The Unexpected Past of Miss Jane Austen (ARC)

by Ada Bright

  ‘Do not fear, Miss Wallace.’ Cassandra touched her arm, smiling reassuringly. ‘The gentleman is as strong as any other; it is not a hopeless case, and there remains no sign of infection, for which we must all be thankful.’

  ‘I am thankful. And grateful.’ She looked back at Charles, then to Cassandra. ‘I really am.’ She bit her lip. ‘Did he… was he in much pain?’ What a stupid question! How could he not have been in agony?

  Charles shrugged. ‘He took some brandy and has since had laudanum. He is a brave man, Miss Wallace, but now he needs rest. Mr Lyford has committed to staying overnight with him, and the surgeon will return on the morrow. He has vowed to stay in the district until… well, until his services are no longer required. He will not be far away, having taken lodgings in Alton.’

  The tension in Rose’s shoulders eased a little at Charles’ calm reassurances, and she threw Cassandra a pleading look, and she held out a hand.

  ‘You may see him, but…’ She glanced over at the maid as they approached the bed, then said in a whisper, ‘We cannot afford to feed the servants’ hall with talk.’

  Conscious she must step up to the mark and show an indifference she was far from feeling, Rose nodded. They had reached the bedside now, and she stared down at Aiden, her heart almost in splinters. She looked away, forcing her eyes wide. This was no time for tears.

  ‘Thank you, Miss Austen.’

  Charles had taken a seat by the hearth, and Rose spoke quietly to the lady at her side. ‘Perhaps you would be so kind as to ask your sister to join us? There is something I must discuss with her without delay.’

  Cassandra said nothing for a moment, her expression unreadable. Then, the lady turned to the maid. ‘Jenkins, would you ask Miss Austen to join us here directly?’

  ‘Yes, miss.’ The maid bobbed a curtsey and hurried over to the door leading to the servants’ staircase, slipping through it and out of sight, and Cassandra led her back over to a seat opposite her brother’s. ‘I regret we cannot leave you alone with Mr Trevellyan, but you do understand?’

  ‘Yes, of course.’ Rose sent Cassandra an apologetic look. ‘I am trying, believe me, to behave properly and in particular not to embarrass your family, which has shown me such kindness.’

  ‘I am not embarrassed.’ Charles winked at her, but Cassandra shook her head at him as she sat down.

  ‘You must not encourage her, Charles. I swear it is your influence which has made Jane so reckless in recent years.’

  Charles assumed an innocent expression. ‘Me, dear Sister?’ He laughed quietly. ‘We are both full aware Jane requires no undue influence. She remains, as she always has been, a law unto herself!’

  ‘I will stay until Jane is here.’ Cassandra took a seat beside Rose.

  ‘Yes, yes, of course.’ Despite her underlying agitation, Rose was filled with gratitude for the eldest Miss Austen’s care. ‘I mean no disrespect to the medical attention and care you have all shown Aiden, but I must talk to Jane about the charm, and…’ She looked over at Charles. ‘And to your brother also, as he is so connected with it.’ She turned troubled eyes to the motionless figure in the bed.

  She had to do what was best for Aiden right now, and that meant doing everything in her power to try and find a way out of this mess. She would do anything to solve this. Absolutely anything.

  By the time Jane arrived in Aiden’s room, the servant had returned to his bedside, and Jane hurried across to where Rose was as Charles walked over to Jenkins.

  ‘Thank you, Jenkins.’ Charles took the cloth from the maid’s unresisting hand. ‘You may return to your duties. I will attend the gentleman for now; we will call, should we require anything.’

  Nothing was said as the maid left the room, but Charles walked over to secure the lock on the door to the servants’ staircase before turning to face Rose and his sisters. ‘I suspect we shall not wish to be overheard.’

  Jane took a seat beside Rose and Cassandra. ‘Jenkins said you wished to talk to me.’ She frowned. ‘Where did you go? I had been searching the grounds for you, but found no trace.’

  Rose felt a little guilty. ‘I’m sorry. I just needed to… I had to get away for a while. I went for a walk.’

  ‘To Baigens, I suspect.’ Jane eyed her kindly, and Rose smiled faintly, recalling the comfort she had found there.

