First Impressions: A Modern Pride and Prejudice Adaptation

Chapter 48

Despite her avowal that she and Chip would try the "friends thing" first, Jane waited for him on the by the front door nearly every morning since he his return to Meryton. She would sit on the window seat inside or the stairs outside—or merely lean one hip against the railing until she caught sight of him. Then, she would pull herself upright and wave gayly. He always returned the motion.

Mrs. Bennet was more than willing to invite him inside for a cup of coffee or a piece of toast, despite the fact that he could very easily get nearly the same breakfast fare in the inn with much less obsessive conversation. Unaccountably, he seemed to like the Bennets—and more than just Jane.

Liz was always his first choice; when Jane was out of the room, he tended to hover around her, as if expecting something. If she gave him an opening, he would happily fill the time with a torrent of chatter, mostly about Jane. He did seem to fall easily into the open role of unbiased tie breaker. More than once he was pulled from where he was leaning over the arm of Liz's chair to settle an argument, allowing her a few minutes of silence to return to her book.

Caroline's particularly... Well, there were a lot of words Liz could use to describe Caroline's rant, though the primary one was insane. Their conversation had weighed on her mind, even as she tried to keep it at bay, popping up at inopportune moments—like at dinner, where she stared off into space long enough for Cat to snap her fingers under Liz's nose, or at night, keeping her awake far later than such a conversation would have merited.

At 2 AM she rolled over and buried her face in her pillow, letting off the smallest, most muffled scream she could manage. It was not as cathartic as she might have hoped, but it was enough to let her fall into a fitful sleep.

~~~~

Breakfast was quiet, save for the scraping of utensils against plates and bowls, the quiet sizzle of Mr. Bennet's scrambled eggs in their pan. Liz took meditative bites from an apple, chewing slowly and staring at the wood grain on the table.

Then came a squeak and a thump from the back of the house and everyone looked up. Cat, breathless, burst through the back door, almost tripping over a chair that was pushed too near to the sliding glass, and came close to sprawling over the table. "Oh my God, oh my God, oh my god, you'll never guess who I just saw outside with Chip!"

Liz laid down her fruit, appetite entirely evaporated. The flavor in her mouth was too sweet and everything she had swallowed before settled in her stomach as a congealing mass, far heavier than the apple itself had been. She clasped her hands together very tightly and didn't look at anyone.

"He's back?" Mrs. Bennet asked Cat in an uncharitable growl.

Cat frowned. "You're not guessing!"

Liz cleared her throat, finally looking at her sister. "Darcy. He's here?"

Cat sighed and threw herself into the chair that nearly tripped her. "None of you are any fun. I saw him outside, walking with Chip, so... Signs point to yes."

Liz considered laying her head down on the table and not looking up until it was over. She felt a pair of eyes on her and turned to meet Lydia. She squirmed in her seat for a moment, grateful that only one person was looking at her, when the doorbell rang. Everyone in the room turned to stare down the hallway, except for her, and Mr. Bennet, who was sliding his breakfast onto a plate with a sainted expression.

Cat made a movement to stand but Mrs. Bennet pressed her shoulder down. "Sit down, Catherine." But Jane, on the other side of the table, was faster. She was already in the hallway when Mrs. Bennet made it to the doorway.