An Afternoon Tea (Part 2)...A little long

Read An Afternoon Tea (Part 1) first

en and his mother were id some one who saw all the burdens she carried trying to care for her family her heart. Maybe John Melbourne could be this guy.
“Mother, where is Emmy?”


“I suspect where she always is on days this nice down by the creek.”


“Mother how can you let her run wild so.”


“I really didn’t let her. She snuck out before I woke up.”


“But she is going to show up probably soaked her dress all messed up and her hair a shambled.”

“What would that matter?” Fiona asked her daughter who was fidgeting.

“Do you know how bad it would look to have Emmy tramping in here covered in mud or other things.”

“I am sure John Melbourne will never ever notice when you are looking so pretty today.”


“But I can’t have them thinking we are indigenous people.”

Fiona laughed at the thought, “show them the six parlors or the library or the manicured gardens, I am sure no one thinks us as indigenous.”


“This isn’t funny.”

“I know Laurel,” Fiona patted Laurel’s hand. It was a pat that told her everything was going to be okay.


“Mother, how can you be so calm, the Melbournes are upon us and it is so important that we all make a good impression .”

“My darling you have been classically trained to make good impression.”


“What does that mean?”

“Just that I can’t ever imagine you make a bad impression you are so mindful of everything,
every one and all the rules of society.”

“I hope you mean that as a compliment,” Laurel a little befuddled by what Fiona had said.


“I do, I do of course I do,” Fiona couldn’t believe that her daughter would take it any other way.

“You are so good Laurel.”

“Thank you, I just hope I am good enough.”

“Good enough? Good enough for what?”

Then Laurel thought about what she had said and quickly knew how ever she answered it would take too much to explain. But what she thought was good enough for an advantageous marriage or really any marriage.

“Oh never mind,” she said rearranged the tea set moving the sugar bowl towards where Mrs. Melbourne would sit knowing how she liked her tea sweeter than most.
“It will be fine,” Fiona said as she watched her daughter and fidget and adjust her dress yet again.

She felt certain then that Lauren did like Mr. John Melbourne. She remembered all the time she knew she was going to see Jefferson that would fidget and arrange herself a lot. She felt every girl must do this to make themselves perfect in front of the boys they swooned over. So she took Laurel’s fidgeting as a good sign.


“Mrs. Melbourne and her son Mr. John Melbourne are here,” Thomas announced.


“Thank you Thomas,” Fiona said “Bring them in.” Then turned to Laurel “ Now dear I know you want to look your best so you must stop fidgeting.”

“Yes mother.”


“And whatever happens do not worry I am sure John Melbourne can see your beautiful perfection.”

“Dear Mrs. Melbourne we are so pleased to have you here,” Fiona said when her guest
came in.


“No, no we are pleased to be invited. Your mother’s home is always a sight to be held. Does Mrs. Danford join us?”


“I am afraid her health is too ill.”

“That must be a real heart ache and burden. I am sure with such a beauty as Laurel you would want to take her into town and show her off to the big cities like Boston, New York, or even Philadelphia. But I must say I am sure our local boys are pleased you have not take her a way,” 
Mrs. Melbourne said with a wink to her son and a chuckle to the rest.

Laurel noticed John rolling his eyes and the slightly annoyed look. But she tried not to let it affect her. It was also the first time Laurel noticed John pudgy cheeks and old fashioned side burns. But Laurel would not let those qualities turn her away from him. He would be a good provider, she could never see him raising his voice, and he could spare some money so she could take care of her sisters. These qualities had to be more important Laurel thought.

“And where are your younger daughters they are both such a delight.”


“Emmy enjoys taking long walks on days so fine as this but she should be a long shortly. She would be disappointed to miss your company.”

“Oh to have such youth. If I was Miss Emmy’s age I would probably be climbing as many rocks and hills as possible. But I feel I am not destined to use this blasted cane to even walk around my house.”


