Brides and Prejudice

Lock and Key pt.1

Carolynn closed her eyes as she muttered expletives under her breath.

!-!-!

Elisanna Del Veccio smiled politely as her father's friends and business associates all complimented her beauty, dress, and whatever else they could think of to smooze.

"Such a cute idea, if only," One of the wives of the Italian politician said wistfully at the ornate lock hanging down below the dip of Elisa's gold strapless gown.

"To be young and single, my men," Elisa's father said laughing amused by his daughter's party theme. Lock and key. Each single woman at the party received a light silver but individually and uniquely crafted lock in their invitation that hung down on a silver chain. Meanwhile each man received a silver also uniquely designed skeleton key in their invitations. No lock or key was a like and each had its pair and no other would fit. The first five couples who could find their matches would win as a prize, an all-expenses paid date in Venice. And to make sure that there was no cheating, the servants had a list to make sure that there was no cheating or swapping, each all had a list of the name of the person and the number off the lock or key that they'd been given on random. It wouldn't be nearly as much fun if people could pick or choose their partner...

"I'm so sorry but I'm going to check on the guests still arriving, please pardon me." Elisa finally said to get away from her father's friends. She felt bad for her step mom, to leave Genevieve alone but she knew what she was getting into when she married Elisa's father.

Elisa stopped by one of her stewards with an ipad of the names of those that had arrived and checked in with their locks and keys. Elisa narrowed her eyes as she noticed that Lissa and Jean had not yet arrived. Whipping out her cell phone, Elisa was about to call Lissa when an attractive pair walked past her and caught her eye. The attractive man had been an old puppy love of hers and honestly a part of her was still in love with him and the girl was once her private school classmate. Elisa had met and fallen in love at first sight with Fitzwilliam Darcy when she was in her 6th year of school, as had many of her classmates. The coveted father daughter dance at St. Theresa's Private school for young women that all the wealthy families used as a time to gather and try to make even more wealthy connections. Will Darcy had stood out, not that it wasn't unexpected, after all he was young and utterly handsome, not to mention that he was stepping into the role of father for his young sister. Even the sisters and teachers had all confessed to feeling things for the young man that was young enough to be their son in some cases. But what had made Elisa fall in love was that Will Darcy had no intention of making that night, the father daughter dance, as a night for business opportunities or for climbing any kind of social ladder. He had come to be his sister's date for the father daughter dance and had no time for anything else but to do anything and everything that Georgianna Darcy wished.

Same time that they caught Elisa's eye, she caught Georgie's.

"Elisanna!" Georgie Darcy almost sang as she went forward to embrace her old classmate.

"Elisa please! Georgie, you look stunning!"

"Me? Oh my goodness, standing next to you, I look like I'm about to attend a state funeral." She said, gaping at Elisa's dress. The gown was a molten gold that shimmered against Elisa's tan Italian skin. The bustier style strapless top was sophisticated and with the slit right where the gown gathered gave the gown a very sexy edge.

Elisa giggled at Georgie's flattering words. "I don't think your dress is funeral like at all, but if it were, it'd be for a great artist or fashion designer."

Georgie clasped Elisa's hands as the two girls giggled like the seventeen year olds that they were. Will almost wanted to sigh... seventeen year old girls these days. Why did they dress like they were going to a Hollywood premiere of an R rated movie? Did they not realize how creepy men were these days?

"Oh but Elisa this party is so much fun and your house is more beautiful than ever! And I so do adore this lock and key theme. I've so heard about it from our servants at home but never knew it could be this fun."

Will made a coughing sound that Georgie ignored. It wasn't her fault that women were not giving her brother any space at all by trying to seize his key and jamming it into their locks. Oh my did that sound vulgar...

Georgie focused back on the birthday girl. "You must come to visit us in England this year Elisa,"

Will couldn't help but think that if that happened, he needed to get into looking for gay male body guards...

"I will, I promise!"

"Perfect! Well I'm perfectly famished and nothing hits the spot like your family's Italian cuisine chef!"

"Yes, please go, eat food and enjoy the rest of the party. Also don't forget the prize if you find your partner!"

"Yes, yes, a trip to Venice, how utterly romantic... what if one of the couples that you pair up end up becoming a real couple... and maybe even marrying?"

Elisa sighed. "Oh my, that would be amazing. A dream come true. Can you just imagine?" The two girls grinned at each other before squealing once more at the romance of it all.

"Maybe my brother will fall in love with his lock match." Georgie teased Will.

Elisa grinned as Will grimaced. "You know, I think I would like to see..."

!-!-!

As the Darcys walked away, Elisa wasn't sure if she was happy or sad that Will Darcy's key did not fit her lock. At least her inner school girl was satisfied that she hadn't let the opportunity walk away and understood that destiny was saying they weren't meant to be.

"Miss Elisanna," One of her stewards came and voiced. Elisa turned around and to her pleasure, he'd led Lissa and Jean Bennet straight to her! She hadn't even have to ask!

Lissa couldn't help but stare at the couple that Elisa had been watching walk away... she couldn't help but feel like she'd seen them before. How odd.

"You two made it!" Elisa cried before throwing her arms around the two for a hug.

Lissa laughed as she said of course, forgetting all about the couple. Like they'd miss her birthday after all the effort Elisa went through to give them a Cinderella night. "You're like our little fairy god mother."

Jean nodded in agreement as she told Elisa how beautiful she looked.

Elisa beamed. "And now it's time to start the festivities!"

!-!-!

I'm so sorry I had break up the chapter in two parts and the two still haven't been reunited... but it just flowed better and honestly I really needed to update so I can get back in the habit of doing so! No matter, I do hope that you guys enjoyed this last update and see how all of our main characters are doing...

Love you guys so much!

PS

the picture is all the dresses Elisa, Jean, and Lissa are wearing in my story! I tried to find dresses that fit the characters and that you could see them wearing at an event like this!