First Impressions: A Modern Pride and Prejudice Adaptation

Chapter 6

Caroline and Lo were late to rise, and they both appeared exhausted when they arrived in the kitchen. Lo had bags under her eyes and Caroline's eyeliner was crooked, making her expression somehow even angrier looking, her brows furrowed and a scowl on her lips. She pointed an accusatory finger at her sister. "I can't take another night of this! She kicks in her sleep."

Lo slid into one of the high chairs at the counter. "Well, she snores. Loudly."

Jane and Liz exchanged a glance. The Bingley sisters seemed particularly lucky to have never before encountered the absolute chaos of a Bennet family vacation, seven people crammed into two—or sometimes one—hotel rooms.

Liz was surprised when Darcy, very evenly and hardly looking up from his breakfast, said, "Bingley and I will switch with you."

"Oh, Fitz, would you? You're so sweet," Caroline cooed.

He shrugged. "It really doesn't matter to me."

"Well, if it will make everyone much happier..." Chip said. He didn't seem thrilled, but even knowing the man for two weeks, Liz knew he wouldn't argue with them either. Liz remained at the countertop, but Jane hopped up to help—somewhat ineffectually—in the scuffle of room shifting. Liz watched as Lo and Caroline moved an inordinate amount of baggage for five days from the large, master bedroom, to the smaller one with twin beds. Darcy disappeared and reappeared with only a backpack. As he passed, he seemed to hold his head very stiffly, purposefully not looking at her or making eye contact.

Liz sighed loudly and continued to eat her apple.

The mood was not much improved when, baggage resettled, they gathered in the kitchen again. Caroline was moody, pushing fruit around on her plate, and Lo scowled at her phone screen as it dinged furiously. Darcy looked exhausted, though Liz didn't think it had had any effect on his usual, dour mood. There were bags under his eyes, dark with a slightly purplish hue. He rubbed his eyes once or twice, but kept his face down.

Chip seemed the only one unaffected, happily chattering to anyone who would listen—which mostly meant Jane—about all the wildlife he had read about in one of the local guide books the evening before. "It said their wingspan is four feet! Have you ever seen one, Jane? They must be massive!"

After another few minutes, Liz had had enough of the gloom. She placed her hands, palm down, on the counter and said, "Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm here to go wander around in the woods for five hours a day." She slid off the stool and walked over to the front door to begin lacing her boots.

Jane followed her. "Don't be unsociable, Lizzie."

"I am not being unsociable. I came here to hike and that's what I plan to do!" She pulled her hair up into a tight ponytail. "Now, you can stay here with them if you like, but I am going out."

She was already out the door when Jane appeared, still tugging one sneaker on. "Lizzie, wait up!"

Liz smiled at Jane. "I'm glad you're going to join me."

"Go easy on me, I'm not used to running like you are!" She glanced back at the house. "I do feel a little bad for abandoning them..."

Liz rolled her eyes and kept walking, taking an even pace that, while slow for her, she thought Jane could match for a while. "It's not like we're not going to spend all evening with them anyway."

"Fair enough."

Liz waited until they were nearly half a mile from the house and there had been not a single sound of footsteps before she burst out, "Really, Jane, I just don't know what you see in those girls. It feels like hanging out with Lydia's friends half the time!"