One Word From You: A Pride and Prejudice Adaptation (28 page)

“
The point was, that I wanted to look into your eyes as you denied it. There's no way it could be true!”

“
Even if the rumour existed in the first place, which I don't believe,” I said, “Then by coming here, doesn't it make it look like you think it's true?”

“
Even
if
it existed?!” she bellowed, “It's clearly something you started! No doubt you are trying to make it appear as if you have enough standing in society to catch his eye. Make no mistake, you are so insignificant to that boy, that he would never look your way!”

“
Okay. If that's how you feel,” I said in an off-handed way.

“
Then deny it!”

“
Why?” I almost laughed, “This is so stupid. You just said he wouldn't even look at me, so that should be enough for you.”

“
You might have seduced him with your flirtations. Oh, yes, I know what you common girls are capable of. Dressing and acting in a way totally unsuitable to the fairer sex. Just as you led Freddie into throwing his time and money away on you, you must have done the same to William!”

It was my turn to get annoyed. Okay, so I had flirted with Freddie, but it was all in good fun. He knew that. It wasn't like we were in love, and about to go skipping through meadows holding hands or anything. That was just a brief holiday fling. It was over the minute Will punched him in the face in the club. And I definitely hadn't acted like a complete tart to try to win him over. Besides, that kind of thing wouldn't work on Will, even if I had wanted to
seduce
him.

Stupid old bat!

“
If any of that was true, I wouldn't tell you!”

“
Do you
know
who I am?!”

God, I didn't think people actually used that line in real life.

“
Yes. And even if you think that you have a right to know Will's business, you don't have a right to know mine.”

“
Understand this,” she said haughtily, “Whatever you might want with William can never come to pass. He is going to be with daughter. There! What can you say to that?”

“
Then, if he feels the same, you have nothing to worry about.”

She hesitated, and admitted, “He hasn't agreed to the match, yet. But it can only be a matter of time. It would have happened much faster, I am sure, if you hadn't put yourself before him.”

“
You can't hold me accountable for his choices. He has a brain, you know?”

“
Should he choose
you,
of all the girls available to him, then you would both be despised by all of us. Yes, even his mother, I am sure! You have no status, no money, and don't think news of your exploits in Rome haven't reached me. I know it all! Your friend running off with that disgraceful teacher, and the spectacle you made of yourself trying to find her! Not to mention, the shame of forcing poor Amanda to reveal the scandals he brought upon their family!”

“
Do you really think that telling me you'd hate me, would change anything at all?”

“
I will not be spoken to in such a manner!” she declared, “And I will have what I want! You are never to make a match with him. I will not leave here disappointed, do you hear me?”

“
I hear you, but I don't care,” I snapped, “If Will did decide that he wanted to be with me, then I wouldn't do anything to stop him.”

“
Don't interrupt! I will not have our families ruined because of a money grabbing little girl! If you had any sense at all, you wouldn't want to climb out of the gutter of society. You should stay where you were brought up, as should we!”

“
I am your equal!” I shouted at her, “Just because you have money, and a big house, it doesn't make you better than me. We're all the same, Madame, with the exception of snobs like you. Because, as far as decent humans go, you're on the bottom rung of that ladder.”

“
Say it,” she demanded, “Are you in a relationship with him?!”

“
No!”

She seemed somewhat pleased by this declaration. Madame Courtenay smoothed down her coat, and raised her head with pride. She asked, “And will you agree to never be with him in such a way?”

“
No,” I repeated in a snarl, “And I think you should leave.”

“
It is not for you to dismiss me!”

The door opened, and a well turned out woman entered. She smiled at Madame Courtenay, and suggested, “Perhaps I ought to be the one to do that.”

“
Ah, my dear Harriet,” Madame Courtenay greeted her, “I was beginning to wonder where you were.”

“
I seriously doubt that,” she said.

“
Are we due in a meeting? I was just asking this girl what she thought about -”

“
I heard what you were saying,” Mrs. Davies told her, “And I think you've done enough talking. Go to the office, and I'll be with you shortly.”

