The Unexpected Past of Miss Jane Austen (ARC)

by Ada Bright

  Jane shrugged. ‘That is as may be. I had no idea what an O level was, though the use of the word examination perhaps gave it sufficient clarity.‘

  ‘It’s like the OWLs? You know, from the Harry Potter books you were reading? Exams in various school subjects. He was probably talking about an English Lit paper.’ Rose stopped. Was she starting to believe this nonsense?

  Jane smiled. ‘I regret I was unable to finish them all. I have longed to know the outcome for Mr Potter and his friends.’

  Rose grasped at the distraction. ‘I can tell you, if you want to hear?’

  Jane shook her head. ‘I prefer to read it for myself. It will give me something to look forward to next time I slip through to the future.’ She got to her feet. ‘Come, Rose. We have laboured the point long enough. If you will not take my word on this, then we must endeavour to find a way to prove it one way or the other.’

  Rising slowly to her feet, Rose’s gaze narrowed as she stared at Jane. ‘Why are you persisting with this? You must have misheard him.’

  ‘I did not. And pray, what would you give as his reason for being on such guard? He could have no reason to suspect any of his neighbours would believe someone from the future could exist here. The gentleman is not being as careful as I would advise, were you in his shoes.’

  Rose put a hand to her head. ‘It can’t be true. I mean, how… why?’

  Jane eyed her sympathetically. ‘I believe it more likely to be true than that all of these clues amount to nothing.’ The sound of footsteps drew their attention, but Jane continued as Aiden made his way towards them. ‘Even so, I cannot be sure without unmasking the man – and thus myself.’

  Aiden greeted them with a smile, but then his gaze narrowed as he looked at Rose. ‘Is something up?’

  Rose had no words.

  Jane merely raised a brow. ‘A broad question, sir.’ She sent Rose a meaningful glance, then inclined her head towards Aiden, and with a reciprocal nod, Rose turned to him. Telling Aiden might be exactly what she needed right now.

  ‘Jane believes her neighbour, a Mr Wallace, is my long-dead father.’

  If it were not for her conflicted feelings, Rose would have loved to frame the look on Aiden’s face. In the past twenty-four hours, he had navigated the revelation of a secret three-year crush and the discovery that slipping through time was possible with barely a raised brow. This, however, was apparently one step too far.

  ‘Sorry?’

  Rose’s lips twitched at the unusually high pitch to his normally low-toned voice, but then she sighed. This was no time for humour.

  ‘My father died—’ Rose hesitated, glancing at Jane, who turned to Aiden.

  ‘The gentleman was lost at sea when Rose was very young, off the coast of Gibraltar. It was there, a few years ago, that my brother, Charles, met a Mr Christopher Wallace. They became friends, and Charles was instrumental in helping Mr Wallace and his family take up a tenancy on the Chawton estate some six months ago.’

  ‘I see.’ Aiden cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair. ‘At least, I think I do. You think there is a connection, and this is the reason you brought Rose here? To ascertain the truth?’

  Rose’s eyes searched his face. Was he being polite by not rejecting the idea outright? She wanted him to say something simple and brilliant that would put this idea out of both Jane’s head and – it was increasingly important – her own.

  ‘Indeed.’ Jane gestured towards the lane. ‘Come, my brothers are expecting us.’

  ‘Do they know?’

  Jane said nothing until they had left the churchyard and turned their steps up the driveway towards the house. ‘They are versed in my… activities, but that is all. I have shared my suspicions with no one but my sister.’ She started to walk up the drive, then said over her shoulder, ‘And now both of you.’

  Rose’s insides were swirling, her mind full of confusion and questions – so many questions!

  ‘Rose?’

  With a start, she turned to Aiden, who offered her his arm, and she took it gratefully. He covered her hand with his, giving it a gentle squeeze, and she drew in a steadying breath. With Aiden beside her, she would find her way through this – whatever it turned out to be.

  They had turned their steps to follow Jane, who was some way ahead up the drive now, and they walked in silence for a moment.

  Then, he glanced at her. ‘Are you okay?’

  Rose squeezed his arm. ‘I’m fine.’ Was she? It was easy to say, but…

  ‘Is it possible, what Jane is suggesting?’

