No Tomorrow: A WWII Pride and Prejudice Variation by Anne Morris

Author:Anne Morris [Morris, Anne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Alternate Universe - World War II, Not in Amazon Library, Pride and Prejudice & Related Fandoms, Suspense, Thriller
ISBN: 9781953856036
Google: k3QrEAAAQBAJ
Amazon: B093Q8L1SQ
Goodreads: 57886324
Publisher: Danromas Designs
Published: 2021-04-27T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty

The one break from the terrible weather coincided with Elizabeth’s turn behind the wheel of the family car. The day was cloudy, but temperatures rose to about fifty. The two-hour trip was uneventful as far as the driving, and the sun had begun to set when they arrived in Meryton. Aunt Emma stood at the front window with her hands clasped in front of her before rushing out to greet her sister.

“Fanny! I’m glad you’ve come. Rest easy while you’re here.” She enrobed her younger sister in a hug. “Come in, girls, let’s get your mother settled.” The Gardiner sisters were already rambling away and left the two nieces to bring in the luggage.

“I think this was the right thing to do,” said Elizabeth. Jane agreed.

The two were quiet and listened to the older women share family stories of growing up at the dawn of the new century. Emma was the oldest of the Gardiner children but hadn’t taken on the overseer’s role once Edward had come of age. Both Emma and Frances had happily let any responsibilities fall on his shoulders. Having married young, they focused on their own families (though Emma had no children) and let Edward deal with their aging parents.

Elizabeth listened to these familiar stories with a different ear. Now there was a new ending, or rather, an addition to those family stories. Because after her grandparents had died in the twenties (and Ned Gardiner had dealt with their estate), he had moved to Bristol, where he met and married Eleanor Lambton. Uncle Ned’s family story now included four children, his business’ growth during the thirties, then his tragic disappearance in 1940 on ‘official maneuvers’ during the war.

The two sisters lamented the four fatherless Gardiner children while Elizabeth considered her part in their being fatherless. But she now knew that Edward Gardiner was alive in a prison camp. It grated that she was unable to tell anyone. Would he survive until all of this awful business was over? She thought about her short chat with Irma on New Year’s Eve as they dressed for the party. Irma had shared her fears for a brother captured long ago, one who might not survive due to Hitler’s viciousness.

“You look tired, Lizzy. Maybe you should retire,” Jane suggested. Both Bennet sisters sat without book or teacup; they merely listened to their mother and aunt’s reminiscences. It was rare that they were without some employment.

“I will,” she agreed. Going to bed early also meant she could avoid discussing Charles Bingley. So far, she had side-stepped asking Jane about the tightening of Chuck’s schedule. Elizabeth didn’t want to add anything else to that internal scale that weighed happy or sad and have to place anything else on the dark side. Part of her understood her mother’s inability to no longer cope with carrying on.

***

Attending St. Mary’s Church was a given on Sunday morning so Aunt Emma could parade her beautiful nieces in front of the villagers and brag that Jane had a beau who was both an RAF pilot and rich.

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