Read Online First (Wrong) Impressions: A Modern Pride & Prejudice by Krista D Ball - Free Book Online
Authors: Krista D Ball
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casual. It did Lizzy good to see a little glimmer of the old Jane again.
Lizzy decided that she was in such a good mood that she would make breakfast for everyone. She got to work in their tiny kitchen to make omelettes and bacon, sausage and pancakes. Lizzy turned on the radio just loud enough so that she could hum along with Michael Bolton. She thawed the bacon from the farmer’s market — today called for the good stuff. She chopped and sliced and fried.
With a swing of her hip, Lizzy closed the fridge door and went to work on slicing fruit, while the bacon popped and sizzled with enthusiasm. On the third pan of bacon—she really needed to buy a bigger frying pan — Jane and Charles stumbled out of their love nest. Jane had her leg on, something she normally didn’t do first thing in the morning, so walked into the kitchen as opposed to wheeling in.
“Something smells good out here,” Jane said with a glowing smile on her face.
“Hey Lizzy.” Charles, for his part, was flushed red and sheepish. “Nothing smells as good as bacon in the morning.”
Lizzy smiled back without giving them any significant glances, and tried to act like everything was normal. “This is from a local farmer. It’s the best I’ve ever had and I’m sharing, this morning!”
Charles’s pants rang and he pulled out his cell phone. He walked off a little and answered, “Hey Darcy.”
Lizzy leaned in and said, “Good girl!”
Jane flushed. “Shhh, he’ll hear you.”
“Jane Bennet, hitting the big times,” Lizzy said with a laugh. “You might want to avoid Ellie today.”
Jane creased her forehead. “Why?”
“Apparently, you kept her up.”
“Oh, dear. I’ll talk to her after Charles leaves.”
“No, I’m still at Jane’s,” Charles said, glancing at Jane and winking.
Lizzy nudged her sister. “I bet Darcy’s freaking out.”
“Don’t be mean,” Jane chided. “Darcy’s been his best friend for years. And Charles said last night that Darcy’s been trying to make it up to you about that manual labour comment you heard.”
Lizzy snorted. “That was pretty awful.”
“Be nice to him. He hates that you’ve been calling him Mr. Darcy because he feels you’re still mad at him.”
“I am still mad at him,” Lizzy shot back.
“Lizzy,” Jane said sternly, “Be nice.”
“Why don’t you just bring the car over? Have you eaten yet?” Charles glanced at Lizzy. “Well, Lizzy’s cooking breakfast. Hold on. Say, Lizzy? Can Darcy come over?”
“Sure,” Lizzy said with false cheer and in a louder voice, said, “Tell Darcy I said I’ll cook extra just for him.” She made a face at Jane.
“Did you hear that?” Charles asked. “Yeah, come on over. No, you heard her. She doesn’t mind. Dude, seriously, she’s standing right here. Lizzy, it’s okay, right?”
Jane gave Lizzy a pleading look.
“Oh for God’s sake,” Lizzy muttered, reaching out for the cell phone.
“Hold on, Lizzy wants to talk to you. Yes, Lizzy. Just…stop. Darcy, here, you talk to her.” Charles rolled his eyes and handed her the phone.
“Darcy,” she said in the brightest voice she could manage, “there is plenty of food. Come over.”
He cleared his throat. “Okay, then. Thanks. Lizzy. ”
Great. Just great. Freaking Darcy for breakfast.
Chapter 7
September 24
Lizzy was finishing up paperwork in her office when her cell buzzed with a message:
Jane: We’re heading down to Martini Mars. Want to join?
Lizzy picked up her phone and gave her a call. “Hey, Jane. What’s a Martini Mars?”
“Hey! It’s a martini bar-slash-restaurant on Whyte Ave. We’re heading down now. I thought you’d like to come. Is it busy there?”
“Lord, no. We have eleven volunteers and staff, and ten folks for supper. I would’ve gone home, but I got distracted by the mountain of work on my desk.”