  ‘Yes.’ She was reminded of the straightforward approach of her father. ‘Would you both tell me everything you know about the charm? Where it came from, how it works, anything you can recall? There may be something significant we’ve overlooked.’

  Charles exchanged a look with Jane as he walked over to join them. ‘Shall I begin?’

  ‘In the absence of the lady from whom you purchased the charm, Brother, your account must claim all rights to being the commencement of the tale.’

  Taking up a pose in front of the fireplace, Charles cleared his throat dramatically and began, and Rose tried to listen as he recounted how he’d met Drusilla, the medicine woman. Charles had a way of delivering the story as if they were in a pub during a lock-in. As he launched into another colourful anecdote, this time of how Drusilla had claimed she had put a hex on a colleague of his for calling her a hag, Rose felt it might be best if she asked direct questions.

  ‘Captain Austen, could you say how old she was?’

  He raised a brow. ‘A gentleman does not speculate on such things.’

  Jane rolled her eyes. ‘Do not pretend you did not assess it, Charles.’

  He grinned, then turned to Rose, his expression sobering. ‘I will own, it was hard to determine. If I had to guess I would say—’ Charles paused, then laughed, ‘I would say it varied! On occasion, she seemed quite elderly, an easy companion for my mother. Yet there would be times when I could swear she had more youth in her than I.’ He seemed lost in thought for a moment, then smirked at Rose. ‘I can see I have disappointed you.’

  ‘No, not at all.’ Rose shook her head. ‘It is just… curiosity.’ Why was she even asking him this?

  Charles, however, was continuing. ‘Her skin was sallow, her hair black, streaked with grey. She was a sturdy woman, with keen eyes, and favoured eccentric dress. There! It is not a lack of observational skills, more so that her age was difficult to determine.’

  He seemed rather proud of his answer, and Rose thanked him before adding, ‘And what did she say about the charm, the one you purchased for Jane? Can you remember the exact words?’

  Leaning against the wall, his hands behind his back, Charles shrugged. ‘It was nigh on thirteen years ago, but I had little enough conversation with her directly and thus it is not difficult to recall those words that were exchanged. Besides, I have been going over them myself since Jane spoke of the problem.’ He grunted. ‘If I were not wary of whose eyes might fall upon it, I would record the exchange, that I might never have to speak of it again.’

  ‘I am sorry.’

  The captain shook his head at Rose. ‘Pay me no mind, Miss Wallace. I underwent a similar interrogation the last time something went awry – but you know all about that, do you not?’

  ‘Yes.’ How could Rose ever forget?

  ‘Charles, we are no further forward.’ Cassandra gave him a pleading look.

  ‘Quite. So I had agreed to purchase three necklaces, and Drusilla had placed two in a fabric wrapping, tied with string, but the third she took from her own pocket and made as if to hand it to me rather than wrap it. I asked her to please do the same for it as she had the other two, but she shook her head and said…’ He straightened up, summoning a raspy but noticeably female voice. ‘“From my hand to yours, from yours to hers. This is the way, the only way.”’

  Jane smirked. ‘Charles would have taken to the stage, had he thought our father would condone it. As it was, he felt it best not to ask.’

  He bowed at his sister, smiling widely. ‘The quarterdeck is all the stage I require, and well am I suited to it.’

  ‘And did you ask her how it worked?’ Rose looked
expectantly at Charles. Surely this was going to give them a clue… somehow… somewhere…

  The gentleman, however, shrugged. ‘You must understand, Miss Wallace, many incomprehensible things arise when visiting far-off places. One learns it is best to take all in one’s stride, so to speak. Thus, I did as I was bid and held out my hand. She slid the charm from hers into mine, saying “Guard it well.” I slipped it into my coat so as to keep it separate from the others. Then, she said, “May your sister harness her new life with all the passion, intelligence and curiosity you claim she possesses.”’

  ‘So you had expressly asked for something for Jane?’

  ‘Not in so many words. I had no notion of the inanimate object bearing such powers. I was merely indulging in the sort of light conversation one does when making a purchase. She claimed to have something I might find of interest, something that would cost me dearly in coinage, but that she felt would bring my sister all she longed for. She claimed to no longer have any use of it.’

  Rose was leaning forward. ‘And?’

