Farida's Blog

Letter Four of “The Unfortunate Story of Miss Emily Storm” is finally here. Your feedback is much appreciated! Don’t forget that you have a chance (until 8th October) to win a copy of “Margaret’s Rematch” at My Jane Austen Book Club – just leave your comment and your e-mail! I’m talking about Jane Austen and the challenge of writing Austenesque novels there. By the way, I’m also talking about Fanny Burney at Lesley-Anne McLeod’s blog.

 

And now… Letter Four!

Oh Emily! 

I must confess that your letters bring me nothing but pain and headaches these days. I am sure I do not know what is to become of you now. But all is lost. Quite lost! Mother and father know that you have eloped and they declare that you are ruined forever. Indeed, I imagine that the whole of Thorrington knows that by now and it is insupportable to walk along the High Street or enter any of the shops, because everyone is either staring you out of the countenance or pointing at you and whispering behind your back. Mrs. Berry was here again. She said that she was determined to set the record straight and prove that neither she nor her daughter had been ever mistaken as to the identity of one of the Storm girls, gadding about London all on her own. That’s what she said, Emily, I swear to you! I believe I have never met anyone so meddlesome in all my life.

She was announced while we were still at breakfast – all but father who was away – with a letter in her hand and a look of triumph upon her red with excitement face. She appeared quite out of order and by the manner in which she was clutching her throat and patting her hair I assumed that she had been running all the way to our house. It was apparent that she had something of great import to communicate, but she was so much out of breath that she could only gasp and there was no getting at what it was that she wanted to say. Mother was greatly confused and asked her to join us and take some refreshment, which Mrs. Berry did with indecent alacrity. One would think that she is starving. But then everybody knows how awfully mean she is and I expect she does not have such fine breakfasts as we do.

Once she had regained her faculties, she addressed mother with a glaring look and, waving the letter in her face, informed her that she had written to her daughter and had this moment received her reply in which she confirmed that it was indeed you that she had seen in London. Moreover, she had a testimony of her daughter’s maid Becky who had recognized your maid Molly and mother went very pale and nearly fainted, because she could no longer disregard the report that had been witnessed and confirmed by so many people and with so much authority. She was not equal to bear Mrs Berry’s company any longer and departed the breakfast-parlour in great dudgeon. Thankfully Mrs. Berry took the hint and went away almost at once though not before she had delivered a long and extremely dull harangue to Julia and myself.

When she left, and you can depend upon it that she went to spread the news all over the place, I hurried off to mother’s dressing-room and found her at her desk, scribbling away in great agitation. She could barely compose herself though and her hand was shaking so badly that I asked the maid to bring her a glass of wine to calm down her nerves. In the end I took it upon myself to write to Aunt Grey after mother’s hysterical and halting dictation and urged by her in the most beseeching terms took it to the post myself. Julia stayed with her while I was away. I confess I welcomed the errand with all my heart for it provided me with an opportunity to leave the house and forgo the necessity to pretend that I was shocked and appalled at the news. If only you had seen our mother, Emily, I am sure you would have dearly repented causing her so much anxiety over your whereabouts and distress at having brought up such an ungrateful daughter. Yet I do not know that there is anything you can ever do to make amends for your thoughtless and perilous actions! Her heart is quite broken.

In the evening father came home and, sitting next to mother on the sofa, where she had been reclining half-faint after dinner, told her that he had heard some very strange rumours concerning your whereabouts. I know for a fact that mother wished to conceal the affair from father until she had any definite knowledge of it herself but realizing that all concealment was now impossible she broke down in tears and related to him what she had learned from Mrs. Berry. Father was naturally much struck by her communication and wished to proceed to Aunt Grey’s immediately and demand an explanation. Dreading that he should leave her while the household was in the state of great calamity, mother did faint, which expedient effectively stopped father from quitting the room. While the maid was restoring mother to her senses, I told father that the letter of inquiry had already been posted and pleaded with him not to leave us now that mother was unwell.

The next few days dragged by in a very slow and sombre manner and if it had not been raining without cessation I should have been greatly vexed at being shut up at home. But father got it into his head that Julia and I should elope next and made us stay in the same room with either him or mother for company. I did not dare take up my pen and write to you, afraid as I was that they should discover our correspondence and at the very first occasion that I had of sneaking into my room, in order to change before dinner, I took your letter and burnt it, for I had overheard to my extreme horror and indignation, as I was departing the drawing-room, that they meant to search our bed-chambers and all our personal things that might conceal secret notes and gifts.

Can you imagine that instead of a letter from Aunt Grey, that we had been expecting, she arrived herself? She was as badly out of breath as Mrs. Berry and nearly faint with exhaustion, informing us with much gurgling and gulping, that she had been on the road without a stop, anxious as she was to be of assistance to mother and father at such a trying time as was now upon them. She confessed to be much mortified by such a scandal to have taken place at her school and, having assured mother and father that she would have kept a closer eye on you had she noticed anything at all suspicious in your conduct, presented them with the parting note that you had left. They keep reading it over and over again, in vain looking for clues as to the identity of the mystery man you eloped with.

I hope for your sake that your Captain has kept his word and married you by now, because if he has not, I do not know what is to become of you now that everyone is aware of your elopement. But the fact that he does not wish you to meet any of his friends and does not take you out is very suspicious and I should not be much surprised to learn that he has someone to conceal. I do not know what else to tell you. I am in great confusion and trepidation: I wonder whether I should disclose to mother and father what I know, but how can I when I gave you my word that I would not? In any case, I do not think that I have the courage to do it, for I can quite imagine their reaction and with you away, I will be the one to be scolded and locked up. I am not yet certain how and when I shall have an opportunity to send this letter so it might take a while to reach you and I pray that when I next time receive your letter you shall sign it as Mrs. Twycross.