Read Pride's Prejudice for Free Online Page B

than missing Les, happily consented.  The girls set to work packing
all the essentials:  chocolate bars, water bottles, Pringles (reduced fat
– less guilt), blankets, more chocolate, a flashlight, Phase Ten cards, two
bottles of Dr. Pepper, and a favorite novel each.  They each packed a bag
and threw them behind the seat of Beth's little red truck, effectively
concealing the gym clothes Beth had tossed back earlier.  She felt
momentarily ashamed for her slothfulness, but eagerness to be on the road won
out.  After making sure nothing had been forgotten, they set off, stopping
at Hartford Hoagies on their way out of town. 
    ~:~
    William
was livid.  He couldn't remember the last time he'd been so angry. 
He knew it wasn't directly Les's fault, but his naivety sometimes unnerved
William.  It would seem perfectly rational to Les's guileless soul that
his sister Kara and her roommate, Lucy, would, out of the goodness of their
hearts, offer to come along on the guys-only camping trip to do all the cooking
and make sure the bachelors were properly looked after.
    The
fact that neither Kara nor Lucy had an inkling of how to start a fire, or even
boil water (let alone how to cook) had never occurred to Les.
    William
would much rather have had Jenna along than Kara and her constant flirting,
coupled with snide comments about Beth (since the Longbourn stomp she had
teased him incessantly), or Lucy and her useless babbling.  Say what you
would about self-fulfilling prophecy; he had a pretty good idea of how the
weekend would go.
    The
moment they got to their campsite and started setting up the tent, the girls
started dropping not-so-subtle hints that they really would like a place to
sit, and that they really were getting thirsty.  And so, out came the
folding camp chairs.  Kara and Lucy sat side by side, giggling and
whispering about some scandalous tidbit of gossip, watching William and Les
hard at work.  Occasionally one of the girls would obligingly call out an
offer to help, without moving a muscle.
    By the
time the tents were set up and the supplies were unpacked, the sun had already
peaked in the sky and was on its way back down.  William wiped the sweat
from his forehead and retrieved a water bottle from one of the coolers. 
He threw one to Les, and they gulped noisily.  Lucy finally peeled herself
out of her camp chair and inquired where the ladies room was.  Les pointed
her in the general direction of the outhouse.
    "You're
not serious, Les?"  
    William
turned away to hide his smile. 
    "You're
joking!  No, really?"
    William
couldn't help putting in his penny's worth.  "If you're so inclined,
there are a lot of branches you could hang over.  Just mind the bark - it
chafes."
    "Oy,
I'm starving, " Kara joined in.  "What's for
dinner?"  William's smile faded as quickly as it had come, and he
felt that he must leave before a brawny green monster erupted out of his
clothes and squeezed Kara until her eyes popped out.
    "Les,
I'm going to go and find a good fishing spot for tomorrow," he managed
through clenched teeth.  "I'll be back."
    "I'll
get the fire started, then."
    "Oh, good .  Then we can make s'mores!" was Kara's giddy
reply.  "Did anyone bring marshmallows?  And look, I made
cookies!"
    This
was going to be an insufferably long weekend.
    ~:~
    "Dang
it, I hate this one," Beth complained.  "Is there even five of
the same number in this deck?"
    "Of
course there is, or the Phase wouldn't be 'set of five, set of two.'  And
I know what you're up to.  You're trying to make me think you don't have a
good hand, but I know you have at least three twelves, because I saw you pick
them up, which means you probably already had at least one in your hand, and
that's why you started picking them up."  Jenna popped a Pringle in
her mouth and smiled triumphantly, then took a long swig of her soda.
    "Okay,
okay.  But you're on the last phase, and you already laid it down. 
So you already won.  Pass the