  Charles shrugged again. ‘The last thing she said was “From time to time, not place to place; forward is forward; back to retrace.” She was a bit odd at the best of times, so I just thanked her. I had already paid her. I said my goodbyes and went back to my ship.’

  Rose looked down at her hands clasped in her lap. She hadn’t realised how tightly she’d been gripping them together. Surely there must be a clue here? She raised her eyes to Charles, who was studying her silently. ‘She gave no other explanation? Did you suspect what the cross might be capable of?’

  Charles glanced at Jane. ‘I… had a feeling it was something special, but I only half believed the woman. Some of the astounding things I had witnessed her do, her healing talents, were beyond crediting, yet so it was. She had a… touch, a way about her. She was, for all her strangeness, respected. Sought out, even, in times of medical need. Was it influenced by the mood of the place itself? I declare, I know not.’

  A sudden thought struck Rose, and she gasped. Was it possible? ‘Can we not write to her? Ask her how to restore its power?’ She looked eagerly from Jane and Cassandra to Charles. ‘Or send it to her for her to work her… magic on?’

  Charles, however, had grown solemn. ‘She could not read or write. Besides, she is no longer living.’

  Jane frowned. ‘How do you know this?’

  Her brother looked at Jane sadly. ‘I heard of her passing in a letter from a colleague stationed in the town. She was deemed to be of an unnaturally long life but the epidemic of the year four finally took her.’

  Her burst of hope fading, Rose turned in her seat to look at Jane, determined not to give up. ‘How did you know you could slip through time when wearing the charm?’

  Jane raised her brows. ‘By accident at first, of course. Then, by design – experimenting.’

  Aiden coughed suddenly and seemed to be trying to clear his throat, and all eyes turned to look towards the figure in the bed. Was he conscious? Rose made to get to her feet, but Jane reached over and held her back, shaking her head.

  He wasn’t moving and made no more sound, and Rose sank back into her seat. ‘So… what is the next step in the story?’

  Chapter 29

  ‘Charles wrote to tell us of capturing a privateer and earning some prize money. You can imagine our scolding of him when we learned he had laid out some of it on gifts for the ladies in the family.’ Jane sent her brother a fond look. ‘But we were also delighted, though it was some time before we received them, for Charles was at sea a while longer.

  ‘When he finally returned, we were living in Bath. He came to make some stay with us and presented us with our gifts.’ Jane smiled at him. ‘At least, he presented the gifts to Mama and Cass, then drew me aside and asked that I walk with him in the garden. Once out of earshot, he bade me hold out my hand and slipped the necklace from his hand to mine, as he had been instructed. He told me how he was unsure what it would do, other than Drusilla’s words: from time to time, not place to place; forward is forward; back to retrace.

  ‘I had little thought for her meaning at the time.’ Jane touched the empty spot at her throat. ‘Then one day I took the necklace out and placed it about my neck, meaning to admire it in the looking glass in the parlour. I had become particularly frustrated with being paraded about Bath like a prize cow.’

  ‘Jane!’ Cassandra threw her an appalled look, but Jane continued unabashed.

  ‘Both Cass and I were. Our parents – leastways, our mother – felt moving to Bath would be her last chance to offload us onto willing husbands.’ She looked from Rose to Charles and back again. ‘I suppose I must have wondered about the future, my future, and all went black. In an instant, I was looking at my reflection once more, but I could see that all around me was altered – including the glass itself. You will recall where I was, Rose: in the front parlour at Sydney Place, yet not in your time or mine. I believe I had gone only a few years forward, but it was clear we no longer lived there, for none of our possessions or furniture remained. I could hear unfamiliar voices in an adjacent chamber and knew I must not be found there. I did not know what to do, but then I recalled the words: forward is forward; back to retrace. Desperately hoping I had understood, I turned the charm around against my throat, thinking of my home and lo, I was restored to the very same parlour I left.’ She smiled smugly. ‘It is quite astonishing how resourceful one can be when under duress!’

  ‘Do you know what year you first went to?’

  Jane shook her head. ‘I was there but a few seconds; only sufficient to comprehend there was something very special about my charm.’

  A rustling came from the direction of Aiden’s bed, and his voice mumbled something, and it took all Rose’s self-control not to go to him. She needed to sit still and listen; that was the best way to aid him right now. ‘So then what did you do?’

