Back To The Past: Jane Austen Sixty-Two

"Megan, Bradley will kill Calin and Miles will kill Manolito! Since when do gypsies travel the seven seas? They stay on land and drift from place to place. I have missed Calin but I didn't want him here. Now, we know why we heard a wolf. Manoilto's father is on board, too. This sucks big time!"

"I know. I think Calin and Manolito are pirates as well as gypsies. My Captain Jack Sparrow is here. Bradley and Miles are already mad at us. They will think we planned this and arranged for them to be here."

"We didn't! The moonstone is broke. We didn't send for them. Megan, what do we do?"

The gypsy men saw Bradley and Miles and they ran off. Megan and Jennifer wondered if Bradley and Miles had seen the gypsy men. They hadn't. Their men were smiling.

Bradley kissed Jennifer on the cheek. "We can get our baggage in a few minutes."

"What do you think?" Miles asked Megan.

"France is beautiful. I don't mean any offense but England looks poor compared to France."

"England is. I do think England is just as beautiful as France."

"I agree to that. I have always been obssessed with England. Ever since I was a little girl and learned about England in school." Miles put his arm around Megan.

Just then Kyle Drakelin was walking with Zalita and approaching Bradley and Miles. Megan and Jennifer couldn't believe it. Zalita hugged Megan and Jennifer.

"Hello, my pretty young friends." Zalita smiled.

"What are you doing here?" Jennifer asked.

"Kyle is my lover and he invited me to France." MEGAN AND JENNIFER KNEW THAT CALIN AND MANOLITO HAD COME WITH THEM.

"Hello, Kentsworth and Dawson." Kyle Drakelin was dressed in a fancy black suit and wore a big top hat. He had dark blonde hair, a moustache was that darker then his hair, brown eyes that were mysterious and yet devil like. He smiled an insincere smile. He was a handsome man but Megan and Jennifer could see why their future husbands didn't like him.

Bradley looked at Kyle with a not so friendly look. "Drakelin, what brings you to France?"

"My lover Zalita has never seen France. I thought it was a nice time to get away from England. Are you gentlemen here on business?"

"I am here to see my family and I bought my future wife and Miles bought his future wife and we are going to visit my family."

"That's nice. Enjoy your trip to France. Zalita, Dear, let's be on our way." Kyle tipped his hat at Megan and Jennifer and bowed.

Bradley wanted to hit Kyle but Miles held him back.

"That gypsy woman is Manolito's mother and you can bet that Cohoot worthless gypsy man is here. If those two wild asses are here, I will shoot them!" Bradley was upset.

Jennifer took a hold of Bradley's arm. "Darling, it is alright. I want to meet your family." Jennifer acted calm but she was as nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.

"If that Calin is here, what will you do? I know that dumb moonstone had you under a curse. I can't say I look forward to seeing those gypsies!"

"Bradley, I want to meet your family. I love you. Like you said, it was that dumb moonstone. You are my husband to be."

"I love you, too. We will get our buggage."

Miles put his arm around Megan. He was quiet but he was concerned about Manoito being there.

Bradley and Miles went and got the baggage. A fancy white carriage with black horses were across the street. A driver sat upon the seat. A handsome man that looked like an older version of Bradley got out and a elegant dark haired woman wearing a fancy red dress that looked liked Marie Antionette's was standing next to the older gentleman. A young blonde woman wearing a fancy navy blue dress was standing next to the couple. Bradley went up to them and they hugged him. Miles, Megan and Jennifer looked at the family. Jennifer had just got a glimpse of her future relatives.

Bradley went and got Jennifer. "Mother, Father this is Jennifer. Jennifer, my parents Morgan and Caroline and my sister Rachael." Bradley's parents and Racael shook hands with Jennifer and Jennifer did the same.

Miles hugged Bradley's parents and Rachael hugged Miles and he kissed her cheek. Megan wasn't happy. Bradley then introduced Megan to his family. They shook Megan's hand but Rachael looked at Megan like she didn't like her. Megan knew that she wouldn't like Rachael, either.

The driver put everyone's luggage on top of the carriage and everyone got in the carriage. There was a lot of room. Megan sat by Miles and Rachael sat next to him. Bradley and Jennifer sat by Bradley's parents. The carriage went past buildings that wer fancy and none of them were run down.

"Did you have a nice voyage?" asked Caroline Kentsworth.

"Yes, it was very nice. We saw dolphins and whales. We only had two bad storms." Jennifer hoped that she was saying the right things.