  Rose shrugged lightly as they began to walk up the slope to the house. ‘I think it’s possible this family could be distant relations – and I mean very distant. But my actual father?’ Rose shook her head. ‘How can it be? Why would it be? It’s sad, but he died. People do. It was an accident, that’s all.’

  Aiden drew Rose to a halt and turned her to face him, taking her hands in his. ‘I hate having to ask but… was he ever found?’

  Rose shook her head. ‘But neither was anyone else. There were four men on the boat when it went down. It’s a lovely idea, I suppose… that he never died, that instead he somehow appeared somewhere else, but…’ Rose hesitated. ‘I don’t want to embarrass Jane or hurt her feelings. She’s so obviously convinced about this, but I can’t believe it.’

  They began to walk again and, at Aiden’s pressing, Rose related the whole of her conversation with Jane, then waited for his reaction. Now the words were out, she almost felt purged and some of the tension in her shoulders was easing. In repetition, the odd remarks Mr Wallace had made didn’t sound nearly as compelling as when Jane had first mentioned them. Aiden’s scholarly mind would soon find a logical explanation and help her explain to Jane how things stood.

  Rose looked at him expectantly as they reached the steps into the house, Jane having long disappeared inside. Then she frowned. He was taking a long time to do it.

  ‘You don’t agree with me.’

  ‘I’m not sure it’s that simple, Rose.’

  She drew in a short breath, then nodded. ‘Sorry, it’s just that I’m starting to feel as though I’m going mad, and you’re the least unhinged person I know. Tell me what you’re thinking, Aiden; don’t spare my feelings. I need your perspective.’

  Aiden’s face softened, but rather than look at her when he spoke, he looked above her head, across the terraces to the east of Chawton House.

  ‘I am not entirely new to the improbable. There are things I’ve come across in my research and on various digs that defy explanation. However, the last few hours have taught me I’m but a novice. Perhaps it’s this sudden awareness making me more open, or simply my emotional distance from the matter?’ He laid a hand against her cheek, his eyes warm and reassuring. ‘I can’t begin to imagine what you are thinking and feeling, Rose, but we need to accept there may be something in this. If the only person we know who has experience of slipping from one time to another feels this strongly she has recognised another, we might be wise to consider her opinion very seriously.’

  ‘But…’ Rose wanted to protest, to say what she knew: her father was dead. But did she really know anything? After all, being in the time period they were was preposterous. Aiden had a point; she’d known he would. She just hadn’t expected it to be on the side of the impossible.

  Chapter 5

  Edward Knight, né Austen, being fully versed in his sister’s escapades in toying with time, seemed to find his visitors at least as fascinating as they did him.

  Trying not to stare as she was introduced to him, Rose took the seat she was bid beside Jane. Thankful for the interlude, and the distraction from Jane’s strange reason for bringing her back in time, Rose looked around the great hall as surreptitiously as she could, trying to take in how the room differed from the present day, noting the stone floor and the heavy curtains hanging by the openings in the oak screen separating the room from the entrance hallway.

  ‘Miss Wallace?’
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  Turning her attention back to the company, Rose smiled at Edward. ‘Forgive me, sir. I was admiring the room.’

  Edward straightened in his seat, looking pleased. ‘It is a fine one, is it not? Of course, it is nothing to the accommodations at Godmersham, but with my tenant’s departure, it was an opportune moment to assess the property and commence improvements whilst some renovations were carried out in Kent.’ His expression narrowed as he glanced at Jane. ‘We were due to return home after a visit to Henry in town. Fanny,’ he frowned at Jane, ‘was most put out when I sent her home to Godmersham instead of permitting her the promised excursion.’

  ‘My brother’s household has all returned to Kent after passing the summer here in Chawton, and Charles’ wife and family accompanied them.’ Jane looked from Rose to Aiden. ‘We are able to speak openly, for there are but we four here at present; Edward,’ she gestured at her brother, ‘is well versed in my travels.’

  Rose looked over at Edward. Well versed he might be, but his face was disapproving. Jane, on the other hand, looked amused.

