It was the day that Mrs. Dashwood and her daughters were leaving their beloved home and into the cottage, which was far into the country, that Sir John Middleton had given them to live in. It was quiet as they rode in the carriage.

"Edward promised he'd bring the atlas to Barton for me," Margaret spoke.

"Did he?" Marianne inquired, "Well, I'll wager he will do so in less than a fortnight."

"Dear Edward," Mrs. Dashwood spoke.

Belle glanced over at Elinor and saw her smile slightly.


Eventually, they reached Barton Cottage. It was not what many of them had expected, but it would work for them. They turned away from their new home to the direction of the 'Hellos' they heard coming and saw Sir John Middleton and his mother-in-law, Mrs. Jennings arriving in a barouche carriage with their dogs.

"Hello there, now! Welcome!" Sir John greeted them while Mrs. Jennings waved at them.

"Sir John," Mrs. Dashwood spoke

A footman opened the door to the carriage and all the dogs swarmed out of the carriage, running up to Mrs. Dashwood and her daughters. Margaret and Belle kneeled down to greet the dogs.

"Here- Here we are! Dear ladies! Dear ladies!" Sir John cheered as he and his mother-in-law stepped out of the carriage, Upon my word, here ye are, here ye are!"

"Oh, Sir John, your extraordinary kindness-" Mrs. Dashwood began.

"Oh, no, none of that!" Sir John interrupted as he and Mrs. Jennings walked up to them," Hush, please. None of that. But here is my dear mama-in-law, Mrs. Jennings. Now get down, dogs!"

"This must be Miss Dashwood. Was your journey tolerable?" Mrs. Jenning asked. She did give them enough time to respond before saying, "Oh, you poor souls!"

"Why did ye not come up to the Park first and take her in?" Sir John asked as they all walked up to the cottage, "We saw you pass."

"Oh, I could not wait for you to come to us!" Mrs. Jennings exclaimed, "I made John call a carriage!"

"She could not wait, you know," He added.

"I've had so little company!" She continued, "Ah, but I feel as if I know you already."

Belle saw that Marianne was walking at a much faster pace. No doubt trying to get away from this.

"And you know you must dine at Barton Park every day," Sir John insisted.

"Oh, my dear, Sir John, we cannot possibly-" Mrs. Dashwood said.

"No,no,no,no,no! I would not brook refusals," He told her, "I'm quite deaf to them, you know?"

"Deaf to them!" Mrs. Jennings repeated, "But I insist!"

"Let us settle in for a few days, but thank you so very much," Elinor said.

"No, no. No thanks, I beg you," He replied, "I could not bear it."

"I declare! They are the loveliest girls I ever set eyes on!" Mrs. Jennings declared, "I must say that you have appropriately named your daughter, Belle. Oh, her very name means beauty."

"Thank you, Mrs. Jennings," Belle said, her cheeks blushing.

"Your welcome, dear. Can you not get them married, Mrs. Dashwood? You must not leave it any longer."

"Alas, there are no smart young men here about to woo them," Sir John informed them.

"Not a beau for miles," Mrs. Jennings added.

"Come, Mama, Let us leave them in peace. And send your man up to us for the carriage as soon as you're ready!" Sir John told them. He, Mrs. Jennings, and their dogs take their leave, "Goodbye."

"Good-bye. Thank you!" They called to them.

"No, don't thank us! Good day to you!" He responded.


The Dashwood women were currently at Sir John and Mrs. Jennings' home having luncheon with them, but one was missing from their party. Colonel Christopher Brandon, a friend of Sir John.

"Where can Brandon be, poor fellow?" Sir John wondered, "I hope he has not lamed his horse."

"Colonel Brandon is the most eligible bachelor in the county," Mrs. Jennings informed the Dashwoods.

"Oh, indeed," Sir John agreed with his mother-in-law.

