Chapter 27
[Jane is speaking] "I long to make apologies, excuses, to urge something for myself. I feel it so very due. But, unfortunately—in short, if your compassion does not stand my friend—"
"Oh! you are too scrupulous, indeed you are," cried Emma, warmly, and taking her hand. "You owe me no apologies; and everybody to whom you might be supposed to owe them, is so perfectly satisfied, so delighted even—"
"You are very kind, but I know what my manners were to you. So cold and artificial! I had always a part to act. It was a life of deceit! I know that I must have disgusted you."
"Pray say no more. I feel that all the apologies should be on my side. Let us forgive each other at once."
Jane Fairfax and Emma Woodhouse in Emma, chapter 52
Not long after her return from San Francisco, Jane called Emma to invite her to lunch. Emma was willing, eager even, to meet with her, much to Jane's relief. The other woman was livelier than the last time Jane had seen her, which was almost a return to her earlier high-spirits. Almost. The overconfidence and pushiness, two qualities that for so long had defined Emma and rubbed Jane the wrong way, were decidedly muted, if not gone altogether.
Jane began their time together by referencing Emma's earlier apology. "Even though some of the things you said were hard to hear, I appreciate your willingness to be honest with me. And you were sincere. I appreciate that, too."
"I was," Emma said. "I know I did a lot of things to you that were pretty awful. I just hope that you don't hate me."
"I don't hate you," Jane assured her. "In fact, I have some things to apologize for myself."
Emma shook her head. "Oh, no, Jane! You don't have anything to apologize for!"
"Yes, I do," Jane insisted. "It was me who told Frank about the Boxx owner."
Emma grinned. "Oh, come on, I figured that out as soon as I learned you two were together!"
"Still," Jane said. "I should have told you when it happened. You were so stressed out about it, and I let you stay that way, because I didn't want to come clean about my relationship with Frank. I was so tense about the whole thing that it affected my attitude at work. I was irritable and snappy with you because I felt so guilty. There were already problems between us, and my deceit just made it worse."
"You know what?" Emma said, after observing her for a moment. "I accept your apology. I know how much relief I've felt to make my own apologies and have other people accept them, so I'm guessing you'll feel the same way. So now we can forgive each other and wipe the slate clean." Her smile widened as she waved her hand in front of herself as if erasing a chalkboard.
Jane laughed then, the first time the two women had shared a laugh in—well, almost forever.
In mid-November, Frank had a brilliant idea—of course, he had never been shy about claiming such a thing for himself. It began one evening when he had once more joined Ryan and Annie for dinner. Their invitations to him had increased over the last few months, but what was more surprising, his acceptance rate for those invitations had increased as well.
At thirty-two weeks, Annie's baby bump was huge, although with her height she carried it well. Frank had teased her about being unable to reach the stove during her cooking show, and she admitted that she was soon going to take a leave of absence. "It's really getting to be too much," she said.
"This time of year especially," added Ryan. "Everyone wants caterers, and Annie is in high demand, but she needs to take it easy."
"I'm fine," Annie insisted. "But I do need to think about getting ready for the baby, and a busy holiday season won't leave me with much time. So I've decided to take a break from it all."
"For how long?" Frank asked.
"A year."
"Really?"
Annie nodded. "I want to spend a lot of quality time with the baby. I can't picture being able to do that with my current busy schedule and having to fight traffic to go out to a catering job or drive to the studio."
"I think we'll host a few big dinner parties here, though," said Ryan. "Annie wants to keep her toes in the water with the culinary arts industry."
Frank grinned. "So cooking for your brother-in-law isn't enough?"
"Nope," Annie laughed. "You have a big appetite, but not that big. I'm just trying to figure out how to balance staying on top of my game while still devoting most of my time to our daughter."
Reflecting on the conversation later that night, Frank had a sudden inspiration and began to take notes on a legal pad. About a week later, those notes had turned into a ten-page business plan, of which Frank had three copies printed and inserted in presentation covers. He then contacted two people to meet him for lunch.
