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

began to feel quite brave and rather pleased with myself. I would learn to ride, I planned. Perhaps Frank would teach me, although of course Squirrel was far too small for me; my feet almost touched the ground. Still, it would be fun, I thought, and then I saw one of the red-coated gentlemen smiling at me. I smiled back before thinking and then I blushed. The gentleman didn’t look away. I heard him say to the man next to him, ‘Who’s that pretty girl?’ Then I did look away quickly and I didn’t hear the reply, but when I looked back I saw that hewas still looking at me. He smiled even more, and then took off his hat and half raised his whip in a salute to me. It was lucky that my sister-in-law wasn’t there. She would have considered it all very unladylike. The man had a very handsome horse though, a big black stallion, and he had a hunting horn in his hand so he must have been someone important in the hunt. I wish my picture showed quite how splendid he looked — I’m never satisfied with my drawings. I showed it to Jane, who is writing away at her desk, and she liked it, but I don’t think I’ve made him handsome enough.

    ‘I wish I was allowed to go hunting,’ said Charles sadly as they all moved away, shouting and laughing. They were a wonderful sight in the spring sunshine, I thought, and I wasn’t surprised that Charles was upset not to be going too.
    ‘You know that Squirrel is too old for hunting,’ said Jane. ‘She’d drop down dead if you tried to gallop her or jump with her. You’ll have to have a new pony, and you know that Father can’t afford to buy you one.’
    I told him he could ride her back home though, ifhe liked, because it was downhill all the way to the house and I could easily walk that distance.
    Charles was very grateful — he is such a nice boy. When he is happy, his grin seems to go from ear to ear.
    As Jane and I walked slowly down the hill together I told her how lucky I thought she was to have brothers like Frank and Charles.
    ‘And Henry,’ said Jane. ‘He’ll be back at the weekend. Henry’s my favourite brother. He’s splendid; wait until you see him! Alethea Bigg told me that she is madly in love with him.’
    I asked Jane to describe Henry again as I gazed over the fields in what I hoped was a nonchalant way. I wondered what Henry would think of me. Life was getting very exciting with all these young men around.
    ‘He’s very good-looking — tall and dark-haired,’ Jane told me. ‘Don’t you remember? I told you that when you drew that picture of him.’
    ‘Frank is different to the way I imagined him though. Is Henry as fine-looking as Frank?’ I pretended to be looking at something in the hedge so that she wouldn’t see me blush.
    ‘Much, much better-looking.’ Jane sounded quite scornful. ‘And much, much taller. Frank’s only a boy; Henry is a man. He’s nineteen now. He’s a year older than Cassandra. Why, you haven’t fallen in love with Frank, have you? Why are you blushing?’
    ‘No, of course I haven’t fallen in love with Frank,’I said indignantly, but I knew I was still blushing. I wish I didn’t blush so easily. It’s so silly. I remembered that gentleman at the hunt looking at me and I could feel my cheeks getting even warmer. I wondered whether he admired me. I wished that I was not so short and that I had a better nose.
    I tried to distract Jane by asking her about the boy on the grey pony and it worked.

    ‘Oh, that’s Tom Chute; I’m madly in love with him.’ She didn’t blush though, so I think it was just a joke.

Wednesday, 9 March 1791
    Today was another good day. The weather was fine and sunny, but very frosty. Mr Austen and his students were working hard to make up for the loss to their studies from the day’s hunting, so Jane and I went for a walk by ourselves.
    It felt odd to be able to put on our bonnets and cloaks and just stroll out of the front door without saying a word to anyone. Back home, in Bristol,