Extract from chapter 1

1809: chawton

Eavesdrop on Mrs Austen and her daughters when they move to their new home in Chawton.

The Austen ladies settled quickly into the village of Chawton and were happy with their situation. They required nothing more in terms of comfort and were grateful for a stable home. The days had long since passed when Cassandra and Jane would need to make an impression at an Assembly Room ball to attract a husband, and now they embraced middle age with grace. They wore caps and gowns favoured by older women and gained the mutual respect of their neighbours. After being subjected to four years of moving around following Mr Austen’s death, they had no desire to be uprooted again.

Jane took the opportunity to write, and Mrs Austen and Cassandra smiled at one another as they sat with their mending whilst Jane scribbled away in the corner. Sometimes the silence was broken by Jane cursing herself out loud: ‘No. That will not do!’ and she would press her palm into the back of her neck and lean back on her chair to stretch. Then, without another word, she would dip her quill in the inkpot and begin again.

Photo: Jane Austen's House, Chawton

Photo: Jane Austen's House, Chawton

Her little walnut writing desk was a permanent fixture beneath the window where the sun streamed in every morning. It was so small and discreet that visitors rarely gave it a second look, seeing nothing more than a useful surface for composing a thank-you note or setting down a shopping list. But for Jane, it was her sanctuary, and the place to create a masterpiece.

She was more determined than ever to become a published author, even though she knew it would have to be kept a secret. Nobody beyond her intimate acquaintance had any idea of her plan, and she was thankful for the annoying little squeak that hindered one of the doors in the passageway. Its grating noise alerted her to the approach of visitors, and by assessing the sound of their footsteps, Jane could quickly establish who it was.

If it were not her mother, Cassandra or Martha, she would disguise her work and place a sheet of harmless paper on top. With a fixed smile on her lips, she had mastered the pretence of being engaged in some innocent correspondence, and it amused her to think how close some of the intruders had come to standing next to Mr Darcy or Miss Dashwood without even knowing!

Photo: Jane Austen's House, Chawton