Pride and Passion: Pride and Prejudice Variation by Ola Wegner

Author:Ola Wegner [Wegner, Ola]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-01-06T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

That year, Elizabeth Bennet fell deeply and ardently in love, not with a man, but with a country. From the very first moments, she knew that it was not a fleeting sensation for her, but that it would last a lifetime. She was well aware that there was very little probability that she would ever have another chance to return to Italy. Consequently, she used every opportunity to take everything in and store it in her mind and heart. For the first weeks, Elizabeth found it difficult to fall asleep. She feared that on waking up, she would find herself in her room at Willow House.

The villa where they lived in was situated on the outskirts of Florence. Such a fortunate location granted easy access to both countryside and the town itself. Elizabeth woke up early in the morning, fearful to miss even one hour of her stay here for sleep. What had she done to deserve such a blessing, she did not know. Lady Mary had once told her that if we desired something very strongly and passionately, it could come to us in the least expected moment of our life. Consequently, it was wise to be careful what we wished and prayed for.

Elizabeth could not claim that she had always dreamed of or desired visiting Italy and that such an idea had been constantly on her mind. On the contrary, she had always been keenly aware that there was simply no such possibility that she would ever be able to travel to Europe, not to mention Italy itself. But she remembered vividly that as a very young girl, she had read with great interest books about Italy borrowed from her father’s library. In those moments, she had imagined herself being there, speaking the language with the locals, admiring ancient architecture, enjoying the sunny weather. And there it all came to fruition only several years later. Every day she thanked the good Lord for bringing her here.

It was an entirely different world where nothing resembled England. People not only spoke another language, but it was nearly impossible to communicate in English, unless you were lucky enough to meet your countryman. Italians had an entirely different air about them. They expressed themselves in a more animated manner and appeared more openly passionate in all their actions. Elizabeth could sit for hours, watching their interactions as they gathered on the piazzas. Her fluency in Italian grew, as she was keen to talk to anyone she encountered. The locals were eager to speak to her, and she always asked them to correct any mistakes she made.

The sky was a perfect azure most days. The sunsets and sunrises were more vibrant than in England, and even the smell of the air was entirely different. Elizabeth was enchanted by everything she laid her eyes on. Here, everything was a form of art, not only the architecture, but also music, literature and food. She walked the roads built by ancient Romans and endlessly admired

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