I Was Jane Austen's Best Friend by Cora Harrison Read Free Book Online

when he just banged on the door and then came flying in. The curtains were drawn back from the bed so all I could do was pull up the blankets very close to my chin and try not to blush. I can’t get used to being in a house where boys are running around all the time. Soon there will be even more because Henry and James, who are at Oxford University, are expected for the weekend, and Edward, Jane’s brother who was adopted by rich relations in Kent, will be coming back from his visit to Europe.
    Frank is very nice and most amusing. He and Jane and I were playing cards again yesterday evening, using buttons for money this time. It was great fun as Frank kept trying to cheat and Jane kept tut-tutting and saying things like: ‘He is but sixteen years old, but already he has embarked upon a life of crime. His parents brought him up from an early age to haveno principles. I fear that he will end by being transported to Australia as a convict.’
    Frank looks a bit like Jane, with his dark curly hair and dark eyes — and even at the end of the winter he is very suntanned. He has Jane’s rosy cheeks also, and now they were glowing with excitement. He came right up and sat on my bed.
    ‘The hunt’s meeting at Deane Gate Inn this morning, Jenny. Do you want to come and see us off? Jane is coming.’
    I hesitated and told him I wasn’t sure. Though I had been getting up each day after breakfast, my legs were still a little weak. ‘How far away is it?’
    ‘Not far and it’s a lovely day.’ Frank jerked the blind so suddenly that it flew up and the knob on the end of the cord pinged sharply against the window.

    It was a lovely day. The poplar tree outside my window had some tiny green buds on it and the sun lit the branches so that they shone gold. There was a flock of starlings whirling merrily around under a pale bluesky. Suddenly I felt a lot better and I thought I would love to go out and see the hunt set off. Frank looked very pleased when I told him.
    ‘Good! Get up quickly.’ He still hung around, looking out of the window at the woods beyond, as if he thought I would just slip out of bed and dress while he had his back turned. I coughed. I felt very embarrassed.
    ‘Oh, I’ll get out of your way so that you can dress.’
    Once he was gone, the door slamming behind him and his feet drumming on the wooden staircase, I got out of bed. The water in the pitcher was cold, but I poured some into the basin on the washstand and had a quick wash, drying myself in front of the fire. I put on two petticoats, a flannel one over my chemise and then my linen one, and I pulled on a pair of new woollen stockings, which went right up to my knees and made me feel nice and cosy. Then I got out my blue muslin gown from the clothes press. It had been washed and ironed, I think, because it was quite clean around the hem. The last time that I had worn it was in Southampton on that terrible night and I remembered noticing a streak of mud on the bottom of the skirt when I hung it up.
    Jane and Charles were just coming in the front door when I got to the bottom of the stairs.
    ‘Oh, Jenny, you’re coming to see the hunt — that’s good.’
    ‘Mama, Jenny is coming to see the hunt go off.’ Charles had a high voice that penetrated the whole house.
    Mrs Austen popped out from the preserves room, where she and Cassandra were labelling jars of pickled spring onions.
    ‘It’s too far,’ she said decidedly. ‘You’re not strong enough yet, Jenny. That hill is steep.’
    ‘She could go on Frank’s old pony,’ said Jane.
    I felt terrified at the idea because I can’t ride, and I said as much.
    Frank had joined us by then. ‘Anyone can ride,’ he said confidently. ‘We’ll put you on old Squirrel’s back — she was my first pony. I’ll lead it. Don’t worry, Jenny, you’ll be fine.’
    I asked him why the pony was called Squirrel. To be honest, I was just trying to delay. In one way it was rather fun to go out with all the