Madame Courtenay spared me a scowl before she left. She was like a yapping dog. All aggression in the face of someone she thought too small to defend themselves, only to turn into a cowering wreck in the face of her master. I'd shared dinner with Mrs. Davies, and I hadn't thought she was as up her own arse as some people with her station. It was difficult to get a measure of a person in just one night, but I trusted my gut instinct. If I was dating her son, then she wouldn't have the same issues with it as Madame Courtenay.

“
Hi,” I greeted, still fuming after the confrontation, “Are you here for the acoustics, too?”

“
I have to say, they're pretty impressive in this room. That was some beautiful shouting, I heard.”

“
Well, she deserved it,” I said.

“
Quite. Amanda told me to pass on her best wishes for you, should I see you while I was here.”

“
How is she?” I asked.

“
It's difficult to bring up the past. But she knows it's for the best. I think it's a weight off her shoulders, to tell the truth. I thought I should come by. Charlie's parents are still in Switzerland, and they asked me to escort their children back to school.”

“
Jenny's happy about it,” I said, “Is that okay with you?”

“
It's not for us to decide what makes our children happy,” she winked, “Any of them.”

I got the message.

Will wasn't back, and he hadn't asked me out again. After the way I'd rebuffed him before, I didn't expect that he ever would. But we could be friends, and that was better than nothing. It was good to know that whatever happened, his mother wouldn't take issue. Madame Courtenay was just bitter because Will didn't like her daughter. She'd accused me of hanging around him because I wanted money. I was starting to wonder if she'd made that assumption, because it was what she was doing. Some of the happiest people I'd ever met had very little to their names. And some of the greediest appeared to have more than they could ever want, and it still wasn't enough.

Madame Courtenay was just such a person.

“
Can you tell Will something for me?” I asked.

“
Anything.”

I weighed my words carefully, “Tell him – uh – tell him that he's a good friend. For Italy, and everything.”

“
Is that all?”

I nodded, “It's all he needs to hear.”

“
Are you sure?”

No.

“
Yes,” I lied, “I’m sure.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

I thought only of you.

I kept quiet for as long as I could about what happened.

What with Charlie coming back, and Jenny finally being happy, I didn't want to ruin it. The end of year exams did enough of that without my help. We didn't have much time for frivolity. I barely touched my guitar except at the weekends. Even then, I was seriously lacking in energy. It was so weird how I felt like some of my happiness now depended on what Will thought of me. I mean, with time I would get over it. My entire life didn't change just because of one boy. But I hated the idea that he was alive in the world, and thinking badly of me. That was enough to depress me enormously.

I could have found some solace in talking with Jenny, but she and Charlie were making up for lost time. Quite often, she would come back late, having stolen a few kisses with him on walks around the school grounds. I couldn't blame her. If someone loved me that much, and I loved him in return, then I wouldn't want to say goodbye to him for even five minutes.

“
Beth?” Meg asked quietly, and came to crawl onto my bed. I looked up from my Music notes. I'd already had the theory exam, but I still needed to perform a recital on the final day. She wrung her hands, “Um... Could you help me get ready before prom, please?”

“
Sure.”

“
I mean,” she blushed, “I want to straighten my hair.”

“
Oh. Are you sure? It'll take a long time.”

“
I know. But it's the last party, and I want to look good.”

Lisa threw a pillow over to get our attention, “That's why we're going to a salon.”

“
I haven't booked into a salon,” I said, “And I don't need to. I'll just be wearing jeans or something.”

“
Don't even think about it,” Lisa warned, “Like Meg said, it's the last party. And you don't have to. My parents wanted to thank you guys for helping find me, so it's all on them. Mum designed our dresses, as well. They're from her new line, and we'll get to try them before anyone else. Isn't that cool?”

“
I was going to help Georgia get ready,” I said, “I can't just abandon her.”

“
Mum can help her, too. I'll call her. We're all going together anyway, right?”

