Hallelujah (China Doll x Daylily)
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		<h2 id="linktree">Play-By-Post: Bondage, D/s, S&amp;M =&gt; Bondage: Human Solos =&gt; Topic started by: China Doll on 22-08-2008, 01:12:54</h2>
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				Title: <strong>Hallelujah (China Doll x Daylily)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>China Doll</strong> on <strong>22-08-2008, 01:12:54</strong>
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				<em>"Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear."<br><br>1 Peter 3:1</em><br><br>To be obedient and submissive were not qualities with which Elizabeth Marie <em>Bennet</em> were familiar with. If it was expected that Elizabeth Marie <em>Collins</em> would somehow magically acquire these traits, those believers in said fantasy would soon find themselves severely disappointed…especially the most blind believer of them all, Mr. Collins himself. <br><br>How could he take her refusal as a sign of playful banter! Did he really consider her the type of frivolous female who dwelled and doted on the idea of marriage? If this was indeed his perception of her, oh he was more ignorant than she could have ever imagined! She had clearly stated that she would be the <em>last</em> woman who could ever make him happy, and in the same respect that he would <em>never</em> be the man whom would make her happy in return. Yet despite this explicitly clear protest that would surely outline the fate of their marriage if it would take place, he insisted. Had the pompous buffoon of a clergyman not been so thickheaded in her initial refusal, Elizabeth might have maintained a bit of optimism in her heart as to how the world worked. With Mr. Bingley’s sudden departure leaving her precious Jane in despair, Elizabeth had felt her confidence suddenly falter. If the world turn cold on such a fair and loving heart, then what hope was there for anyone else? <br><br>From the looks of things, there was no hope left for Lizzie. <br><br>She had begged for mercy from her father, to not force her to wed. She expected such a ridiculous request from her mother (which did indeed occur), but not him! The ache in his eyes were only a fragmented reflection of her own sorrow, when he mentioned the only thing that could <em>ever</em> convince her to sign away her happiness..<br><br>Her sister’s happiness.<br><br>This wedding could enhance the family’s status enough to entice the Bingley’s into accepting Jane. It was a sacrifice that no one else could make, except Lizzie…<br><br>The ceremony was brief; held in the simple church in Meryton, with only family and a few close friends attending. Everyone could see the loss of color in Lizzie’s face, the fire that dwelled within her heart slightly fading. Everyone, save for the groom, whom remained blissfully ignorant of his future spouses unhappiness throughout the ceremony and reception.&nbsp; She only spoke the necessary words, and her hand quite visibly shook as she signed the marriage certificate. No one who bore witness, who had known Lizzie for more than a day, breathed a sigh of anything nearly related to happiness when they were pronounced man and wife.<br><br>The reception was held, of course, at Longbourn estate. The weather, as if a sign from God himself on his thoughts towards this union, was nothing short of dismal. The rain soaked poor Lizzie’s pearl encrusted gown, matting her curls ever so slightly and causing what little make-up Jane had placed on her sister’s lovely face, to vanish. She made no effort to repaint her face, to do up her hair or to smooth out the wrinkles in her gown. Instead, Lizzie sat at the supper table (which had increased in length by adding a few more tables, to accommodate the guests) with a look of utter incomprehension. Such a fool she had been to think that in the midst of the ceremony, someone would have burst in to protest. Her father, her sisters, even that pompous Mr. Darcy had lingered on her thoughts as a potential hero! Though all hopes failed her as that ring slid upon her finger. That small golden circle epitomized all the likeness of a noose to the mournful bride.<br><br>No one could save her.