Back To The Past: Jane Austen Part Nine

Megan drank a cup of tea before she went to bed. She sure missed her Diet Pepsi. Megan had to admit that the tea made her sleep well. She missed her husband Damon and she had to find a way to get her and her friends back to the present. She and her her friends were living out the fantasy of meeting Jane Austen and it had been an adventure so far.

Morning came and Megan and Jennifer got up. Jennifer looked around the room after waking up. "Megan, we are still here. I wish I had a Dr. Pepper."

"I miss my Diet Pepsi but I am starting to like the tea thing." Megan sighed.

"Tonight, we go to the Ball. I hope there are some hot men there." Jennifer had a mischievous look on her face.

The women went down for breakfast. Mr. Austen greeted the women with a Good Morning. He drank coffee and ate some bacon.

Mrs. Austen poured some more coffee for Mr. Austen. She smiled at Megan and Jennifer. "Jane has a headache and doesn't want to attend the Ball tonight. I do hope she will change her mind."

Nancy arrived and served the women bacon, eggs and pancakes. She bowed to Mrs. Austen and told her that she was taking a tray up to Jane's room. Mr. Austen excused himself and said he had business to attend to in town.

Megan and Jennifer went to see Jane after breakfast. Jane greeted them with a smile but she was sad.

"Jane, there will be several men to dance with tonight. Mr. Mitchell isn't worth it. You don't want to be alone, do you? Cassandra is going. You will be with your friends. Jennifer and I are your friends."

"Yes, you ladies are very dear to me. You two are so full of life and seem to know how to liven things up. I will go but I don't plan on dancing."

"Fair enough." Jennifer admired Jane.

Jane got out of bed and got dressed and she played the piano while Megan and Jennifer danced. They kept laughing and raising their skirts and Megan sang Kasey would dance with the strawberry blonde and the band played on.

"What ever happened to Rock and Roll?" Jennifer asked.

Jane had quit playing the piano. "Rock and Roll? What is that?"

"When my brothers and sister were children, we would grab rocks and roll them and pretend they were dancing. We never went to many places and we entertained ourselves." Jennifer felt stupid.

Jane was confused but there was never a dull moment with these two. Megan and Jennifer made life interesting and she hoped that they would never return to London.

The day passed quickly and after lunch, it was time to get ready for the Ball. The Ball was eight hours away but it took two hours for the women to dress. Megan wore a lavender dress .Jennifer wore a blue one. Jane had on a light blue dress. Megan and Jennifer wish they could wear make up but they were in the wrong time period. Angel and Gretchen arrived later. Angel wore a red dress and Gretchen wore a green dress. Jennifer wished she was wearing jeans. Megan wished the same but they were in the past and they had to suck it up.

Angel asked Jennifer how things went last night. Megan told her about Mr. Mitchell denying he got Amanda pregnant and Mr. Austen had beat him with an umbrella.

"Darn. I wish you could have video taped that. Sounds like a soap opera. I miss TV Shows." Angel shook her head. She had curled her blonde hair but one curl was badly signed but she did well to cover it up.

Mr. Austen, Mrs. Austen, Jane, Cassandra, Megan, Jennifer, Angel and Gretchen got in the carriage. It was time to go to the Ball. The carriage swayed because it was windy and the Megan and her friends sure missed riding in a car. Mr. Austen talked about the crops and said things seemed so dry. Mr. Austen said he was selling his one cow. Mrs. Austen wasn't happy but Mr. Austen had the final say.

Jennifer squirmed in her seat. She was sitting on her dress and it seemed to ride up her butt.

"Do you have ants in your pants?" Megan asked her.

"I have a dress up my butt. This sucks." Jennifer tried to adjust her dress.

Mr. Austen stopped talking and all the women were giggling except Mrs. Austen. Mr. Austen frowned and it looked like he had one big eye brow.

The women were all quiet and no one spoke until they got to ther Dawson Estate. The Dawson Estate was a two story white house with a balcony and yellow shutters. It looked like a house you see in a 1800's English movie. Megan loved it. Jennifer winked at her.

The driver helped the ladies out of the carriage and a man dressed like a butler in a black suit greeted them at the door. Jennifer laughed. The man bowed and his hat fell down to his nose which was long and all you could see was a nose and a tall hat.

Angel, Gretchen, Megan, Angel and Jane entered the Ball Room. There were flowers everywhere and trays of food. Men and women were all dressed up and Jennifer saw a man with dark brown hair dressed in a black suit. He smiled and bowed at Jennifer. He introduced himself as Bradley Kentsworth. Jennifer looked into his sapphire blue eyes and liked his impish smile. He asked her to dance and she held out her hand. She smiled at Megan. "See you later. I found me a man."

Megan thought Jennifer would have a good time. A blond man with a moustache asked Megan to dance. He looked like Leonardo DeCaprio. Nothing wrong with that. Megan's dance partner was Miles Dawson. His parents were hosting the Ball. Megan tried to remember all the dance steps. Froward and back. One hand out but don't touch your partner. Jennifer was trying to remember the dance steps, too. Jennifer touched her partner's leg by accident. He just smiled. Jennifer and her dance partner danced three dances and went outside. Megan had punch with Miles and decided she had better go find Jennifer. Miles knew his family's estate well so he went with her. Megan found Jennifer and Bradley by the Gazebo. Jennifer was smoking! What? People smoked in this time period. Bradley kissed Jennifer. Megan ran over to Jennifer.

"What are you doing, smoking? Women don't smoke in this century." Megan hoped no one else had seen this.

"Bradley's parents are in the tobacco business and he gave me cigarettes. I have missed these. This is so refreshing." Bradley put his arm around Jennifer.

"Don't let Mr. Austen see you. Stay out here by the Gazebo." Megan hoped Bradley Kentsworth behaved himself.

"I will be fine. I will see you later, girlfriend." Jennifer waved to Megan.

Megan looked at Miles. She didn't know what to say. Miles Dawson smiled. "It's alright. I don't feel women have to behave a certain way. Women have a right to speak their minds and if they want to smoke, it isn't a sin."

"Thank you, Miles." Megan was glad that some men considered women their equal. Miles and Megan went back to the dance. Jane was dancing with a young man with black hair who remined Megan of Damon of THE VAMPIRE DIARIES. She hoped this man didn't act like him. Damon was handsome but evil in the show. Jane was smiling. Megan was happy for her.

The Ball was over and Megan worried where Jennifer was. Jennifer showed up with Bradley and Megan was glad. Bradley kissed Jennifer's hand and said he would like to call on her soon at the Austens. Jennifer said she would love to see him. He bowed and walked away. Jennifer smelled like perfume and Megan asked her where she got the perfume.

"Bradley. His mother sells perfume at a shop in London. Bradley is a nice guy. I wish I could take him back to the present with us."

"You mean you found a man that you like?" Megan had to smile

"Yes. He is rich, handsome and unattached." Jennifer looked all dreamy.

The ride back to the Austens seemed to take forever. Jennifer fell asleep. Mr. Austen dozed off as well.

Megan asked Jane if she had fun. Jane said she did. Cassandra hadn't danced. She wasn't too social. She was somewhat shy.

The carriage arrived back at the Austens. Megan woke up Jennifer and after everyone was asleep, Jennifer snuck outside to smoke. Jane was unable to sleep and looked out her window and saw Jennifer smoking. Jane was surprised but Megan and Jennifer were entertaining. Jane knew her friends couldn't stay forever but they did keep life interesting. She wished she was more like them.