Netherfield Prep: A Modern Reimagining of Jane Austen's 'Pride & Prejudice' Read online

  ALSO BY ELIZABETH STEVENS

  unvamped

  Sleeping Dragon Books

  Netherfield Prep

  by Elizabeth Stevens

  Print ISBN: 978-0-6480122-2-1

  Digital ISBN: 978-0-6480122-3-8

  Cover art by: Izzie Duffield

  Edited by: Izzie Duffield

  Copyright 2016 Elizabeth Stevens

  Printed in the United States of America

  Worldwide Electronic & Digital Rights

  Worldwide English Language Print Rights

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned or distributed in any form, including digital and electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the prior written consent of the Publisher, except for brief quotes for use in reviews. This book is a work of fiction. Characters, names, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  For Anna,

  This Darcy’s for you.

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-One

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Chapter Forty-Six

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  Chapter Forty-Nine

  Chapter Fifty

  Chapter Fifty-One

  Chapter Fifty-Two

  Chapter Fifty-Three

  Chapter Fifty-Four

  Chapter Fifty-Five

  Chapter Fifty-Six

  Chapter Fifty-Seven

  Chapter Fifty-Eight

  Chapter Fifty-Nine

  Chapter Sixty

  Chapter Sixty-One

  Chapter One

  It is a truth universally assumed that a stupidly rich boy must be in want of a girlfriend.

  It is a truth universally acknowledged that a girl who has just travelled half a world must be in want of a bed.

  Sadly, neither was on the dance card this evening.

  I rubbed my eyes. “So, we’re done for now? Crisis averted? You are now test ready?”

  Gemma smiled at me, her brown eyes and olive skin glowing. She looked over the page in front of her. “Thank you so much. Yeah, I think so, we just-”

  “Oh my God!” Kate squealed.

  “Oh my God, what?” I sighed, looking at her blonde hair and pale skin pop up from behind a bookshelf. I once again marvelled at the contrast between the three of us.

  Kate brought a blue and red backpack over to us, and waved it in my ridiculously tired face. “Do you know who’s this is?”

  “I’m sure lots of people have that bag,” I replied.

  “Lily, this is Austin Cooper’s bag!”

  Even in my verging-on-passing-out-in-exhaustion state, I was intrigued. Austin Cooper was apparently the hottest guy in school. Well, apparently one of the two hottest guys in school, given he was one of identical twins.

  “How do you know it’s his bag?” I asked, packing up my books.

  I turned and smacked my leg into my suitcase. I winced. I had literally just arrived and been called to an emergency in the library by Gem and Kate, I hadn’t even had time to find my dorm room.

  “Because Kate only drools over him all the time,” Gemma giggled.

  “Why would he leave his bag in the library?” I asked, heaving my suitcase aside.

  “Oh, mad idea!” Kate cried, earning a shush from the people around us.

  I could totally believe it, coming from her. And, I was way too tired for whatever it was.

  “I don’t want to know. You guys can do whatever you want, I’m out. I just want to find my room and sleep through next week.”

  I shuffled around in my backpack, looking for my welcome pack so I could get the map to my dorm. I turned around to find Kate shoving the backpack into my suitcase.

  “What the hell are you doing?” I hissed, anger and tiredness warring inside me. My brain felt like it was wading through quicksand.

  “Shush, Jax is coming!”

  I turned around and saw six-foot-plus of heavenly, ash brown-haired man-boy walking towards us in pale jeans and a white t-shirt. Under normal circumstances, I might have batted my eyes and said something witty when he stopped in front of us, but I’d just flown half a world from Australia and I hadn’t slept in about… God, I didn’t even remember how long. So, all I could do was appreciate his fine form in some foggy recessed part of my brain while glaring at him.

  “Hi ladies.” He smiled as he stopped in front of us. I heard Gem and Kate titter at his very posh accent. He gave them a wink with his blue-grey eyes. “I was just wondering if you’d seen a lonely bag around here? My arse of a brother seems to have wandered off without it again.”

  I opened my mouth and Kate nudged me quiet.

  “No, no sorry, we haven’t,” she said. If she was trying to hide her smile, she was doing a terrible job.

  “Not to worry, I’m sure we’ll find it.” He smiled, his glance raking over me, no doubt taking in my dishevelled I’ve-just-travelled-half-a-world appearance. “See you later.”

  He turned and walked away. Gemma and Kate watched his backside retreating. Then, if there was a physical action for swooning, they did it marvellously well.

  “God, he’s gorgeous!” Gemma sighed.

  I loved my stepsisters, God knew I did, but I so didn’t have the energy for this. I pulled the backpack out of my suitcase, pulled on my own and dragged my case after the retreating form of the ridiculously long-legged Jax.

  “Jax!” I called, sighing. “Hey, Jax!”

  He disappeared and I stopped short as he reappeared in front of me.

