Pride and Prejudice (Continued in Elizabeth's perspective)

Dawn

Finally. I am at peace.. Maybe I am alone.. maybe I am in the dark... under my covers, entwined in my bed sheets with a wild strand of my plain, dark hair spread rather awkwardly across my face. The silence suffocated me usually. Before, I would drown in the silence; fall into restless sleep, dreaming dreams of Mother, Father, my sisters, and of him.

Now I'm smiling. Girlish butterflies begin to flutter wildly in my stomach. Millions of them, like fruit flies during a pleasant summer's picnic, tickling me pink. At these moments I'm glad I'm in the dark, alone, as I can feel the warmth rise to my cheeks in a flurry of nerves, embarrassment, happiness, and worst of all, love. Suddenly there he is, the familiar, mysterious dark figure appeared in my head as he did every night. Mr Darcy, my Fiancé.

I still can't believe it! I am to be married soon.. I dismiss the thought immediately as I turn my head to glance out of my frost bordered window. It was around this time last year that this whole wonderful event began. Winter was beginning to fade as spring made its way back into existence.

Although winter was never easy to get rid of.. the sun could shine as fiercely as it wished but the cold, icy remnants of the dark season still lingered in the shadows, inviting in the gentle spring breeze.

The sun began to rise. Dawn.

The memories come flooding back. Hurtling, rolling, rushing uncontrollably towards me. I let them play over my eyes again.

Suddenly I'm transported back to Netherfield, the ball at which I first saw the incompetent and ill-mannered Mr Darcy. Well the focus that evening was on the connection between Jane and Mr Bingley. It was quite obvious that he was taken with her immediately... the way he looked at her, both with adoration and a small amount of fear. The fear of losing her maybe? Of not being good enough? I really should learn not to dabble in the thoughts of love and loss. He was ignorant that day, but ignorant in a way that drew me in, pulled me in.

I don't know how long I was consumed by those memories. Those precious moments that have crafted the rest of my life. When I opened my eyes, I was greeted with the sound of my mother's awful singing downstairs accompanied by Mary's barely tolerable piano playing. Mother was cheerful that day; it's not surprising being as it was Jane's wedding  day.