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Showing posts from December, 2018

England Part Eight (LAST ONE): "It is very difficult for the prosperous to be humble."

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December 21, 2018 Dear Jane, You may be wondering why I chose the above quotation, as it was written in a letter by the inconstant and rather unbeloved, Frank Churchill, but as this is my eighth (and final!) letter about the hackneyed English holiday I took five months ago, I daresay no one can call me humble. I do not wish to brag or drag on about my trip, but I just feel so, well, prosperous for having had such a wonderful experience with my sister that I want to ensure I remember every detail! I do so appreciate your willingness to indulge me in this one last letter on the subject, dear friend. St. Pancras. The lobby. So lovely. As we arrived back at King's Cross Station in London, on the eighth day of August in the Year of Our Lord, two-thousand and eighteen, Rachael and I were both tired from our journey and still feeling the pangs of disappointment at leaving York. We also knew that our holiday was nearly at an end so our pain was exceedingly acute, Jane. Luc

England Part Seven: Birthday and Bakewell, and Bettys, oh my!

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December 17, 2018 Dear Jane, Mama and I at tea! A lovely afternoon and celebration! First of all, happy belated 243rd birthday! The anniversary of your birth was yesterday and I spent the day celebrating you and your legacy at a charming Regency tea party in Suffield, Connecticut at the Phelps-Hatheway house along with my dear Mama. In truth, I spent the whole weekend celebrating you as I also attended the regional meeting for the Jane Austen Society of North America (NY chapter) on the island of Manhattan on Saturday. The delightful meeting consisted of both an engaging lecture as well as a Birthday tea and toast (of sparkling cider, of course. It would not do to have inebriated Janeites wandering the streets of New York City...or would it...?). You deserve more details on these events as they were both in your honor, but this will have to suffice for the time being! Anyway, back to England. Are you still daydreaming of Chatsworth as I am? I often wish I was back there wa

England Part Six: "They were all of them warm in their admiration; and at that moment she felt that to be mistress of Pemberley might be something!"

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December 12, 2018 Dear Jane, I know...I also cannot believe that I am writing so soon after my last letter, but as your birthday is fast approaching, I figured that it was my duty to share with you the most lovely and Jane-Austen-filled day from our time in England. Coincidentally, this exciting day also happened to be the pinnacle of our holiday as we finally journeyed to Chatsworth House in Derbyshire. *Insert  Pride & Prejudice  fan-girl scream here.* (Note: If all goes according to plan, you will not have to hear about our summer sojourn anymore come the New Year. Huzzah!) I must confess that this is to be a lengthy letter, so grab a cuppa while you still can. Before I begin in earnest, I must give you and my gentle readers a short  Pride & Prejudice history lesson as it relates to Chatsworth House in modern times, Jane. For those who don't know, Chatsworth House is a stately home belonging to the Cavendish family since the 16th century. More importantly (jus