I Was Jane Austen's Best Friend Read Online Free PDF Page B

it would be ridiculous to expect that she would allow Edward-John to spend an unnecessary penny on me.
    ‘I promise that I’ll work hard and give no trouble to Mrs Austen.’ I knew by their expressions that I had said the right thing, but inside I felt worried. How long would the Austens, with their big family and their pupils, want to keep me?
    After they had gone, Jane came into my bedroom to tell me the news that her brother Frank had bought a new pony for himself from the money he had got when he was on board his ship.
    I told her that I got all her brothers muddled up, and she suggested that she help me to draw little pictures of them in my journal and then I would know them all as I met them.
    I will start a new page so that as we draw she cannot see what I have written about her!Jane says I must write exactly as she describes so as to capture her brothers most accurately:
    James — the eldest. He is ten years older than Jane — he has blond hair and grey eyes, and his nose and chin are quite neat. Jane says that I have captured his fussy, fidgety look just right.

    Edward — adopted by rich relations in Kent. Jane has given me a miniature of Edward to copy, which he gave her as a gift last Christmas. She says he wears a wig to show how rich and splendid he is.

    Henry — four years older than Jane. He looks just like her, with hazel eyes and dark curly hair. Jane says Henry is tremendously handsome and all the girls love him!

    Cassandra (Jane says I must draw her too). I have seen her quite a few times so I know what she looks like, but Jane says I mustgive her a dreamy look as she is in love with Tom Fowle, one of Mr Austen’s pupils. I’m not sure how I should draw someone in love, so I hope I have it right.

    Frank — a year older than Jane (the same age as me) and a midshipman — I did my best with Frank’s collar, but Jane had to sketch it for me. I don’t think I have ever seen a midshipman, though I have seen a captain and I’m sure I could sketch a captain’s uniform.

    Charles, whom I’ve met — he’s only eleven and quite like Frank but with a rounder face. He’s hoping to go to naval college next year.

    I told Jane I thought she was very lucky to have five brothers.
    Jane laughed. ‘Five … well.’ There was something odd about her expression and a sort of dryness in her voice.
    I just turned back to the page where I have drawn Captain Thomas Williams. My journal opened automatically at that page and I could see that the corner of the page was a bit dog-eared. I don’t think Jane saw …

Sunday, 6 March 1791
    Jane’s brother Frank came in to see me today. He is on shore leave from his ship, where he is a midshipman. He looked quite like the picture that I had drawn of him, but his hair was even curlier. He is my age and the nearest in the family to Jane.
    He was quite like Jane, very chatty and very funny. He just came into my room, sat on the bed and asked me how I was and then started doing imitations of the first lieutenant, who was a silly numbskull according to Frank, and of the captain, who was as old as the hills. Frank stumped around the room to show us what the captain was like on deck when a wind was blowing and how once he stumbled when his legs got tangled in a sail and he lay stretched out on the deck until the mate pulled him to his feet. Frank found that very funny, but said that all the sailors had to pretend not to notice in case they would be flogged for insubordination. Then Frank did a good imitation of the captain lying stretched out on the floor, thrashing about with his legs, trying to dislodge the heavy sail.
    ‘And the helmsman at the wheel was staring out to sea like this.’ And Frank blew his cheeks out and tightened his lips so much that the cords on his very brown neck stood out. His face was very brown too, I noticed, and he had nice dark eyes.
    ‘It’s a hard life,’ he said, but I thought he looked well on it, and very cheerful.
    ‘Not as