  ‘Edward does not consider it fitting behaviour, not least in a sister. He is, nonetheless, intrigued by it all the same. Indeed, when Charles first…’ She stopped and looked around. ‘Where is Charles?’

  With a grunt, Edward got to his feet and walked over to the vast hearth where a fire burned merrily. ‘He took a tumble on his ride this morning. He has gone to repair the damage to his attire.’ Then, he turned to face the three of them, and Rose exchanged a quick glance with Aiden, who sent her a reassuring smile.

  ‘You have made my brother’s acquaintance, sir.’ He inclined his head towards Aiden, then looked back to Rose. ‘He shoulders great responsibility in his profession, with so many lives in his hands, yet it does not take much for him to revert to the foibles of childhood when at his leisure.’ He eyed Rose beadily for a moment, and she leaned back in her seat, wondering what he was going to say. ‘His foolish gift to Jane is a fine example of his recklessness. Such a secret we must now harbour in our breasts.’

  Jane tutted. ‘All families have secrets, Edward.’

  ‘Ours is just more fascinating than most, is it not, Sister?’

  Rose looked over her shoulder. The young man she had seen only briefly the night before had entered the room. Aged in his thirties, his dark hair cropped fashionably short, Captain Charles Austen was of lean build but his presence was such that he seemed so much larger.

  ‘I trust you rested well after your journey, Miss Wallace.’ He bowed formally. ‘I assure you, Mr Trevellyan was afforded every comfort we could offer him.’

  ‘And I appreciate your generosity, sir.’ Aiden looked to Edward, who smiled.

  ‘We are well supplied with produce from the estate, it is true.’

  ‘Speaking of which, Edward.’ Jane got to her feet and joined him by the fire. ‘With a visitor in the house, Mama asked if I might petition for some additional supplies.’

  ‘Of course.’ Edward waved a hand. ‘I shall send word to Parsons; the kitchen garden is at your disposal, as always.’ He turned to address Aiden and his brother. ‘We are lacking a hostess; otherwise, we would have you all to dinner.’

  ‘You know Cass would be more than happy to oblige, should you think to invite us, Brother.’ Jane’s expression was amused as she exchanged a look with her younger brother.

  ‘I fear we dine too late to suit Mama’s digestion, Jane.’

  The conversation fell to discussing comparisons of dining habits, and Rose found her attention drifting and she got to her feet and walked over to one of the tall windows fronting onto the driveway. Her shoes were beginning to rub her heels sore. She’d been able to remove the bonnet, which had been making her head itch, and the gloves, for which she found the weather far too warm. If only she could shed with equal ease the discomfort swirling around inside her or the whirlwind of thoughts spinning in her head.

  Should she pay a little more attention to Aiden’s approach to all this? He was an intelligent, well-educated man, but although she’d known him for three years, she didn’t exactly know him, did she? He seemed well-grounded, sensible and, like Jane herself, not given to flights of fancy. Yet how could he even be giving Jane’s incredible theory any consideration? It just wasn’t possible.

  Nor is your being here in the first place. The thought whispered through her mind again, and Rose caught her breath, spinning around to face the room. Jane was at the nearby console table busying herself with preparing some tea now, along with a maid who had entered the room. Edward had returned to his seat, and he and Aiden were deep in conversation about the history of the house. Charles, in the meantime, sat a little apart from them and was studying Rose a little too intently for her comfort, and she stirred under his intense gaze.

  ‘Miss Wallace?’ With relief, Rose turned to Jane, who offered her a cup of tea.

  ‘Thank you.’

  ‘Dear Rose.’ Jane spoke quietly. ‘You really must begin to harden yourself to the idea of being worth looking at.’

  Rose summoned a smile as Jane turned away to serve the others, then took a cautious sip of the tea. It didn’t taste exactly as she was used to, but it was certainly more palatable than the hot chocolate.

  She turned back to look out of the window but had taken only one more sip of her drink when she became aware of someone beside her. Expecting it to be Aiden, she almost dropped her cup when she realised it was Charles Austen. He wasn’t looking at her this time, however, but out through the window.