Laurel could hardly imagine Mrs. Melbourne climbing rocks. To her Mrs. Melbourne was
always sixty and always a high class woman who wouldn’t dare have her petticoats touch dirt.

While Laurel tried to imagine this Fiona was telling Mrs. Melbourne that Gloria was still in school and while it was Tuesday she will have piano lessons till almost five. Then Mrs. Melbourne asked if Gloria was as good at the instrument as Fiona was and it was these word that pulled Laurel out of climbing on rocks.


“Perhaps she will be, she has good ear much like Laurel and diligence in practice.”

“Oh my goodness I completely forgot that Laurel played,” she turned to Laurel. “Before we leave you must play I insist. A young girl always looks more beautiful behind an instrument. Don’t you think John?”


“I don’t know,” John said closing his pocket watch.

“Oh John, you lie you were just telling me yesterday about how you liked to watch people play.”

Laurel could tell Mr. John Melbourne had no interest in this tea. They sat through another twenty minutes of Fiona’s and Mrs. Melbourne’s small talk all while not saying anything to each other and Mrs. Melbourne trying to get John to smile or blush. But John paid no interest to Laurel or any body. It had all been a mistake, Laurel had thought since they had together at the Carmichael's party he had some interest in her but now replaying the whole scene she saw it for how it really was.


Laurel had been arm and arm with her friend Amelia who none would agree Laurel was the beauty of the two some but Amelia definitely had a way of charming the gentlemen. She had charmed one in particular Robert Engels who wanted to dance with Amelia but Amelia being a good friend would not dance with anyone if Laurel did not dance.

“Come on Melbourne, Laurel is beautiful,” Robert Engels said.

“With no prospect how can you expect me to spend any time with her.”

“Just one dance, I need to hold Amelia.”


“That is not a need, honestly Robert what has gotten into you.”

“You are a stodgy old man. Once dance is not a marriage proposal.”

“To us its not, to girls you dance with them once and they start planning their wedding.”

“I doubt it. Laurel Cromwell is far too conventional to have any romantic ideals,” Robert Engels put on pathetic eyes.


“All right,” John said with a huff and taking a swig of his brandy.

“You could try a little harder to have some fun.”

Now Laurel sitting in the parlor that afternoon could tell the mistake she had made and everything she had built up in her head. No man had really given any attention to her and she had almost lost all her common sense when a man danced one dance with her. It was ridiculous she thought, and now wished that the whole thing had never happened. She tried to quickly think of a way for the Melbourne’s to leave quickly but polite society would never allow a host to shoo a way her guest not unless some medical emergency had arisen. Maybe she could pass out, Miss Pembers had pulled her corset a little too tight this morning. Maybe in Emmy’s foolish ways of going out exploring she would trip and sprain her ankle. At least then she could be excused to check up on Emmy. But none of that happened and soon Emmy was in the parlor with them. Miss Pembers had made sure no one saw Emmy before her shoes were on and her hair had been pulled up in a some what modest way so she wasn’t an embarrassment.

“Why Miss Emmy, you look prettier every day, that fresh air must do you some good,” Mrs. Melbourne said.

No one ever compliments Emmy’s looks and she knew it would be polite to be humble and blush as Laurel would do she gushed with thanks.
“Earlier we were talking about Laurel playing the piano, do you play Miss Emmy?” Mrs. Melbourne asked.

“Hardly?” Emmy said with a snicker.

“She is not as good as Laurel but mother insist all the girls learn the piano,” Fiona said
quickly to cover Emmy’s snicker.

“I guess your talents are better off at story telling. Do you have any new stories?”

“Just some ideas for now, nature is so inspiring,” Emmy excitedly.


“I quite agree,” Mrs. Melbourne said.

Laurel and Emmy hardly had the same thought at the same time but just then they were both thinking that they couldn't see Mrs. Melbourne as finding nature inspiring.

