Read Online One Word From You: A Pride and Prejudice Adaptation by Natalie Penna - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Natalie Penna
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was clear he was. He repeated, “What are your plans when you finish school?”
“ Oh... I hadn't really thought about it, to be honest. I suppose I'll probably work with Dad. Why?”
“ I just thought it might be an idea for you to stay with Mum for a while. After all, she has enough money to support you, and you're a young girl. What could be more fun than a little time in a pretty and quaint environment? And then you can settle, marry, and have some -”
“ Wyatt, if you mention children, I'm going to stab you in the hand with a fork,” I warned.
He flushed, “I just meant that there's no reason for you to work yourself into the ground. You're a good girl, so you should find yourself a good husband when you're a little older.”
“ Yeah, like when I'm forty.”
“ I'm serious, Elisa.”
I cringed, “God, don't call me that. Look, whatever I do or don't do, is none of your business. Even if you were actually my brother, it still wouldn't be your business. I don't actually know why we're having this conversation, anyway. There's no way I'm going to stay with Mum, and it's not your place to tell me what to do with my life.”
“ I'm not telling you, I'm just making an observation. I want what's best for you.”
“ And you think you're one to talk about what's best for anyone?”
“ Yes. I have good friends, I'm working in a good school, and I have an excellent education. However you look at it, Elisa, I am doing very well for myself. My life is perfect.”
“ Yeah,” I laughed, “So perfect that you can preach to total strangers. Wyatt, don't talk to me while you're here, okay? It's embarrassing for both of us.”
Chapter Eight
His appearance was greatly in his favour.
Wyatt was as persistent as a summer cold.
I'd taken to using the longer routes between classrooms to escape his conversation, and cutting through lesser used areas of lawn, risking tangled undergrowth and steep slopes just to avoid his gaze. I kept telling myself that he meant well, and that he was just concerned about me as an older brother should be. If he really was still so close to my mother, then it made sense that he'd feel protective of me. But it didn't stop me from feeling annoyed whenever I stumbled into his presence.
It was during one of my little tours of the school after classes had ended that I bumped into someone else.
Literally.
I picked up momentum on my way down one of the steep inclines outside of the Arts wing, and crashed straight into Gideon. We both ended up on the floor. Well, he was on his back, and I was on his chest. Were he not a teacher, I might not have minded that scenario so much.
“ I am so sorry!” I exclaimed as I fell over again trying to get off him, and then set about picking up the papers I'd knocked out of his hands, “It was an accident, I swear!”
“ Well, what else could it have been?” he asked with a chuckle. His eyes met mine, and his smile became far more sincere and gentle, “Destiny, perhaps?”
“ Or a hill.”
“ Yes, or that.”
I forced the papers into his hands. Gideon tucked them under his arm, and then helped me back to my feet. It was just as well, because that smile was making my knees weak. Honestly, I thought that only happened in books, but the guy had a nice pair of dimples when he was amused.
Be still my beating heart.
“ I'm Beth,” I said, “Beth Blake.”
“ I remember you from our last Music class. You were very quiet, as I recall. I didn't think you were the type to go running cross-country during your free time.”
I rubbed the back of my neck sheepishly, “I was avoiding someone.”
“ Wyatt?”
“ How did you -”
“ I saw him talking to you at lunch when we first arrived. He's a good guy, but he's a little – er - ”
“ Misguided? Stupid? Annoying?”
“ I was going to say pompous, but all
“ Oh... I hadn't really thought about it, to be honest. I suppose I'll probably work with Dad. Why?”
“ I just thought it might be an idea for you to stay with Mum for a while. After all, she has enough money to support you, and you're a young girl. What could be more fun than a little time in a pretty and quaint environment? And then you can settle, marry, and have some -”
“ Wyatt, if you mention children, I'm going to stab you in the hand with a fork,” I warned.
He flushed, “I just meant that there's no reason for you to work yourself into the ground. You're a good girl, so you should find yourself a good husband when you're a little older.”
“ Yeah, like when I'm forty.”
“ I'm serious, Elisa.”
I cringed, “God, don't call me that. Look, whatever I do or don't do, is none of your business. Even if you were actually my brother, it still wouldn't be your business. I don't actually know why we're having this conversation, anyway. There's no way I'm going to stay with Mum, and it's not your place to tell me what to do with my life.”
“ I'm not telling you, I'm just making an observation. I want what's best for you.”
“ And you think you're one to talk about what's best for anyone?”
“ Yes. I have good friends, I'm working in a good school, and I have an excellent education. However you look at it, Elisa, I am doing very well for myself. My life is perfect.”
“ Yeah,” I laughed, “So perfect that you can preach to total strangers. Wyatt, don't talk to me while you're here, okay? It's embarrassing for both of us.”
Chapter Eight
His appearance was greatly in his favour.
Wyatt was as persistent as a summer cold.
I'd taken to using the longer routes between classrooms to escape his conversation, and cutting through lesser used areas of lawn, risking tangled undergrowth and steep slopes just to avoid his gaze. I kept telling myself that he meant well, and that he was just concerned about me as an older brother should be. If he really was still so close to my mother, then it made sense that he'd feel protective of me. But it didn't stop me from feeling annoyed whenever I stumbled into his presence.
It was during one of my little tours of the school after classes had ended that I bumped into someone else.
Literally.
I picked up momentum on my way down one of the steep inclines outside of the Arts wing, and crashed straight into Gideon. We both ended up on the floor. Well, he was on his back, and I was on his chest. Were he not a teacher, I might not have minded that scenario so much.
“ I am so sorry!” I exclaimed as I fell over again trying to get off him, and then set about picking up the papers I'd knocked out of his hands, “It was an accident, I swear!”
“ Well, what else could it have been?” he asked with a chuckle. His eyes met mine, and his smile became far more sincere and gentle, “Destiny, perhaps?”
“ Or a hill.”
“ Yes, or that.”
I forced the papers into his hands. Gideon tucked them under his arm, and then helped me back to my feet. It was just as well, because that smile was making my knees weak. Honestly, I thought that only happened in books, but the guy had a nice pair of dimples when he was amused.
Be still my beating heart.
“ I'm Beth,” I said, “Beth Blake.”
“ I remember you from our last Music class. You were very quiet, as I recall. I didn't think you were the type to go running cross-country during your free time.”
I rubbed the back of my neck sheepishly, “I was avoiding someone.”
“ Wyatt?”
“ How did you -”
“ I saw him talking to you at lunch when we first arrived. He's a good guy, but he's a little – er - ”
“ Misguided? Stupid? Annoying?”
“ I was going to say pompous, but all
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