Author's Note: I cannot hope to equal Jane Austen's skill, but I am attempting to follow her style adn the stlye of Regency authors as closely as possible in this tale. I am truly grateful for all advice and help anyone can give. This is hopefully going to develop into a novel-length tale, but it will be updated slowly, as the style is very difficult for me to keep up for any length of time.

Disclaimer: All of the characters from Mansfield Park belong to the inimitable Jane Austen. Hopefully the few that I create live up to her's.



There may those rare creatures in whom sense and vivacity are happily blended in perfect measure, who never stoop to folly or expose themselves to ridicule, whose lofty ideals and sagacious ponderings are applied flawlessly to every situation, whose behavior is equal to soul and mind; such a blend of grace and spirit may exist in some persons, but Susan Price was not one of these happy beings.

Having been raised for fourteen years in a home where lowness of mind and understanding abounded, where such manners and learning as might be acquired were considered as attempts to rise above her station, it can be imagined that Susan's felicity at being transferred to her uncle's home of Mansfield Park was great. What joys could she imagine, at being the favored niece of so great a family as Sir Thomas Bertram and Lady Bertram! When first she was established as her aunt's companion, her eagerness to serve and to learn knew no bounds. She soon became dearer to her aunt, and more necessary than could have been anticipated. Sir Thomas himself smiled upon her and congratulated himself often on the happy thought that led him to install Susan into their well-oiled household. For the first four years of her residence at Mansfield Park, indeed, it seemed impossible to imagine what could cause anything to interfere with the smooth course of their lives.

To Susan, however, coming from the freedoms of her own home, the restrictions and rules of her uncle's home were very trying. While she was grateful for the whim that had brought her out of her lowly station, she did wish to experience more excitement, to enjoy herself more, and to have a wider circle of acquaintances. Her uncle, suffering as he was from the agony of having had one daughter destroy her reputation with a wicked man, and the other elope, felt it very important to keep Susan from forming any injudicious connexions. He also had developed the very bad habit of lecturing her on the follies of fashionable young women almost every evening, while Lady Bertram dozed by the fire with her pug. Far from dissuading her, the stories told by Sir Thomas merely served to inflame Susan's imagination and increase her desire to learn of these things for herself.


Susan was dining at Mansfield Parsonage one Sunday with her sister and brother-in-law, Fanny and Edmund Bertram. Edmund was the youngest of Sir's Thomas's two sons, and a fine clergyman. He, too, felt it his duty to turn Susan's mind to soberness and steadiness, the unhappy result of which was flippancy from his dear cousin.

"Cousin," began he that day over dinner, "What thought you of my sermon today? Did you think there were any points that should have been made clearer? Did it all flow together smoothly?"

"La, I cannot tell," replied Susan gaily. "I never listen to above half your sermon, as well you know."

"That is very wrong, Susan," interposed Fanny gravely. "You should always listen to the teaching of the church."

"But Fanny, you know Edmund's sermons are infernally long and dull," pleaded Susan. "How is one such as myself supposed to be able to take note of everything said in them, especially when there are such other interesting things happening? For example, today Mrs. Worth came to church with such a hat as I have never seen in my life! Truly, it was a hideous monstrosity; I declare, it took me a full ten minutes to fully compose myself to where I could think about anything else after seeing it. Then, Miss Farnsworth was out for the first time this week, and such a frock as she boasted! All lace and frills and furbelows 'til one could hardly see the plain little woman underneath it. With all these distractions surrounding me, can you wonder that I found it hard to focus on dear Edmund's sermon?"

Here Edmund interposed with a long dissertation on the importance of turning one's mind from worldly things during the administration of the service, to which neither Susan nor Fanny could follow for longer than half a minute. Indeed, Susan only let it get a bit further before she ignored her cousin entirely and turned to her sister.

"But Fanny, I have nearly forgotten!"

Edmund stopped, appalled at being so rudely interrupted. Fanny was on the brink of rebuking her sister when Susan's news drove all such thoughts out of their heads.

"My uncle received a letter yesterday of great import. Can you ever guess? No, you cannot, so I must tell you myself. It was from Julia—Mrs. Yates!"

"My sister?" This time it was Edmund himself who interrupted, so eager was he to hear news of his youngest sister, married these four years to a Mr. Yates, and only rarely visiting Mansfield.

"Aye," replied Susan. "And you will never guess what she said. She and Mr. Yates and their daughter Althea wish to come to pay a lengthy visit to Mansfield Park. They are hoping to stay the summer out! Is it not grand?"

Fanny and Edmund exchanged quick glances. Although fond of Mrs. and Mr. Yates, they were not the sort of influence either of them felt was good for Susan at this time in her life. She, however, chattered on, oblivious to their concern.

"For you know Julia will have all the latest fashions from London, and that is sorely needed here, as well you know, Fanny. And is not the timing Providential? My aunt says I am to come out shortly before they arrive, so that I will be able to attend all the festivities and galas. And Julia herself said in her letter that she is greatly desirous of making my better acquaintance this summer. Was that not kind? Truly, with this sort of news, it was a wonder I was able to hear anything dear Edmund said this morning. I am all a-flutter with excitement!"

Again Fanny and Edmund exchanged a slow glance, and then Fanny spoke in her kindly fashion.

"It will be a pleasure to see dear Julia again. And it will be so nice for Cassandra to have her cousin to play with. There are so few children with whom she can properly associate around here that I fear the mite is often lonely."

"I've told you before, Fan, you keep Cass far too exclusive," said Susan impatiently. "Why should she not play with the common children? People will think you a great snob."

"Well, well," said Edmund, thinking it was high time the conversation took a turn, "Let it be. So Julia and Yates are coming at last? My poor mother must be in a tizzy. I fancy this is one time she wishes Aunt Norris were still here."

Aunt Norris, so offensive and ridiculous to all three, had been living for the past several years in the country with Maria, the eldest Bertram daughter, who had been disowned for her shocking conduct. None at Mansfield had ever missed either of them, but Edmund's little joke served to break any tension building 'round the table. They shared a quiet laugh and retired from the table to take a walk to Mansfield and visit with Sir Thomas and Lady Bertram and share the news of Julia and Yates.