Pride and Prejudice, the High School Version.

Chapter 20

Lydia left the Bennet household for the UK at the beginning of February, leaving behind a desolate Kate and a household that was happier to be rid of her, for a brief period at least. Jane was working on her college applications and needed peace and Liz's schoolwork was becoming tougher and more as they went on.

When her aunt called to invite her on a tour on the outskirts of DC with an added 'surprise' element, Liz couldn't resist. She settled down and worked hard on her grades, using the DC tour as an incentive to herself. Even though her mother didn't spare a second glance at the As she brought home, Liz was proud of each one of them.

Lydia rarely called home, and when she did, she was always in a hurry to go and barely spared a few sentences for her family. Liz often texted her to remind her not to neglect her schoolwork, she didn't often reply but Liz's conscience could only be at peace when she knew she had done her duty by her youngest sister.

Before Liz knew it, school was closing for the the spring break, and a day later, she was on a plane to her aunt's place in DC.

The tour was to take them a week and two days, and because the spring break was quite short, they began the next day.

Liz had been visiting her uncle and aunt ever since she was a little girl, she knew the city centre inside out, but she had never been on the outskirts. For three days, they travelled by her uncle's car, getting a little further from the city everyday. They enjoyed the sights, ate in fancy restaurants and spent their nights in equally fancy hotels.

On the evening of the third day her aunt knocked on her door and entered the room, holding three gate passes with blue lanyards.

"Surprise!" Her aunt said cheerfully while holding out one of the passes for her to see.

Liz's heart sank as she read:

Pemberly Enterprises
Visitor.

"What's that?" Liz asked even though she knew exactly what it was.

"They are gate passes to the biggest plane manufacturer in the world. Your uncle has been applying for them for two years. They only accepted his application in February."

"Oh."

"Oh? That's it? Oh? Liz, this is Pemberly Enterprises, your dream employer. You are going to go into hanger and see an aeroplane being constructed from scratch. Don't forget the company has very close ties with MIT school of engineering and your uncle paid an arm and leg to get this."

Liz forced a smile and hugged her aunt, "Thank you auntie. I really appreciate this," then casually, she put in, "Do you know if the owner would be around?"

She really didn't want to meet Bill Darcy. Not now, not ever. Her last words to him haunted her dreams and made her loathe herself.

"The owner? Isn't he some teenager? I doubt he has time to come here. Although there is a house that his parents used to live in on the property."

"Are you sure he will not be around?"

"Positive, and even if he was, I am sure he wouldn't meet us. We will have a tour guide and we will get to meet some senior official, but that is that. Did you want to meet him? I doubt he is involved in the day to day running of the factory."

"Thank goodness," Liz said under her breath, aloud, she said, "This is amazing, thank you auntie."

Pemberly Enterprises could be described as a marvel. The 1000 acre property was divided into several sections, each with a hanger containing planes at different stages of construction. Liz had a crash course in everything planes from the tour guide as they walked around. Her mind drifted off when they were shown a newly constructed jet, sleek looking and ready to fly, with the Pemberly Enterprises Logo imprinted on it, she wondered if Bill would have taken her for a ride in it.