Love by Way of Chance

Elizabeth was paralysed with fear as multiple eyes pried her moves. The eyes were neither happy nor sorrowful, they showed no concern, just detachment. Her father placed her dainty fingers into his hand with much force and Elizabeth was bought condescendingly back into reality. With every step she took, there were whispers she heard or had she dreamt them? Some smiled with teeth gleaming however, with a resonance of falsity.  Others stood there dumb to their surroundings. Their hands hooked into their partners, their heads inclined to each others. They say, your eyes are the windows into your soul, but these beings. No things. Were lifeless, they were wild creatures who’s mission lied only in obtaining cultural inferiority.

The whispers grew louder as Elizabeth’s eyes travelled through the many motionless guests invited for the occasion. They travelled through them like the many piles of sewn dresses she had tailored every day. But that will all change? Won’t it, she questioned herself with much hope. Another row filled with fine cocktail dresses feathered with dead birds. Bold colours of orange and red had covered the pews, with fine strapped sandals and pearls to add a dash of success. Blacks, brunettes and blondes had their hair curled and finger waved in perfection, much left unadmired by men.  Red coloured lipstick smiles filled the room as the orchestra played the opening melody, a melody to a death march.

It was then that Elizabeth was bought to the altar, her gloved hand quivering, while her father with a much determined mind led her to her future husband. Hands were embraced into each other. Smiles were given. And the ceremony had begun.

‘Do you Ms. Bennett take, Mr. Darcy to be your lawfully wedded husband?’

The answer to the question lingered on everyone’s lips.

After more than a minute’s silence Darcy turned his attention to her, had she not heard the question he pondered. With deep wrinkles growing at the corner of his eyes as the silence grew, the priest once again repeated the question.

Elizabeth’s mind churned to find an excuse to this sudden rage of fear building inside of her. Had her father not told her that she would be happy to marry Darcy? Had her sister not alleged to her that she was the most fortunate lady to marry into a wealthy family?

The multiple questions of her existence, to her future were left unreciprocated.

Elizabeth was paralysed with fear as multiple eyes pried her moves. The eyes were neither happy nor sorrowful, they showed no concern, just detachment. She closed her eyes and couldn’t help but remember her first encounter with Darcy. She was travelling to Salisbury, North California to meet Jane who was heavily pregnant and due in few weeks.

She entered her compartment and laid her brown battered suitcase down on her turquoise coloured seat, flexed her tired arms and later realised that she had company. He stared at her with a smirk on his face. It was not decent for young ladies to behave lazily in public; Elizabeth recalled her mother’s words. She stumbled to her seat and ignored his direct gaze.

As the train resumed its journey to Salisbury, Elizabeth couldn’t help but peek a glance at the foreigner. He was indeed handsome looking. Short brown hair cropped at the side of his ears, brown eyes staring into the Readers Digest, a well groomed suit with a grey herringbone and beige pinstripes. His fashion style screamed success. Before she could avert her gaze, the foreigner looked her in the eye, and was given another smirk. She averted her gaze hastily and was soon blooming red, as her cheeks couldn’t help but blush at the reaction. She cursed her guts for staring at him openly.

She fidgeted in her suitcase for her copy of Edith Wharton’s much accomplished novel ‘The Age of Innocence.’ She read her novel in hope of forgetting the embarrassing encounter with her stranger.

It was just after noon and was kindly asked by her stranger

‘Would you care of join me for lunch at a nearby restaurant seeing that the train has stopped for a half hour break?’ Dreaming that she heard it, she looked up at the young man sitting opposite her and noticed that he was staring at her.

With a nervous smile, Elizabeth answered ‘that’s very kind of you sir, however I have already eaten and I am not hungry. But please do carry on without me’ It was then that her stomach growled of hunger, the stranger just smiled and asked again

‘Would you care of join me for lunch at a nearby restaurant seeing that the train has stopped for a half hour break?’

Elizabeth smiled sheepishly and nodded her head as an answer.

As they sat down to their given table and ordered the restaurants delicacies, they were both busily talking and discussing the affairs of the country. Darcy was astonished by the great knowledge Elizabeth had on the political affairs of America. It was not long before they became much accustomed friends and later fell in love.

Another memory flashed through Elizabeth’s mind, a much detested memory.

It was just after the monsoon season and Elizabeth was asked to meet her fiancé’s family for lunch. As she walked down the Hudson Valley and looked for house number 28, at her discovery she was flabbergasted by the sight in front of her. She had by no means dreamt of Darcy’s mansion to be as exquisite and large as this.

She was greeted at the entrance with palm trees aligning its pathway towards the mansion. The grass along the way was cut to perfection, with beautiful grown Euphoriba Diamond Frost’s leading the way to the mansion. It was a sight more magnificent than the Taj Mahal itself. The exterior of the building was furnished with sculptures of the World War, with the centre piece of a man on a horse fighting with a rifle.

However, the beauty of the exterior was no match to the lovely furnishings to the interior. The great chandelier in the dining room, the furnished bar next to the kitchen, the king size beds in the nine bedrooms. Elizabeth was overwhelmed by the family she was to marry, she felt substandard compared to them. However, with a look at the family, she was doubtful whether she would even want to marry in a family like this.

Darcy always said that his family was “different” but even Elizabeth wasn’t prepared for this. Georgiana, sneered at Elizabeth’s outdated clothing. While Mr. Darcy throughout the lunch reminded Elizabeth of her social class compared to them. With Darcy’s absence from the lunch due to an urgent meeting at the American Express Co. Elizabeth was left dumbfounded.

The next day Darcy met her, Elizabeth wasn’t sure whether she wanted to conform into a family with no ethical morals filled with proud snobs, she remained quite throughout the dinner.

Elizabeth was bought once again into reality when she found Darcy questioning her whether she was feeling fine.

‘Oh, I’m truly sorry Darcy but I feel ill. I think I’m coming down with something’

‘Its alright my love, why don’t you take a seat. We can reschedule the day.’

Left with her sister, Elizabeth walked out of the Victorian church and headed into the car. But the thought of declining Darcy made her requestion her motive; did she really want to say no to Darcy’s proposal just because of his family? No. She loves him more than that, she was willing to take all the scoffing his family had to offer her, however, she was not willing to give up on Darcy. She would just have to try harder to accustom to them.

With that she turned away from the car park, went back to the altar and said her ‘I do’