“Wasn’t it so beautiful? The colors, the flowers, the music, the food, the cake, the reception! It was as if we walked into a dream, such a lovely dream to keep in our memories. Each of my girls will have a wedding just like that! Right, dear?”
Mrs. Bennett dances across the room as if she is the bride gliding down the aisle.
“Yes dear” answers Mr. Bennett ignoring Mrs. Bennett while grabbing the remote simultaneously trying to satisfy her need for agreement.
“The colors were so striking! I would have never thought of putting such contrasting shades together. Jane has such good taste! Don’t you think so?” recalls Mrs. Bennett daydreaming of her own wedding “Mr. Bennett, are you listening to me?”
“What? I didn’t quite hear you. I vaguely remember you saying something about colors and memories. I’m not sure that I am the one you should be asking about an opinion of white, more white, and a dapple of a shade of white” replies Mr. Bennett heading to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee and to escape the conversation before there is any confrontation.
“The colors were ivory, lace, and cream. There is a distinct difference. You are not alone dear, most men seem to be color-blind” yells Mrs. Bennett into the kitchen while offering her worldly opinion of a typical man.
“Yes, whatever you say dear” nonchalantly agrees Mr. Bennett ignoring everything that has just been mentioned.
“Our girls were the prettiest ones at the wedding, excluding Jane Fairfax, of course. The bride is always the most beautiful at a wedding. Did you see how many men noticed our girls?” asks Mrs. Bennett feeling very proud that they are part of her offspring.
“I make it a habit not to notice men noticing my daughters. If it were up to me, I would prefer that they didn’t exist” stirring his hot coffee and finding his comfortable chair back in the living room following Mrs. Bennett joining him in the kitchen, Mr. Bennett adds “But you are right. Our girls looked very pretty tonight even if my billfold feels a little thinner and weaker.”
Mrs. Bennett heads upstairs to change into something more comfortable and passes Lydia running down the stairs having changed her clothes into a comfortable pair of pajama pants, her school team t-shirt, and fuzzy bunny slippers plopping down on the floor while grabbing a pillow from the couch to sit on. Mary follows closely behind her in her favorite frontier red plain flannel long dress pajamas with the color trimmed in white eyelet and finds a comfortable spot next to her mother on the sofa worn a little through years of functional use. She tucks her Isotoner slippers underneath her, throws back her long braid behind her shoulder cuddling one of books she borrowed from the library the day before.
“I want to be a bride some day, but my wedding is going to be glamorous. I’m going to have tons of gold and shimmer. Everyone is going to know that I am getting married. I’m going to have over 1,000 guests. Even Beth Elliot will be green with envy!” fantasies Lydia twisting the end of one of her pigtails.
“That’s just silly!” replies Mary “I would never have such an ostentatious extravaganza. I think that the only ones I will want at my wedding are all of you and a few of my closest friends. I would like to marry in a small chapel, something built in the 1800’s with lots of wood and stone.”
“I would be freezing. Old buildings are never warm enough!” joins Kitty in shorts and a large oversized shirt with white socks munching on some potato chips she found in a cabinet in the kitchen. She has kept her hair up in a variety of reckless buns held loosely together with vibrant colored scrunchies.
“Let me have some Kitty. You can’t have them all!” irritated states Lydia trying to grab the bag from Kitty at the same time.
“All you have to do is ask” replies Kitty pulling away from her.
“All right then. Can I have them?” asks Lydia.
“Say please and I might consider it” remarks Kitty hiding the chip bag behind her back.
“PLEEEEAAAASEEEE!” on her knees Lydia begs with her arms in a prayer position in front of Kitty.
“Okay” returns Kitty giving her the bag to which Lydia replies by sticking her tongue out at her.
“The two of you are so immature” replies Mary “maybe one day there might be hope that you will make it to womanhood like me”.
They both turn to her and roll their eyes. Lydia replies “Don’t you mean ‘old maid’?” dissolving into fits of laughter with her sister by her side.