Eventually the party broke up Mrs. Melbourne promised to hose them to tea one day and wished that Mrs. Danford will feel better soon. Laurel tried to pretend that another tea would be wonderful but saw no acting coming from John Melbourne, just another look at his pocket watch.

"I do not know what is to become of us?" Laurel said when the Melbournes were in their new automobile and half way down the drive. "I could see now Mr. John Melbourne had not attention for me or any other girl for that matter. He is far too consumed with the workings of that pocket watch."



Emmy wanted to shout out "here, here."



"It is one tea, my dear things will go better as time goes on. Not every man has to be a suitor."



"If stodgy Mr. John Melbourne is not interested in me who will be?"



"Patience dear," Fiona patted her had but Laurel was too upset and stormed back into the house.

Soon Emmy and her mother could hear Laurel playing the piano, a good source of diversion for her.



"Surely Laurel did not seek a lover out of Mr. John Melbourne?"



"Emmy, that is no way for a lady to talk."



"But Melbourne is even more rigid than Laurel. He probably doesn't even know what romance is or have any idea on how to court a lady properly. He would probably treat any horse in his stable better than his wife. Surely that can not be for Laurel."



"You forget Emmy, Laurel doesn't care about romance like you she is much more logical and sadly she placed a large burden on herself. I fear she will lose her heart to any man who is able to remove that burden."



"What burden?"



"Us," Fiona said in a sad tone." As much as I wish she were Laurel is not blind to our situation in life and she has taken it it upon herself to fix it. Unfortunately a girl of mild breeding can only look towards marriage to improve her families condition."



"Poor Laurel," Emmy sighed seeing a more truer look at her sister than she had ever seen.



"She will have a true sacrifice," Fiona thought but did not say as she did not want to burden her younger daughter with the same load that Laurel carried.



Even if she had Emmy was already lost in a day dream and probably could not hear Fiona at all."One to give up true love for the great good is what heroes and heroines are made of. Perhaps she will be lucky to find both true love and a man with a deep pocket book." Her mother laughed at Emmy's simplistic ideals "and if not I will publish my stories and live off my pen."



"Oh Emmy I do love your dreams."



Fortunately by the end of the week no one mentioned the name Melbourne expect for the polite thank you note that was delivered the next day but no follow up invitation was made. Also by the end of the week Fiona's brother Charles wrote announcing he and his family's plans to visit before the month was out and he thought his family would probably stay the entire summer. Fiona knew having family come would brighten Laurel's day and would keep the house hold busy preparing for their visit.

An Afternoon Tea (Part 1)

I know it's been awhile since I posted about my story but I have been working on it so here is some more... If you need to catch up go to My Story Begins and Continuation of the Story

Hope you like and enjoy...

It was in these woods Miss Pembers knew to look for Emmy when the household was expecting Mrs. Melbourne and her eligible son Mr. Melbourne for tea.

“Miss Emmy you have been outside long enough it is time for tea and your mother insist you come outside.”

“I don’t want to be involved in anything where Laurel throws herself at the boring man Mr. Melbourne is.”

“I seriously doubt Miss Laurel will throw herself at anyone, it would be in-proper and your sister has a higher sense of propriety then anyone I know. Now come or I shall send Helena to get you.”

Helena was Grandma Danford’s cook who had no problem disciplining the girls into good behavior with a wooden spoon, Emmy suffered the worst for it. She was hardly the a model of good behavior from her unkempt hair, dirty finger nails and stockings something covered in mud. Mother would only allow Helena to give Emmy one or two hits but Emmy still felt the blows to be fatal. With the threat of Helena’s wooden spoon Emmy climbed down from her rock and dusted herself off before presenting herself to Miss Pembers.


“And where are your shoes.”

“One can hardly climb with those little boots on, I would slip and break my neck.”

“Your Grandmother would break you neck knowing you walked outside barefoot. It is a good thing you have yet to wear long dresses you would ruin all of the with your childish ways.”


“I am not a child.”

“Well you are certainly not acting like a girl of sixteen. Playing in the woods, day dreaming and losing yourself in your world of make believe.”

