Rock
“What are men compared to rocks and mountains?” Anne read out loud and shut the book with a thud. Her aunt glanced up at her twenty-year-old niece, dropping her embroidery for a second, raising an eyebrow,
“Hm?”
“That’s the sanest thing I’ve read in this work so far.”
Anne held up the book with the title ‘Pride and Prejudice’ and her aunt shook her head kindly at her niece, continuing with her embroidery,
“Is that so? What’s it about? Who wrote it?”
“It doesn’t say who by – it’s by ‘a lady’ which normally means its written by a man but in this instance, it’s definitely written by a woman. The sarcasm that underlines everything and especially that of the things concerning females– is too much on point to be written by any man.”
“How can you be so sure?” Aunt Anne asked intrigued and Anne smiled,
“Well, for starters, the ladies are intelligent – outwits the men and the whole text is too pro-women to be by a man. The odd John and Dave does not view women as such as they think to poorly of us - they all like to think that women are idiots.”
“What’s the storyline then?”
“It’s about Elizabeth Bennet – an intelligent young female of twenty who says she will not marry for anything other than love. She has four sisters and though a gentleman’s daughter – they haven’t handled economics well and the estate is entailed to an odious cousin.
The cousin offers for her and she declines because he is ridiculous. Oh, and then there’s Mr. Darcy too, a rich gentleman of substantial means - £10.000 a year at least. He is arrogant and proud. He snubs her and she hates him. He starts to like her when he realises, she is intelligent et cetera and overcomes his prejudices and faults because he was rejected by her after a poor proposal. She’s in the lake district now with her uncle and aunt. Her mother is horrible, and her father is unbothered…” Anne explained with a shrug, the novel was well-written, and whereas Anne could relate to some of it – she couldn’t understand another aspect of it or rather not relate to it.
“Sounds like a novel I might enjoy!” Aunt Anne chuckled and Anne nodded,
“You might have it when I’m done with it. I’m determined to see how it ends, if only because it’s hilarious with all its sarcasm and its caricatures.”
“Sarcasm– why what have you done now, Anne?”
Uncle James appeared in the room and Anne smirked,
“You heard those that word and immediately thought I had done something?”
“Aren’t sarcasm usually associated with you?” Uncle James raised an eyebrow and Anne rolled her eyes,
“I refuse to answer that.”
“Anne’s reading a new book written by a lady, she was just telling me that it said: ‘What are men compared to rocks and mountains?’.” Aunt Anne told Uncle James as went to sit down beside his sister, eying Anne with eyes full of mirth,
“Really? Is that your new life motto then, Anne?”
“It will be when I finally get the chance to climb Monte blanc.”
“Must you do such things?” Aunt Anne groaned nervous, she hated when her niece put herself in unnecessary danger.
“I’m always alright.” Anne replied with a reassuring smile, but her aunt wasn’t convinced.
“Let her be! She’ll do fine.” Uncle James comforted her, but Aunt Anne didn’t look much calmed,
“You say that now but what if something did happen – and she- you ended up in a coffin!”
Anne frowned at her aunt, but smiled then,
“Then you will say at my funeral ‘What are rocks and mountains compared to men? – Dead, just as our dear Anne – stone dead’.”
Uncle James laughed with his niece, but Aunt Anne looked horrified to which Anne had to stride over and sit down on her other side and take her hand in hers,
“I am only joking, aunt. I wouldn’t deliberately do anything stupid. But we are not alive, are we? - If we’re not taking the odd risk every now and again.”
“Don’t you dare face the final curtain until I have done so.” Aunt Anne scolded her, and Anne kissed her cheek,
“I’ll make sure not to!”
“Let us encourage her to settle down and we shan’t have to worry about it no more.” Uncle James told her aunt and Anne smiled, she would love it to be settled at Shibden someday.
“Did you hear your uncle, Anne? Find yourself a companion and settle down for the sake of peace and my nerves.” Aunt Anne told her, and Anne laughed,
“I’ll do my best.”
“Someone who deserves you.” Uncle James said standing up,
“Someone who makes a mountain a poor adventure in comparison.”
Anne nodded seriously, but then she added with a smirk,
“What are men compared to rocks and mountains?”
“Lord give us strength.” Aunt Anne murmured to that, thinking to herself that it might be another while until her niece did settle down – if ever.