"So what is this big idea of yours?" Annie asked as she sat down to join him.
"I'm curious myself," added Maddy, who sat next to Annie and opposite Frank.
Frank passed each of them a copy of the proposal. Annie smiled as she flipped through the pages. "Do you want us to read this now?"
"No, you can read it later, but I'll summarize what's in it. Maddy," he turned to her, "likes to make jams. She also makes and cans a few other food items, such as mustards and marinades. But, if it's okay for me to say this, her flavors sometimes leave something to be desired."
Maddy smiled and nodded, indicating that his words were okay.
"Now, Annie," he turned to his sister-in-law, "is a chef. She has a culinary arts degree and a commercial kitchen in her house. She wants to take some time off with her baby coming, but also wants to stay involved in the food industry." Frank spread his arms out to both women. "My idea is to have you work together to create a viable and marketable food line."
"I'm listening," Maddy said. "Now you really have me interested."
"Oh, me, too!" said Annie.
"Maddy, do you remember when you told me that you started combining different fruits and vegetables in your jams because you didn't want anything to go to waste?"
Maddy nodded.
"The idea of zero waste is actually trendy now with people who are eco-conscious. In addition, you have a lot of parents who want to find ways to get their kids to eat more vegetables. That's why V8 is able to make juices that combine fruits and vegetables and promise a full serving of vegetables in each bottle. So why not do the same thing with other foods kids like to eat, like jams or maybe even puddings?"
He turned back to Annie. "And here's where you come in. I'd like you to figure out a way to make Maddy's foods taste good."
"And you think we can market this?" Annie asked.
Frank pointed to the business plan. "I do. I have several ideas outlined in here. First of all, the schools are trying to offer healthier foods to kids in keeping with the First Lady's guidelines. We can try to make Maddy's foods a part of the school breakfast and lunch menu. In keeping with the idea of zero waste, we can give points to schools that recycle our packaging, and a certain number of points will enable a school to receive a small monetary donation."
"Like the 'Boxtops for Schools' program," Maddy said. "I remember cutting those out when Jane was a kid."
"Right. So that's one market: health conscious parents and schools. The second market is where we'll really look for profits: upscale, environmentally conscious consumers, who like the idea of locally produced, organic foods, who will love the idea of zero waste, and who might be open to trying creative combinations of jams, condiments, and marinades. There are sixteen million people in the greater L.A. area, and a lot of them fit that profile."
"I like it," said Annie.
"So do I," Maddy said.
"But here's the thing," Frank reminded them, "none of this will work unless your foods taste really, really good. If you two can figure out a way to create some delicious recipes, then I'll provide all the financing, and I promise you, I'll get this to market and make it sell."
"Frank, you would do this for us?" Maddy said, her expression really touched. "This is amazing!"
"It is!" echoed Annie. "So, we'll have to come up with a name for our company. Maybe we can combine our names and call it, 'Mannie'?"
Frank gaped at her in horror. "Oh no! No, you WON'T! You two better go to the drawing table and figure out something else for a name, because I'm not putting my money into anything called Mannie!"
Both ladies burst out laughing.
"Can you cook?" were the first words out of Caroline's mouth when Jane answered her call.
"Yes, I can cook," Jane answered, puzzled by the abrupt question.
"Oh, good! What are you doing for Thanksgiving?"
"We're having dinner with friends of the family." Given Caroline's feelings about Emma, Jane thought it wise not to mention that the friends were the Woodhouses.
"They can spare you, right? Because I need you!"
"What's this about, Caroline?"
"James' family is coming for dinner, and I said I'd cook! I tried to make Thanksgiving dinner for my family and friends two years ago, and it was a disaster!"
Jane frowned, disturbed. Caroline was asking her to cook her Thanksgiving dinner. Not inviting her over as a guest, but asking her to cook. "As I said, we have plans."
