9 ways to live Pride and Prejudiciously - Epilogue 1

hello, hello.
It rains and the weather is awful here in Rio today, winter is here! Not even close to Winterfell, Rio is a lot closer to King's Landing - maybe the whole country, these days. Wonder when Drogon will want to show up here...

Anyway, this gloomy weather kind of mirrows Lottie's Epilogue the first of the two we'll have in this story.  

Have I mentioned the previous chapter wasn't really the finale?
Well, it kinda is of wasn't...  
*grin*

Nine ways to live Pride and Prejudiciously

COMPLETE, modern (mostly), adult (you know me...), fun, fluff, heart healing stuff.
read Epilogue 1
or START from CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 13
So long, farewell 

A good night's sleep was heaven-sent, worth a king's ransom, Lottie always thought when she woke up rested and satisfied after a long and peaceful Belladama ride. 

It had been two nights and almost three days' sleep, but since she didn't have to worry about Bertha's shenanigans, Lottie felt perfectly rested. 

Maybe the wine she had before the ride didn't quite agree with her, she had an after-taste in her mouth. A finish as the experts say. A faded tang, not unpleasant, just… just melancholy of sorts.

A warm shower, a full breakfast, a heartburn tablet, clean perfumed clothes and she was ready to face humanity as a margarine commercial character wanders through springtime streets.

yoga pants with pockets!

Almost an hour later she perused the malls’ beautiful windows after running her errands considering the need for a new pair of yoga pants when she saw Bertha's mom inside a jewelry shop with a friend, a woman about her age. Not half a second later Janet stormed off the shop with a wailing toddler by the hand.

‘Oh, Lottie, thank God you are here! Bertha trusts you.’

‘Hi, Jan, what a coincidence…’ She answered in a grimace fearing the indignant child would be passed to her care.

‘Please, help my mom. I need to buy an ice-cream cone right this moment!’ Janet said in despair and was pulled away by the 40" tyrant. 

‘What do I know of jewelry?’ Lottie pursed her lips thinking about escaping before being called inside, but curiosity won. The importance of Bertha's trust was very intriguing in this scenario, indeed! ‘Hi.’ She smiled shyly.

‘Oh, dear Lord, Lottie!’ Bertha's mom raised her hands upwards. ‘Heaven sent you, girl!’ She leaned closer to the other woman. ‘She's Bertha's best friend since kindergarten, she'll know.’

‘Oh, how lovely!’ The woman sighed obviously relieved. ‘She'll know.’ A smile for the sales lady on the other side of the small table.  Between them, a velvet tray full of rings.

‘Bertha needs an engagement ring, Lottie. Which one of these?’

Astonished, Lottie frowned. ‘Wouldn't she need a fiancé first?’

‘My son!’ The other woman smiled. 

‘Are you Darrygh's mother?’

‘You know Junior! Of course, Bertha's friend!’ A face splitting smile. ‘Aren't they perfect for each other? We hooked them up, right?’ The women high fived chuckling. ‘I'm so happy for them!’

‘Is he proposing? Why won't he choose a ring himself?’ Lottie still puzzled. ‘ In Europe. Have they returned already? She didn't call me…’

‘Next week.’ Bertha's mom shoved her cellphone on Lottie's face. ‘Tell me if these aren't wedding bands!’

‘What?’

‘These two traitors married in England! Alone! After more than a year abroad, out of nowhere, last week she phoned me, Junior phoned her, both at the same time, to say that they were coming back. Like this!’ She snapped her fingers. ‘And will have an important thing to tell us in a family lunch, both families together. When they arrive here, they'll find a wedding ceremony waiting for them. Flowers, minister, guests - you'll get your invitation. We’re inviting all their friends, her coffee house colleagues, his associates at the clinic, sister who lives in Florida is already on her way. Everyone will be here.’

focus on the ring, the ring!

The women were in the brink of despair, Lottie felt something nag on her faded memory. The tang in her mouth returned. ‘Maybe you thought about wedding bands because Bertha has…’ She forced her sight, zoomed in the image. ‘Eight rings together on her left hand. Isn’t that weird for an engagement?’ She mumbled looking at the smiling couple in front of a big manor house, maybe Chatsworth. They hugged, he was behind her, only her hands were visible because she was holding his over her belly- Lottie's legs failed her as her grandmother's voice from the last dream she had just woken up a few hours earlier returned to her head.

‘I won't return, Carlota, yeens won't see me here in dreams anymore. But I'll be there.’

‘Why, gran? I love belladama rides because we can be together again!…’

‘Yeens love because of the romances, fool! Don't pull my leg!’

They chuckled together. 

‘Yeens will see me, but not here.’

‘It's safe. Bertha doesn't have any more belladama.’

‘Purdy girl let belladama fix her life. She listened, realized that she wanted the little family life she thought hindered her mother and sister. Allowed a good man reach her. Yeens deaf, she listened. I like them couple. 

‘Bertha and Darrygh?’

‘Bee and Dar.’

‘B and D. That's what you'll want engraved on the ring?’ The sales lady asked.

‘Yes. Now which one, Lottie. Help us choose!’

BellaDama. B and D. Lottie blinked. ‘Belladama.’ 

Eight rings, eight rides Bertha had had…

Holding her belly, a very happy handsome couple.

lovely

‘This one.’ The sales lady smiled pushing a thick gold band with tiny diamonds and a big rose colored pearl. ‘The Lady Susan ring.’

The women frowned.

‘That's what she said, Bela Dama, Fair lady. All our rings are named after great characters, and in this collection, the fairest of them all is Lady Susan. A classic, surely will please everyone. Excessively pretty, an uncommon union of symmetry, brilliancy, and grace.’

‘She's reincarnating.’ Lottie whispered. And shed a tear.

rebloggy

~ one more epilogue to go ~