CHAPTER 16:
Jane:
We did our best to engage in small talk while we waited for the Lefroy children to make their entrance. I admit that I was a bit amused as Tom suddenly almost seemed to be a little bit nervous and I'll assume nervous about the idea of us meeting his children. This also seemed to make feel somewhat more calm about meeting them.
As they seemed to be taking longer than I had anticipated they would, I thought that they probably had to make some minor "repairs" and "adjustments" to some of the children in which to make them "presentable". Eventually however, I started hearing a noise that suggested that several pairs of feet were first coming down stairs and then walking towards the room we were in.
Miss Phoebe was in the lead, the first to enter the room upon their arrival. "Tom..." she addressed him, as he quickly stood up and went over to the doorway. Phoebe moved aside and allowed the children to enter, Sarah and Anna bringing up the rear. Once they were all in, the three females quietly, quickly and efficiently moved the children to the center of where we were all sitting and lined them up, facing us.
Now Tom stepped towards them and addressed us all. "Children, these are our guests, Mr. Austen, Mrs. Austen, Miss Cassandra Austen and Miss Jane Austen." He gestured to each of us in turn as we each bowed in turn to our names. The children gave us their customary greeting bow, even the littlest one. Tom now introduced his children, one by one, standing behind each one of them as he named them off so we would know who was who. "This my oldest, Mr. Anthony Lefroy...and of course with the exception of Miss Cassandra Austen, you have met Miss Jane Lefroy...Anne...Thomas...Jeffry...George...and Mary." As I briefly studied each child it was easy to see that some of them took more after Tom while others took more after Mary in their looks.
We smiled at each of them in turn although I could feel that we were being sized up by Tom's children. Not in a rude way, just more out of curiosity than anything. When it had come to Jane's turn, she and I shared a look and a knowing smile. It was lovely to see her again. I hoped that we would get the chance to talk without all of the children around. I wanted to see how she was doing. I also wanted to know if she had been able to practice her piano as much as she had promised me. There was plenty of time for us to practice our duet and some Christmas songs together at least.
"Father, may I speak please?" asked the girl standing next to Jane. If I was remembering correctly, her name was Anne.
"Yes Anne what is it you wish to say?" Tom gave her his permission.
"I wish to ask Miss Austen a question."
"Miss Cassandra Austen or Miss Jane Austen?"
"Miss Jane Austen please."
"Miss Austen?" Tom addressed me now and I nodded my head to let him know that it was alright with me for her to ask me her question, then he turned back to Anne. "Go ahead then."
"Miss Austen, Jane says you are a famous writer. Do you write children's stories too?"
"First off...children..." I said including all of the children in my address. "It is our pleasure to meet you. But you must not call me Miss Austen as that is the title that belongs to my sister..." I gestured towards Cassandra "...and especially as we are both present. Perhaps in order for it to not be so confusing amongst us with two Miss Austens and two Janes..." I smiled at Jane when I said this and she returned it. "You could refer to me as...oh...how about Miss Jane. Do you think that would that be suitable for everyone?" There was a general nodding of heads so I continued, "And in answer to your question...Anne..." I now turned my attention to Anne and with another smile at her, I replied, "Yes, your sister is correct in that I am writer." I left out the famous part on purpose. "However, I admit that I have not tried to write children's stories. But perhaps one day I will have to try it and see if I am able to accomplish it well enough so that it meets the approval of young children."
My answer seemed to please Anne.
"What's it like to be famous?" Now one of the younger boys, I forgot his name already...how was I to remember all of them, I wondered...spoke without permission.
"Jeffry!" Tom admonished him in his surprise.
Oh right. That's what his name was...Jeffry. "It's alright Tom. He's just being curious." I assured him. I turned to the one called Jeffry and said, "You know, I don't like to think of myself as being famous. And really it's not all that different than not being famous. You just find that more people seem to know you, than you know people. I do not live any differently than if I wasn't famous."
"Why did you become famous then?" He went on with a puzzled look on his face.
"Manners Jeffry!" Tom exclaimed in a tone that was low, but firm.
