His Pride & Her Prejudice (in the 21st Century)-unedited.

Chapter Six

"You are too kind," Margaret gushed. "Here, have some more gravy."

Ella and Jane, seated across from David, snuck furtive glances at each other and hid their smiles at his endless bragging as the conversation rolled on.

"John, I wasn't sure what I would find, but your house is beautiful. I mean, it's not as grandeur as ours, but astounding nonetheless," their guest prattled. He seemed to be unaware of his rudeness.

"Tell me, do you always give unaffected praises on the go, or do you practice them beforehand?" Ella asked tartly as she had enough of his sermons and verbosity.

Lydia laughed and quickly drank water. "Sorry, I read something hilarious on my cell phone."

Jane kicked Ella under the table, but she refused to relent. Another more minute in this company and she wanted to scream. She glanced at her father to see how he was taking this, only to find him enjoying the oddity before him.

"Actually, I have been trained to be gracious to my host at a young age. And my business of fine paper making has introduced me to esteemed customers like Lady Catherine de Bough from England. She is a wife of an Earl." The pride in David's voice was unmissable. He tugged at his loose collar to emphasis his self-worth to his audience. "They have mighty estates. My acquaintance with her has improved my society for sure."

"The what?" Kitty asked. "Earl? Like the tea?" She wrinkled her nose.

"No, silly. Not Early Grey. It's an English title," Mary said.

"Oh, how medieval." Lydia's forehead scrunched. "Sounds like my school. We got prom queens."

Smirking, Ella looked at what David thought of her sister's presumptions.

He looked flabbergasted but refrained from saying anything.

When the blasted dessert was finally served to signal the last leg of the torturous dinner, Ella ate her ice cream with gusto just to escape.

"Jane, do you have any interest in the museums?" David asked with deliberate curiosity after wiping his mouth on the napkin.

Jane, who had been dreamily staring at a space, sat up at the question. "Yes, I have been to many. There are some amazing ones in France. My particular interest lies in the history and origins of culinary."

"Oh, yeah, your mother mentioned earlier about your bakery. Indeed, you must be a good cook. Did you make this ice cream?" He gestured to his portion with a fork.

"No, it's from a corner store nearby. As it requires no flour, baking soda and sugar, Jane can't do much with it." Ella couldn't resist setting David right in his shoes. "Next time we cook a cake, we will be sure to send you a piece."

Jane turned away, trying to hide the mirth dancing on her face. Even for her tempered nature, David was a real piece of work.

The other three remaining Bennett girls giggled, even Mary.

David's lips pursed and he chose silence. Once the dinner was finished, everyone helped clean the table while David was shown to the sitting lounge.

"Hey, Ella, come here," Jane tapped her shoulder. She lead her  towards the small gazebo nearby for privacy.

"What's up?" She looked askance.

"Braden just texted me to go out star gazing tonight," she cried. Her eyes gleamed with excitement. "He is so romantic."

"Seriously. Show me." Ella read the message her sister showed her. She grinned at the heart emojis. "I know it's too soon to ask, but are things getting serious between you too?"