"But I need you, Jane! James' parents are bringing the turkey, and I'm supposed to make the side dishes! But I can't cook at all! Trust me, I've tried it!"
"Did you volunteer for this?"
"Yes!"
"Why?" Why would Caroline offer to do something she couldn't do?
"To make sure all the sides are vegan, and to impress them."
Jane smiled despite herself. "And you want me to impress them instead."
"No, we'll do it together! You can teach me as we go along. And then you'll join us for dinner."
Ah, so there was at least a dinner invitation in there. Jane sighed. Caroline had done a lot for her during the past several months. Helping her cook Thanksgiving dinner was a small favor to ask in return. "Let me talk to my aunt and grandmother, and get back to you about it."
She wondered whether Caroline would then offer to invite Maddy and Grandma as well, but she did not. "Please let me know soon, because I really, really need your help!"
When the call ended, Jane went to find Aunt Maddy, who was sitting on the sofa in the living room folding a clean load of laundry. "Aunt Maddy," Jane said, "Caroline asked me to help her make Thanksgiving dinner for her husband's family. Would you feel okay about that? Since that means I wouldn't be with you and Grandma?"
"Caroline's helped you out a lot, hasn't she?" Maddy said as she placed a blouse on a hanger.
Jane nodded.
"Then if she needs you, you need to be there for her." Maddy grinned. "You can pinch that cute senator's cheeks for me."
That was easy, Jane thought with a smile.
"Hey, I have a question for you, too. Frank has a business idea. He wants to work with Annie and me to bring my jams to market. What do you think about that?"
Jane was surprised, to say the least. "He thinks people will buy them?"
"That's why he wants me to work with Annie, so she can help me figure out good flavor combinations. But he has some creative ideas, and thinks they'll really sell."
"Then go for it."
"I just want to make sure you don't feel funny about me working with Frank like this."
Jane shook her head. "Not at all." A thought came to her. "Are you going to be meeting with him regularly?"
When Maddy said yes, Jane asked, "Would you be willing to take him a note from me?" She had never had a chance to apologize to him in San Francisco, and it had been weighing on her conscience.
"Jane!" Maddy scolded. "I'm not passing notes between you and Frank."
"It would just be one time, Aunt Maddy. I don't know if I'm up to talking to him or seeing him, and a text seems too impersonal. You can tell him he doesn't have to respond. I promise you, it will just be this one time."
Maddy reluctantly agreed, so Jane went back to her room to write the note. After several fits and starts, she finally decided to keep it simple. She wrote,
Dear Frank,
Please accept my apology for my abominable behavior at the VERGE conference. Thank you for what you said to me that day. It was enlightening, and something I really need to hear.
Jane.
On Thursday, November 27, Jane found herself at the Elton's Encino home, helping Caroline to make savory sweet potatoes with garlic and basil, cranberries with pears, walnuts and ginger, brown rice and wild rice dressing, macaroni with a cashew "cheese" sauce, and a mixed green salad. For dessert they would have apple pie with coconut milk whipped topping.
"Smells good in here," James said as he entered the kitchen.
"Your family is going to love it," Caroline smiled. "How does the dining room look?"
"Table's all set, the cornucopia is laid out, and I've chosen the wine," he answered.
"Ohh, my caro sposo," Caroline said, making a kissy face at him. "You're so wonderful!"
He grinned and made one back. "I'm leaving now to pick up Gran."
"His grandmother lives in an assisted living facility in Pasadena," Caroline explained to Jane.
Before walking out, James hugged and kissed his wife, turning to Jane and saying, "Isn't she beautiful and amazing?"
"Oh, stop!" Caroline said, but she preened and tossed her hair over her shoulder. Jane suppressed her laughter. They certainly had mushiness down.
After the senator left, Jane asked what Caroline's family was doing for Thanksgiving. "My parents went to visit Bing and Jane in New York. They haven't set a wedding date yet, so I think they plan to bug them about it."
