The Fires of Home: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Lady A & Katz Anja

Author:Lady, A & Katz, Anja
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Daisy Chain Publishing
Published: 2024-03-11T00:00:00+00:00

Seven

Elizabeth

Mary was hurrying around the tiny kitchen in her house attached to Edward’s Fine Bootmaking, a shop owned by her husband’s family for generations. Adam was a skilled cobbler, the best in Meryton, but their income was still minimal and they lived a small life. Still, Mary was happy with her husband, a handsome and literate chap, and that brought Elizabeth great joy. Their mother never put much stock in Mary’s prospects but Adam was a sweet young man who fell in love with her sister’s intelligence and dark humor. Elizabeth thought he was a delight and as long as Mary felt she found the life she wanted, nothing else mattered to her sisters.

Even if Mrs. Bennet did nothing but complain about Mary’s small home and unimpressive husband.

“Do you still like milk in your tea? We had a fresh delivery this morning,” Mary asked as she set down a tray of tea and biscuits.

“Always. When will Adam be joining us?”

Mary sat down and poured them both a cup of tea. “He is closing the shop early. He had several orders to complete before he joined us. But in the meantime, would you care to tell me what this emergency situation is?”

Elizabeth felt as if she had been telling this story to the whole town, but if Mary did not know every detail, she may not be able to convince Adam to help. So, once again, she started from the beginning, and did not leave out a single element of the story. By the time she was finished, Mary appeared positively aghast.

“How awful! Dear Mrs. Brattleborough is such a delightful woman. She gave Matthew and I that lovely bedside pitcher to celebrate our marriage. You do not think they could be…”

Elizabeth refused to even consider the implication as a possibility.

“No, I do not and can not think so. But still, we must do everything we can to find them before something terrible happens to them. And I do believe Adam can help us.”

“How could Adam help you? He is a fine bootmaker but not much of a detective, I am afraid.”

Mary’s husband walked in the door and set his own pair of finely made boots by the door, then hung his coat on the rack. The first thing he did was walk over to kiss his wife hello, then he gave his sister-in-law a quick peck on the cheek.

“It is good to see you again, Adam.”

He sighed contentedly as he sat next to Mary and she poured him a cup of tea.

“And you, Elizabeth. How are your little ones? Do you have Jessie riding a dragon yet?”

“Not yet, I am afraid. She is a little one, delicate like her Aunt Kitty but with eyes just like Mary’s. The Bennet girls continue their tradition of growing in the image of their aunts. Has Mama been pestering you two over children of your own?”

Mary laughed, though there was no happiness in it.

“She would prefer we remain childless forever. ‘You can not raise children

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