“I like my world it is more interesting then this world.”


“Hush your mouth. You have all beauty and luxury around you. You are lucky to have such a fortunate family. There are girls in orphanages who dream of having what you have.”


Emmy wanted to remind Miss Pembers that none of the beauty and luxury was hers to do with what she would. If it was she would sale everything and explore the world. It all belonged to her Grandma and then it would go to uncle and the girls would receive nothing. She wanted to remind Miss Pembers of all that but know when Miss Pembers let her Irish accent slop she was about to let her hot temp out. So Emmy kept her mouth shut.


It was the fact that the girls were penniless that made the Melbourne’s visit more important. The Melbourne fortune was nothing compared to the Danfords but they had always had a comfortable life working in timber. It would be enough money, Laurel considered, to keep her mother and sisters living well. That was most important to Laurel and it pressed against her heart to make sure she could provide for her mother and sisters. The Melbournes were well-heeled and would advance well into society having a connection with the Danford name even if no finical gain would be made in the match. The Danford connection was the only card Laurel felt she had and she had to use it well. No one in the family, least of all Emmy could believe when Laurel spoke so kindly of dreary old Mr. John Melbourne and everyone was surprised when she insisted that he and his mother be invited over for tea at their earliest convenience. It all seemed quite unannounced, but the Melbourne’s graciously accepted the invitation and the two mothers arranged a time for the tea.


“Why do we have to have tea with the Melbournes?” Emmy asked her mother the day before.


“Your sister has taken an interest in John Melbourne.”

“You must be joking. How could anyone take interest in dreary, dull, dumpy John Melbourme,” Emmy couldn’t think of any other words to keep the alliteration going.

“That might be but Laurel must see more to him then we can.”


Emmy doubted it. How could anyone see anything of interest in John Melbourne aman who had two love, his horsed and collecting pocket watches from the early nineteenth century. Those two items was all he talked about and both in a monotone style that aroused nothing minus the amount of the yawns. Emmy had to yet to understand that sometimes the wants of the heart must be drowned by the demands of the pocket book. She had read about Mr. Willoughby sacrificing Marrianne to stay wealthy but anything would happen in real life. How could one give up the woman or man they truly loved just to stay in well a off condition. It seemed inconceivable to her. The matters of the heart should always take precedence.

Fiona hoped Emmy would always keep up her ideals and did not want to tell her real reason Laurel had found interest in John Melbourne was his financial status. She also hoped her thinking was false and that Laurel actually did like John Melbourne for reasons she herself did not know. Fiona knew Laurel felt a stronger burden for her family than her younger sisters.Laurel had always been more aware of the world around her and being older understood the hardship her parents faced in her in her father’s final days and the months that followed his death. Laurel was also aware that though they lived in a fine house they had hardly had the funds to keep it going with out the generosity of their Grandmother and once Grandma Cornelia passed away it would end their fortunes. Though Fiona knew that Laurel was aware of all this she did not know Laurel had over heard a conversation eight years ago when they first moved in.

“What would you have me do mother, let my children and I beg for our meals”

“I told you this would happen Fiona. I told you he was not fit. And when I think how you could have had Alfred Dumont and now he is married to your friend Iris who is barren and you have three girls and no money.”

“I did not love Alfred,” Laurel recognized the tone from mother it was stern but not raised.

“Love has brought you here penniless, begging for charity from your family. That must make you feel wonderful.”

“I thought my family would accept me but if you would like I could return to Boston and end my days as a poor maid, your granddaughters being forced to clean homes or worse sale flowers on the street corners. But how would that look having Danford blood in such ruined conditions. Rather you like it or not my girls and I are Danford blood and how we survive still reflect on you and Charles.”

“You would drag your respectable brother and family down.”

“I will do whatever it takes to make sure my girls will make sure my girls will never go hungry and have a good education,” Laurel had never heard her mother speak in such a sharp but almost unfeeling way.

