Emerald

By Sarah Bevan Fischer

The Bennet sisters are wildly different, products of a marriage in terminal decay. Emerald is loosely based on the famous and much loved classic precursor Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Emerald echoes the 200-year-old novel but is widely different and is how I imagine the story may pan out in the 21st century.

The story follows the lives of the five daughters of the Bennet family. Jade is completing her nursing training and has elected to move home to Oxford for her final year. Emy (short for Emerald, yes Mrs Bennet did go through a phase) finishes University and returns home for the holidays with her best friend Scarlett Lucas. Meanwhile Jade and Emy’s younger two siblings, Lara and Kylie aspire to celebrity status through that TV talent show, shamelessly encouraged by their mother. The middle sister Meg Ann lectures her siblings from the moral high ground at every opportunity.

Scarlett invites Emy and Jade down to the Lucas family’s holiday home in Cornwall where the girls are invited to lunch with long time friends of Scarlett’s parents. Scarlett has had a crush on Ashley Brooks for years. During the holiday the girls are thrown in the way of Ashley’s seriously wealthy and rather pompous cousin, Matthew Brooks Devonshire and his best friend Sam Bradford.

Jade and Sam are immediately attracted to each other. Emy, conversely, forms the opinion that Matthew is an egotistical snob and eschews his company in favour of an actor, Zachary Winchester whom she meets at a beach barbecue. Oddly Matthew and Zachary appear to have met before....

Tensions run high between the rivals inadvertently stoked by Emy's innocent flirtation and Amelia Bradford's jealous slander. When Emy and Matt meet once more in different circumstances Emy comes to realise that her prejudice against him may have been ill founded.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sarah Bevan Fischer
• Release date: Nov 1, 2013
• ISBN: 9781310821530

Sarah Bevan Fischer

I wrote my first story aged eight and have never really stopped since. A busy career, mostly in the fashion industry, filled my days. I have written articles, regular features and a blog for many years but every attempt to write a novel never made it beyond the first couple of chapters.Finally an opportunity to follow my dream came when I lost my job and simultaneously got a buyer for our house in the UK. We planned to downsize and remove to Spain. Almost as light relief from the organisation and packing I started to write the first chapters. Unlike on previous occasions the words flew off the keyboard and the first book of The Friendship Diaries, Palmerstone, was born. I continued writing furiously once settled in Spain.I loved writing the Friendship Diaries and I had high hopes that readers would love the characters as much as I had loved writing them. Caitlin, Rebecca, Suzanne and Penny have been my imaginary friends for a long time. I always had the intention of continuing the stories with the younger characters to the fore. The warm and supportive feedback that I have received from many of you has inspired me to crack on with the next series of stories - Beyond Friendship.My sincere thanks go to all of you who have followed my stories. Particularly thanks to those of you who have taken the time and effort to give your very valuable feedback. Writing can be a lonely business, a word of praise or a constructive criticism are always welcome.I completed the planned four books of Beyond Friendship and published in October last year. Then I took to reading for a change of emphasis. Amongst the books that I picked up was Jane Austen's fabulous P&P, an all time beloved of mine along with many other JA fans. So I curled up and re-read my all time favourite novel savouring the acute observation and sly wit and, of course, the classic romance between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. Once I had completed reading the novel I was at a loose end. I got to wondering what the Bennet family would be like if they were around today...The result of my musing formed my next project. A Universal Truth, written in two parts (Emerald and The Master of Pemblane), transposes the Bennett's into the 21st Century. I changed the names of the characters to suit the modern setting and had a little fun with the plot. The story is anchored in the past by a parallel love story that haunts the modern characters.A Universal Truth is not an attempt to emulate JA's wonderful work, rather to recognise its ongoing extraordinary popularity 200 years after it was penned. I hope not to seriously offend any stalwart Austenites, if I have I apologise wholeheartedly. (And I had absolutely no idea how many JA tributes and sequels have been written until I embarked on the second half of this project. Naive or what?!).What next? It is difficult to decide because I have several half formed ideas. My decision has been made for me by requests from my lovely readers for another in the Friendship and Beyond stable - therefore the adventures of Hattie, Charlie, Chantal, and Poppy; plus the old guard from the first series will hit the shelves by the end of May 2014 with a bit of luck and a following wind!Thanks to my readers once more for all of your feedback, appreciative or otherwise! I love to hear from you.