I held up my hand to Tom to indicate that I was fine with this question. But I had to keep my smile hidden from the young boy's question as I thought about how it was best to answer him and in a way he would understand. "I didn't choose to become famous...Jeffry. I like to write. I enjoy writing stories and people like to read some of my stories. And people tell other people about them and soon a whole bunch of people know about my stories and read them. That's how I became..."famous" although I personally prefer the word "known" to "famous".
"Children, that is enough for now. I realize that you probably have a lot of questions to ask Miss Jane, but there is going to be plenty of time for you to ask your questions, you need not ask them all tonight in one sitting." Tom intercepted his children firmly before anymore questions could be asked. "Before our dinner, I am going to take our guests on a tour of our house and you are to stay with Anna and your aunts. You may do as you please while you wait for dinner, as long as it is within reason. Mind you listen to Anna and your aunts."
Tom gestured for us to leave the room and we followed him. "I apologize for Jeffry. He is my inquisitive child." Tom explained to us once we were in the main entrance.
"Not at all Tom, do not concern yourself about it. I honestly did not mind." I replied smiling at the recent memory.
We went from room to room on the main floor where Tom showed us to drawing rooms, sitting rooms, a room that he referred to as both his office and study, the library which was much bigger than the one in London. I was glad of the time we would be spending here in Ireland for I knew that this library would be one of the rooms I would be spending some time in. "You are welcome to come and go from this library as you please, Jane, you needn't ask my permission. " Tom informed me without me having said a word to him, obviously remembering our London visit. "Nor any of you. You are all free to come and go as you please from my library and you may help yourselves to any of the books in here that interest you, for as long as you are in Ireland." He finished off including the rest of the Austen's in his offer.
We came to another drawing room, this one had a piano in it and before I could say anything Tom said, "We call this room our music room. Jane took your advice to heart and has done quite a lot of practicing since we saw you last. I'm sure you will be quite pleased at her progress."
"I am sure that I will be." I replied firmly. I was looking forward to hearing her.
Eventually we came across quite a large and oddly quite empty room and which at first Tom referred to the "running room".
"Running room?" I looked at Tom with a puzzled expression on my face. "What a strange name for a room!"
Tom chuckled at my expression and said. "It doesn't really have name, it goes by a few different names actually..."running room" is one, "games room" is another, "activity room"...It is really a ballroom and where the dancing will take place for our Christmas Ball, but it's other use is mainly for the children to exercise their energy on days when the weather is too foul to go outside and play."
He now explained his and Mary's belief of bringing up their children in this manner, through physical play and activity.
"You actually allow your children to run in this room?" Eliza seemed a bit shocked at the idea. I couldn't say that I blamed her...the idea of seven children running in this elegant room. But it did explain it's emptiness at least.
"It's more for playing physical games than just running around in it." Tom further explained to us. "You will understand more when you see it being used for that. We have a few smaller rooms upstairs, one is the "school room" that is used for the children's studies of course and a couple of other rooms that we call "play rooms" that are used for their more leisure activities."
It was all a very interesting concept, these rooms that were used specifically for the children and their play.
"I know of some people who object to this kind of upbringing, even some of my own family as well as Mary's but we have found that it actually seems to benefit the children more as for the most part, they are all happy, very healthy and quite bright."
I couldn't object to it myself remembering how much time we had also spent outside "trying to keep up with our brothers" as Henry had put it once. It certainly hadn't hurt us any. As Tom was speaking these words, I couldn't help but think and in fact found myself saying out loud, "I might be interested in taking part at times as well."
Tom's face brightened when I said these words. "I'm sure the children would enjoy having you join in. And Sarah as well." He seemed pleased with my suggestion. Then he went on. "Phoebe is one of my family members who was against this idea until she came to live with us after Mary's passing. I'm sure she had intended to put a stop to it, but found it to be more helpful than harmful after all. However, she would never participate in such activities. That is part of Sarah's daily duties with the children. She is like myself and quite relishes in them as much as they do. I also join in when I am at home. Phoebe teaches the younger ones in their schooling along with Sarah and Jane now also helps them with the youngest ones. Anthony will be starting school in Limerick next half term after Christmas as he has now become of age."
