Chapter 1

Posted on Wednesday, 8 December 1999

"MY LIFE IS OOOOOVVVVVVEEEEERRRRRRR!!!!!!!!"

Elinor Dashwood winced as she heard the self-pitying wail coming from her younger sister's bedroom. She had known it was coming. Marianne had only been waiting till their mother and Margaret left the house to start bemoaning her fate.

Now, the question was, should she ignore Marianne or try to talk some reason into her? Elinor's sense of self-preservation said ignore her, but her sense of duty as a sister sent her upstairs.

Marianne was flopped across her bed, bawling. "How am I *ever* going to be a concert pianist now? I can't afford to go to the conservatory. I can't even afford to go to the state university. I can't even afford lessons for next semester!" Each sentence became higher-pitched, until her monologue ended in a shriek.

"I hate him! I hate him! I hate him!!!!!!!!"

Elinor laid her hand on Marianne's shoulder. "You shouldn't say things like that about your father."

"Father? Ha! A sperm donor, if you ask me. I'm going to go over there to that apartment of his, find that "I Am My Kid's Dad" T-shirt I got him last year for Father's Day and rip it into shreds right under his and that bimbo's noses! How dare he leave Mother and us with virtually nothing! He doesn't deserve to be called a father, or even a man. In fact, I think Lorena Bobbitt had the right -- "

"MARIANNE DASHWOOD!!!"

Marianne looked at her sister defiantly. "Well, it's easy for you to talk. You're almost finished with nursing school, which the hospital is paying for, so you'll be free and clear. But what about me? I've devoted my life to piano, I've never even had a boyfriend! Not that I want one now," she added hastily. "Men are pigs."

"Yeah, we'll see how long that lasts with you. You've been wanting a boyfriend since you were ten years old. Besides, not all men are pigs," Elinor protested.

"Okay, you're right." Marianne grinned impishly. "Some are puppies. Big brown-eyed puppies with wagging tails and mournful drooping ears - "

"Stop it! I know you're talking about Edward. I guess you're okay now, if you can torment me about my boyfriend. Now get to packing, the movers are coming in 6 hours."

"My one triumph -- the piano's coming with us!"

Elinor left Marianne's room and closed the door. "But where's it going to fit in our apartment?" she whispered, tears coming down her face.

James Dashwood was never an evil man, just weak. Unfortunately, a weak, wealthy man is easy prey for an evil, greedy woman. And that's exactly what happened when Isabella Thorpe came in the picture. Before Sarah Dashwood and her three girls even suspected that a problem existed, James had already hidden most of his assets away, under Isabella's direction. Now there was nothing for the girls' educations, no income at all beyond the meager child support required by the state. And even that would be reduced drastically in a few months after Marianne turned 18.

So the house was to be sold, along with all possessions that would not fit in the apartment the Dashwood ladies were moving into. Thankfully Sarah's cousin owned an apartment complex across town, and was graciously letting his unfortunate relatives move in at a reduced rent. Sarah found a job in a daycare, and was glad for it, since she had no work experience. Elinor was spending most of her time at the hospital, and Marianne was finishing her senior year.

Elinor thought Marianne should find a part-time job, but Marianne pleaded with her mother that she desperately needed the time to practice. They compromised, and Marianne posted notices around town announcing her availability for piano lessons. "At least it pays a lot more than flipping burgers," Elinor pointed out.

As much as Elinor tried to be practical, inside she was as devastated as anyone by her father's desertion. It was a vulnerable time for her, since she was in love for the first time. Edward was nothing like Marianne's ideal man. He was an accountant, cautious, serious, handsome without standing out in a crowd, but with a heart so good Elinor could not see spending her life without him. He was her best friend, and she considered herself lucky to have found someone like him at age 20. "Edward would never hurt me like Daddy hurt us," she told herself firmly.

Elinor worried about Margaret and Marianne. How would this divorce affect their attitude toward men? Fortunately, Margaret was a very child-like 12-year-old, still interested in everything *except* boys. But what about when she was older? Would she look to some pimply-faced adolescent predator to give her the "love" that she missed out on from her father? And what about her educational and financial future? Elinor resolved to work very hard so that Margaret would have an opportunity for college.

Sadly, there was nothing she could do for Marianne at the moment. She felt sorry for her sister. Marianne felt the injustices of the world so keenly, especially when they hit home like this. And no scholarship would pay enough to make up for the financial loss they had suffered. College would have to wait for the middle Dashwood sister.