Back To The Past: Jane Austen Part Four

Megan and Jennifer met Mrs. Austen. She was a very sweet woman. Mr. Austen was quiet and ate supper but kept giving Megan and Jennifer strange looks. They enjoyed the dinner of chicken, mashed potatoes, peas and rolls. Pumpkin pie was served but Megan passed. She didn't care for pie. She was Diabetic anyway.

Mrs. Austen asked the ladies if they had ever been to an opera.

Megan said: No, I haven't but I have always wanted to see The Nutcracker."

"The Nutcracker? I have never heard of that one." Mrs. Austen looked puzzled.

Megan forgot. The Nutcracker probably hadn't been written, yet. "The Nutcracker is about a young girl named Claire who gets a nutcracker doll for Christmas and her brother breaks it. She dreams about sugar plum fairies, the mouse king, mean mice soldiers, flowers and a certain young man she has met. It is a real nice Christmas story."

"Sounds very nice, Dear. Maybe the Opera will come to Hastings." Mrs. Austen had to be one of the sweetest women around thought Megan and Jennifer.

"Sounds like some nut on opium to me.' Mr. Austen grumbled.

"He still hates us." whispered Jennifer to Megan. Megan whispered back" He is a pompous ass. We have met our first pompous ass in this time!" The ladies giggled.

Megan nodded. After supper, the women went to the living room. Mrs. Austen did embroidery and Jennifer and Megan tried to do embroidery but kept sticking the needle in their fingers. Megan wished that she was scrapbooking.

Mrs. Austen helped the girls with their embroidery.

It started to get dark and Mrs. Austen told everyone good night as did Cassandra. Cassandra had been painting a pictute of a cat which was very good.

Jane had Nancy make up the guest room for Megan and Jennifer and everyone was going to bed at 9:00PM. Boring!

The bed had a nice blue flower quilt and the room had wall paper of hummingbirds. There was a nice commode and a pitcher and wash basin. Jane loaned them nightgowns. Megan wore one of Mrs. Austen's night gowns since Mrs. Austen was bigger then her daughters as was Megan. Jane hoped Megan and Jennifer had a good night's sleep and she left.

Megan and Jennifer got into bed. Megan was bored. "I wish I could watch TWILIGHT movies or George Lopez. I wish I was on my computer."

Jennifer sighed. "Like we are going to find a TV and a computer in the 1800's. I miss home, too. We wanted to go back into the past. So here we are. Suck it up."

Megan and Jennifer fell asleep three hours later. Megan missed her husband Damon but she had no way to get a hold of him.

Morning came quickly and Megan and Jennifer got up and washed with the basin. Megan went outside to pee by a tree. A raccoon ran out from behind a bush and Megan screamed and the raccoon chatted in anger. Megan would have given anything to have her own bathroom back. Jennifer laughed. She had to find a tree, too to go pee. "We have got to ask Jane what they do when they need to go potty."

Breakfast consisted of bacon, pancakes, eggs and milk. Mr. Austen had went into town which was alright with Megan and Jennifer.

Jane said they were going to Mrs. O'Rielley to pick out dresses for the Opera tonight. Mrs. Austen was going to wear a red dress with a high neck and lace and Jane was going to wear a light blue dress with lace. Cassandra was going to wear a plain green dress. Cassandra lived in her own little world.

Megan and Jennifer went to Mrs. O"Rielley's. Mrs. O'Rielley was very nice and she took the ladies to the attic where the dresses were.. Megan picked out a pretty lavender dress with pearls and bows. Mrs. O'Rielley told Megan that the dress was worn by a french woman who was beheaded! Megan cringed. Jennifer, Gretchen and Angel laughed.

Jane whispered:"It isn't true. Mrs. O'Rielley thinks she has lived past lives."
Megan thought maybe she was a vampire. Megan laughed to herself. Angel had found a yellow dress, Gretchen found a dark blue dress and Jennifer found a light pink dress with ruffles and bows. Megan hoped the Opera would be a good one.

Gretchen helped Mrs. O'Rielley bake cookies and Megan was intrigued with Mrs. O'Rielley's collection of porecelain cats. Mrs. O'Rielley claimed that the cats were crafted after cats that ran along the Nile River. Angel decided to help Gretchen bake cookies. Mrs. O'Rielley's house was modest but not as big as the Austen's house.

Before the women knew it, it was time to go to the Opera. The groomsmen helped Megan, Angel, Gretchen and Jennifer get into the carriage. Jane, Mrs. Austen and Cassandra rode in a second carriage.

Angel looked herself and the other girls. "We look like Easter Eggs!"

Gretchen laughed. "I am trying out for the role of the Cadbury Bunny!"

Jennifer smiled. "I'm Peter Cottontail!"

Megan chimed in:" Hippity Hoppity, Easter's on it's way!"

The women laughed. Before they knew it, they were at the Opera. Jennifer, Angel, Gretchen and Megan were escorted to seats in the balcony with Jane, Mrs. Austen and Cassandra. The ladies felt like rich ladies of society.

Soon the music started and the curtains opened. FANISKA was the name of the opera. Faniska was kidnapped and taken to a castle and got rescued in the end but it was a boring Opera. Megan wished they were seeing Celtic Thunder, the Celtic Group. Jennifer wished they had been eating popcorn, Megan wanted M&M's but in the 1800's, it wasn't meant to be.

Finally, the Opera was over and the women started to leave. Megan was in for a big surprise. She saw her friends Vicki and Bill. They were from Pennslyvania in her time. WHAT WERE THEY DOING THERE? Megan wondered if she had transferred everyone to this time. Vicki was surprised to see Megan. She ran up and hugged her. Jane asked Megan who Vick was. Gretchen spoke up. "This is my Aunt Florence!"
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