“Well then I hope your girls marry well so you might gain good fortune that way.”

“I hope they follow their hearts,” Fiona wanted to say but didn’t because she knew that would be too unkind.

To the world it had looked as if Cornelia Danford had shown great charity in taking in her poor daughter and three granddaughters. To Pine Haven it looked as if Cornelia treated her daughter and granddaughters as if nothing had happened and all of Fiona’s past actions had been wiped clean but there would always be three people Laurel, Fiona, and Cornelia who knew absolute truth.

Read An Afternoon Tea (Part 2)

The book should be a ball of light in one's hand.

Quote comes from:
Properly, we should read for power. Man reading should be man intensely alive. The book should be a ball of light in one's hand.
-Ezra Pound
US poet (1885 - 1972) found at: http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/1911.html

Today on the blog Austenprose I read about a new book called Sass and Serendipity by Jennifer Ziegler and while I hope my story that I am writing is kind of like Sense and Sensibility what struck me most about the Austen prose article was that Jennifer Ziegler called Jane Austen a Young Adult author and I was a little surprised by this but I must say she makes perfect sense. Ziegler says...

" I think, in some ways, Jane Austen wrote YA. Before anyone tosses tomatoes at me, please allow me to explain… Austen’s books centered around young women on the verge of adulthood. They are nearly ready to leave the nest and take their spot in the world – and in the Regency era, the best landing of all would be that of a happy marriage to a good and prosperous man. Standing on this threshold of life is the emotional setting for all young adult novels. Teens are caught between the insular world of the childhood home and that of society at large. Even if they don’t strike out on their own at the end, they have surely become more “adult” by the final page.
Austen never makes the search for a proper husband the point of her stories. In every case the main character needs to go through some significant growth first. Whether it’s Elinor learning to trust her feelings as much as her intellect, Marianne coming out of her fantasies and into her senses, Elizabeth learning not to judge too prematurely, Emma learning not to meddle in other people’s lives, and so on, Austen makes sure her heroines recognize and overcome character flaws in order to earn their happy-ever-afters. Such maturation is central to young adult literature, as it is with all good character-based fiction. However, in YA, the age of the protagonists is key. Teens and early twenties don’t know as much about the world or themselves quite yet. Because of this, the problems they face are brand new, but also – and this is critical – their emotions are brand new. This is first love, first heartbreak, first crushing disillusionment. "

For full article click here

I guess when I started reading Jane Austen I thought them as so high class literature that in a very geeky way I thought I was cool that I loved Jane Austen and I could appreciate her. But in high school I couldn't share my love to people other than my mom because all my friends were reading Harry Potter or other books that I had no interest in. So I kind of kept my love a secret, it wasn't until I college I met other lovers of Jane Austen and it is like this instant bond. One of my best friends and I started talking only because we both loved Jane Austen and since a beautiful friendship has grown. But I still until reading this article would have consider Jane Austen Young Adult only because sadly sometimes, young adult literature is looked down upon from a scholarly point of view.

I am here to say that I like Young Adult novels (other than ones about Vampires or Werewolves but if that is your thing be proud of it) and I like reading stories about first loves, first heartbreaks, over coming maybe childish things, and experiencing the world for the first time. I am not ashamed to say it. Whatever you read is good just read!

So I wanted to give a shout out to two Young Adult novels that have really shaped me...

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine this book I read in the 6th grade so might be a little to young for Young Adult but I owe this book a lot of credit in my life. I read this book in the 6th grade and since then I have not stopped reading. Now I know Anne Hathaway (who I usually love) made a movie of this book but don't waste your time watching the movie read the book it is so worth it. It is kind of Cinderella story as Ella has the curse of obedience with over her and she has two mean step-sisters that she knows might threaten her life if they find out about her curse.
A good book review click here
And one day I hope to give it to my niece and let her experience this book I first loved... of course that won't happen for a few more years she is only 18months old now.

