(This conversation will contain spoilers for the current chapters and possibly for future chapters.)

S: Oh, Mr. Crawford! I suppose if Fanny was actually interested in Mr. Crawford’s advances his unannounced visit might have endeared her more fully to him, but instead it’s a source of agitation for her, mainly because of her family. It’s rather unfortunate, and yet completely understandable, how she feels toward them. Mr. Crawford’s visit does make me wonder: Is he improved, or is he acting? If he is acting, how long will it last?

R: Henry. Stinkin’. Crawford. But he puts his best foot forward and seems to endear himself to Fanny’s family. Even Fanny herself softens ever so slightly toward him, though his visit causes her real distress. I have no idea about his motivations and it’s driving me crazy.

S: Chapter 42 confuses me even further – is Mr. Crawford truly as caring in his feelings toward Fanny as he professes, or is he just a flatterer? I, like Fanny, can’t figure him out, but I do like that he implores her to tell him if she needs to go home sooner than her allotted two months. Although, thinking on it more, it was rather bullying, with no regard for honouring Sir Thomas’s wishes. I feel for Fanny just as, it appears, Mr. Crawford does, for he sees her tiredness and her strength failing at her parent’s home, but she is also trying to do the right thing and honour her uncle and her parents.

R: I agree completely. Mr. Crawford’s motivations are still unclear, though he certainly shows a great deal of care and concern for Fanny. I believe that if Fanny asked to return to Mansfield early, Sir Thomas wouldn’t hesitate to bring her right back. He probably had no idea how difficult it would be for Fanny to visit home, much as she didn’t know herself. I’m glad that Mr. Crawford appears to have truly become a man worthy of Fanny’s respect, but I don’t trust it.

S: We already, I think, have a pretty good idea of Miss Crawford’s character, but in Chapter 43 we see even better the kind of person she is. We also learn from Fanny about how attached she has become to her younger sister, Susan, and it makes me so happy that she has found an ally, someone whom she can mentor. I really hope that Susan can live with Fanny at some point! I don’t want it to happen, because I still don’t like him all that much, but I wonder if Fanny is beginning to soften toward Mr. Crawford?

R: It certainly seems like Fanny might be changing her mind about Mr. Crawford. I was thinking the same thing. 

S: Then Fanny receives the long-awaited letter from Edmund and I love her reaction! It is so real, and I found myself laughing at how often I react like she does when my emotions are everywhere all at once. Obviously, she has yet to work through her feelings for Edmund and she’s trying to reign in her thoughts and subdue them when everyone seems to be either confusing her or disappointing her. I’m sure I’ve said it before, but she is so real!

R: Fanny’s reaction to Edmund’s letter is both funny and sad. I’m glad for her that she is asserting herself, even if it’s only to herself. This whole thing with Edmund and Mary Crawford is frustrating, though. Austen keeps giving us ‘will they or won’t they?’

S: I am surprised at the family not sending for her, though, since Tom is so ill – it seems very out of character for Sir Thomas or for Lady Bertram, but perhaps, as you mentioned, Sir Thomas is unaware of what Fanny is going through and doesn’t want to take her away from her family too early. I know that he is also hoping that she will see what a great match Mr. Crawford would make. As we have seen from earlier in the story, Sir Thomas really does love her despite some of the mistakes he has made. 

R: It really is surprising that no one thinks to bring Fanny back to Mansfield Park, except for the Crawfords. And we know that she doesn’t want to accept their assistance for fear of giving Mr. Crawford further hope that she’ll accept his suit.

S: It makes me so very happy that Fanny is no longer the quiet, shy woman we have become so accustomed to seeing. She has changed and become strong and I really like it. Hers is a quiet strength that is not often regarded and is seen, for example, in the fact that she vehemently disagrees with the Crawford’s way of life and with her parent’s, but she is also very gracious and honouring of all around her.

(This conversation will contain spoilers for the current chapters and possibly for future chapters.)

R: I was worried about how things would go when Mary Crawford finally gets to have her conversation with Fanny, but it was better than I expected. While she seems to believe her brother’s feelings for Fanny to be sincere, she isn’t too pushy about it, though Fanny feels beleaguered again.

S: That’s interesting! I read it as her still being a little pushy about Mr. Crawford and a bit territorial regarding Edmund. She confuses me, and it makes me wonder if she really sees Fanny. Fanny’s statement to her saying, ‘I was quiet, but I was not blind’ really makes me think that no one actually understands her.

