First Impressions: A Modern Pride and Prejudice Adaptation

Chapter 17

Luckily, Liz did not have too long to dwell on the disappointment of one plan before the fruition of another arrived. On New Year's Day, Liz helped Mariah and Charlotte pack up their two cars to head out to Hunsford.

Although Liz helped Mariah navigate most of the way, they put Charlotte on speaker phone and pretended they were in one car. "You're turning 21!" Charlotte said when they were safely on the highway, with no new turns for Mariah to navigate for the next hour. "Baby's all grown up."

Mariah pouted. "I wish I was 21."

Charlotte's laugh crackled as it leaked out of the speaker. "Don't worry, you'll be there in a few years. Then I'll take you out for your first drink too."

Liz was so overjoyed to be in Charlotte's company again for more than an afternoon at a time—even if only through a speaker phone—that she barely even thought of the reason for their falling out in October. Mariah and Charlotte had spoken far more consistently, so there was nothing to stop Liz from imparting every innate detail of her life over the last three and a half months, from her new speed records to the hideous wallpaper Mrs. Bennet had attempted to convince Mr. Bennet that they must repaper all of the guestrooms with. "Mint is fine for ice cream, but I don't know if I could stand 35 bedrooms all covered in white floral and mint green walls!"

Charlotte's laugh came out tinny and a little distant, but Liz still smiled as she adjusted herself in the seat. It was nice to have someone around who appreciated Mrs. Bennet's absurdities without tending towards the unkind, as Mr. Bennet often did.

They stopped at a rest area about 40 minutes out of Hunsford to switch drivers. Charlotte and Mariah popped into the convenience store for snacks and a hot drink, but Liz stayed outside. The sky overhead was full of steel-gray clouds, thick and heavy with the promise of snow. Her breath curled in pale puffs in front of her face when she exhaled. The parking lot and the highway were surrounded by thick growth of trees. Although they were nude of leaves in the winter chill, she could easily imagine the lush, green beauty of summer. Some had patches of emerald moss across the trunks; fluffy bird's nests were visible in the crooks of the branches.

She sighed as Mariah and Charlotte appeared in the doorway, clutching paper cups of coffee. At least if the scenery continued, perhaps the visit would not be as difficult as she feared. Liz straightened and did her best to smile at her friends, working hard to banish the last of her doubts; Mariah passed Liz the keys before moving to the passenger seat.

She made a concerted effort to be optimistic and the drive passed quickly. Before long, Liz followed Charlotte's car off the highway and the streets of a small town. Hunsford was very different than Meryton. There was clearly more affluence; the money could be seen in the brick walls of the shops, the clean white frames of the windows and doors, as well as the gentle sparkling silver Christmas decorations and the festive scenes that still filled the windows, made of posed mannequins and goods to buy. Even in the heart of winter, with all the leaves gone from the trees and the annuals dead, it was obvious at a glance that in the spring and summer all the little gardens and plots of greenery on the edges of the sidewalk were impeccably manicured.

She followed Charlotte's car down a quiet side street where the trees were taller, casting a canopy over the road even without their leaves. They passed a large stone and concrete sign at the entrance to a parking lot that said "Rosings," in large, swooping script. Snow sat on tufts of bushes, outlining the dormant flowerbeds in crisp white.

For a condo complex, Liz had to admit the buildings were rather handsome. They had an almost Georgian row house appearance, with white doors and window frames standing out from the red and cream brickwork. She peered through the light sprinkling of snow to follow Charlotte through the resident's parking lot. They drove out into one of the backlots. Charlotte's parking spot was labeled for her but with much animated hand-waving and gesticulating, she imparted to Liz that she should drive into the next aisle, where she found spots labeled "Guest Parking."