Book preview

Foreword:

In October last year I was suffering from withdrawal symptoms having completed the Palmerstone series (so far). Understandably I was missing daily contact with my imaginary friends. Whilst musing on my next project I dipped into a few novels new and old. Amongst them one of my all time favourites, the marvelous Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Anyway I got to wondering what the Bennet family would be like if they were alive in the 21st Century... Emerald (A Universal Truth) is the result.

My story is not intended to be a rewrite of P&P, Austen's legendary novel is merely a starting point. I have taken a lot of liberties with the characters, and the story line bares little resemblance to the original because life isn't like that anymore! However there are parts of the story that echo the past and also parallel the original.

Introduction

The room was bathed in the soft glow of candlelight. Emerald felt as light as air as she span across the room held in the embrace of the man that she loved. His hand held her firmly as he guided her from the ballroom onto the shadowy terrace. He pulled Emerald tight into his arms and gazed down into her face his eyes suffused with love. He tipped her chin and leaned down to take her lips with his. She could feel his body hard against hers through the thin material of her gown. Her heart beat faster and her soul melted as their bodies fused together as one and his kiss devoured her...

OMG! Emy woke from her dream struggling with the bedclothes. I'm in love with the wrong man. Emy's heart rate calmed slowly as she re-orientated; wrong century, wrong continent, and wrong man. She shook her head and settled down to sleep again. It was only a dream she reassured herself.

But the dream always seemed so real.

Chapter 1

Lewis Bennet tensed in anticipation. A wince followed by a pained expression crossed his features as a door slammed loudly across the hallway.

'It's not fair' screeched his fourth daughter, 'Lara always gets EVERYTHING that she wants.' Footsteps thundered through the hall past his study door and receded into the distance of the first floor. Lewis waited, his face set, for the inevitable slam of a bedroom door followed by a blast of 'music' more suited to splitting eardrums than soothing the soul (a function that he had used to associate incontrovertibly with music).

Lewis glanced at his watch and seeing that the hour was gone six contemplated departing his breached sanctum in favour of a pint at the Bird and Baby. His mind was made up by the sound of more door crashing and strident voices as his youngest embarked on a slanging match with his middle daughter. The pub it was. Lewis stowed a leather bound volume of Voltaire in the pocket of his threadbare tweed jacket and slid into the garment as though donning a second skin. Despite the middle June date the weather was typically inclement for the time of year in England.

Tension fell from Lewis's shoulders as he walked briskly down the Woodstock Road towards his destination. Since the students had gone down for the summer his excuses for being out of the house all of the day and much of the evening had worn thin. She who must be obeyed, otherwise known as his wife, Amanda, had ideas on how his time should be spent. Other than in his normal consolation, total immersion in literature that is. Lewis bent his mind to more pleasant family matters as he strode purposefully into Blackfriars and crossed the road to the sanctuary of the, more correctly named, Eagle and Child pub.

Lewis ordered his pint and chatted politely with the bartender for a moment. He made his way from the bar to the small lounge where he preferred to sit. He sipped his pint and allowed his mind to look forward to the return of his second daughter. Emy would be returning home from University sometime tomorrow. At least he would be able to enjoy the company of one rational creature in his otherwise dysfunctional home.

Chapter 2

Emy took one last look around her student accommodation for signs of orphan belongings and dispassionately closed her suitcase. The array of carrier bags, a rucksack and the aforementioned suitcase contained the extent of her possessions. She breathed a sigh of relief both for finishing the job of packing and that she would not be returning to this dark, sad room ever again. Next year Emy planned to be housed in much more glamorous surroundings, her ambitions were all for a job in publishing.

Emy smiled at the happy thought and tapped a message on her mobile to let Scarlett know that she was ready.

'Gr8 we r outside' binged back into her inbox. Emy began to ferry her stuff downstairs to be greeted by Scarlett with her father, both offering their assistance. Mr. Lucas insisted on carrying her suitcase and the girls shared the carrier bags between them.

'What have you got in this case Emy? Bricks?' Joe Lucas hazarded jokingly. Emy, full name Emerald, (her father had not been able to dissuade her mother) had known Scarlett and the rest of the Lucas family all of her twenty-one year old life. Emy and Scarlett had been born a day apart. The girls' mothers, although not great friends, had attended pre-natal and anti-natal classes together. The families lived close by on adjacent tree lined avenues in the northern part of the city of Oxford, famed for its University. The babies had attended the same nursery, and then moved through primary school and high school in the same classes. They had been and remained bosom pals.