  ‘There must be much that is alien to you, Miss Wallace.’ He glanced over his shoulder, then met Rose’s wary gaze. ‘My sister speaks very highly of you from her last… escapade. I confess to having been curious these many years.’

  ‘Curious, sir? Over what?’

  ‘Curious as to what sort of female could be even more bold than my sister.’

  Rose couldn’t help but laugh. ‘I do not believe anyone has ever described me in such a way before.’

  Charles’ brow rose, his eyes sparkling in a manner similar to his sister’s. ‘How else would you describe someone who, having been thrown out of the life they knew, would stop at nothing to restore it – even under threat of imprisonment?’

  Rose’s eyes widened. ‘Jane – forgive me – Miss Austen has told you all, then. I admit it does sound rather daring when described as such, but much of it was chance. I was also spurred on by necessity. If your sister has told you everything, you will know her writing lives on to inspire millions.’

  Her gaze wandering to where Aiden sat opposite Edward, Rose smiled slightly. ‘Circumstance can lead us to act out of our natural character, can it not?’

  ‘Most indubitably.’

  Charles took a sip of his own tea, but Rose’s eyes remained on Aiden. They may only have become close in recent days, but she knew his face almost as well as her own. If she was any judge, he was half listening to Edward and half trying to commit the stonework to memory.

  Charles turned to place his now empty cup on the console table. ‘Jane is a favourite amongst my siblings, yet even I struggle to imagine the extent of her fame in the future.’

  The gentleman’s narrowed gaze fastened on Aiden. Why would he be interested in him, other than as a curiosity? She shifted from one foot to the other, but Charles then suggested they join the rest of the party, and Rose fell thankfully into a seat.

  ‘I believe, now we are refreshed, we should turn our attention to the matter in hand: my sister’s purpose in bringing you here.’ He looked to Rose, then Aiden. ‘Has she spoken of it? She was convinced of the necessity, yet Edward and I remain in the dark.’

  Edward nodded. ‘I agree. I believe we have been sufficiently patient.’ His gaze fell on Rose, and she stirred warily. ‘What is so important it could not wait 200 years for Miss Wallace to work it out on her own?’

  Jane threw him a warning glance, and Edward inclined his head towards Rose.

  ‘Forgive me, madam. With the exception of t
he rather dramatic occurrence of our sister being lost to us for a while, this is the first time we have had any interaction ourselves with this strange phenomenon.’ His gaze remained fixed on Rose. ‘At present, I am unsure if my sentiments tend towards aversion or fascination.’

  Rose smiled faintly. ‘I am not certain how I feel about it either, sir.’

  Edward’s expression relaxed a little, but Charles laughed, and Rose met Aiden’s concerned gaze and forced a smile, wishing he was at her side. Were they expecting her to explain their sister’s inexplicable action? She had no desire to make Jane look ridiculous in front of her brothers.

  Jane placed her cup on a side table. ‘I have told you both several times, it is of a delicate nature.’

  ‘The rules of what should and should not be discussed have long become clouded when it comes to your adventures, Sister. I think it best we understand exactly what is afoot.’ Charles’ tone was pleasant but firm. ‘Would you rather I share my own?’ He didn’t wait for a reply, but turned to look at Rose. ‘Miss Wallace shares a family name with my friend, Wallace, who is a tenant here in Chawton.’ He turned to his sister. ‘Had you not interrogated me on everything I knew about the gentleman, I would be hard pressed to call it nothing more than a small coincidence, for it is a common enough name, is it not? But you sought every possible detail of my acquaintance with Wallace, and I would hazard you believe he and your friend here,’ he waved a hand towards Rose, ‘are related in some way.’

  Edward’s face brightened. ‘Is this all? But, to what end? It would be a fine coincidence indeed, should the family be revealed so, Jane. But where lies the urgency or obligation to take such drastic action?’

  All eyes turned on Rose.

  ‘It is… possible…’ She hesitated. ‘This man – he may be more closely related than you suspect. I… he…’ Rose floundered, and Aiden got to his feet and came to sit beside her, taking her hand in his and ignoring Jane’s pointed look before she turned to her brothers.

  ‘I believe Mr Wallace is not a distant relation, but Rose’s father, whom she has considered dead since she was a child.’