<br><br>But she was determined not to let her fire die. <br><br>Midway through the reception, Lizzie glanced up from the table. She forced a smile to her sisters, and to her father whom had been avoiding her gaze all night for fear his daughter’s wrath or misery would turn him to stone. However, seeing the smile and a small light return to her eyes, the Bennet’s who had been paying attention (all save for Mrs. Bennet, who was chatting with Mr. Tallon on how they would be holding another wedding any day now) gave a relieved smile in return. Their beloved Lizzie had not completely vanished under the dreary title of “Mrs. Collins.” <br><br>A dreadful pain between her legs awoke her the next morning, the result of an act which she chose at the moment of waking to forget, along with her nightmares which had plagued her throughout the night. Though they had spent the night in Longbourn, Lizzie felt as secluded and alone as if she had been in Hunsford already. She had made plan to spend the day with her sisters, and as far away from her new husband as humanly possible. As she rose from the bed, her nightgown slipping off her small shoulders, she glanced down to see the man sleeping still.<br><br>A sigh of relief escaped her lips.<br><br><em> Alright now Lizzie…be silent…</em> <br><br>She bit her lip tightly as she slowly moved herself off the bed to stand on the cold wooden floor. She crept too the door on the balls of her feet, and seeing as Lizzie Bennet weigh barely anything at all in the first place, she made it across the room without making a sound. She took her brown, tattered robe off the back of a chair and slipped it on over her gown. Her slender fingers wrapped around the doorknob and tugged it only enough to allow herself passage through. With no slippers, she made her way downstairs and towards the kitchen. It seemed the only time Longbourn was <em>ever</em> silent, was in the early morning when everyone still slept. Mary had an awful habit of sleep walking, and thus woke Lydia and Kitty quite often who then proceeded to pursue her. Their giggles and taunts would then wake Jane up, who was a light sleeper as it was, who would then wake Lizzie up, who in turn would be unable to fall back asleep. <br><br>Often the girls would, after Mary came too, sneak downstairs to the parlor and tell stories in front of the fireplace. Lizzie smiled sadly as she passed the door to the parlor, realizing she would never be able to tell stories with her sisters again at such late hours… Her pace quickened towards, and out the kitchen door. Before she advanced to sprint down the path towards the lake, she glanced upwards towards the bedroom window to make certain she had not woken Mr. Collins. The only unfortunate flaw in her plan, as the window looked clearly out to the lake. At least she would earn a few moments alone…Seeing the curtains still shut, Lizzie bolted down the path as if she was running from all that had happened in the previous day. The brisk morning air felt remarkable and cleansing to her heart. By the time she arrived at the lakeside, the sun had fully risen, and her breath was still quite visible in the cold air. Her feet were numb, but she cared not. Instead, she knelt at the side of the lake and closed her eyes…hoping that this moment of solitude would preserve her sanity in this ridiculous marriage, and give her means to make certain that <em>dear</em> Mr. Collins would soon realize she was not the tamable, frivolous sort of female he had expected her to be…
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				Title: <strong>Re: Hallelujah (China Doll x Daylily)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>The Dark Raven</strong> on <strong>26-08-2008, 03:44:28</strong>
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				William Collins woke slowly, the slight light from the window shining on his face from around the curtains.&nbsp; Blinking up at the canopy above him, it slowly came to him that he was not, indeed, in his own bed in his cottage at the edge of Rosings Park, Kent, but at Longbourne Estate, Hertfordshire...now his holding as well.&nbsp; He rolled toward the other occupant of the bed...to find the bed space empty, but still warm.&nbsp; Elizabeth.<br><br>Instantly, he was awake and rolling out of bed, dressing in haste.&nbsp; She was gone...<br><br>He peered out the window, almost irritably, at the sun glinting off the duckpond...a little figure sitting at the water's edge.&nbsp; In her dressing gown.&nbsp; Tucking pantlegs into boots, he snatched up his coat, shrugging into it, and hauled his woolen greatcoat up over his arm.&nbsp; It would do well to keep her warm and well...and he wouldn't lose her as soon as he'd had her...too late to refuse such a wonderful prize of a woman.&nbsp; The lovely girl had no idea how even one night had him truly and wonderfully enthralled with her.<br><br>He'd had occasion, before th ewedding to speak with his mother-in-law, and found her quite certain that their union would help her eldest, the quite biddable one he had been enchanted with at the first, make a decent arrangement with a certain neighbor.&nbsp; It would be a match that would make more sense than theirs would have been.<br><br>But the taming of her younger sister would be a task that he would be equal to...perhaps one day she would even enjoy Kent.<br><br>He made his way down the central stairs, quirking a nervous smile at the kitchen maid as he passed in the hallway and out the back, toward the duckpond.&nbsp; <br><br>Quietly, he draped his greatcoat around his new wife's shoulders, his voice quiet and almost gentle.&nbsp; "Good morning, Mrs. Collins..."&nbsp; His hands lingered on her shoulders momentarily, in a fond expression of possession.&nbsp; She would shrug them off, he knew, but he didn't much care...that could come later.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Hallelujah (China Doll x Daylily)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>China Doll</strong> on <strong>28-08-2008, 17:50:52</strong>