“Come on down, then.”
Lizzy looked at the time: just past seven. “Give me an hour. I need to change and take the
Lizzy decided that she was in such a good mood that she would make breakfast for everyone. She got to work in their tiny kitchen to make omelettes and bacon, sausage and pancakes. Lizzy turned on the radio just loud enough so that she could hum along with Michael Bolton. She thawed the bacon from the farmer’s market — today called for the good stuff. She chopped and sliced and fried.
With a swing of her hip, Lizzy closed the fridge door and went to work on slicing fruit, while the bacon popped and sizzled with enthusiasm. On the third pan of bacon—she really needed to buy a bigger frying pan — Jane and Charles stumbled out of their love nest. Jane had her leg on, something she normally didn’t do first thing in the morning, so walked into the kitchen as opposed to wheeling in.
“Something smells good out here,” Jane said with a glowing smile on her face.
“Hey Lizzy.” Charles, for his part, was flushed red and sheepish. “Nothing smells as good as bacon in the morning.”
Lizzy smiled back without giving them any significant glances, and tried to act like everything was normal. “This is from a local farmer. It’s the best I’ve ever had and I’m sharing, this morning!”
Charles’s pants rang and he pulled out his cell phone. He walked off a little and answered, “Hey Darcy.”
Lizzy leaned in and said, “Good girl!”
Jane flushed. “Shhh, he’ll hear you.”
“Jane Bennet, hitting the big times,” Lizzy said with a laugh. “You might want to avoid Ellie today.”
Jane creased her forehead. “Why?”
“Apparently, you kept her up.”
“Oh, dear. I’ll talk to her after Charles leaves.”
“No, I’m still at Jane’s,” Charles said, glancing at Jane and winking.
Lizzy nudged her sister. “I bet Darcy’s freaking out.”
“Don’t be mean,” Jane chided. “Darcy’s been his best friend for years. And Charles said last night that Darcy’s been trying to make it up to you about that manual labour comment you heard.”
Lizzy snorted. “That was pretty awful.”
“Be nice to him. He hates that you’ve been calling him Mr. Darcy because he feels you’re still mad at him.”
“I am still mad at him,” Lizzy shot back.
“Lizzy,” Jane said sternly, “Be nice.”
“Why don’t you just bring the car over? Have you eaten yet?” Charles glanced at Lizzy. “Well, Lizzy’s cooking breakfast. Hold on. Say, Lizzy? Can Darcy come over?”
“Sure,” Lizzy said with false cheer and in a louder voice, said, “Tell Darcy I said I’ll cook extra just for him.” She made a face at Jane.
“Did you hear that?” Charles asked. “Yeah, come on over. No, you heard her. She doesn’t mind. Dude, seriously, she’s standing right here. Lizzy, it’s okay, right?”
Jane gave Lizzy a pleading look.
“Oh for God’s sake,” Lizzy muttered, reaching out for the cell phone.
“Hold on, Lizzy wants to talk to you. Yes, Lizzy. Just…stop. Darcy, here, you talk to her.” Charles rolled his eyes and handed her the phone.
“Darcy,” she said in the brightest voice she could manage, “there is plenty of food. Come over.”
He cleared his throat. “Okay, then. Thanks. Lizzy. ”
Great. Just great. Freaking Darcy for breakfast.
Chapter 7
September 24
Lizzy was finishing up paperwork in her office when her cell buzzed with a message:
Jane: We’re heading down to Martini Mars. Want to join?
Lizzy picked up her phone and gave her a call. “Hey, Jane. What’s a Martini Mars?”
“Hey! It’s a martini bar-slash-restaurant on Whyte Ave. We’re heading down now. I thought you’d like to come. Is it busy there?”
“Lord, no. We have eleven volunteers and staff, and ten folks for supper. I would’ve gone home, but I got distracted by the mountain of work on my desk.”
“Come on down, then.”
Lizzy looked at the time: just past seven. “Give me an hour. I need to change and take the
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