  I blinked; no, it was my tired eyes playing tricks on me. This Jax had longer hair that fell in front of his eyes and brushed his collar. This Jax wore different clothes – dark jeans, a maroon button-up shirt open over a charcoal t-shirt – and had faint tattoos visible up his arms under his rolled up sleeves. This Jax woke up my foggy brain somewhat, but then promptly sent it back off on vacation.

  I could do nothing but gape at the guy in fr
ont of me. He gave me an expressionless once over, taking in the backpack, the suitcase trailing behind me, and my creased clothes. He raked his hair out of his face and looked none too impressed.

  “It sounds like it’s my brother you’re after, but I see you found my bag,” he said.

  “What? Oh, yes, sorry.”

  “Oz, man!” Jax came jogging back. “Oh, hey you did find it.” He smiled at me.

  “Yeah…lucky, huh? I was just coming to return it to you, but…ah…here.” I held it out and waited for Austin to take it.

  When he didn’t, Jax took it and shoved it into his brother’s chest. His eyes still on me, Austin put a hand up to grab it. Jax stuck his hand out and I shook it uncertainly, finally dragging my eyes off Austin.

  “Jax Cooper. My brother, Austin.” He nodded his head towards him.

  “Lily Brewer,” I replied.

  Jax cocked an eyebrow. “Related to Gemma and Kate?”

  I sighed; here came the convoluted explanation that was my immediate family. Time to explain how I was indeed related to the tall, willowy girls I’d known and loved most of my life. But, next to them, I was the stepsister lacking in heights and looks. Good thing I had the brains.

  “Stepsister. My Dad, Gemma’s Mum, also Kate’s Stepmum.”

  “And it all becomes so much clearer!” Jax teased.

  I nodded. “Yeah, it’s…complicated.”

  “So what brings you to Netherfield at this time of year?”

  I fidgeted and looked away from them for a moment. My teeth grazed my bottom lip as I turned back to them and hitched my bag up my shoulder.

  “My mum died and I was sent to live with Dad. Apparently Dad’s version of living with him is being sent to boarding school.”

  Jax’s smile faltered.

  “And, they don’t have…help…where you’re from?” Austin asked, disgust evident in his voice.

  “I’m sorry, what?” I rounded on him, my anger flaring again.

  “I would have assumed you’d…have someone to take your bag to your dorm to save you carting it about the school.”

  I glared at him. Seriously? A guy blessed with his good looks should, under no circumstances, be such an absolute wanker.

  “Come on, Oz. Don’t be a dick. She’s got me.” Jax seemed to find his smile. He stepped forward and put his hand out as though offering to take my case. He towered over me.

  “Thanks, I’m sure I can manage.” I smiled, trying to be polite, but it felt forced even to me.

  Jax nodded. “I’m sure you could. But, you don’t need to. What dorm room are you?”

  I sighed and let him take the case; I just didn’t have the energy to argue. “Let me check.” I pulled out my dorm allocation and showed it to him.

  “Excellent. Longbourn Wing, room thirty-nine.” Jax smiled. “Follow me.”

  He picked my case up by the side strap, ignoring the wheels and I followed him through more hallways and corridors. Austin fell into step with his brother.

  “So, you’re new on this side of the world, too, huh?” Jax asked over his shoulder.

  “Mm hm,” I replied, avoiding the looks of students passing us.

  The way Gem and Kate had talked about the Cooper twins, they were essentially royalty, at least at school. I could just imagine what it looked like having a travel-logged nobody trailing behind them as one of them carried her bag.

  “Good, here we are.” Jax smiled. “Hey, you know the way to the dining hall?”

  I shook my head.

  “Ah, well I could come past and-”

  “Thank you, but I’m sure my sisters will come and find me when they’re done in the library. I hope,” I muttered as I knocked on the door.

  A girl about my height with light brown hair and blue eyes framed by thick glasses opened the door. She took her glasses off and looked at me questioningly. I was startled by the transformation.

  “Uh, hi.” I smiled. “Lily Brewer.”

  “Oh, yes…” She looked between the two huge guys flanking me and I saw her noticeably swallow. “Anne Macklin. You must be my roommate.” She spoke with a soft, clipped accent.

  I was going to answer when Jax pushed past me. “Hi, Jax Cooper, I’m amazed we’ve never met before.”

  Anne looked at the hand he proffered. “We’ve…uh…been at school together for five years,” she said softly.

  “Oh,” he dropped his hand and a blush crept up his face, “sorry. Lovely to meet you now, anyway…”

  “If you’re done with your chivalrous acts for the day, brother, can we go?” Austin asked, sounding bored.

  “God, you’re like a little ray of sunshine, aren’t you?” I blurted out. “I expect you shit rainbows and glitter, and spend your time nursing orphans.” I ignored his open mouth and turned to Jax. “Thank you very much for your help. I’m glad someone’s making the Cooper name look good on this side of the world. Where I come from, Coopers is a beer, so it is hard to live up to that.”