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				An overwhelming sense of misery poured over Elizabeth Be--Collins, as the sun began its daily journey across the sky.&nbsp; The air was frightfully cold for the time in the autumn season, and though barefoot and dressed only in her nightgown, Elizabeth barely could feel anything; especially the cold.&nbsp; Her breath lingered for moments past her soft pink lips, before vanishing into the morning fog.&nbsp; Her expression was drained,&nbsp; and though she felt immensely sick to her stomach, no nausea came along to perhaps allow an sympathetic excuse to be left alone. <br><br>The glittering off of her very modest wedding band was&nbsp; only enough to cause her stomach to knot up, and not in the romantically enthused fashion she had read about in the novels her mother kept hidden in the house (Though obviously not well hidden. Mrs. Bennet was far too concerned with her nerves and her daughters to properly hide a book when she did manage to find a moment to sit down and read).&nbsp; Lizzie managed to smile for a brief moment, thinking of her mother being immediately distracted by Lydia or Kitty the moment she nestled into the sitting room to read. Talk of officers or ribbons would then take immediate superiority over any romantic adventure written on the dusty pages at her side.. <br><br>The Bennet family was so very different...<br><br>Yet so much the same.<br><br>The sound of a 'caw' caught Lizzie's attention. One that she knew very well not to have been guttered from any birds throat. Raising an elegantly arched brow, she turned her head slightly to see blonde hair ducking quickly from a window, as well as a very confused Mr. Collins glancing around to see where the noise had come from.&nbsp; <em>Jane...</em>Lizzie's smile vanished from the thought of her sister to the approaching minister husband who had every intention of driving the devil out of her...<br><br>For the time, she would suppress that devil as much as she was able. Until Jane was wed to Mr. Bingley, until Lydia found a husband and therefore would spark Kitty into a lonesome quest to find one so she might persuade her own husband to move next door so that the two girls could compare lifestyles, and Mary...Sweet Mary would find her own in time, though Lizzie was not certain how long she could hold her breath so not to breathe in the contagious ridiculous tendencies of William Collins.<br><br>The moment his hands pressed far too intimately upon her shoulders, Lizzie stood and took off the coat, despite its warmth. She forced a smile as she folded it over her arms and respectfully curtsied "Good morning..." Her words were laced with a subtle poison, made up of pure detest and revulsion for this man so opposite of herself..<br><br>
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				Title: <strong>Re: Hallelujah (China Doll x Daylily)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>The Dark Raven</strong> on <strong>30-08-2008, 20:53:22</strong>
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				A slightly bewildered look crossed his face for a fleeting moment, his customary ingrained bow answering her curtsey...far too formal for their new form of acquaintance.&nbsp; Her venom seemed unwarranted, unless in his state the evening before, he had hurt her.&nbsp; That was very unfortunate.&nbsp; He had rather enjoyed--&nbsp; Suddenly, a blaze of color drenched his cheeks.&nbsp; To be thinking such things!&nbsp; He was a man of the cloth.&nbsp; No, he must be quite rational.<br><br>"I hope you slept well..."&nbsp; And he did hope, though he dared not dream.&nbsp; She probably slept little.&nbsp; He knew she did not consent in their union, but he had hoped to do what was proper by the family, and keep Longbourn in the Bennet blood.&nbsp; And when they had a son, all would be properly settled by law and blood.<br><br>Daring, he fixed his gaze not at a point to the deferent left of her elbow, but up into her face, an earnest look on his face.&nbsp; "I do not want you to think me a callous man.&nbsp; I want you to be happy.&nbsp; I know you are not.