R: The Crawford siblings leave finally, and it seems like life is going back to normal, but Fanny has become convinced, and Edmund seems to confirm, that he will soon be proposing to Mary Crawford. Then William makes another appearance and Sir Thomas has the bright idea of sending Fanny back to her childhood home along with William. Fanny is thrilled. She hasn’t been home since she came away years ago and thinks it will help her be strong when she receives word of Edmond’s engagement. 

I don’t think it’s going to go so well. Her family seemed ready enough to let her go before, and I don’t believe that adding her back into the large family with so much distance in years and upbringing is going to be as joyful as Fanny thinks.

S: Chapter 37 confirms what I thought whilst reading Chapter 36: No one understands Fanny. Sir Thomas thinks that sending her away to her poor family will help her see the benefit of marrying Mr. Crawford, which I understand, but it really drives home the point that Fanny is an enigma to him right now. Still, I do love his and Lady Bertram’s love for Fanny – they want her to be happy and both, in their own way, shut down Mrs. Norris’s rudeness toward her. As I read the conclusion of this chapter, I also had a bad feeling about the visit; she is so excited, but I have a feeling that she is deceiving herself – how easy to do!

I was so touched when I read that William and Fanny are planning on living together because neither thinks they will ever marry – that is so sweet; sad, but sweet. They have such a close relationship. 

R: I agree, this is a precious interlude. I’m so glad that Fanny gets this time alone with William before diving into the chaos that is the Price household. I hate that her joy of being with William is cut short by the early departure of his ship. It adds even more pandemonium than their arrival on its own.

S: I know – I felt so sad for her that William had to leave early! 

I completely understand Fanny’s feeling about receiving letters from Miss Crawford – it’s the not knowing that can drive one batty. 

(Also, the phrase ‘…the dirty month of February’ exactly describes how the month of February feels to me: dark, cold, depressing, slushy – in a word, ‘dirty’.)

When Fanny arrives at her parent’s house she is in major culture shock and it hurts my heart for her, mainly because she is so hurt, so overwhelmed by everything. Mansfield’s world is so large and her family’s world is not. It’s such a sad beginning of a visit! I would feel the same way as she did – hurt at not being treated well, that there is little decorum in the family, but I confess I do not know if I would be nearly as gracious to them as she is.

As I kept reading about her family, the only thought I kept having was, ‘How sad! This is so, so sad.’ Her parents have a really bad relationship, her mother plays favourites with the children, and the children show their parents no respect. The time away from Mansfield Fanny thought would be wonderful and good instead makes her wish for her home all the more. As the old adage says, ‘You don’t appreciate what you have until it’s taken away.’

R: The state of the Price family is much as I expected. Fanny’s modesty and shyness means that her own family runs over her just as much as the Bertrams did. While her mother seems pleased to see Fanny, the rest of the family couldn’t seem to care less. To an extent, I can understand that with the younger children; they were so young when she went away that her return can have little to do with them.

It’s so sweet that William thinks to tell his mother to look out for Fanny right before he leaves, though one would expect that to be a mother’s place already. And Fanny works so hard to not appear to be above the family, though she sees all of their faults. It’s unfortunate that others see her as putting on airs because of her reticence. It’s much the same when non-Christians look at believers and see us as holier-than-thou fun-killers, but our joy in Christ is better than anything the world has to offer.

S: That’s a good comparison.

There are three things I absolutely love in Chapter 40: Firstly, Fanny has found a friend in Susan. Due to Fanny’s way of noticing much, she sees that her younger sister desires to help make the home orderly and disciplined but lacks the knowledge on how to do it. Secondly, Fanny rolls up her sleeves and gets to work, taking control of the finances Sir Thomas gave her, and in a way discipling Susan. Thirdly, stories – Austen makes a wonderful argument of how stories are beautiful and help the mind become calm in the midst of chaos. 

R: I was excited by Chapter 40 as well! It seems to be a bit of a turning point again. While Fanny is anxiously awaiting the news of Edmund and Mary Crawford’s engagement, she manages to find some happiness with her sister Susan. It speaks to being content in one’s circumstances, even if they aren’t the best. I love that the situation gives Fanny the opportunity to stretch herself a little and utilise some creativity to help solve some problems and become a positive influence on at least one of her siblings.

We’re getting close to the end of the novel and I’m excited to see what happens!

(This conversation will contain spoilers for the current chapters and possibly for future chapters.)

