Page 26 of Second Chances (Passion and Perseverance #2)
“I agree,” Jane said with a relieved smile, “I think it’s just too busy a style for me.”
“Really, Jane? I think it looks fabulous! I knew from the moment that I saw it how good it would look on you; you can’t tell me that you don’t agree,” Mrs. Bennet exclaimed, before realizing that it wasn’t actually her choice to make, “but, of course, if it’s not your style then let’s see the next one. ”
Beth had breathed a sigh of relief, catching Jane’s eye as soon as their mother had started talking.
Clearly, Mrs. Bennet had her own ideas about what Jane looked best in and should wear, and Beth wasn’t surprised in the least that Jane had acquiesced to trying on one of her mother’s picks even though the dress was much too flashy for Jane’s personality.
The consultant moved to help Jane down from the podium, the dress slightly too big and too long for Jane’s frame.
Taking advantage of her position, under the premise of making sure that Jane didn’t step on any of the intricate beading of the train, Beth picked up the trailing end of the fabric and helped her sister back to the dressing room.
The move served a dual purpose to remove her from the great potential of continuing an awkwardly probing conversation with either Caroline or her mother; at this point, Beth wasn’t sure who would be worse.
Making their way back to Jane’s dressing room, the consultant let Beth go in and assist Jane out of and into the next dress, giving the sisters a moment of privacy.
“Thanks for that. I didn’t know how to tell mom that it’s definitely not my style,” Jane said sheepishly as Beth unzipped the back of the offending gown.
“Of course! It’s your wedding, Jane, don’t let her push you into doing or wearing something that you don’t like,” Beth encouraged her sister. “I’m sorry I got here so late, I…ugh, well, if I had been here I wouldn’t have even let her pull it off the rack.”
“Is everything ok?”
“Of course, I’m fine,” Beth responded automatically, keeping her eyes focused on unzipping the next dress option and positioning it in a way that Jane could climb into it, purposefully not looking at her sister .
“Beth, it’s me. If you don’t want to talk about it, I understand, but I know that you’re not fine,” Jane responded softly.
Of course, Jane knew.
“You’re right, I’m sorry,” Beth apologized. “I just didn’t want to be a downer on such an exciting day. Plus, once I start talking about it, I’m not sure how well I’ll be able to control my emotions, and I don’t want mom to see me like that.”
“I understand,” Jane acknowledged, catching Beth’s eye as she zipped her sister into the dress, “do you want to come over after and talk?”
“That would be good,” Beth said softly, “I think I might stay at the apartment tonight.”
It had to be said, but her last statement almost broke down the dam holding her tears at bay.
“Ok, of course,” Jane responded, knowing not to probe her sister any further.
Jane turned around and hugged her, understanding the gravity of what Beth had told her - that she was staying at the apartment tonight; it was all she needed to say to convey that something serious had happened between her and Darcy.
Beth hugged her sister back, closing her eyes as a few tears slipped through.
“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 that she wanted.
“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.”
“No? You seem pretty preoccupied. Is it your date from the other night?”
Damn, Caroline is relentless. And it’s not like she could blow her off or walk away, this was going to be Jane’s sister-in-law; she couldn’t create that sort of awkwardness for Jane.
Just relax, Beth.
It wasn’t Caroline’s fault; she was just trying to be nice. Immediately, Beth felt guilty for being so closed off and guarded. Not only was Caro going to be family soon, but she was her client and had been nothing but nice and generous from the very beginning.
“Yeah. Just a new relationship, trying to navigate the ins and outs,” Beth replied, still trying to keep the discussion at a general level, if for no other reason than delving into the details would probably bring her to tears in the middle of the Kleinfeld showroom.
Not quite what she wanted on the next episode of Say Yes to the Dress.