"He is bound to do for one of you, particularly Belle," Mrs. Jennings continued, "Mind, he is a better age for Miss Dashwood-but I dare say she left her heart behind in Sussex, eh?" Marianne and Belle flash an unmistakable glance of alarmed concern at their sister, which Mrs. Jennings notices, "Aha! I see you, Miss Marianne! Miss Belle! I think I have unearthed a secret!"

"Oho! Have you sniffed one out already, Mother? You are worse than my best pointer, Flossie!" Sir John commented. He and Mrs. Jennings both laugh immoderately.

"What sort of man is he, Miss Dashwood?" Mrs. Jennings inquired, "Is he butcher, baker, candlestick-maker? I shall winkle it out of you somehow, you know!"

"She's horribly good at winkling," He commented to his mother-in-law.

"You are in lonely country now, Miss Dashwood, none of us has any secrets here-" Mrs. Jennings told Elinor.

"-or if we do, we do not keep them for long!" Sir John added.

Elinor tries to smile. Marianne looks furious. Belle merely tries to keep her mouth shut at how Sir John and Mrs. Jennings are putting their noses where they don't belong. Margaret is staring at Mrs. Jennnings as if she were some particularly thrilling form of wildlife.

"He is curate of the parish, I dare say!" Mrs. Jennings guessed.

"Or a handsome lieutenant!" Sir John guessed.

"Give us a clue, Miss Dashwood-is he in uniform?" Mrs. Jennings asked.

Elinor starts to change the subject, but Margret interrupts her.

"He has no profession!" Margret informed Sir John and Mrs. Jennings.

Sir John and Mrs. Jennings turn on her with screams of delight. Elinor, Marianne, Belle, and Mrs. Dashwood look at each other helplessly.

"No profession! A gentleman, then!" Sit John drew the conclusion.

"Margaret, you know perfectly well there is no such person," Marianne scolded Margaret with daggers in her eyes.

"There is! There is! And his name begins with an F!" Margaret told Sir John and Mrs. Jennings.

"Margaret!" Mrs. Dashwood scolded her youngest as she is appalled at her relish for such a vulgar game. Sir John and Mrs. Jennings are in a cock-a-hoop.

"F indeed! A very promising letter. Let me-F, F, Fo, Fa... Upon my word, but I cannot think of a single name beginning with F-" Sir John said.

"Forrest? Foster? Frost? Foggarty?" Mrs. Jennings guessed.

Belle suddenly stands up. Sir John and Mrs. Jennings are so surprised they stop talking. Everyone stares at Belle.

"Sir John, I believe that you and Mrs. Jennings had mentioned that you have a music room and one of the instruments in that room is a violin. Perhaps might I play a song for you and sing as well?" Belle suggested.

"Of course, yes-my goodness. We do not stand on ceremony here, my dear," Sir John said as everyone rises and follows Belle out.


After retrieving the violin from the music room, everyone was seated in a room near the front door and waiting to hear Belle. She ran the bow across the violin to begin the music and soon they were listening to her playing the violin as she sang 'Spanish Ladies'.

"Farewell and adieu to you Spanish ladies. Farewell and adieu to you ladies of Spain. For we have received orders to sail to old England. We hope in a short time to see you again. We'll rant and we'll roar like true British sailors. We'll rant and we'll roar along the salt seas. Until we strike soundings in the Channel of Old England. From Ushant to Scilly tis thirty-five leagues."

Belle looked at her audience and saw how enchanted they were by her music. Belle closed her eyes before she continued singing.

