Miss Taylor dressed Emma and Isabella in their best Sunday dresses the day the Bates and Westons moved into Hatfield. They waited outside on the front wrapped in their shawls and their Father watching with one eye on the road and the other on his daughters looking very concerned.
"It is very cold today," he said, "perhaps there is ice on the road and the carriage slipped..." Emma and Isabella gasped looking terrified; Miss Taylor put a comforting hand on both of their shoulders and gave Mr Woodhouse a disapproving look. Mr Woodhouse did not see the look and continued. "It is very cold...are you sure they do not need another shawl, Miss Taylor? Emma is shivering and Isabella is looking very pale. We cannot have the girls' ill when our new residents only just joined us. Perhaps you should take them in and – ah, here they are. Thank heavens I was beginning to worry."
Once the carriage pulled to a stop and the footman opened the door there was a burst of sound that made Emma flinch. Being the youngest she was the most protected against the outside world and she had never really met Miss Bates until now. The noise was almost unbearable.
"Oh Mr Woodhouse! Thank you ever so much for this opportunity, you are ever so kind, yes so very kind indeed, we did not think we could keep Jane and now we can. Oh how could we ever repay you? I do not know how I can ever repay you for such kindness. Mr Woodhouse and his family is the definition of kindness, do you not think so mother? Jane? Is Mr Woodhouse not the definition of kindness?"
"Yes, Aunt," a small pale skinned, dark haired girl whispered. "Thank you very much, Mr Woodhouse."
Mr Woodhouse frowned slightly. He knew that the Bates' were struggling with their lack of fortune but surely they had enough to buy Jane a shawl, gloves, and a bonnet to keep her ears warm. Mr Perry had said once that the head was the quickest part to get cold and ill; surely Miss Bates was not a poor caregiver to purposely let little Jane Fairfax get cold. "You are welcome, Miss Fairfax," he said, "do come inside where it is warm."
"Oh thank you ever so much...the definition of kindness...oh how would we ever repay you?" Miss Bates babbled as she helped her mother up the stairs to Hartfield.
"Hello," Emma said to Jane cheerfully, "I'm Emma Woodhouse. Papa says we are to share a room, I can show you the way and then we can play with my dolls."
"Thank you," Jane whispered, her cheeks flushing a bright pink.
Mr Woodhouse was about to order Miss Taylor to take Jane inside straight away, that shade of pink was unnatural and was obviously a sign that the girl was coming down with a fever! However his order was silenced at the sight of the second carriage containing that poor Mr Weston who was planning to leave for London to change his circumstances and little Frank Weston.
Out of a sudden impulse Emma grabbed Jane's hand and pulled her down towards the carriage. She laughed delightfully as she ignored her father's and Miss Taylor's shouts for her to come back.
"Perhaps we should," Jane said looking a little scared.
"Don't you want to meet our new brother?" Emma asked as she continued to pull Jane towards the cheerful friendly man who was helping a little golden haired boy out of the carriage. She could not wait, she already had a sister so Jane was nothing new but a brother, why how extraordinary and interesting would that be? "Hello!" Emma called out cheerfully.
"Why, its little Miss Woodhouse and little Miss Fairfax," Mr Weston cried out, "Frank, say hello to your foster sisters. You will be living with them for a long time and you should make a very good impression before they decide you are too horrible to live with."
Clumsily little Frank Weston bowed to Emma and Jane. "Good morning, Miss Woodhouse, Miss Fairfax," he said causing Mr Weston to beam with pride.
"Emma and Jane," Emma corrected him as she took his hand, "after all, we are family now."
EWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEW
There is an empty ache within Emma.
It was a warm summer's evening, warmer still for Emma as her Father insists on three blankets at the minimum, and yet her bed was cold. It felt icily so. Flattered as she was about Mr Woodhouse's offer, Miss Bates had also accepted Colonel Campbell's offer of Jane spending the summers in exotic seaside places. The Bates' and Jane had only lived in Hartfield for three months before the Campbells took Jane off to the seaside. For the first time in three months Emma had her bed to herself and it was so very cold.
Jane was very shy and did not talk much. Emma was struggling to befriend such a quiet girl who did nothing but attempt to read and practise playing the piano. Frank Weston who did not want to play tea parties and weddings was more fun than Jane. However with both Mr Knightly and Miss Taylor insisting on Emma befriending Jane, Emma continued her attempts of conversation with Jane. They were still very awkward around one another and yet there was something there, some sort of potential of being friends hidden beneath their differences.