A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly is another book that I like to give a shout out to. I read this book my freshman year of college and I re-read it the summer before my senior year. Though this book and I have had an interesting history. While I was re-reading it my purse including this book was stolen. While the purse and a few items were returned to me this book was not. That made me sad because it was so good but I hope that this book didn't end up in a dumpster but some one picked it up and was able to read it. I then checked it out from the library to finish re-reading it. And until recently I didn't own it I just knew I read it. In a moment of retail therapy I bought another copy for myself so now I own and have read everything that Jennifer Donnelly has published and when The Wild Rose comes out I will own that too (can't wait).

The reason the story impacted me was that as a wanna be author I like how Donnelly blended kind of two stories in one (a thing I have always wanted to do). But as a person I love how the main character Mattie is under hardship being the oldest girl of a farm family but she still has goals to go to college and write. I won't ruin it for you but it is a good read. For a good review click here

I will also be sharing this one with my niece when she is older.

Probably the best known Young Adult book (and if its not it should be)
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson show a darker side of High School but maybe me laugh when she wrote about the "Lies they tell you" for example the teachers are always there for you.

I won't go too much into this but its a good read rather you are in high school or not.

For more click here

Oh yeah for my readers who want to know more about my story (as the last few blog postings have been about my life) I am working on it... grad school is taking up a lot of time but I am still writing.

A casual gaze

While I have been writing this blog I have thought of a few things about myself. Maybe in a way to explain my writing or just therapy for myself; either way I won’t be too mushy (I hope but I am emotional so I might not be able to resist).

One thing as previously discussed I am a hopeful romantic but I am not very experienced in the world of “romance.” I have only had four boyfriends and I have only kissed two boys. The first was my first real boyfriend in high school and I was nineteen years old.To be honest after watching plenty of teen soap operas ranging from Gilmore Girls and Dawson’s Creeks I felt I was the only girl who had not had a first kiss and also just to be honest I really wanted my first kiss. Sadly (no offense to him) no sparks flew and definitely no fireworks went off (not like you see in movies.) Then we broke up mostly because I was moving to Boston, three thousand miles away from him and we no longer talk minus maybe a “happy birthday” on Facebook. But I felt he had a part of me, a part I could never get back and I didn’t like it. I then set a standard for myself that I wouldn’t kiss a boy till I said “I love you.” In this day I am guessing that moving at a glacier pace but that explains why I have kissed one other boy because I loved him and I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with him. But it didn’t work out because of factors I won’t get into. So besides losing myself in what might seem like silly novels (check out Love of Reading) I have not had much experience in the world of romance but I am hopeful that one day I will meet Mr. Right but until that day I keep practicing being Mrs. Right (as a good friend once told me).

Another thing about myself is that I consider myself a plain Jane. Now I don’t say this as a way to be pitiful. I will say it honestly I just don’t look at myself and see myself as this knock out girl. Though as an author I would writer I had gold red hair that looked like the sunset and blue eyes that sparkled like the sea. To me that sounds like a fairy tale princess but I am far from feeling like a fairy tale princess. Maybe every woman feels like this after looking at themselves day in and day out. Or maybe women take more time putting themselves together. Now don’t get me wrong I don’t walk around with my hair disheveled or my clothes stained. I comb my hair but usually that it I don’t curl, flat iron or anything like that. And I will admit until high school I didn’t really use a hair dryer and however my hair looks that is how it will be. Then in college I started wearing make up but I still working on it. And honestly, I am not knocking women who take lots of time with their looks because they look great, I just don’t care. I’d rather sleep in. I’d rather slip my skirt on (except when it’s too cold) and my cardigan and leave my house then spend my money on the newest fashion. That’s just me. I am plain Jane and I am okay with that. But it might be why I write about plain Janes and hope in my stories like in real life that someone will see beyond the plain Janeness and see me. I think thats what will happen to my character Emmy.

There might be more later... but for right now I wanted to post this gaze into my life