Being the Fifth Jane Austen Mystery, by Stephanie Barron. Jane, her mother and Cassandra are off to Staffordshire to spend some time with Mr. Edward Cooper, cousin to Jane and Cassandra and rector at Fellow of All Souls. The visit is interrupted by an outbreak of whooping cough amongst the Reverend’s eight children, precipitating a journey to Bakewell, Derbyshire, escorted by Mr. Cooper. All appearances lead one to believe this to be, at long last, a true respite from the bothers of Jane’s previous travels. No noisy children, a turn in an inn, country air with long healthful walks among hill and dale; all of this is at Jane’s disposal. As usual, however, rest and an easy mind are not to be Jane’s. A fishing excursion to a quiet spot a few miles outside of Bakewell is interrupted by her discovery of the body of a gentleman (we find out very quickly it is not a man, but a woman), shot and mutilated. Thus, Jane’s vacation comes to an end as she endeavours to find the murderer. She is plunged yet again into the life of high society, partnering with her Gentleman Rogue once more, out to save the life of an innocent man.
Mr. Cooper, besides being the responsible male (responsible for Mrs. Austen, Cassandra and Jane, the delicate and fairer of the sexes), provides comic relief amid the seriousness of the murder investigation. His great joy in life is to praise God through song, as loudly as his lungs allow. Unfortunately, his voice is one not fully appreciated by discerning ears. Propriety keeps Mr. Cooper’s companions enduring his vocal outpourings of faith. Finally, an encounter with Lord Harold silences him and puts Lord Harold another rank lower in the eyes of Cassandra and Mrs. Austen (although everyone is glad of the break). Mr. Cooper is the only real male wary of Jane’s participation with the murderous affair, not only because Jane is a woman, but out of concern for what his patron will think about Mr. Cooper’s own involvement. Naturally, Jane prevails in her sleuthing (after all, she discovered the body and can’t allow an innocent to take the blame). Poor Mr. Cooper is just about cast into the shadows; many conversations pass as if he isn’t even present in the room.
Other characters introduced to us seem less inclined to keep Jane out of the investigation. Lord Harold is in Derbyshire; he has influenced their thinking. If he is able to convince gentlemen unknown to Jane or her to them, it is apparent he is well respected. Jane is merely a visitor to the region and knows absolutely no one outside of her own party. With the influence of Lord Harold and her own astute skills, she quickly reveals herself to be an asset in the investigation.
The presence of Lord Harold comes as a surprise to Jane as hers is to him. They have not seen one another since Bath the previous Christmastide (Jane and the Wandering Eye). Jane has kept tabs on him through the public journals. Stories of his political excursions and rumours of his romantic dalliances have kept Jane wondering about him. Through this admittance, she divulges how enamoured she is with him, even though he is out of her league (she frequently reminds herself of this throughout the series). Jane’s presence in Derbyshire is by chance; Lord Harold’s by design. He is paying a mourning call upon the Ducal House of Devonshire. Upon hearing Jane is near, he is inclined to see her. His niece, Lady Swithin (Desdemona of Wandering Eye), desires some time with Jane. It is interesting that Lord Harold comes to extend the invitation to Jane rather than Lady Desdemona. There could be many reasons of propriety for Lord Harold to make the call. In the course of their conversation, Jane unveils to the Gentleman Rogue that the Austens shall not return to Bath. Instead, they will go to Southampton to reside with her brother, Post Captain Frank Austen. Lord Harold reacts strongly, certainly out of surprise and perhaps a bit of disappointment. However much of a difference exists between Lord Harold and Jane’s social status (and Lord Harold’s romances. Just how strong are his feelings for Jane?), they both appear to harbor a little more than fondness towards each other. Later, Jane further reveals her adoration of Lord Harold, admiring him as a part of the beauty of the landscape (pp. 145, 149). Their parting in the end is filled with veiled affection.
The victim in this case turns out to be a woman. She was Tess Arnold, the stillroom maid at Penfolds Hall, an estate near to where she was found. The stillroom maid was responsible for food preservation. Tess concocted home remedies for a variety of ailments as well. Some called her a witch. The fact that she was found attired in the clothing of the master of the house does more harm to her reputation, even in light of the savageness committed upon her body. Ms. Barron includes excerpts from Tess Arnold’s “Stillroom Book” at the end of each chapter, sometimes a rather ironic remedy apropos to an “ailment” in the chapter.
I have finally begun reading Jane Austen’s own work. I am now able to fully appreciate the literary style used by Ms. Barron. She really is able to channel Jane and write the journals in much the same way Jane would have written. I was previously perplexed by the conversation style. There is confusion in conversation as to who is speaking when. At times, a couple of readings of a conversational passage are needed to discern the speakers. Now, becoming familiar with Jane’s style, I have found this to be pervasive throughout her own writings. Nevertheless, even having cleared that up, it continues to confuse this reader!
The Austens travels this time around take them to the Midlands of England. This is the farthest they have traveled to the north so far. The landscape is quite different from the southern portion of the nation. A web search of the area shows many places and sites worth visiting, including Chatsworth, the home of the Duke of Devonshire. Although it is somewhat altered from how it was in Jane’s time, it is still open for tours-the one way Jane expected to see Chatsworth. She saw Chatsworth as a guest of the estate, thanks to Lord Harold!
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