Emma finds herself missing Jane very much. She misses Frank too, his aunt also insisted on having him visit her over the summer and now the house is a little lonely. Not quiet because Miss Bates is never quiet, but it is lonely. And she misses Jane more than anything. If this was how the first night feels, Emma did not want to spend three months feeling this ache and coldness, in fact she wanted Jane to come home right now.
Grumbling, she grabbed Jane's pillow and placed it beneath the covers, her little hands moulded it to look lumpy and odd. She then curled herself up against it and sighed in satisfaction.
She could almost convince herself that this was Jane.
It was not warm enough to be Jane but it smelt like Jane and it was enough until Jane was home.
EWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEW
"Come and play pirates with me," Frank begged on a fairly warm autumn afternoon, "tea parties are so very boring and Miss Bates is always repeating herself, no offense Jane, can we not sneak away and play pirates. I will let you be the Captain, Emma."
Emma hesitated. While she enjoyed sipping tea and proving to the world that she is a lady, she did want to go out and play pirates. It was a difficult choice, stay, be praised for her wonderful manners while listening to Miss Bates babble on, or should she go out, have fun, and end up in trouble with not just her father and Miss Taylor but Mr Knightly as well? He was coming to tea today as well and he was always scolding her! She wanted a chance to prove to him that his scolding is quite unnecessary.
"We cannot," Jane answered for her in her quiet and soft voice. "The tea party is an important lesson. We are learning how to be ladies."
"But we are six almost! We have years and years to learn how to be ladies, and I will not learn how to be a lady because I am a boy and therefore I will be a gentleman like Mr Knightly!" Frank said puffing his chest out proudly. "But until then I shall play pirates and you are more than welcome to play with me."
"You will never be a gentleman like Mr Knightly," Emma said scornfully, "not if you keep playing pirates."
"Girls are so boring," Frank grumbled, "you do nothing but sip tea and play with dolls."
Emma and Jane glanced at one another. Jane was still very shy and she had often become a fairly restraining influence on Emma's impulsive nature. However Emma had equally become a terrible influence on Jane and the moment their eyes met they made a very naughty decision.
"Boring are we?" Emma said as she snatched up a cream cake of the cake stand. "I shall show you boring." She then threw the cake with perfect aim at Frank's face. Jane giggled as she copied Emma's action covering Frank's face in cream. They laughed loudly, "Are we still boring you Fr-"
SPLAT!
Emma and Jane's laughter turned into shrieks as cold cream covered their faces. "Not so funny now are you?" Frank said triumphantly.
Emma snatched up another cake and threw it at Frank while Jane grabbed the sugar bowl and poured it into his hair. The three of them began to run round the drawing room throwing food at one another. Their little game did not last, Miss Taylor and Miss Bates quickly put an end to it and ushered them all for a hot bath and straight to bed with only gruel for their tea.
"You are not very ladylike, are you Emma?" Mr Knightly said laughingly as he pulled out a strand of ham from the sandwiches out of her hair. John Knightly and Isabella laughed alongside him as Emma flushed a bright pink.
"Well being ladylike is boring," Frank said standing up for Emma, "I think Emma and Jane are far more interesting."
Emma did not know it was possible for either her or Jane to blush even more than they already had.
"No gentleman would want to marry a woman who is not ladylike," Mr Knightly said amused.
"I will," Frank said, "I will marry Emma and Jane."
"You are hardly a gentleman, Frank," Mr Knightly said ruffling Frank's hair and grimacing when he got cream gelled onto his hand.
"I will be one day and I will marry Emma and Jane and you will regret ever calling them unladylike."
Mr Knightly laughed. "I doubt that. Now run along and have your bath before Mr Woodhouse decides you are in need of some medicine."
The children ran quickly as they could, hand in hand. They were united against the evils of medicine, baths, gruel, and Mr Knightly.
EWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWEW
Mr Woodhouse was content.
The fire was warm, Miss Bates was chatting merrily to Mr Weston who has finally come home, Miss Taylor and Mr Knightly were watching Isabella and John interacting over a book while Mrs Bates was humming along with the piano playing of young Jane Fairfax and Emma, young Frank was hovering around them ready to turn the pages for the two girls.
Soon the elderly Mr Knightly and Mrs Knightly will send out their carriage for their sons and the children will be off the bed while the adults shared one last nightcap. Then in the morning Emma and Frank would wake them excitedly because it is Christmas and they will go to Mass, open presents, have a feast, and then they will be back to where they are at this exact moment.
Yes, Mr Woodhouse thought to himself, it was a very good idea to invite the Bates and Westons to live with them. Everyone was very happy, safe, and not forced to become homeless.
It had been a very good year despite the very bad beginning and Mr Woodhouse can foresee many more good years to come.