As Miss Austen sat in The Reverend Doctor Roger Knightley's sitting room on New Year's Day she ruminated on the pleasures of her Christmas there, with her friend and intimate Miss Jessica Standfast. On Christmas Eve she and Jessica had been preparing for bed in the room they now shared as a matter of routine because the cold winter had permeated the house so, that the rooms were chill and the sharing of mutual warmth was a welcome respite. Miss Standfast was seated at the dressing table, as Miss Austen brushed her hair.
'Miss Austen, I know it is customary to exchange gifts on the morrow but I wonder if I might be allowed to present my gift to you now, since I should like so much to do so in the privacy of our own room. It is, in any event, after midnight and so, technically, there is no real barrier to my doing so.' She opened a drawer and removed a long, slim box, wrapped, as was customary, in tissue and girdled about with ribbon, pink of course.
'My dear, Jessica, how much your kindness affects me. What, pray, can it be.' Solemnly and carefully, she undid the pink ribbon and then carefully unfolded the parcel. Therein lay a velvet box. 'Such a pretty box,' Miss Austen remarked, smiling at her friend, 'I do so love a nice box.' She opened it and her eyes widened. She removed the long, quite thick and black cylindrical object that lay there, nestled in the silk folds of the box. She felt its warmth in her hand and gasped at its smoothness.
'Oh, my dear. I am so glad you gave this to me now, as we are alone. I quite understand your reticence in sharing this with our hosts.' She caressed it and marvelled as her fingers moved over the slight swelling at one end. 'I have heard of such things, but never before have I had the pleasure to feel one in my own hand. It is absolutely divine, thank you my dear Jessica' Impulsively, she kissed Miss Standfast and, inadvertently, her lips landed upon Jessica's. Rather than pull away, Miss Standfast pressed ever warmer to her frien's lips and the kiss extended for what seemed to both an interminable period.
Somewhat breathlessly they parted and MIss Standfast placed the object back in its silk-lined box, lingeringly inserting it into its cradle. 'I hope it will give you many hours of pleasure when we are separated from each other.'
Miss Austen's reverie was interrupted by Mrs Knightley's arrival in the room. Her bustling arrival and mindless chatter irritated Jane but the latter's manners were far too civilsed to reveal her annoyance.
'Such a pity,' said Mrs Knightley, 'that your lovely friend had to leave to attend upon her sickening Aunt, is it not? I do not remember what she gave you for Christmas, my dear.'
Jane smiled. 'She gave me a fountain pen, Mrs Knightley. Such a thoughtful gift for one of my calling.'
'Indeed so, my dear, indeed so.'
4 comments:
I find people who keep ruminants in the sitting room quite beyond The Pale. In fact I find those who take their pleasure with animals quite unseemly.
Goodness me what on earth was it that Ms Austen tipped out the velvet box? I’m not entirely sure that any gentlewoman should be involved in discourse about tipping the velvet.
A fountain pen what could I have been thinking of?
This slow build up is killing me Monica.Put us out of our agony please.
Your first day here and already in agony, Freya? ;)
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