Page 18 of Without Pride and Prejudice

The woman next to me, who I assumed was Macey, looked drained of color, her face pale as porcelain. The man next to her was whispering furiously in her ear.

Oh dear. I really was going to have to fix this. She looked devastated.

“Maybe,” I whispered to Fitz, “there can be two Elizabeths this week.”

Fitz pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head, knowing I wouldn’t let this go. But I showed some decorum and let Agatha introduce the rest of the cast members. That’s what Elizabeth would do, right? But Elizabeth also seemed to enjoyneedling Lady Catherine de Bourgh. I was sure I would do a good job of that.

Charles Bingley was going to be played by the man next to Macey, although he grumbled that he’d already been working on memorizing Mr. Darcy’s lines. Something had obviously gone wrong. Maybe I really was supposed to play Jane. It was odd the park had chosen me to be Elizabeth. Honestly, who would think I would make a good Elizabeth?

Agatha introduced the rest of the Bennet sisters next. Weirdly, they all kind of looked how I imagined Mary, Kitty, and Lydia would look. Mary had a studious air about her, with her mousy brown hair tied back in a neat ponytail. She looked like she was out to prove something to herself. Kitty absentmindedly twirled a lock of her blonde hair, strands slipping through her fingers. The sound of a gentle swat echoed as the woman playing Lydia playfully smacked Kitty’s shoulder. I assumed they knew each other—at least I hoped so. Especially since Lydia laughed about it like she was so hilarious.

Winnifred’s introduction was next. She haughtily waved to the group until her gaze fell on me. Her sneer said that she planned to rewrite the story and steal Mr. Darcy for her own. To be fair, I’d always assumed Fitz would be hers. Not that Fitz had ever confessed to being in love with her, but he always spoke well of her. And since his mum was all for it, I just expected it would eventually happen. But more and more I was realizing that if Fitz married Winnifred, she would make sure to push me out of his life. The thought sickened me.

Fitz was my person.Huh.I’d never thought of Tony that way—that probably should have said something to me. Maybe it should say something to me now. Would I ever find another person in my life whom I felt so wholly connected to? My friendship with Fitz meant the world to me. Which also meant I didn’t want to screw it up. If we opened the door to romance,would our friendship survive? Assuming Fitz even shared the same desires. The way his thumb brushed across my skin certainly felt more than friendly.

I stared right back at Winnifred, letting her know she didn’t intimidate me and that I wouldn’t allow her to steal Fitz from my life.

Her tsk said,Watch me.I almost mouthed,Game on,but to my ever-loving surprise, it was announced that Tony would play Mr. Wickham.

“Normally,” Agatha pontificated, “a staff member plays George Wickham, but this week we’ve had a change of plans. Tony Baker will fulfill that role for us.” Paid staff members played some of the smaller or less attractive roles like Wickham and Mr. Collins.

Tony winked and waved. The women playing Kitty and Lydia blushed and giggled while whispering between themselves. They could have him.

Tony craned his neck, flashing a toothy grin. “Baby, I can’t wait to do our scenes together.” It seemed like he was just taunting me, not actually excited about it.

Before I could respond, he turned back around. “Who would pay to play Mr. Wickham?” I wondered out loud.

“Someone with the character of a charlatan,” Fitz replied.

“Charlatan?” I nudged Fitz with my hip, eliciting a small smile from him.

“Next we have Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, played by—”

“He looks like Idris Elba.” Macey fangirled next to me.

We were so meant to be friends. “I totally think so. Should I feel guilty for being wildly attracted to the man playing our father?” I said out of the side of my mouth.

Macey snorted out a laugh. “Probably. But then I should feel guilty too.”

Yep, we were going to be besties this week.

If I thought Mr. Bennet was attractive, he had nothing on Mr. Collins. I nudged Macey with my arm after his introduction. “Um, I’d boil potatoes for him any day,” I said for only Macey to hear. His dark, curly hair gave him a whole Adonis vibe. Not that either man held a candle to Fitz’s good looks, but that was an unfair comparison, seeing as Fitz had just been named one of the hottest, most eligible men in the UK. Truly, he should have been number one. Maybe even number one in the world.

Agatha finished out with Charlotte Lucas and a few more minor roles, like the Gardiners and Sir William Lucas, who were all played by staff members. “There you have it. Now begins yourPride and Prejudicejourney. Remember, you are here to emulate the qualities that our beloved Jane Austen valued, such as love and friendship, honor and integrity. With that said, this is not the time for you to be seeking romantic pursuits outside of your characters. This is not that type of experience. Do not besmirch Ms. Austen’s good name by going off script or breaking the rules. There will be severe consequences if you do, which could include you being asked to leave.” Her eyes landed on me for the second time.

I wanted to be like,“Listen, lady, if any character was going to go off script andshouldgo off script, it probably would have been Elizabeth.”She was the one who hadn’t been afraid to walk in the mud and get dirty. I felt like that was a great analogy for her entire life. We loved her character because she was true to her heart and not the societal confines of her day that valued her worth solely on her role as someone’s wife. She held out for love, even if it meant she might have nothing in the end. Elizabeth went off script for her day and age. But I said none of those things. Instead, I kept them in my heart and hoped I could be such a woman.

When Agatha finished staring me down, she said, “Now let us proceed upstairs for your wardrobe fittings and character briefings.”

“Come on.” I tugged on Fitz’s hand, wanting to not only get away from Tony and Winnifred, but to see if I could help Macey. I don’t know how the mix-up occurred, but it seemed so unfair. “Let’s catch Agatha, I mean Lady Catherine. I want to talk to her about maybe changing the rules a bit.”

“Monroe, I don’t think she’s someone you want to trifle with.”

“Really? I’m pretty sure Elizabeth would love to trifle with Lady Catherine.” I gave him a knowing grin.

“You are maddening,” Fitz sighed.

“I bet that’s how Darcy felt about Elizabeth.”

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