&nbsp; I felt it my duty to secure the future of your sisters, and they are safe...for as long as need be to find their own husbands.&nbsp; Your parents may live as they like."<br><br>He did not want gratitude from any of them.&nbsp; They were family, now more than ever, with Elizabeth by his side.&nbsp; And he did love her, in his strangely intense sort of way.&nbsp; Devotion would be the proper word for it.<br><br>And the sisters would be a mixed lot of marrying off.&nbsp; The eldest, Jane, was already nearly in an understanding with a Mr. Bingley.&nbsp; The middle girl, Mary, was quite pleasantly quiet and biddable.&nbsp; She would make a good wife to any sensible man she chose...preferably one that would see her qualities as one that would let them go to waste.&nbsp; The younger two, Catherine and Lydia, would best be served marrying men with...long tempers and calm demeanors.&nbsp; Maybe even a pair of brothers in possession of a joint property in the North.&nbsp; the only other alternative would be Royal Navy men who would be long away from home, and not prone to be vexed by their squealings...<br><br>He was almost certain anything else he said would be thrown in his face, so he did not try to offer any words of comfort.&nbsp; He did sincerely hope she would learn to love him, and that she would allow him to do certain things...anything she might need or want... but this morning was not the morning to make any sort of offer...
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				Title: <strong>Re: Hallelujah (China Doll x Daylily)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>China Doll</strong> on <strong>01-09-2008, 03:56:45</strong>
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				“I did, thank you..”<br><br>She lied.<br><br>Lizzie stared at the man, finally feeling the nauseating discontent rise to her throat. The way he twirled his fingers about, swaying back and forth upon his heels as if he was preparing some sort of speech in his head on God knows what. Something concerning God, she was certain. The bitter bile in her throat was content on spilling forth if he began preaching to her about their union..<br><br>She felt dizzy, and all the more ill when she saw a feverish blush rise to his face.<br><br>Almost instantaneously, she rolled down her sleeves and slid his jacket on, for the sake of covering herself. Her nightgown was not sheer by any means, and it was ridiculous in a sense for her to be covering herself up considering the night before. Candlelight was much different than broad day…Lizzie wanted to leave <em>everything</em> to his imagination..and <em>not</em> under the guise of playfulness (something she dreaded him to believe). <br><br><em>I’m becoming a bitter shrew already….Not even a day into marriage…</em><br><br>She mused at the thought , folding her arms across her chest as she nodded uncomfortably. “I am certain my mothers’ nerves will be all the more relieved now that she may freely concentrate on marrying off my sisters without the overbearing concern of having a home…” The spite lacing her words made her tongue feel forked and serpent like between her soft lips. She ignored all comments concerning their relationship, or lack&nbsp; there of in her opinion. With another mock curtsey she shifted her weight, hoping to pass him without any difficulty.<br><br>“If you’ll excuse me…I must dress before I help my sisters with their hair…”<br><br>Oh she would certainly help them with such feminine tasks, and possibly ask the four of them to assist her in smothering herself against one of the very expensive pillows which were only for decoration. 
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				Title: <strong>Re: Hallelujah (China Doll x Daylily)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>The Dark Raven</strong> on <strong>03-09-2008, 22:04:48</strong>
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				He blinked rapidly, bewilderment only half hidden in his eyes as he bowed to her and let her pass.&nbsp; He could not deny her sisterly affections, though he did so wish she might grow to show him a fraction of the affection she lavished on her sisters.&nbsp; Even a smile might make him feel a bit more at ease with their union.<br><br>Providence had brought them together...and he should be grateful for that.&nbsp; Though he couldn't help but wonder if his prayers should not have included the idea of affection.&nbsp; It seemed affection made things -- wooing for example -- much easier.<br><br>He gazed over the lake for a little while, letting her go about her own thoughts, while he gathered his.&nbsp; Would there be a way to soften her heart to him?&nbsp; What did she miss in his gaze?&nbsp; He was what God wanted him to be...how terrible could that be?
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