A Modern Day Sense and Sensibility: An Adaptation of Jane Austen's Classic Read Online Free PDF Page A

Da-Dashwood,” she said before swiftly revising her answer with, “But everyone calls me Ellie.” She felt her face darken a shade or two before attempting to lessen the awkwardness of her introduction by diverting his attention to her home. But before she could do so, she heard Francil call out from upstairs.
    “Edward?” Francil’s surprised voice rang out, and both Edward and Ellie looked up to where she stood on the balcony. “Edward!” she continued with glee, “I thought I heard your voice!” Francil only then observed Edward holding a box. Alarmed by the thought of her mother-in-law taking advantage of her brother and putting him to work around the estate, she invited him up without delay. Assuring Francil he would be right there, Edward smiled kindly at Ellie.
    “Where can I put this for you?” he asked.
    “Oh, you don’t have to do that,” Ellie quickly replied, reaching for the box again.
    “I insist,” Edward’s dimple creased with his growing enjoyment as he took a playful step back. Momentarily speechless, Ellie pointed to the van parked in the long driveway. “The truck?” he asked for confirmation and Ellie nodded. She couldn’t help but admire his physique as he placed the box near the truck bed’s opening as if it contained merely feathers.
    As he came back toward her and retrieved his duffel bag, Ellie smiled awkwardly. “Um. . .” she cleared her throat, “Thank you.”
    “It was no problem at all,” Edward smiled in return. “See you around, Ellie.”
    With that, Edward strolled into the house to meet up with his sister. Ellie closed the front door behind him and trudged over to the moving van where she practically crash-landed. Taking a seat next to the troublesome box, she tried breathing slowly in and out to calm her unusually fast-beating heart. She told herself the stranger wouldn’t be staying long, and once he departed, things would return to normal. Slowly easing her nervousness with thoughts such as that, Ellie was suddenly struck with the realization that this young man wasn’t just an ordinary stranger—he was Francil’s brother!—meaning he wouldn’t be going anywhere anytime soon! At a loss as to why it hadn’t occurred to her earlier, Ellie kicked herself for being such a klutz around him. Now she couldn’t just slink away in her embarrassment like usual, but rather would have to face him daily during the duration of his stay! Perhaps the reason she hadn’t made the connection initially was because Edward seemed so unlike anything she had ever dreamed would encompass a brother of the “Ice Queen.” Warning herself not to be too hasty in her judgment of Edward’s character since first impressions can be deceiving, Ellie felt a mixture of emotions as she got up from the van, but most of all curiosity.

“John’s half-siblings are not friendly at all,” Francil complained as she gave Edward a guided tour of the Dashwood home later that afternoon. Having just introduced her brother to the Dashwood Family, their annoying presence was fresh on her mind.
    Shrugging, Edward wasn’t quite sure how his sister wanted him to respond as she studied a Picasso painting hanging on the wall. He and Francil had never been close, she being eight years older. Throughout their childhood, Francil had been away most of the time at boarding school or vacationing with friends during the holidays, or else too busy with boys to notice him. By the time Edward was in high school, Francil was already married and living on the East Coast with John. Although Edward loved Francil because she was his sister and a part of his family, it didn’t mean that he appreciated the way she had turned out. For the past half-hour, he had silently listened to Francil criticize the house, its lawn, her mother-in-law, and now John’s half-sisters. He was ready for a change of subject.
    Clueless to the conversation at hand, Ellie came up the back stairs with a load of laundry meant for