"We hove our ship to with the wind on sou'west, boys. We hove our ship to, deep soundings to take. Twas forty-five fathoms, with a white sandy bottom. So we squared our main yard and up channel did make. We'll rant and we'll roar like true British sailors. We'll rant and we'll roar along the salt seas. Until we strike soundings in the Channel of Old England. From Ushant to Scilly is thirty-five leagues. Now let every man drink off his full bumper. And let every man drink off his full glass. We'll drink and be jolly and drown melancholy. Here's to the health of each true-hearted lass. We'll rant and we'll roar like true British sailors. We'll rant and we'll roar along the salt seas. Until we strike soundings in the Channel of Old England. From Ushant to Scilly is thirty-five leagues. The first land we made was called the Dodman. Next Ram Head off Plymouth, off Portland the Wight. We sailed by Beachy, by Fairlee and Dover. Then abreast away for South Foreland Light. We'll rant and we'll roar like true British sailors. We'll rant and we'll roar along the salt seas. Until we strike soundings in the Channel of Old England. From Ushant to Scilly is thirty-five leagues."

No one but Elinor took notice of a man standing at the doorway as she had felt his presence. She followed his gaze and saw that was captured by Belle. After a few moments, she turns back, slightly puzzled.

"The signal is made for the grand fleet to anchor. And all in the Downs that night for to lie; Let go your shank painter, let go your cat. Haul up your clew-garnets. Let tacks and sheets fly! We'll rant and we'll roar like true British sailors. We'll rant and we'll roar along the salt seas. Until we strike soundings in the Channel of Old England. From Ushant to Scilly is thirty-five leagues. Now let every man drink off his full bumper and let every man drink off his full glass. We'll drink and be jolly and drown melancholy. Here's to the health of each true-hearted lass. We'll rant and we'll roar like true British sailors. We'll rant and we'll roar along the salt seas. Until we strike soundings in the Channel of Old England. From Ushant to Scilly is thirty-five leagues"

When Belle finished playing, her family, Sir John, and Mrs. Jennings applauded her. The man ventures a step further into the room and Sir John springs from his seat.

"Brandon! Where have you been?" Sir John asked as he and Brandon walked to each other, "Come, come and meet our beautiful new neighbors!"

"What a pity you are late, Colonel! You have missed the most delightful singing!" Mrs. Jennings told him as she gestured to Belle still holding the violin. Belle blushes and looks down for a brief moment.

"A great pity, indeed," Brandon said as he bows to Belle and smiles slightly. Belle curtsies to him before placing the violin on a nearby table.

"Mrs. Dashwood, may I present my dear friend Colonel Brandon?" Sir John introduced Brandon to the Dashwoods. Brandon bows to them as they curtsy to him, "We served together in the East Indies and I assure you there is no better fellow in the world."

"Have you really been to the East Indies, Colonel?" Margaret asked.

"I have," Brandon replied.

"What is it like?"

"Like? Hot," Sir John answered jokingly, he and Mrs. Jennings shared a laugh.

Brandon, knowing what Margaret wants to hear, bends down to her ear and whispers mysteriously, "The air is full of spices."

Margaret smiles with satisfaction from the answer she had just heard.

"Come, Miss Dashwood-it is your turn to entertain us!" Sir John encouraged Elinor.

"Oh no, Sir John, I do not-" Elinor began before Sir John interrupted her.

"-and I think we can all guess what key you will sing in!" Sir John and Mrs. Jennings look at each other before Sir John says, "F major!"

Sir John and his mother-in-law share a laugh at the little joke.


As the Dashwoods are returning home that night in the carriage, a row is in progress over what had happened that day.

"As for you, you have no right, no right at all, to parade your ignorant assumptions-" Marriane scolded her little sister before she was interrupted by her.

"They are not assumptions. You told me," Margaret stated.

Elinor stares at Marianne, who colors and attacks Margaret again.

"I told you nothing-"

"They'll meet him when he comes, anyway," Margaret said.

"That is not the point. You do not speak of such things before strangers-" Marianne told her sister.

"But everyone else was-" She argued.

"Mrs. Jennings is not everyone."

"I like her! She talks about things. We never talk about things," Margaret said.

"Hush, please, now that is enough, Margaret. If you cannot think of anything appropriate to say, you will please restrict your remarks to the weather," Mrs. Dashwood told her youngest.

"I like Colonel Brandon too. He's been to places," Margaret added.