Excerpt from Chapter 2 of “Ramsgate”

Hello, Janeites! Happy May! I hope your year has been going wonderfully, and will continue to bring you joy!

Schroeder Boys L-R: 11 (5’7″), 16 (6’2″), 15 (6’1″)

As a busy mom of three handsome boys (I’m biased, I know), sometimes things get lost in the shuffle, and I go into cruise control. There are things that we know will happen with our children:  Timmy (our oldest) will always immediately do what we ask him; Mikey (Our middle) will always work hard at making everything as complete and correct as possible, and our Christopher (our youngest)…well, our Christopher will just be our Christopher. He will forget to put his backpack in his room, leave his dirty uniform on the floor, and leave the milk on the counter. But, our Christopher has the weight of Atlas on his shoulders.

Baseball Teammates. Our boy at 10 years old.

Our ‘baby’ at 11 years old is already 5’7″ tall. He wears a size 13.5 shoe and looks like one of the coaches on his baseball team, instead of a player. He has always been a big kid, and therefore, since he was young we have encouraged him to always be the ‘helper;’ to be the protector of those students who feel like they have no friends. He is the one who encourages everyone to follow the rules; he is  the one who willingly gives his seat up immediately for others. And as proud as I am to be his mom, as we were driving home the other day, I asked him if he was happy; if he wishes that for one day he wasn’t the big kid. And my sweet boy said, “Mom, there are days I wish someone at school would take care of me.” BOOM! My world started to crumble a little as I realized what I had done all those years ago.

Football: We carry his birth certificate with us to assure people he is playing at the correct age level.

After an in-depth discussion about how Mommy didn’t make herself clear, and how everyone on the playground truly WASN’T his responsibility (we are making small strides towards that realization–what an example of how a good thing can go wrong!),  I kept thinking about what he said. “I wish someone at school would take care of me.”

His statement made me think about how we look at people. How we always imagine that they have it together, because…well…they always seem to. And THEN (as my mind often does), I thought about Pride and Prejudice and Elizabeth Bennet. According to one of our favorite heroines,  “My courage always rises at every attempt to intimidate me.” But what if it didn’t? What if Elizabeth was tired, and just ‘done?’ What if she wanted someone else to take care of her, so she could just…be…Elizabeth?

What follows is just such a moment. As you may recall, in my Work In Progress (with the placeholder title of Ramsgate) Elizabeth has foiled Mr. Wickham’s plot to elope with Georgiana before Mr. Darcy arrives. She then returns to Hertfordshire, never having learned the young woman’s name whom she helped, so she has no known connection to anyone at Netherfield. She neither likes Mr. Darcy, nor has he accepted his feelings for her yet.

In this raw (not professionally edited) excerpt, Elizabeth and Jane are presently staying at Netherfield due to Jane’s illness. They have just come down stairs to be in company with the residents of the great estate, and the reader will be pleased with who actually defends Elizabeth regarding an earlier slight, and how subtly it is done.

The fire in the sitting room at Netherfield was roaring at an unusually high heat while one of the principal occupants milled around like a mother hen. With Jane’s first day in company after having been in the house for several days, Mr. Bingley appeared most attentive than the mistress of the house. Elizabeth looked on with pleasure as the lord of the manner instructed a footman to bring blankets to drape around Jane. His fussing and flitting about was a tell-tale sign to her that her sister’s affections were reciprocated.

“I say, Miss Bennett. I cannot tell you how glad I am to see you with us this evening. I have been most concerned for your well-being. The only solace I have had is that Miss Elizabeth has been your faithful companion while you were convalescing.”

Mr. Bingley leaned toward her and tucked the blanket around her, stopping mid-motion, recognizing the impropriety. “Forgive me.”

“All is well, Sir,” Jane said blushing. “I am grateful for your attention to my health. Lizzy has shared the concern of all members of the party, and I thank you.” Jane glanced around the room, smiling.