  Jane raised her chin. ‘What else was I to do?’ She spoke defensively, and Charles shook his head at her.

  ‘You need not speak so for my benefit, dear Sister. You know you have always had my support for your… adventures.’

  Cassandra tutted, but said nothing, and Jane turned to Rose. ‘I started testing the power of the charm and soon discovered the boundaries of its ability.’

  Charles smiled. ‘She began venturing forward and back through time; ’tis a miracle she was not arrested!’

  Rose stared at Charles. He seemed so cavalier, so relishing of the gift he had procured for Jane and its power with no consideration for the risks.

  ‘It is possible some tales of hauntings, or spirits walking the earth have, at their core, a misguided visit from myself.’ Jane looked incredibly proud of herself.

  Charles’ smile widened. ‘Dear Sister, I know not how I can atone for the transgression of gifting you the charm.’

  ‘Transgression, indeed.’ Jane rolled her eyes. ‘I doubt Mama will ever acquit you, and you are fortunate it is in Cass’s nature to be forgiving.’

  Cassandra merely shook her head, and Rose pressed on.

  ‘How many times have you used the charm?’ Jane raised her hands in a shrug, so Rose rephrased her question. ‘At any point, when slipping through time, has the charm ever played up – I mean, malfunctioned?’

  Jane shook her head. ‘Until now, excepting the time with you, it has never disappointed me, and that was hardly a malfunction, merely the loss of it.’

  Rose looked down at her hands, and then, wistfully, towards Aiden. He seemed to be becoming restless, though his eyes remained closed, and her heart went out to him. How far away did all this seem from their walk through Henrietta Park? From their mutual realisation they had been crushing on each other for three years, from their first kiss… It seemed like an eternity ago.

  ‘Wait!’

  Rose started, her head whipping round to face the lady.

  ‘There was something…’ Jane looked guiltily to her brother. ‘I recall one other occasion when it failed to work,
though at the time…’

  The tension in Rose’s shoulders increased. ‘Yes?’

  ‘After our little episode, Rose, my family was understandably upset and my parents forbade me to travel again. There was a particular day when I felt desperate for escape. Papa had passed and we remained in Bath but in lodgings on Gay Street. Once I had been tempted into using the charm again, I could not refrain.’ A strange look filtered across Jane’s face, and she sent Rose an impish look. ‘I have seen Bath in your future, Rose.’

  ‘Yes, I know.’

  Jane eyes flicked briefly towards where Aiden lay. ‘Not the present future; a future you have yet to see.’

  ‘Oh!’ Rose’s eyes widened. What on earth had Jane seen of her life?

  ‘Most intriguing, dear sister.’ Charles shifted his position. ‘But you must continue with the present for now.’

  ‘It helped me to cope with the dismal outlook for myself and my sister.’ Jane smiled ruefully, exchanging a look with Cassandra. ‘Yet it was my sister who put an end to it. Cass discovered what I was about and became so distressed, I gave her my word I would cease – and I had every intention of doing so – but one day I could not resist taking one last trip. I had intended to come and see you, Rose. I told no one, placing the charm about my neck, but nothing happened.’ Jane had paled, her expression serious. ‘I had long considered it my own conscience that caused the charm to stall. But, perhaps…’

  Agitated, Rose stood up. ‘Perhaps it was drained before through your excessive use! What happened? How did you fix it?’

  ‘I did nothing that I can recall other than leave it be. I chose to believe it had become inanimate, nothing more than a pretty trifle, much as the other two.’

  ‘But you did use it. You came to fetch me.’ Rose wrapped her arms around her middle, thinking hard. ‘So how long was it before you thought to try it again?’

  ‘I did not use the charm for some years. As you know, after we last met, my life became quite unsettled, moving from temporary lodgings again and again, until we settled in Southampton with Frank’s family. Then, we came here in the year nine, and I was fulfilled by writing and revising my works. It was only in recent months I gave the charm any thought… when I made the acquaintance of Mr Wallace and became reminded of you, Rose; of my dear friend in the future.’ She took Rose’s hand. ‘I had no reason to think it might hold any powers now, but I tested it all the same, and lo, I arrived in Chawton in the same year I had met you, much to my delight. I returned home and tarried upon September, when I knew where you resided and thus how to become reacquainted with ease, and came forward at an opportune moment.’