"Is he interested in studying the law like yourself, Tom?" Henry asked.
"He seems to be more into politics." Tom replied.
"Still very respectable." Eliza stated.
"Let us carry on then shall we?" Tom now said. "As it is already close to dinner, I suggest that we continue on with the upstairs part of our tour after we have eaten if that suits everyone?"
We all agreed and Tom sought out Berkley who told him that dinner would be served immediately if we wished to take our places in the dining room. The children were already being ushered in to the table. We followed them in and as soon as we were all sat, Tom looked over at his oldest son.
"Anthony, would you please lead us in the blessing tonight?"
"Yes, father." Anthony immediately began the meal blessing as we all bowed our heads...
Now that we had met the children, I started to pay particular attention to the interaction between Tom and his family. Of course I had watched Tom and Jane quite a bit in London and now I was interested in observing all of them together. During the dinner meal, the children were all very well behaved and ate their food in silence, although it was very possible that they had been listening to our conversation. From the little I had seen of all of them, they did seem to obey Tom quite well and were certainly not unruly. But then as Tom had said earlier, as we were to be here into the New Year, we were very likely to see some wayward behaviour from them here and there. That of course was to be expected. I think that it would be more disconcerting if they were to turn out to be perfect children who got along perfectly all of the time.
After we had finished our meal, Tom announced, "While we are waiting for our dessert in the drawing room, I will show our guests the rest of the house. Phoebe, Sarah and Anna, you may take the children into the drawing room and have your dessert."
Henry, Eliza, Cassandra and myself rose from our chairs as Tom did and once again, he lead the way out of the room and towards the staircase again and up the stairs. He showed us the various rooms upstairs, his sisters room and Anna's room (none of which he opened, he merely pointed them out which one belonged to whom)-all of which were right beside the children's rooms-even with all of the rooms upstairs, the three girls shared one big room-as did the boys. But we were soon to find out why. It was as Tom had mentioned earlier about the "play rooms". They were easily meant to be bedchambers but instead, one of them was used as a "school room" which had tables and chairs, writing paper, tablets and of course books all neatly put away for the day. By contrast, the other rooms were not neat at all which surprised even me. These rooms were clearly used as the actual play rooms that Tom had mentioned and which had a variety of toys, games, books scattered throughout it.
"These rooms only gets picked up once a day and the children are all expected to do it before our nightly reading." Tom explained of the mess inside.
Naturally, this caught my attention. "Reading?"
"Yes...it's something I started when Anthony was old enough to be read to, although Jane was still too small. Mary or myself would read to Anthony...and Jane as well you could say, before their bed. As Anthony and Jane learned to read, we encouraged them to start reading and now the older children as well as myself do the reading."
"I think that's wonderful Tom." I told him, amazed. I was starting to like how Tom was raising his children.
"I'm glad it meets with your approval." He said softly with a smile.
Then something else caught my attention. Tom's words, "...it was something I started with Anthony.." This was..HIS idea then?
Tom now brought us back to the top of staircase and lead us back down. I had noticed at least one other room that he had never shown us, at the opposite end of the hallway, but I suspected it was just a spare room of no real significance. OR...a thought suddenly struck me...maybe it was a room of Mary's that he did not wish to disturb. I couldn't blame him there and I promised myself that I would not ask him about it. I understood that he did not show it to us because of personal reasons and it was not in our right to know if he did not wish it. I respected him for that.
Tom lead us into the drawing room which held the piano, I noticed. I did wonder if he had chosen this room for that purpose or if they always took their dessert in this room. By the time we had arrived, the children had apparently finished with their own desserts and almost as soon as we were in the room, Phoebe, Sarah and Anna had gathered the children and left it.
"'Play time' for the day is over. It's time to straighten up their rooms." Tom explained with a smile when we looked at him in askance. Just like clock-work, they knew their duties.
"Amazing!" Eliza exclaimed as dessert and beverages were served to us. "I have never heard or seen such a way of bringing up a family before Tom. I admit that unless I had only heard but hadn't witnessed it for myself I don't know if I could have believed that this "modern" way of child rearing could actually work, but it certainly seems to be working at least for yours!"