“
I think you'll find that Jenny has a date,” I pointed out.

“
A date for what?” she asked, blushing hotly as she came through the door. Honestly, the timing of my friends was impeccable at time. They always seemed to know when we were talking about them.

“
Prom,” I answered, “You're going with Charlie, right?”

“
I'm meeting him there. I thought we could all turn up together.”

“
Oh.”

“
You're not trying to get out of some pampering, are you?” she asked me slyly, “Like it or not, you're going to look like a real Lady tomorrow night.”

“
I still have an exam to finish,” I said, “I haven't got time.”

“
The practical test is going to finished by one. That's plenty of time,” Lisa waved a piece of paper, “I stole your schedule to make sure it wouldn't clash.”

“
I've been looking for that!”

“
Well, it's done now,” she said, “Come on! It's not going to kill you.”

“
I've seen your dress already,” Chrissy added, “It's super pretty. So's Meg's. I'm jealous.”

“
It's not like we're making you wear a potato sack,” Lisa told her, “God, you can't have every dress for yourself.”

“
I know, but they're so cool and I want them!” she complained.

Compared to going out with the girls, my exam was going to be a piece of cake.

I shouldn't have been worried about it. It was a piece played on the piano. After I'd managed a fairly decent duet with Amanda, I was feeling a lot more confident in it. I mean, if I could perform for someone as judgmental as Will, then I could do that for anyone. And yes, I did still think that the music industry might turn me into someone like my mother, but until I tried, I wouldn't know for sure. There was no guarantee that I could even make a career out of it. That was just a gamble I would have to take.

With that in mind, I had applied for a course at the
Royal Academy of Music.
I didn't know if I would even get in, but it was worth a shot. If I didn't try, then I wouldn't succeed.

I must have been holding my breath throughout the entire composition. When I was finally allowed out of the room, I felt like I couldn't fill my lungs fast enough. It was stupid to worry about it. I couldn't do anything to change what I'd already finished. I would just have to wait until the results were posted to know if I was going to be allowed to take the next step.

There was no time to go and change, and very little point. If we were going to spend the rest of the day being made up into princesses, it wouldn't signify what I wore. It would get thrown unceremoniously into a bag, never to be looked at again. At least, not until graduation. And even then it would be hidden under our robes. Usually, that kind of ceremony was held at the end of University when graduates collected their diplomas. Because our school kept girls from such an early age, they'd felt like it was a good way to round off the year, and to say goodbye as we stepped out into adulthood.

Or something.

I don't know. I didn't understand what went through the heads of our teachers at the best of times. It was a good way for us to fill our final day, and to take in the school one last time before we left forever.

There was room for a prom on the school grounds. The main hall was more than suited to the task, but it kind of took away from some of the excitement of it all. As such, the ballroom at a nearby hotel had been booked for the occasion. I was glad I wasn't on the decorating committee. They'd been working tirelessly all year on the themes and design. It seemed like a lot for just one night, but each to their own. I was glad I just had to turn up, and wasn't responsible for the position of every balloon or place setting. On top of all the stress of trying to prove I was worthy of my qualifications, it all felt like too much.

As loathe as I was to admit it, I really needed to be pampered. I'd anticipated that we'd just get pulled around by beauticians, but it was more than that. A short work out, massages, a sauna, and facials were just the beginning. If I'd been any more relaxed after all of that, I'd have been dead. Seriously, it was amazing. I was in such a good mood by the end of it, that I didn't care what colour my nails were being painted, or what kind of eye shadow or lipstick I was having slapped onto my face.

And my hair?

Psh, they could have shaved it off and I wouldn't have been the least bit angry.

They didn't, obviously.

No, when they were finished, I looked like a completely different person.

“
Holy -”

“
I know,” Lisa said, zipping the back of my dress for me, “Weird, right?”

“
Yeah, and then some.”

