First Impressions: A Modern Pride and Prejudice Adaptation

Chapter 7

Liz breathed out. The room was dark and the air had the cool stillness of the predawn about it. Moving the bedclothes as little as possible, she pulled herself into a seated position, crossing her legs beneath the blanket. She glanced at her phone with slightly bleary eyes; through the blur, she thought she read it as five-something. She covered a yawn with one fist, stretching out the other arm, and arched her back until it cracked comfortably. More refreshed in a moment, she reached out to search for her glasses, her fingers fumbling over the nightstand until they connected with the plastic frame.

She slid them on, the room growing into still dark but sharp focus. She yawned again and rumpled her hair before sliding out the bed. She pawed around until she found the clothing she had laid out the night before, silently dressing. Jane rolled over in her sleep but didn't wake as Liz eased through the door and into the bathroom.

Lo and Caroline had spread their chaos to the now shared bathroom. Liz did her best to ignore the four different face creams and three tubes of lipstick on the counter as she quickly ran a brush thought a snarl of hair, but it reminded her of Cat and Lydia's bathroom at home.

You're not here to look presentable, she reminded herself firmly as she pulled her hair up. You're here to hike and ignore the company. Her intention upon accepting the invitation had been to spend as little time as possible in the company of anyone besides her sister and Chip. So far, she was doing at least a passable job of it. With a final glance in the mirror, she tucked one loose strand of hair behind her ear and brought the hairbrush back to the bedroom. Assured that Jane was still sleeping soundly, she left for the living room.

She padded almost silently down the hallway in socks, one or two boards creaking slightly. She cut through the middle of the sunken room and scurried over to the sliding patio doors. She could see a brightness around the tops of the trees, pink streaks in the sky. With a sigh, she stepped outside and waited, watching.

The air was a little warmer than it had been the day before, and thick with humidity, though not uncomfortable. She waited, arms stretched out across the railing, as the forest around her came alive with chirps and chatters of the animals. She sighed slightly and pulled her arms in, folding them together before resting her head down and basking in the sunlight.

"Enjoying the view?" asked Darcy from the sitting room.

Liz jumped slightly and turned around. She hadn't noticed him—or hadn't heard him come in. He was sitting in one of the armchairs, his long frame folded up into the seat. His hair was unbrushed and wavy, sticking up slightly on the left side of his head. There was a night's growth of stubble on his chin and cheeks that set off the angles of his face. He was wearing a sweatshirt and a pair of athletic shorts, appearing the least manicured Liz had ever seen him. He was holding his phone in his hands, the screen glowing gently; the inside of the house was still shadowy.

She paused, her back to the light, laying her arms across the bannister. "Yes. You didn't look like you were, though."

"No. I'm writing," he admitted, waving his phone at her. "It was still too dark to write by hand when I woke up and I don't have my laptop."

"Do you always wake up this early?" she asked, almost impressed by his work ethic.

He offered her a rare smile. "No, not usually. But I couldn't sleep. What about you? Do you always wake up for sunrise, Elizabeth?"

"Not usually." She paused before stepping back into the room. "And you don't need to call me Elizabeth. The only one who does is my mother, when she's angry. Liz is fine." She pulled slid the glass door closed.

He turned his head, mumbling something.

She took the opportunity to perch on the arm of a chair, almost on the other side of the room from him. "Sorry, what was that?"