"Gigi tells me that she and her brother are having dinner with Jane and Lizzie's family."
Caroline rolled her eyes. "Poor things. The Bennets live in the middle of this podunk town in Nowheresville, California, and they are a nightmare."
"What do you mean?" Jane asked, really puzzled. Jane and Lizzie Benent both seemed to be really nice people, so she couldn't imagine their family being any different.
"They're loud and uncouth and embarrassing."
Jane was quiet for a moment, thinking. "You've met my aunt," she finally said. "She's pretty loud and on occasion she has embarrassed me. Some might say she's uncouth."
Caroline sighed. "I wasn't comparing her to them."
"I didn't think you were, but I know what some people think about her. But you know what?"
"What?"
"My aunt is also loving, caring, generous, forgiving, and wise. If loud and embarrassing are part of that package, I'll take it, because she's the best aunt I could ever imagine having. Lizzie and Jane might feel the same way about their family."
Caroline wasn't willing to concede the point. "Of course you always love your family, no matter what they're like. That doesn't mean other people should have to put up with them."
Instead of taking offense, Jane grinned, the desire to tease Caroline arising. "They're going to be your family, too, once Bing gets married."
Caroline groaned, and Jane laughed. "Maybe you should start looking for those better qualities in them, since you'll be stuck with them!"
"Let's talk about something else," Caroline said, her irritation evident. "Like your foundation. How is it going?"
Jane waggled her head to indicate so-so. "Slowly. I'm trying to set up a meeting with someone from the L.A. Unified School District, to talk about bringing water conservation information into the schools. It's hard opening those doors."
"You'll find a way. Like I said before, your talents were wasted at your old job, with that conceited Emma and that pathetic Harriet."
Jane looked at her sharply. Caroline's remark about Emma she could understand, but why would she say that about Harriet? "Harriet's a really sweet person, and she's very hardworking and creative. She's not pathetic at all. I find her rather impressive."
Caroline rolled her eyes again. "Okay, maybe she's not completely pathetic. I did see some moxie in her at times that I wasn't expecting. But can you believe that she used to think James wanted a relationship with her?"
"She used to like James?"
Caroline nodded. "How dare she?"
Jane shrugged. "He's smart, good-looking, and successful. Why shouldn't she like him? Anyway, it's obviously over, since he's married to you and Harriet has a boyfriend now." For the past several months, Harriet had been dating Robert Martin, a really cute, kind of geeky guy who sometimes provided IT support at Emma Approved.
"But he's mine! Who was she to think that someone like her could be with someone like James?"
Jane looked closely at Caroline, pondering the intensity of her reaction to Harriet's former crush on her husband. As she watched the expression of indignation on Caroline's face, Jane could suddenly see the vulnerable and somewhat insecure woman beneath the brash, confident mask Caroline usually wore. "Caroline, do you remember what you said to me at the spa about why you picked Emma Approved to plan your engagement party?"
"I wanted to show Emma that I won," Caroline replied.
"Exactly. When James was here, it was obvious to me how much he loves and admires you. He's an incredible man with a lot of influence in this state, who may one day have a lot of influence in the entire country. And he chose you. So you don't have to worry about Emma or Harriet or any other woman, and you certainly don't have to put them down. You won, Caroline. You won."
Caroline stared at Jane for a moment, and slowly she began to smile. "Yeah, I guess I did."
Author's note: My thanks to a random EA YouTube commenter who asked, "Doesn't Annie have a culinary arts degree? If Maddy is having trouble coming up with good flavors, why doesn't she ask Annie for help?" That comment gave me the idea for the Maddy-Annie business in this chapter.
One of the things I loved most about EA is that they gave Harriet Smith a lot of character growth. She went from being a shy, insecure young woman at the start of the series, to one that definitely showed a lot of moxie at the end, without ever losing her sweetness.
I would love some delicious comments!