Page 42 of Second Chances
“I’m always here for you, Beth,” Jane whispered to her.
“I know, thank you,” she replied shakily, “but, today is about you, and if you don’t get out there, mom is going to come back here and make a scene looking for you.”
Jane laughed as they carefully disentangled themselves so they didn’t squash the gown between them. Beth picked up the train, of simple white satin this time, and helped her sister out of the room and back into the show room.
This time was different. Jane usually turned heads in public places but as they walked through the other bridal parties, it seemed to Beth that everyone was watching her sister. It was then that Beth consciously took a good look at the dress she had helped her sister in to.
It was a simple, white satin ball gown with off the shoulder sleeves. There was no lace, no beading, no ornate design; the dress was simply elegant, just like Jane.
Like her, it seemed as though Jane hadn’t taken a good look at the gown in the dressing room. She looked stunned by her appearance in the mirror, just like the rest of the room had been when she had walked through it. There was a moment of almost magical silence as Jane and Beth realized how perfect this dress was for her.
“Jane, my darling, you look beautiful,” their mother’s voice broke their trance, bringing them back to the reality of the moment.
“Thanks, mom,” Jane said, a smile spreading across her face, “I love it. I don’t even know what to say. I think this is it - this is the one.”
“Oh, are you sure dear?” Mrs. Bennet responded, her real opinion breaking through the momentary, superficial approval. “I mean, it’s beautiful, but it’s just so plain. Don’t you want something with a little more sparkle to it?”
Beth rolled her eyes at her mother’s not-so-subtle attempt to guilt Jane into choosing a style thatshewanted.
“Mom, it’s Jane’s choice,” Beth couldn’t help herself from stating. “I think it’s perfect Jane; if you love it, then I say you go for it.”
“Well, of course it’s her choice,” their mom retorted back, “I just think that Jane would look so much prettier in something with some beading or lace; I’m sure Charles would think so too, don’t you agree Caroline?”
The nerve of her mother.Beth clenched her jaw at her mom’s outrageous question and the terribly awkward position she had just put Caroline in. Thankfully, if Caro had had no problem standing up to her own parents in the past, their mom should be a piece of cake.
“I do love a dress with embroidery and lace accents,” Caro began, her words appeasing Mrs. Bennet, “however, I do see what Beth and Jane are saying, though. Jane is just so beautiful, and I actually think that the embellishments would detract from her natural beauty, rather than add to it. I’m sure you would agree with me, Mrs. Bennet; your Jane is just so beautiful, I’m not sure there is anything that would be able to enhance the genes that you gave her.”
Disagreement craftily clothed in compliments.Nicely done.Even though the flattery had been done in part to subvert their mother’s insistence on something that wasn't Jane’s style, it still brought a blush to the future bride’s face and a muted thank you to her future sister-in-law.
“Oh, yes…” Mrs. Bennet agreed, looking at Jane as if she were seeing her in a whole new light. “That is an excellent point, Caroline. Excellent, indeed. Now if we were talking about Beth or even Lydia, I would insist but you are too right; my Jane is far too beautiful and I would hate for her dress to draw attention away from that.”
“Thanks mom,” Beth grumbled, the implication not lost on her. Thankfully, she was more concerned that her mother was no longer pressuring Jane, than she was about her veiled insults. Not to mention, after Caro’s slip about her date, she didn’t want to instigate any conversation that even remotely reminded her mother about her unfinished interrogation from earlier.
Jane gave her a sympathetic look, before turning back to look at herself in the mirror again.
“I mean, I really like it, mom,” Jane began, self-consciously. “Are you sure you like it? Are you sure it looks good? That it’s not too much?”
Always second guessing herself -that was Jane.
Beth listened as her mom and her sister began a lengthy discussion about the dress and having it fitted. Her eyes watched them, her mind, however, drifted away to her personal turmoil. Her eyes blurred as the image of Jane turned into one of herself, trying on dresses. Had she accepted Darcy’s proposal the first time around, this could have been her.
God, what was wrong with her.
He fucked up. Big time.Again.She shouldn’t even be thinking about marrying him at a time like this. Why had he even done it? That’s the part that she couldn’t even fathom. She was just meeting her mom and sister and his best friend’s sister, what could possibly have set him off about that?
“What are you thinking about there, Beth? You look like you’re a million miles away,” Caro said, jarring Beth from her distracted gaze.
Shit.She must have been muttering to herself.
“Just work stuff,” she muttered half-heartedly.
“Beth, I’m going to go with Jane to be measured and get this all sorted out,” her mother interjected, implying that she was to wait there with Caro for them to be done.
“Ok,” Beth said as she watched Jane and her mom - her social buffer - walk back to the dressing room.
“So what’s on your mind? You look troubled,” Caro persisted. “You know, we’re going to basically be sisters in a few months’ time, you can tell me.”
Beth laughed, “I appreciate that, just typical relationship stuff - nothing too crazy.”