It was a red flared dress, the hem of which came just above the knee. There was a black lace panel over my chest that was so decorative, I had no need for a necklace. My shoes were heels, which I hadn't been all that happy about at first. But they were so low, it felt like I was in a pair of flats. The red was the same pigment as my dress, and the dark silver bejewelled buckle on each gave them a little extra flourish. I couldn't have coordinated it any better myself. Even the clutch bag was the same red, with similar jewels across half of it to tie it in with my footwear.

The jewellery was, thankfully, inexpensive. Had Lisa's parents decked me out in diamonds on loan from some expensive store, I'd have been too frightened to move in case I lost them. The black toned cubic-zirconia earrings matched my shoes almost perfectly. On one wrist, I had a collection of black and silver bracelets. Some where metal, and others were braided leather. On my other arm, the silver beaded cuff felt rather more weighty, but I could get used to it. I hated wearing rings, and they hadn't forced any on me. They'd just distract from my glorious red nails, anyhow. Thin black lines had been painted onto them, in the shapes of delicate hearts. I didn't think anyone was going to get close enough to appreciate them, but I thought they were kind of cute.

I always felt naked without any make-up, but I had a tendency to go a little
vampire
at the school parties. With my usual outfits, sultry red lipstick and smoky eyes were considered to be pretty Goth of me. But when paired with a pretty dress, they were kind of sexy. It was too bad Will wasn't going to see it. His impression of me had to be of a tom-boy who didn't care what she did with herself. This would change his mind pretty quickly. I raised a hand to touch my hair. Lisa slapped it down for fear I'd ruin it. She was right to be concerned. The braids and curls had been positioned perfectly. My long hair had been tamed into submission, and gathered in a magical looking bun at the back of my head.

I had no idea how I was going to take all the pins out before bed.

“
Are we all ready?” Jenny asked.

“
Mum wants a picture,” Lisa said, and ushered me back through to join the others.

They whistled, and made cat-calls like a group of rowdy workmen on a building site. I turned on the spot when instructed, and burst out laughing when Chrissy called, “Shake it, baby!”

So, maybe the prom was going to be more fun for the extra effort.

I might even find someone to dance with.

After, not one, but eight photographs by Lisa's doting parents, we climbed into the back of the limousine they'd hired for us. Teachers and parents were waiting outside to guide us through to the ballroom. Not that they needed to. From the noise alone we managed to deduce which room we were having our party in.

Clearly, no expense had been spared.

A lot of space had been left for us to dance, but there were also tables, and a grand buffet with a chocolate fountain for anyone in need of refreshments between turns on the floor. I'd pictured gaudy balloon arches, and crepe paper hanging all over the place. It had been an enchanted forest theme, apparently. There were fake trees standing around the edge of the room, the branches arching up across the ceiling, each one decorated with white fairy lights. On the ground, fake leaves had been scattered to add to the effect. They were gold, bronze, and silver, just like the leaves embroidered onto the tablecloths.

“
Wow,” Jenny said, standing close with her arm linked through mine, “I was expecting something a little simpler.”

“
I love it,” Meg announced.

“
Me too. Although, they could have gone for a few more balloons,” Georgia said, “I was going to take one as a souvenir.”

“
You could just take a leaf,” I suggested, “Or a boyfriend. Because I see a lot of guys without dates.”

“
Not the one coming over,” Chrissy said, and gave Jenny a little nudge, “Go on.”

“
But we agreed to do this as friends,” she said.

I turned her so that we were looking into one another's eyes, “Jen', I order you to go and dance with your boyfriend.”

“
O-Okay...”

I got that she was worried about me. It didn't seem fair, in Jenny's eyes, that she should be so happy while I was so miserable. Not just me, but the other girls, too. Things hadn't worked out for Georgia and Wyatt. I hadn't considered that her feelings might have been hurt at the time. It wasn't until after I got over the joy of their separation that it dawned on me that, had she not been at all interested in him, she wouldn't have agreed to go out with him in the first place. Actually, I was starting to see that if I hadn't been so negative, she might have stayed with him longer, and seen a side to him that I was completely blind to.