Caroline was very pretty and her blue eyes seemed sincere and Rachael looked just like her. Rachael wasn't as friendly as her mother.

"In a couple of days, Rachael and I will take you out shopping. France has the most beautiful clothes and up to date fashions. You will enjoy the art museums. Art is a passion of mine." Caroline was happy that Bradley and his friends had arrived. Megan wasn't looking forward to being around Rachael. WHAT WAS WITH THAT WOMAN?

The carriage arrived at a mansion that was white with blue shutters and the brown French design. It looked like a villa that Megan and Jennifer had seen pictures of. In some ways, it besembled a castle with the pointed ceilings. It was fancier then Bradley's and Miles houses. The carriage stopped and the men helped the women out. The carriage driver was plump with no hair and wore a red suit with a long white beard. He was friendly He looked liike Santa Claus. Megan giggled to herself and Jennifer knew what she was thinking. The women followed Bradley and Miles. The men almost forgot their manners. They gently took Megan and Jennifer and escorted them into the mansion. Inside the mansion, the furntiture was done up in cherry wood, some was oak and there were paintings of cottages, horses, woods, castles and a painting of Caroline over the fireplace. The fireplace was huge like the one in the movie "The Haunting." There were silver pewter lion heads over the fireplace. A knight stood in the corner along with a grandfather's clock. There were lion statues and dog statues. Just then two white poodles came running up to Megan and Jennifer. They barked a friendly greeting. Megan bend down and petted the one white poodle who licked her face. Megan giggled. Jennifer hugged the other poodle.

"Marie and Joan. They named after Marie Antionette and Joan Of Arc." Caroline giggled.

"Cute names. Marie and Joan are two women I admire.The poodles are very cute. I love animals." Megan smiled.

Just then two maids arrived. One was a skinny dark haired girl with a big nose and the other a plump red head.

"These are our maids. "Josette and Denise. They will show you to your rooms." The maids bowed.

"Follow us, please Ladies." The maids spoke good English but had French accents.

Megan and Jennifer followed the women upstairs to the second floor. The stairs were fancy with chandliers hanging down. On the walls were castle pictures. Josette showed Jennifer to her room. Her room had a fancy fireplace and a nice big bed all done up in blue. There were paintings of cottages and cats. The room was huge. Jennifer knew that she would love her room.

Denise showed Megan to her room. Megan's room was all done up in pink and lavender with unicorn paintings, castle paintings and a huge fireplace. Megan loved it. There big dressers made of cherry wood and rocking chairs to match and sautees with tapestry of unicorns and castles. The rooms were heavenly.

Megan and Jennifer's rooms were right across the hall from each other. The maids left and Megan went over to Jennifer's room.

"My room is beautiful. Wow! The French know how to live. I know. Bradley's parents aren't French but I love my room. Let's just stay in this mansion the whole time we are here. I need to hide from that Rachael. Jennifer, I don't like her!"

"I notice she isn't very friendly. The way she hugged Miles and kissed his cheek."

"I don't like it. I bet she had a thing for Miles."

"Miles loves you. We have problems with those gypsy men. They came with that Drakelin man anf Zalita. That Drakelin man looks evil. Handsome but evil."

"He is handsome but I am afraid Zalita will get hurt. It worries me. Why did those gypsies have to show up? What do we do? Maybe they won't bother us." That Rachael chick. It will be hard to be nice to her."

"We have to behave like ladies. We will have to watch what we say. Those maids may hear us and tell on us. Let's hope we don't see anymore of Calin and Manolito. Bradley calls him Cahoot. I have to behave like a lady for now on."

"I know. What do we do now?"

"Let's go back downstairs."

Megan and Jennifer made their way downstairs. Miles was having a drink and Rachael was standing next to him by a big shelf of books. Megan was uneasy. Bradley was talking to his father in the study about business and Caroline was brushing Joan out on the patio. The room was big enough and Rachael thought that she and Miles were alone but Megan and Jennifer heard Miles and Rachael's conversation.

"I did love you but I love Robern. He has asked me to marry him but now that I have seen you again, I will never love Robern like I did you. I still love you very much."

"I love Megan and she means the world to me. Rachael, I always cared about you but I didn't love you. You are a good friend, like a younger sister and I will always care about you. I am going to marry Megan. I love her very much. I truly do. If you don't love Robern, there is someone else for you. You will find him."

"I am going to change your mind, Miles Dawson. I love you and only you." Rachael embraced Miles and kissed him. Megan was furious. She grabbed the fireplace poker and was headed towards Rachael!

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