Pride and Prejudice

“ Oh sister, look at that man, don’t you think he looks wonderful?” Anastasia asked her younger sister.

“No, my dear sister, I do not. He looks like all he has to offer a woman is money and a nice, large, and lonely home.” Hermione answered her older sister.

“But Hermione, isn’t that a good thing. We must start looking for husbands. Why do you always put down any and every male that even looks your way?”

“Ah, my dear sweet, older sister. Money does not interest me one bit. Why must males think that all they must do to earn a females attention is to have money and look nice. Sure I suppose to some those things may seem great, but what about intellectual conversation and a man who encourages a woman to think for herself instead of following him around like some love-sick sap” Hermione responded in her usual way.

“One of these days Hermione, one of these days” Anastasia replied .

With that both girls busted out laughing and started running across the field toward their home.

Hermione Granger and Anastasia Granger were very close siblings with only two years separating them. Anastasia was twenty years old and Hermione was eighteen years old. They lived with their father Henry, their mother Ellen, and their two younger sixteen year old twin sisters Elizabeth and Karen.

The date was June 14, 1857. The weather was hot and humid. When it finally rained it poured terribly. But that was life around here.

The Granger family lived in a very poor town called Hedinburg. They were actually one of the better off families in the town. They lived in on a small farm that consisted of a moderate house, a barn, a few wheat fields, and a moderate size garden. The house itself consisted of two levels. On the lower level was a sitting room, a small library (with very old tattered cheap books), a kitchen, a dining room, and a bathroom. On the upper level was three bedrooms (one for the parents, one for the two older siblings, and one for the younger siblings) , another bathroom, and a small hall closet.

As the girls walked into the house they were greeted with the chatter of their two younger sisters and their mother. Their father was reading an old book, already used to the chattering females.

“Oh darlings isn’t it wonderful!” Their mother gushed after catching sight of her two oldest.

“What is mother?” Hermione, ever the outspoken and independent daughter out of the four, asked.

“Why the ball tonight! Surely you must have hear.” After looking at the confused faces of the two she continued. “ The whole town has been invited to a masked ball tonight! And guess where it is located…Why the one and only Zabini manner. Imagine being there! That house is so huge it could fit four towns of this size with room to spare!”

“But isn’t that house empty. I thought the owners just bought it to show off. Don’t they live in the far off city?” Hermione asked.

“Yes, of course dear, but surely with you two being in town that you must have heard. The owner is coming back for the summer along with a few friends. Now why don’t you two run along and find something to ear tonight! Imagine you might even find husbands, the both of you!” Their mother wondered off muttering about balls, weddings, and babies.

“Of course mother it would be an honor to dress up and pine after some ignorant, superficial personality, rich guy. Yes mother an honor indeed.” Hermione muttered sarcastically, receiving a laugh and smack on the arm from her sister and a smile from her father. Her father was the only one to encourage Hermione to think for herself, to have original ideas, and to look for love. Hermione, even though some though she was prettier than Anastasia while most considered her very plain, was their father’s favorite daughter out of them all.

With that the two older siblings went upstairs to find something to wear that night, all the while whispering and giggling in hushed tones about whatever those two talked about when no one could hear.