Even though the two girls had spent the previous day together the car journey home to Oxford was scene of a lively discourse between the two, interspersed with comments and enquiries back and forth about their respective families. Claire Lucas, Scarlett's mother, up-dated Scarlett and Emerald, first with an account of the Lucas family happenings.

'William will be home on Friday. I expect we'll hear all his news at the weekend.' William had followed in his father's footsteps by choosing a career in medicine. 'Henry has a holiday job at Top Man, and as Lily works at Top Shop, he seems to spend most of his day chatting to her and sees customers as a shocking inconvenience' Claire glanced over her shoulder to share a wry smile with her audience.

'Is Henry still in love with Lily then?' Emy sounded amazed,

'Lord no! There must have been a dozen since that phase, BUT they are as inseparable as ever...'

'They're like us' Scarlett declared with a grin at Emy, 'been friends since nursery...'

'What about Sandy?' Emy chipped in. She was fond of Alexander, the youngest of Scarlett's brothers.

'He did really well in his final year in junior school. He won a prize for Art and Creative Writing' Claire spoke proudly of her son's achievement. Alexander struggled at school as a consequence of mild dyslexia he was certainly entirely unlike his academic siblings. 'He can't wait to see you both. We had a tough time persuading him to go to school this morning he had determined on coming with us to collect you' she smiled a little wistfully, despite his engaging personality and happy disposition, she worried about her youngest child.

'Joe bumped into your father, didn't you darling' Claire requested veracity from her taciturn husband, who surprised her by taking up the refrain,

'Yes' he corroborated, 'he was on his way home from the Bird' Joe chuckled as he recollected their conversation, 'he was keeping out of your mother's way. Been looking forward to seeing you of course and happy that Jade will be home again, at least for a wee while...'

'I know' Emy colluded, 'poor Dad; he told me that Lara and Kylie are driving him up the wall with their antics. Lara is desperate to be a celebrity...' Emy rolled her eyes as she explained her fifteen year old sister's motivations for fame and fortune, 'she thinks if she goes to London she will immediately be 'Spotted'. Quite what for I'm not sure' Emy added wryly. Her youngest sister was a constant source of mild annoyance, in Emy's opinion recklessly encouraged by her doting mother, but she wasn't about to share that openly however close her friendship with the Lucas family.

'It will be nice for your father to have you and Jade home for a while' Claire smiled and refrained from adding anything censorial about the rest of Emy's family. Joe and Claire Lucas had often wondered what ever the brilliant Lewis Bennet had seen in his silly wife, Amanda.

'Yes it will be nice' Emy echoed, 'I can't wait to see Jade and hear all her news from London. I'm going to get a job there myself, I'm a little surprised that she wants to come home to finish her training at the Radcliffe.' Emy was only surprised to the extent of her own ambitions being quite different, she knew that her older sister preferred the relative backwater that was Oxford compared to the big city life.

'I like Oxford' Scarlett defended stoutly; she was not keen on losing her best friend to a career in London. Her preference was as Jade's for a smaller city. 'Oxford has everything anyone could possibly want, and all within walking distance.' Claire and Joe exchanged a small smile of relief. For now at least they were not about to lose their only daughter. Having her away for three years at University had been enough of a wrench.

'When are we going down to Rock?' Scarlett asked. She had spent every summer that she could remember at the family holiday cottage down in Cornwall. The place was as dear to her as their home in Oxford.

'Not until the beginning of August, your father has to attend a medical conference in Amsterdam' Claire informed her daughter, 'he's a special guest speaker' she added with a proud smile 'I'm going with him for the weekend, I've never been to Holland.'

'That sounds like fun' Scarlett answered, 'congratulations Dad.' Her father was a renowned heart surgeon consequently the news hardly fazed her. For Scarlett it was far more important to know if her parents had heard from their friends the Brooks family. The two neighbouring families often socialised when in Cornwall. Scarlett was very keen on their son Ashley. 'Did you hear from the Brooks? I wondered if we would see them all this year?' Scarlett questioned nonchalantly.

