Sense and Sensibility doesn't belong me

A Day A The Library

Marianne Dashwood stormed out of the cottage. She was tired of cleaning and making the cottage usable. Why? Why? Why did their father have to die? Worst of all, why couldn't he, at the very least, have left them their home. Why did he have to have another child, a son, who had to inherit everything? Why couldn't their brother John have been a better man, and most of all why did he have to have such a conniving wife? Surely they already had a home in London, they didn't to take the Dashwoods from the only home they'd ever known.

Marianne was angry at the world, at John and Fanny, but mostly she was angry at Elinor. She didn't understand how Elinor could be so calm and understanding about everything. Even as they'd said goodbye to Edward Ferrars, Fanny's brother, who had come to visit his sister and from all accounts had been besotted with Elinor and she with him, Elinor hadn't even shed a tear or even looked devastated, she had just accepted that they had to part.

She knew that she was being selfish, they had all lost their father, husband, their home and even their way of life, but honestly it seemed to Marianne that her mother and her sisters were taking it all very well. There was something really wrong with them. Why couldn't they take some time to moan about the whole situation instead of being so sensible?

The cottage was small, okay, it had two reasonably sized bedrooms, and another so small it shouldn't really qualify as such, so they she would have a share a room, which she disliked. In addition to that, there was no Wi-Fi, John Middleton their mother's cousin who owned the property had never seen the need to put it in, but he'd laughingly told them that he would get right on it, and if they were lucky it would be done by the end of the next week. How were they supposed to function until then? Marianne had wanted to scream at him, but the rest of her family seemed to think that it was also okay.

Marianne wanted to shout that it was not okay, that nothing in the world was okay and that it never would be again but as usual she couldn't because she didn't want to come off as a drama queen. Because she wasn't a drama queen, in spite of what Margaret said.

So, she'd left everyone else trying to get their home in order and gone off to find the nearest library, because it had books and internet, and she absolutely refused to go on without reading the latest book in the Righteous Tenor series. When the latest by C.B. Pherson, had come out Marianne had wept because she had had to leave before she could get in Norland.

She opened the doors of the library, smiled at the two women at the counter, registered and then made straight for the new arrivals section. Her smile widened when she saw that they had the book and she reached out to get it before anyone else could, although she hadn't actually seen anyone else in the library and brushed against a hand that was reaching for the same book.

Marianne drew back her hand at the same time as the other person did and then she turned to face him. He was tall, brown haired, and quite handsome if you liked the rugged look which she didn't and was older than she was.

"This is quite the quandary," he observed.

"I don't think so," Marianne smiled at him in spite of herself.

"Good," his smile widened, "I thought that I would have to work much harder to convince you that I had gotten to the book before you did."

"What?" Marianne laughed out loud, and then stopped herself quickly, she was in a library after all. "I believe I got to the book before you did."

"No, you didn't," the man insisted.

"I did," Marianne told him.

"Well, this is easily sorted," the man said, "I'll just ask Charlotte there, to show us the CCTV footage and then we'll know who deserves to get the book first."

"There's really no need for that," Marianne said, "you can take the book, I'll just find something else and get it when you bring it back."

"But I may more than a week with it," he told her.

"Oh," Marianne couldn't help showing her dismay, "I thought you could only take it for a week."

"Those are the rules," he agreed, "but sometimes things happen and who knows maybe I'm willing to pay the fine for late returns."

"I'll still wait for it to return," Marianne told him.

"You know what," the man said, "you take it, you obviously need it more than me."

Marianne knew that she should protest further but she just grabbed the book from him and hugged to it her chest. She honestly couldn't believe that a man like him read such books and although she knew that it could hinder her chances of going home with the book, she told him so.

"You think such books are written only for females, don't you?"

"Not exactly," she hedged.

"Ah, I get it," he laughed, "I do believe you that I'm old to read such books."

"I didn't say that."

"But that's what you believe," he teased her.

"You're not that old," she said.

"Not that old," he retorted, laughing softly, "but still old to be sure."

"I'm sorry," Marianne apologised, "I just met you and you've been very kind. I didn't mean to insult you."

"You didn't," he smiled, "I am older than you at least. Or I think I am, you know you really can't tell with women."

Marianne shook her head at him, he had really made her day so much better, and she hadn't laughed like that in a long time.

"Thank you again for the book," she told him, "I guess I should be getting back, I've neglected my …home and stuff long enough as it is." She made her way to the counter. "I'll have it back as soon as possible," she promised him.

As Christopher Brandon walked back home from the library he couldn't help smiling. It had been refreshing to meet that young woman at the library. He had seen her enter the room, a beautiful young woman with long brown hair and the most expressive brown eyes he'd ever seen, and he'd watched the expression on her face, she was totally excited to be in that room, and then she'd made her way to the new arrivals, he'd followed almost unconsciously, and when she'd reached for his book and without thinking about it he'd reached out as well.

Obviously he could have just let her take the book, he did have the original manuscript as well as two bound copies for his collection, but he couldn't resist getting the chance to spend more time talking to her.

Idly he wondered who she was, they'd not actually introduced themselves but he was sure she was new to the area, he had never seen her before. Well, they both loved books, and she loved his books, so chances were they would meet again in the library. He really couldn't wait to see her again.

His phoned pinged and he took it out and checked the message.

Don't forget. Dinner at ours tonight. You're going to finally meet the tenants. See you at 7.00 p.m. Jenny Middleton.

He wondered if he should just tell her that he couldn't show but he had promised and he was sure the business with his publisher wouldn't take too long although Jeffrey do like to go on a bit.

I'll try my best, he wrote back. I told you that i have a meeting.

You did, Jenny wrote back, but we'll wait for you.