“Here it is! Jean! ‘Ro! Come see! Wouldn’t it suit me much better than Julia?” Anna-Marie impatiently beckoned to her older sisters to come and look at the pretty bonnet.
“I saw it first! It’s mine” Julia protested indignantly. It was hard to believe she was older than Anna-Marie. Ororo and Jean came forward, to look at the bonnet in the window the younger sisters pointed out. It looked simple enough, white with pretty flowers on and a pink ribbon.
“It’s too expensive, you can’t afford it” Ororo said at once when she saw the price.
“It looks too simple to cost that much!” Jean sounded shocked.
“Of course we can afford it! Papa always complains, but we have much more than he let us know! I’ll ask mama and she will let me buy it.” As always Anna-Marie sounded so confident. But they all knew that their mother tried to give her anything she wanted. Ororo knew their finances were if not outright poor, but not so well they could afford buying anything her spoiled sister wanted. She helped her father with bookkeeping, and knew how difficult it was to keep it balanced. Jean understood their situation, but Anna-Marie and Julia, and even Theresa did not. Not even their mother. Mrs. Bennet would nag at her husband to give her money for anything, and he’d give it to her just to keep her quiet.
“You will not!” She was about to say more, as her anger rose at her foolish younger sister, when something caught their attention. Julia nudged Anna-Marie and pointed.
“Oh look there is Bobby” Anna- Marie pointed at a man dressed in red and white regiments, talking to a tall man.
“Who is that with him? He is handsome” Julia mused
“He would be if he wore regimentals. A man is nothing without regiments” Anna-Marie decided, and then as the two men looked up, she smiled and waved at them
“Bobby over here” Anna-Marie shouted
“Marie! For goodness sake!” Jean whispered.
The other man, did indeed look handsome, as Julia said, even if he didn’t wore the regiments uniform. He wore white breeches, green jacket and brown long coat. A tall black hat was on his head. He looked like a gentleman sure enough, but there was something odd with his eyes. When he came closer, the sisters almost gasped. Red on black eyes…how utterly odd. But then, they knew of people looking even stranger. Ororo for instance, and then their priest that looked so much as a devil that he’d had a difficult time to convince people of his calling when he first had arrived in Hertfordshire. Now, they all confided in him, and no one doubted his gentle soul. There was no explanation to the strange appearances some people possessed. In some places, they were hunted and persecuted, but that had since long time been prohibited in England. Why they even say that someone in the Royal family had wings and could fly! Ororo doubted he could fly, but still she imagined that with longing. What a wonder it would be if you could fly! To move with the winds so high up in the sky. It was a silly daydream, that she allowed herself to indulge in sometimes when she was alone. She could pretend that she could control the winds, and make them lift her up. And sometimes she even thought she was able to, when suddenly a mild breeze would pick up around her, when it had been calm before. But she always shrugged it off as vivid imagination.
“What a fine joke. We thought you were still in town!” The youngest miss Bennet said to the young officer
“There was nothing amusing enough to hold us there. Allow me to introduce my good friend. Remy Wickham” Bobby nodded at the tall man that gave a elegant bow, as the younger officer proceeded to introduce the sisters to him. He even remembered Theresa's name.
“Will you stay long in Merryton?” Ororo enquired. Mr Wickham gave her a pleasant smile and bowed again.
“All winter I have to say. I have taken a commission in Colonel Forester’s regiment” Remy answered.
“There Anna-Marie, he will be dressed in regimentals” Julia giggled with her younger sister.
Mr Wickham smiled, while Bobby laughed outright
“And lend them much distinction I dare say. He will certainly out swagger us all, eh Wickham?”
“Please Robert, you give the ladies the wrong impression about me”
“Will you come with us to Aunt Phillips this evening? Bobby is coming. There will be dinner and card play and we usually have a laugh.” Anna-Marie asked. Mr. Wickham looked surprised and looked at the older Miss Bennet’s.
“I am afraid I haven’t been invited by Mr. and Mrs. Phillips.”
“Oh no one cares about that now days!” The youngest miss Bennet sniffed.
“If The Phillips extend their invitation to me, I will be delighted” Remy steadfast and earned an approving smile from Ororo. He was a man with principles, and seemed honorable, not to fall for her younger sisters disregard for customs. He made a very good first impression. Polite and sincere. His smile was heartwarming and seemed genuine. Despite his devil eyes, she found herself liking him. At that moment, two riders came into view. Looking up, she saw Mr. Scott Bingley and James Darcy. Her smile vanished upon seeing the insufferable conceited man. Scott brightened up upon seeing the sisters, especially Jean and swung down from his horse.
“How very fortunate! We were just on our way to Longbourn to inquire about your health” he beamed at Jean. Jean smiled sweetly and blushed.
“You are very kind sir. I am quite recovered as you can see”
James was about to dismount when he froze. Ororo observed as his features turned cold when he noticed Mr. Wickham. Remy watched Mr. Darcy calmly, before offering a small bow. Mr. Darcy didn’t move a muscle, just looked at the other man with eyes that could freeze the blood in your veins and then turned the horse, riding away.
“Yes I am very happy to hear that” Scott smiled at Jean
“I still hope you will come to Longbourn for some tea” Jean offered
“I shall be very happy Miss Bennet!”
Mr. Bingley followed his rude friend, and the sisters took farewell of the young officers, looking forward to meeting them later in the evening at their Aunt Phillips.
When they returned to Longbourn, they weren’t surprised by meeting their greatly upset Mother.
“Girls, where have you been? No no, don’t answer, go on and get dressed, we are having a visit from a distant cousin to your father! Oh this is most vexing! We never heard from him until this letter arrived. I am certain he heard about us only having daughters and as he seems to be the closests male relative, he will inherit from your father. He wrote he wanted to meet us and be aquainted. Pah! He just wants to see the property, and he comes soon. I had to arrange for the dinner all by myself. A clergyman he says. Victor Collins. Well? What are you standing there for? Hurry up! Do you want him to see you in that state and think we all are poor unwashed peasants?”
The sisters fled, to do their mothers bidding, while being curious of this distant relative of theirs. They didn’t have much time to ask their parents. When they had finished dressing, and got their mothers approval, they heard the carriage stopping by. Properly lined up at the door, they followed Mr. and Mrs. Bennet to greet Victor Collins.