'I haven't heard. I must give Helen a call. I expect we will overlap time with them anyway, they're usually down for a month or so, although I'm not sure if Ashley will be with them he's working away from home now I think...' Claire had long guessed at her daughter's crush on the older boy. He was a pleasant lad to be sure but Scarlett was too young yet to form an attachment. Though the Brooks were a very respectable family. Claire smiled wryly to herself Good Lord I sound just like my mother...

Emy's eyes met Scarlett's in a look of commiseration and she mouthed 'Facebook', they were bound to be able to find out something about Ashley's current situation. Emy hoped that he was 'single' as she knew that her friend would be gutted if she discovered that he had a girlfriend. The same thoughts ran through Scarlett's mind as she mouthed 'thanks babe' in return. Why didn't I think of Facebook? Scarlett upbraided herself, but Emy had always been more techie than she. Scarlett's choice to read History of Art spoke for itself in many ways.

Conversation turned to home as they approached Oxford. Both girls looked out for familiar landmarks and commented on changes since their last visit. Not many as they approached the suburb of Summertown made up of Victorian redbrick houses, the larger ones set well back from the tree lined avenues on which they stood. Joe Lucas stretched gratefully in his seat and eased the tension from his shoulders as he pulled up outside Emy's house.

'Here we are. Home safe and sound' he smiled at Emy fondly, 'I expect we'll be seeing you tomorrow if not before.'

'Yep I expect so' Emy agreed with a grin. She hopped out of the vehicle and ran around to help extract her bags from the car boot.

'Got everything?' Joe enquired as he regained the driver seat for the short drive to Lucas Lodge. He waved a hand to Emy, and to Lewis as he emerged through the front door to greet his daughter. Scarlett hung out of the window waving her farewell as the care disappeared around the corner.

'Hi Dad'

'Hello darling' Lewis Bennet held his arms wide to greet his daughter. His eyes looked suspiciously moist as he hugged and kissed his second child.

Chapter 3

'You look well Dad,' it was true, he did. Her father's usual pallor had benefited from a couple of hours hard labour in the garden, a favoured pastime when he needed a bit of peace and quiet.

'Let me look at you sweetheart' Lewis held his daughter at arms length and surveyed her thoughtfully. He missed Emy's ready wit and the times they enjoyed together laughing at the follies of others. Her hair suited her cut short Lewis thought. The spiky cut framed his daughter's small pale features and enhanced her delicacy of bone structure. Emy's most striking feature, a pair of sparkling green eyes held her father's gaze. Dimples peeped each side of her mouth as she smiled back at Lewis, tilted her head to one side and raised an eyebrow quizzically,

'Well?'

'I like your hair style' he commented with an affectionate smile.

'Thank you kind sir' Emy responded with a mocking curtsy.

'When did you get it done?' Lewis asked as he lifted her suitcase and made a dent in the array of carrier bags arrayed on the gravel forecourt.

'A month or so ago now, when we had a week of hot weather, back in early June I think. I was soo hot on the back of my neck...' Father and daughter chatted inconsequentially as they entered a surprisingly quiet hall.

'Where's Mum?' Emy asked, surprised not to be greeted rapturously, if fleetingly so.

'She's gone with Lara and Kylie to do a little shopping for an extremely important forthcoming engagement' Lewis pronounced wryly with a roll of his eyes.

'Ah, that would account for the decibel deficit' Emy agreed with a smile, 'shall I make a cup of tea? We could sit in your study and have a bit of a catch up.' Her father nodded and smiled agreement,

'That would be nice.'

Father and daughter number two spent an entertaining couple of hours discussing family matters, a source of mild amusement to them both. Apart from Jade who's company was missed by each of the interlocutors.

'So Jade's planning to be home for at least a year then?' Emy sought verification.

'She said so yes. I think it will save her money to be at home, and its not so bad...' Lewis glanced about him at the charming book-lined room that served as his study and his sanctuary. From his desk he had a view of the long back garden laid to lawn with its little wilderness at the end. The rays of the afternoon sun flooded the room with light that pooled around the sofa on which they were seated together. Emy leaned over and kissed her father fondly on the cheek,

'Of course it's not bad. In fact its lovely...' her remark was interrupted by the slam of the front door and female voices raised in excitement, 'just a little noisy sometimes.' Emy grinned at her father empathetically; Lewis raised his eyes skyward in response.

'Better go and say hello' Emy skipped over to the door with a wave behind her as she entered the fray. 'Hi Mum, hi Kylie, hi Lara' Emy was almost deafened by the collective screech of welcome.