Mary narrows her eyes and imagines Lydia’s head a red and white target with her eyes as a focused arrow.
“What did you think of Bingley? He seemed to give Jane lots of attention all evening” asks Kitty wanting to talk more about the romantic events of the wedding.
“O.M.G. He’s gorgeous!” replies Lydia grabbing her chest as if being overwhelmed and about to faint falling backwards in her Indian style position on the floor “If Jane ever gets tired of him, she can send him my way!”
While shutting the glass door behind her, Jane overhears her name being mentioned coming in from talking with Liz on the porch in the warm humid August moonlight. Liz appears flushed and a little annoyed.
Mrs. Bennett enters the room wearing her orange and mint terry-cloth housecoat and an olive facial mask to help give her smooth and luxurious skin tone and finds a comfortable place on the sofa.
“What were you saying about me?” asks Jane wanting to clarify anything that has been said about her knowing how her sisters like to indiscriminately talk and yak.
Lydia and Kitty say nothing but giggle. Mary responsibly replies “They were discussing the level of handsomeness in regards to your new boyfriend.”
“What boyfriend? Do you mean Bingley?” sincerely asks Jane blushing “He was only being kind to me.”
“Baah hahaa!” shrieks Lydia “Who else would we be talking about? How many admirers do you have? He couldn’t keep his eyes off you all evening! You didn’t leave any time for us!”
“Actually, she has quite a few admirers, Lydia, as I am sure you will too” answers Mrs. Bennett keenly aware of both of her daughters’ beauty and innocent appeal to the opposite sex that Jane seems too oblivious about.
“I’ve had one or two guys who have liked me before Lydia. I just may have not been interested in them” defends Jane feeling slightly rejected by Lydia’s comment.
“Oh I know” and then seeing Jane’s face, Lydia apologetically responds “I’m just teasing you. Ben Wick followed you around like a puppy dog for three different summers at camp.”
“I thought Hugh Darcy looked like a star! I like his chiseled profile and aquiline nose. He reminded me of Adonis!”
“Yes, but he came to a terrible end. Adonis was killed by a wild boar because of the jealousy of the goddess Diana over Aphrodite” replies Mary with all of her sisters staring at her.
“What does that have to do with anything?” asks Kitty a little confused.
“Just that looks are not everything and that they can’t prevent you from your fate” replies Mary wanting to share her knowledge with the others.
“Fate or not, I still think Darcy was the most handsome man in the room!” replies Kitty sighing at the memory.
Liz looks at her, smirks and replies “I think he and Adonis had a lot in common. They are both quite arrogant and aware of their level of attraction to others. I am not a fool and will not be put under any spell. He has no affect on me!”
Lydia and Kitty stare at her in disbelief.
Jane wanting to see the good side of things defends Darcy’s behavior, “Liz, I’m sure he has some good qualities. Maybe he was tired and in a bad mood for other reasons that you and I are unaware of. You need to give him another chance” defends Jane.
“I really don’t think that is necessary” responds Liz still hurting from the secret overheard conversation.
“Well, that’s too bad. I’ve already invited both of them tomorrow afternoon to dinner and told them that you will both be here to keep them company” replies Mr. Bennett.
“Why didn’t you tell me? I’ve got so much to do! I’ve got to plan a fantastic dinner, clean house, find something to wear, and have something fun to do after the meal is over!” disconcerted replies Mrs. Bennett “Mr. Bennett is more than welcome to come but why did you bother inviting that arrogant Hugh Darcy?”
“I didn’t want to get in trouble again for overlooking an invitation. I thought that you liked Hugh Darcy. When did he suddenly become your enemy?” confused asks Mr. Bennett by the swift change of emotions within the last few hours.
“When he slighted Liz, he said she was too old to find a man!” angrily replies Mrs. Bennett.
“That’s not exactly right mom” gently corrects Jane sensing more unconscious ache from Liz at the reminder of his unkind words.
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