"Thank you Eliza. We...I think it is too. But I also think it helps to make sure that we...I am involved with them. I don't know if it would work as well if the parents aren't willing to participate in at least some of the activities with them whenever they can."
I too thought much like Eliza...not that I had much experience in child-raising aside from my own brother's families, but I was beginning to think that this idea might a good one to try for at least some of their own children. But then I wondered if it was too late for them anyway. They would most likely never believe in it either.
"Jane has been quite eager to play for you so that you will be able to hear how she has come along, Jane. But for now, she wishes for only yourself to be present when she does. I thought that sometime tomorrow you and she could sit down and you could listen to her." Tom now addressed me.
"Of course Tom. I would be more than happy to." I returned.
We carried on with casual conversation until the children returned to the drawing room.
"And now who is to read to us tonight?" Tom said looking at his children with that familiar twinkle in his eye.
"Ah...Mr. Lefroy...might I read tonight? Please...it would be my pleasure." I quickly asked while everyone, including the children stared at me in their surprise. It was an idea that had come into my mind when Tom had told us about their nightly reading. I thought it might be one way for his children and myself to ease into getting to know one another. His face lit up with pleasure.
"It would be our honour...Jane. I thought instead of moving into the library that we could stay in here this time. Jane, you go and get the book that we have been reading and bring it back here please."
I myself sat down on the floor and said, "Children why don't you gather round me..." I encouraged them. They all looked towards their father who smiled and gave them a nod of his head in the affirmative. Tom obviously did not object to my idea of my sitting on the floor and having the children sit around me, but nor had I really expected that he would considering his own unconventional ways in which he was raising this family. After they were all seated on the floor near me, with the exception of little Mary who went over to Tom instead, I went on. "...and while we wait for Jane you to tell me what the story is about that you have been reading."
"Anthony, why don't you fill Miss Jane in on the story." Tom instructed his oldest son. which he obliged. Jane came back into the room while Anthony was just finishing up and Jane handed me the book. Most of the children were more or less in front of me, but she quickly took up a spot beside me.
"Thank you, Jane. Now, if you would kindly show me where you left off last please and where I should read until, we can get started."
"We usually read a chapter a night, Miss..Jane." Jane informed me. "Unless the chapter is unusually short, then we might read a little more. Or if the chapter is unusually long, then we might shorten it. But we keep our readings shorter because of the younger children."
"I see." I replied. "That is a very wise idea, keeping the younger children in mind for your readings." I went through the chapter with Jane to see how long it was and we both came to the agreement that it would do. "A chapter it shall be then."
And I started in on their nightly reading...
After I had finished the chapter, the younger children, Mary, George, Jeffry were taken up to bed while the older four were allowed to stay in the room for awhile as we continued on with our visit. Eventually, they went up to their rooms and soon afterwards, we four travelers declared that it was time for us to retire as well. Tom took up the rear and followed us up to our rooms and as Cassandra and myself paused at our door to bid everyone a good night, Tom said, "Jane...there is something I wish to show you before you retire to your room for the night. Please, it will only take a few minutes. I promise not to keep you long."
I looked at Cassandra who gave me a smile and nodded her head slightly before saying good night to Tom and entering our bedchamber.
After the door was closed on us, he held out his free arm and puzzled, I took it.
"And how has Jane been doing?" I now asked Tom wishing to hide my baffled expression from him as he lead me away from our room.
"She has reverted back to playing the mother to her younger brothers and sisters." He told me a bit sadly. "But I am hoping now that you are here, that will change. It was easier for her to be more herself in London as her siblings weren't there of course. It may be harder here with them all around, but I am still hopeful that having you here will allow her be that 13 year old girl again."
I looked at Tom who was looking back and at me and replied whole-heartedly. "I hope so too. I will do whatever it is that I can to help her."
Tom smiled down at me. No words were needed.
Suddenly, he stopped and it was now that I realized that he had taken me down to the opposite end of the hallway and in my surprised I noticed that we were stopped outside the door of the room he had not shown us earlier. He was obviously about to show me what lay in that room, behind that door...