book tucked firmly under his arm, James walked up the path to the compound. He rounded a curve and abruptly stopped short; there was a pink-cheeked bird in the path he'd not seen before.
"Hullo," he said, fairly blocking the path up as it was particularly narrow in that spot.
"Good day," she said with a quick curtsey. Her clothes were mostly dry by now, but Mr. Redman had told her where she might find clean replacements, and she was in no small hurry to find something dry and return to her sister's side to attend her as much as possible. But the morning's shocks had left her quite insensible and she had not listened to his directions as carefully as she ought. "I'm looking for the compound, but I fear I may be lost."
This was clearly a PROPER BIRD. She'd bloody well given him a CURTSEY. James couldn't remember the last time someone who hadn't been his old MUMSY gave him a curtsey. Mostly, he figured, birds didn't curtsey to him because HE WAS NO GENTLEMAN.
"Good day," he greeted, watching her with sharp, interested eyes. And then he beamed.
"Have no fear, milday!" James proclaimed loudly. "This is your LUCKY DAY. My name is James Potter--" Figuring it was only fair, he made a rather large spectacle out of giving her a bow. "--and it just so happens that I DO know the way to the compound." Offering her his arm, he asked, "Shall we?"
Elizabeth was nearly at her breaking point; for in the course of the day she had been proposed to in the most insulting and condescending manner, rejected that proposal so scathingly that it had upset her almost as much as the proposal itself had, and had come to find herself on a tropical island from which there was no escape to discover her favourite sister married to a stranger, months gone with child, and in a sleep from which there was no waking -- right along with the last person in the world she ever wanted to see again! As a consequence, her usual high spirits and good humour were somewhat lacking. "I thank you for your kind offer, sir," she said briskly, "but I am truly in a hurry, for my sister is gravely ill and I must attend to her as quickly as possible."
Mrs. Bennet rarely walked with such purpose. She was on her way to the Doctor's treehouse, to sit with Jane for a spell, as Mr. Redman would say it, so that he might look after the others. The number of people in such a deep sleep disturbed her more than any thing ever had.
This was not a happy day, not in the least. She almost missed seeing the familiar figure ahead, looking quite soaked, and her hair in such a dreadful state. "Oh Lizzy, this is nno time for one of your adventures," she admonished her second daughter. "Do get yourself inside and cleaned up before you are seen!"
Then she realized that she had just spoken to Elizabeth, who was suppoeed to be at home. Not here at all!
"Dear Lord," she gasped, more in shock than prayer. "I thought I should never see you again."
"Oh, Mama!" exclaimed Elizabeth, and overcome with relief at seeing her mother, caught her up in an embrace. "I'm so glad to see you -- I met Mr. Redman on the path, and he told me about Jane and how no one can wake her, and he said that you were here, and -- oh!" The multitude of preposterous things that had occurred today weighed quite heavy on her then, and she very much wanted to cry.
Blinking back tears, Mrs. Bennet dropped the basket she had hooked over her arm and gathered her daughter to her. "Shhhh, my dear. All will be well. Mama is here." Despite the circumstance, her joy at seeing Elizabeth knew no end. As she let go to examine her daughter's face, she noticed tiredness there. "Are you unwell? To catch cold would be quite distresing. We must find you some dry clothes and something to eat."
Her maternal instinct did not fail her. It never had when one of her girls needed her.
Elizabeth thought of what had passed between herself and Mr. Darcy in the course of the morning, and shook her head. It would not do to tell her mother of that proposal -- what it would do to her mother's nerves to know that she had turned down an offer not once but twice! -- and so she chose to keep it to herself. "It has been a trying day, Mama," she said instead, "and I have come directly from seeing Jane, which was a great upset." She did not think she could force down a single bite of food after the day's upset, but she knew her mother would not hear of it if she protested.
Comments 48
The last person he expected to see was Miss Lizzy. She'd been gone for so long that he was sure his eyes had to be playin' tricks like they had with Miss Padme.
"Miss...Lizzy?" he drawled, walking closer. If'n he was wrong, sure 'nuff the lady would correct him.
Reply
Reply
"Yes, ma'am, Miss Bennet," he drawled, making a shallow bow. "We...well, ma'am, this may be a bit hard for you to believe," he said, trying hard to kill the accent and talk more genteel like Janie. "I'm married to Jane, ma'am. And this here isn't Hertfordshire. I need to get back to m'wife, but if you'd like to come along, I can explain more."
Reply
Reply
For as crap as the title had been, James actually found he'd enjoyed the book. Today he was feeling particularly lazy, so he thought he'd return The Deer Hunter and see what else the shelf would give him.
Book tucked firmly under his arm, James walked up the path to the compound. He rounded a curve and abruptly stopped short; there was a pink-cheeked bird in the path he'd not seen before.
"Hullo," he said, fairly blocking the path up as it was particularly narrow in that spot.
Reply
Reply
This was clearly a PROPER BIRD. She'd bloody well given him a CURTSEY. James couldn't remember the last time someone who hadn't been his old MUMSY gave him a curtsey. Mostly, he figured, birds didn't curtsey to him because HE WAS NO GENTLEMAN.
"Good day," he greeted, watching her with sharp, interested eyes. And then he beamed.
"Have no fear, milday!" James proclaimed loudly. "This is your LUCKY DAY. My name is James Potter--" Figuring it was only fair, he made a rather large spectacle out of giving her a bow. "--and it just so happens that I DO know the way to the compound." Offering her his arm, he asked, "Shall we?"
Reply
Reply
This was not a happy day, not in the least. She almost missed seeing the familiar figure ahead, looking quite soaked, and her hair in such a dreadful state. "Oh Lizzy, this is nno time for one of your adventures," she admonished her second daughter. "Do get yourself inside and cleaned up before you are seen!"
Then she realized that she had just spoken to Elizabeth, who was suppoeed to be at home. Not here at all!
"Dear Lord," she gasped, more in shock than prayer. "I thought I should never see you again."
Reply
Reply
Her maternal instinct did not fail her. It never had when one of her girls needed her.
Reply
Reply
Leave a comment