Spoiler! :
A small country estate that lied right next to one of the largest pieces of land in the whole of England, was home to one of the bigger family’s of England, the Stevenson’s. The Stevenson’s party had seven children including; Mary the Eldest, Eliza, Edward, Bethany, Lydia and Jane, Jane was merely twelve and Mary was twenty and three, finally married after only a few years of being out. Though her husband a mere foot soldier and was not earning what mama had expected, he was incredibly handsome. This was a crash to the family, for there fortuned relied on the fact that one of them had to marry well and if not the family unfortunately would be ruined, though Edward would be in a finer life than the females.
Their estate was of course entailed to the oldest son, in this case Edward would earn after his father’s death, £950 a year which was merely enough to own a chase. Everything in their lives would had to be shared including Edwards, who took this is a very different way to the female’s. In his opinion, he regrettably had to live with. The bedrooms had to be shared except for Edwards of course, and the piano forte which Eliza especially loved to use was merely one her father used to own, and the highest c seemed to be missing. Though their estate may not be the grandest, Mary, Eliza, Lydia’s and Jane’s hearts were candour to anyone that had met them. Especially the seminaries who had much beloved Mary for her kind work in the teaching of dancing and helping to cook the girls meals. Though this was all good and well, the girls had no wealth to recommend them into a higher society that buried them in having the moment of social intercourse with a wealthier man. Though Eliza had hope passed to her by the paper of Jane Austen who she admired more than any person, she believed to have enjoyed the civility of reading.
Their church, which was a mere one and half mile walk, seemed to be destined for the carriage.
“Mama but surely it would be better for us to walk” Eliza implied over the breakfast table on a fine Sunday morning.
“No it shall not, I will not hear of it Eliza. Imagine of what Mrs. Bradley would say. Oh no Eliza we shall go in the carriage and look Lydia and Jane are not as nearly awake as you seem to be”
“But mama that is surely be a reason to walk! For the walk will cheer up their faces, don’t you agree papa?” Eliza relied strongly of her father’s companionship for her mother saw her as quiet plain and nothing to Bethany, who was considered the beauty of the family.
“I must say my dear Eliza you do put up a great argument towards your mother but I fear your mother is right this time for it looks like it shall rain” Eliza signed slightly and went back to eating.
“Oh Mr. Stevenson I knew you loved me” Mama laughed at her own silly joke.
“But we shall not forget that we need hack for Eliza, Lydia and Jane, oh and do make sure that it doesn’t stop right outside the church. Think what Mrs. Bradley would think if she saw one. I would not stop hearing about it from Lady Lucas. No, no, no, no, no it will not do”
“Or my dear Eliza, Lydia and Jane could walk, It would be far much easier don’t you agree?” Replied papa winking at Eliza who smiled kindly back
“No it will not do! But I may think that but you do not have compassion for my decisions! If it is your will, they will walk, but they better not be late and if their hem has even an inch of mud they shall be left outside. Do you hear me?” She looked directly at Eliza who answered straight away in the best of manner possible.
“But mama! How unfair it will be that Bethany and Edward get to go in the carriage! Why hadn’t I! I have done no wrong have I not?” Lydia was in slight uproar in the decision and disapproved. Her hatred towards her two eldest Bethany and Edward sometimes seemed quite clear. A giggle from the opposite side of the table from Bethany had hurt Lydia slightly but Eliza kicked Lydia from under the table and smiled at her sister.
“No, you have not done wrong” Replied Edward “But my dear Bethany and myself are merely more important than you” Bethany on hearing this snorted a very unattractive amount and couldn’t finish eating, Lydia in distress had ran from the table in tears and Jane ran after her to help with her sisterly affection.
“Edward how dare you say such silliness” Eliza bombarded “Your sisters including I are exceptionally hurt by your lack of civility” Edward only smiled his mean smile and Bethany just laughed again and mama had had enough.
“Oh please be quite Eliza, your brother only said what is true. It is up to Bethany and Edward to raise the fortune of the family, you will end up just like your sister, just you watch. It’s not our fault that you will never admit that you are plain” At this Bethany shrieked,
“Go and walk my dear Eliza and clear your head, you must be careful how you talk to your brother. I’m surprised he even speaks to you with any respect for he will own the estate after papa’s gone and can kick you out because I doubt you will be married by then, mama is right you are so very plain” Edward smirked and tried to hold in a laugh and Eliza was just about the leave the breakfast table before papa banged the table exceedingly hard.
“Sit down Eliza! I shall not have you talk to your elder in such a way Bethany, you should be very careful yourself the way you talk to Eliza because at least she’s not the silliest girl in the county and has, may I say so myself, an exceedingly handsome face which any man would be in dept to have. Apologise now and Mrs. Stevenson take some pride in your second born child or she will hate you and I shall not object” Everyone suddenly went silent from papa’s surprising shout and Bethany had stopped laughing, including mama.
“Thank you for that papa but I believe that I should go and attend to Jane and Lydia of their whereabouts for we should really be leaving soon”
***
Church was a nice place for the Stevenson’s to go not only to pray to their beloved god but to meet their friends. Mrs. Stevenson was always gossiping about others to Mrs. Bradley the two of them put together where inseparable while Lady Lucas sometime’s joined them, she very much liked to talk to Eliza about the things in her very own house.
“Oh dear Lady! Our house is ever so tiresome, I would invite you to dine with us but I believe I would die of shame for I have the silliest brother and sister!” Lady Lucas just smiled
“I bet I can tell of which you are talking” Lady Lucas replied suddenly,
“Well I dare say it is not that hard is it Charlotte!” Lady Lucas seemed to think of what to say next.
“You know my dear Eliza, that I am going away for the winter” Eliza’s stomach fluttered
“Oh, do not remind me charlotte! I will not have pleasant conversation for months!” Lady Lucas laughed at Eliza.
“My dear do hush someone might hear you” Lady Lucas slowly whispered into Eliza’s ear.
“Let them!” Eliza boomed,
“Let them know to be the silliest people in the country” Lady Lucas laughed out loud and a couple of looks from the gentlemen and some of the lady’s were of disgust, though Eliza didn’t care, they merely didn’t understand the joke or they would be laughing too. Sir Lucas came over to join the party of the two women.
“My dear Charlotte, what is happening here?” Lady Lucas slipped her hand from Eliza’s into her husband’s.
“Eliza and I are just having a talk my dear, for I am leaving to-morrow and will miss Eliza so dearly” Sir Lucas smiled and said,
“Well why doesn’t young Eliza come to dine with us to-morrow for I shall miss her too” Sir Lucas smiled at Eliza, and Charlotte turned in delight.
“Oh my dear Eliza, do come! It shall be so much fun!” Eliza smiled and warmly regarded Sir Lucas she would be delighted to come.
***
“I am so glad we are nearly home” Jane complained when the woods came into view,
“Oh, so am I dear sister, for we have walked for so long! Eliza do tell us how you walk so far every day?” Eliza turned,
“I do not understand your meaning” Lydia and Jane both laughed.
“How could you not! For you walk a very long time every day maybe even three hours you go for at one time and you always take your books with you!” Lydia seemed surprised at Eliza’s unknowingness of this.
“Sister you over excaudate I am not gone for half an hour at a time” Eliza replied while Jane laughed.
“Eliza you lie!” she laughed “for you are gone for exceedingly long amounts time! I am surprised you are unaware! Mama is always in uproar of how often you are gone.”
“Well mama having an interest of where I am is definitely something out of the unordinary” Lydia and Jane laughed at their sister as the woods swallowed them.
Gender:
Points: 850
Reviews: 56