  Jax grinned. “You, Lily Brewer, are great. Isn’t she great, Oz?” He elbowed his brother, but I refused to look at the infuriating, handsome guy with the perpetual scowl.

  “Of course, Jax,” he said softly, then turned and walked away.

  “Well, here’s your case. Anne, it was lovely to meet you. I do hope we’ll have a chance to talk again.” Jax bowed extravagantly and jogged to catch up with his twin.

  I turned to Anne who looked shocked out of her mind. “Sorry about that, I’ve been in the library for three hours, straight off a plane, and…ugh, that Austin Cooper has the worst manners of anyone I’ve ever met.”

  Anne smiled as I picked up my case and hauled it into the room. “It’s lovely to meet you, Lily. And, don’t worry about the Cooper brothers. I suspect he was born with that stick up his butt, and Jax? Well, Jax is the nicest boy you will ever find in this place.” She sighed a little and I smiled at her.

  “Carrying a torch?” I asked.

  She looked down, putting her glasses back on. “I don’t think there’s a girl in this school who doesn’t carry some sort of torch for Jax Cooper.” She smiled ruefully. “Now, come in and get settled, then we’ll head down to dinner.”

  The room was larger than I’d expected. It was a mirror image of itself; each side had a double bed against the wall, a bedside table on each side. Under the window were a chest of drawers and a desk. On the wall with the door was a long wardrobe.

  The difference was, one side was entirely bare, while the other was full of pictures and posters, books and a couple of bean bags.

  I lugged my case onto the bare bed and opened it. The first thing I did was pull out my new phone – my stupid Australian one wasn’t going to work here – and turned it on. As I started pulling a change of clothes from my bag, the phone went off with multiple text messages. They were all from Dad’s secretary, who informed me the rest of my things were running late and I wouldn’t get them until next week. Oh, goody, a week with only what I’d packed. I sighed, desperately wanting a hot shower.

  “Everything okay?” Anne asked. I turned to find her sitting on her bed.

  I huffed a laugh. “Yeah, seems the rest of my stuff won’t be here for a while.”

  “Oh, that sucks, do you have a uniform?”

  I nodded. “Yeah, I made sure I packed one set of everything in case. But, I hate to see what state it’s in after a round the world trip.”

  “I’m sure you’ll be fine.” She smiled warmly.

  “Is there time for a shower before dinner?” I asked.

  She looked at her watch and nodded, her pretty eyes large behind her glasses. “We’ve got about forty-five minutes? Bathroom’s down the hall.”

  I sighed. Of course it was. “Great, I’ll be back in a bit.”

  Anne nodded again. I rummaged in my case until I found a towel and my toiletries bag. I pulled open our door and paused.

  “Left,” Anne said and I heard the smile in her voice.

  “Thanks.” I smiled back
before heading out.

  Of all the roommates I could have been landed with, Anne was by far one of the best options. At least I didn’t have to room with Gemma and Kate. I did love them, honestly… But, God, were they…young and rambunctious, shall I say? They were two grades below me, but sometimes they acted like they were about twelve.

  The bathroom had more privacy than I thought it would – so, yay for that – and I could shower in peace.

  The worst part was heading back to my room in nothing but my towel – because I hadn’t thought about the after shower part – carrying my things with my wet hair tumbling around my shoulders. And, of course, it was then, half-naked, that I saw Austin again.

  We passed each other in silence. But, he stared at me with such intensity that I felt myself blush. Stupid redhead tendencies. He really did have beautiful grey eyes, though. Beautiful, angry eyes…

  Chapter Two

  She’d taken me completely off-guard. Made entirely worse when I realised she was related to Gemma and Kate. Such a pair of absolute airheads as I have ever met!

  Still, this Lily seemed different. Her accent, for one, was different to the London tones of the other Brewers. She had been brought up in Australia by the sound of it. Her mind seemed sharper than I would have expected, her green eyes holding a flash of intelligence I assumed must have been a fluke.

  “Oz, man, you need to loosen up,” Jax said, giving my shoulder a half-hearted punch as I stared at my food.

  “I assure you, Jackson, I am fine.” I turned to him. Aside from two distinct differences of our eye colour and hair length, it was like looking in a mirror. Of course, it would have to be a day when anything and everything did not get on my last nerve for my face to display such annoying happiness.

  “Man, come on. Term is only two more weeks, then we can relax!”

  “Jackson, if you relaxed any more, you’d be dead,” I commented dryly and he laughed.

  He nudged me as I heard a shrill laugh and followed his gaze to where four girls were walking in to the dining room. My eyes immediately recognised the tall Brewer sisters, hurrying in ahead of their companions and giggling like hyenas. Behind them, it took me but a moment to recognise Lily and Anne, arm-in-arm and talking quietly to each other.