“Dear, Jane,” Miss Bingley said. “It is nothing when one is as close of friends as we are. I am determined to see you well and back home as soon as may be to the family who loves you.” She turned to Mrs. Hurst, “I would not wish to linger longer than necessary in a house which was not my own. The familiar sights and sounds would call for me to return as quickly as possible to ensure my comfort.” Turning back to Jane with an ingratiating smile, she sighed. “That is all I have wished for you, dear friend. These several days.”

Elizabeth watched as the smile on Janes lips faltered during Miss Bingley’s little speech. Rebranding it on her lips, she turned and looked at Elizabeth with a new understanding, before thanking the mistress of the house and continuing her conversation with Mr. Bingley.

A footman entered the room and bowed low before saying, “Miss Bingley, Mrs. Nichols is in need of a word with you.”

Looking affronted, Caroline rose imperiously. “Since our party is incomplete, I will excuse myself to deal with estate matters. One has so many responsibilities when the mistress of an estate. I will return shortly.”

She will return as soon as she can in hopes of not missing a moment with Mr. Darcy. Elizabeth chuckled and picked up her sewing as she relaxed into the couch across from Jane and Mr. Bingley. They were quite a merry little party, content in their own little world on their side of the room, with Mrs. Hurst and her husband on the opposite side, he asleep, and she playing with her bracelets.

After a few moments of conversation, Mr. Darcy entered the room and walked directly to Jane. “Miss Bennett, it is good to see you down with us. You are looking well.”

“Thank you, Mr. Darcy. I am feeling well, thanks to my hosts and their care.”

“And also your sister, I am sure.”

“To be sure,” Jane replied.

“Darcy, sit with us,” Mr. Bingley said, as the man began to walk across the room. “Miss Bennet and I were just speaking of accomplishments and I mentioned how gifted Miss Darcy is.”

“You were speaking of Georgiana?”

“We were speaking of accomplishments and although Caroline often inflates her opinion of people, I cannot fault her with Miss Darcy’s playing of the pianoforte.”

Mr. Darcy sat on the couch by Elizabeth, and she tamped down her irritation of having the man so close.

“Other than the pianoforte, what other accomplishments does she possess?” Jane asked, turning a gentle gaze on Mr. Darcy.

“She is quite adept at painting tables, netting purses and the like.”

“I am certain you are being too modest, Sir. Miss Bingley has spoken to me of her many talents and I find myself feeling not up to par.”

Much to Elizabeth’s delight, Mr. Bingley immediately came to her sister’s unnecessary defense. “I assure you, Miss Bennet. Miss Darcy’s talents may be remarkable, but you have charms of your own which make you enchanting.”

She saw Mr. Darcy tighten his jaw and wasn’t sure if it was because of the compliment to her sister, or the seeming insult to his. Jane must have witnessed it as well because in her most ‘Jane like’ manner, she smiled at Mr. Darcy.

“Forgive the apparent slight to your sister, Sir. I am certain her abilities far surpass my own, and that is no attempt to inflate my own self-importance. That is speaking a fact.”

“Miss Bennet, I assure you, my sister has had training on the pianoforte since she could barely walk. Everyone’s accomplishments and talents are at different levels.”

Jane touched her finger to her lip in thought before replying. “That is true, Sir. Some might judge people to be merely tolerable, I suppose but not accomplished enough to impress others. No, we should all take stock of our own capabilities and not degrade those who we have not met. Please do not think I would ever judge your sister as such. Just as I would never want you to judge any of mine before knowing them.” At that she smiled and turned to Bingley to continue their conversation, leaving Mr. Darcy with a puzzled expression until the significance dawned, and he turned to Elizabeth who had lowered her gaze and was concentrating quite decidedly on her embroidery.

And what do you think of that, my friends?  I always knew Jane had it in her. Sometimes those who always have the strength appreciate when others can help them fight the battles before them!

This excerpt is just one small example of when another character will surprise us and make Elizabeth’s world a little easier in the story.

And my son?  Well, my sweet boy is taking it all in stride. He is an old soul and still feels the need to help others. BUT now, thanks to a wonderful group of friends on my speed dial, and his great teachers,  we all make sure that others are helping him too!