'Dearest' her mother crushed Emy to her, not inconsiderable, bosom. Oh your hair! What have you done to all your lovely hair?' Amanda Bennet wailed in dismay. Amanda had been training to be a hairdresser when she had met Lewis. Hair was of great importance to Amanda.

'Sorry Mum' Emy pulled a conciliatory face, 'it was just too hot for exams. I just couldn't bear it. It'll grow' she added philosophically attempting to placate her mother. No such luck; Amanda's laments were long, heart felt and loud. Lewis Bennet sighed heavily, selected a book of medieval poetry and settled down to read. He felt empathy for Emy having to endure such a tirade, but not quite enough to join the fracas in her defense.

Emy was inured to dealing with her mother's hysterics and managed to turn the flow with dexterity.

'Ooh shopping bags, show me' she enthused, eliciting a volume of excitable information equally from her mother and two sisters. Carrier bags were ransacked and 'bargains' displayed for Emy's approval. Emy reviewed the various purchases with a certain degree of disquiet. Her sister Lara's selection in particular would not, in Emy's view, look amiss on a hooker. Kylie as usual copied her younger sister's every fad. The two girls had amassed a haul of items suited to the stage or to the aforementioned profession. Emy quelled a desire to remonstrate with her mother try to keep the peace at least for a couple of days.

Both her younger siblings were attired in school uniform, their mother must have collected them from school for the shopping spree. Despite this they both were sporting heavy make-up. Diplomatically Emy refrained from comment, admired the least unsuitable purchases and attempted to reassure her inner uneasiness. Her sisters were young, it was the fashion and they would grow out of it.

'So what's the big occasion then?'

'An AUDITION that's what' Lara proclaimed with a shimmy of elation, 'I'm going to be a TV star' Lara beamed as though the whole thing was a forgone conclusion.

'Mum?' Emy sought confirmation,

'It's for one of that Simon Cowell's talent shows. Lots of the young people go on to be famous, and rich. It launches a career in show biz' Amanda proclaimed, no less confidently than her younger daughter.

'And me. I'm going on it too' Kylie butted in.

'Er...' Emy paused trying to frame her question so as not to elicit outrage, 'what talent would you be demonstrating?' at the last count Lara's only real talent was for amazing conceit, she certainly could not sing, dance classes had failed to instill much discipline, ditto acting classes.

'I'm going to be an all rounder' Lara responded without hesitation, 'like Cara, Pixie and Alexa. Y'know singing, acting, TV presenter, model...'

'Oh right' Emy responded faintly with a pointed stare at their mother who showed absolutely no sign of disabusing her youngest. In fact Emy saw with a grimace of despair that her parent was actually encouraging her daughter's fantasies. 'I think that those girls have to work really hard as well as having a lot of luck to get where they are' Emy ventured, again attempting not to be provocative.

'I don't know WHAT you think YOU know about it' Lara retorted, 'it's me that has been trained in singing and dancing and acting' she tossed her hair dismissively.

It was into this heated discussion that their middle sister entered. Meg Ann could not be more different from her two younger siblings, or indeed her elders. Her hair was tied back into a severe plait, round glasses adorned her studious face and her convent school uniform was plain and neat. Meg Ann turned her nose up at the disgorged contents of several Primark bags and declared self-righteously that she would not debase herself to shop in such a place.

'Those clothes are made by children starved of food, freedom and dignity just so that you can wear trends' she sneered piously, 'and animals are routinely slaughtered for you to be able to wear their skins.'

'Oh do shut up Meg Ann' Lara and Kylie chorused, 'Go and eat your mung beans and say your prayers' Lara muttered to her departing sister's back.

'I will pray for your soul' Meg Ann responded loftily, 'words cannot hurt me.'

'Go away!' Lara rejoined crossly, adding piss off under her breath.

Chapter 4

Jade's arrival was much anticipated, particularly by her father and Emy. It was not, sadly, to be until the following weekend. Meanwhile Emy's three younger siblings had broken up for the summer holidays, Meg Ann for the last time. She intended to spend the summer working for a charity whilst she contemplated her options. Meg Ann could not quite decide between becoming a nun or to be ordained into the church.

The Bennet household was continuously in turmoil and Emy found herself to be frequently in sympathy with her father. The noise situation