S: Oh my! I feel almost as shocked as Fanny at Mr. Crawford’s proposal! If we hadn’t been convinced of his attachment to her in the previous chapter I would think the same as Fanny, that his proposal is absurd and he and his sister are only trying to make a fool of her. 

It is happy news, however, that William is now a lieutenant!

R: Poor Fanny! I feel like I’ve said that a lot, but the circumstances just seem to keep getting worse. Or at least, piling on her too rapidly for her to handle each one. We see her joy at William’s promotion, then almost immediately she goes into a kind of horror as she realises that Henry Crawford is proposing to her. Add to that a note from Mary Crawford that blatantly gives her blessing on the union and poor Fanny is completely discombobulated. 

S: There are so many emotions we encounter in Chapter 32! I completely understand both Fanny’s and Sir Thomas’s reactions, although his words are rather biting. I think, though, they were said in anger, as we see later in the chapter that he is trying to make up for them. He reminds himself that Fanny’s disposition is innocent and frail (at least he believes it to be) and that perhaps it’s the excitement and fear of the future that made her refuse Mr. Crawford. Obviously, words cannot be taken back and Fanny’s integrity with not slandering her cousins is not made known to Sir Thomas, but still he truly does care for her, as is evident by his trying to shut down Mrs. Norris’s berating of her. From his point of view, Fanny really is being selfish. Again, she’s caught between a rock and a hard place.

R: This chapter starts out well, with Sir Thomas realising that Fanny never has a fire in her little room upstairs and deciding to rectify the situation, but quickly takes a turn when he reveals that Mr. Crawford is downstairs waiting to speak to Fanny. He’s shocked that she intends to refuse him. I’m not sure it would have been slander to reveal to Sir Thomas how his daughters had acted over Mr. Crawford, but it was very loyal of her not to do so. I think she would have been perfectly justified. With one daughter married and out of the house, it wouldn’t have signified much, and when Julia returns, enough time likely would have passed that Sir Thomas wouldn’t have done much about it.

S: It is frustrating, though, that he has so little faith in his niece and much more in a man he has barely known. An interesting commentary on personalities, I think. The fact that Mr. Crawford lied to him, perhaps believing her refusals to be in jest considering how narcissistic he is, is frustrating.

R: I know! He seems to understand Fanny’s character so well. How can he not trust that she might have a good reason for not wanting to marry Mr. Crawford? Even if she can’t articulate it to him?

S: My favourite part in this chapter is when Mrs. Norris insists that she is the one Sir Thomas wants to speak to, when it is really Fanny, and their butler, Baddeley, insists that, indeed, it is not Mrs. Norris, but Fanny.

R: Mrs. Norris is so ridiculous! I do love the butler’s response. He knows what’s going on, certainly.

S: Oh my goodness! Chapter 33 makes me laugh so much! I rolled my eyes at Mr. Crawford’s narcissism, chuckled at Fanny’s confusion and anger, felt happy about how Sir Thomas assured her that he only wanted her well-being, was delighted that Mrs. Norris’s character was finally announced to the reader (even though we pretty much already understood what it was), and shook my head at Lady Bertram’s silliness. I am curious to see how Edmund takes this news!

R: I’m glad that Sir Thomas tempers himself in how he speaks to Fanny in this chapter. Despite Mr. Crawford’s continuing hopes, he seems to see that Fanny is serious in her refusal, though he hopes that Mr. Crawford’s continued persistence will overcome her objections. 

S: Part of me was surprised at Edmund’s willingness to entertain the idea of Mr. Crawford pursuing Fanny, and the other part of me was not. Edmund himself is so taken with Miss Crawford that it makes sense he should want Fanny to be married as well. It is interesting how well he knows Fanny and yet how much he is projecting onto her. 

R: I was really surprised by Edmund’s immediate acceptance of Mr. Crawford’s suit of Fanny. I would have thought he’d have a better understanding of Henry Crawford’s character and see that he is not a good match for Fanny. I am glad that Edmund has the sense not to immediately speak of it to Fanny, just gives her support.

S: I loved Mr. Crawford’s and Edmund’s discussion on Shakespeare and on reading aloud. 

R: I thought that was interesting, as well as how Mr. Crawford’s excellent reading affected Fanny. It makes me wonder if she could come to care for him at some point, though I would hope that she wouldn’t let one good thing overcome the bad. Mr. Crawford doesn’t seem to have the same distaste for the clergy as his sister does, based on his conversation with Edmund. 

S: I pity Mr. Crawford, and am glad to see finally that Fanny’s affections for him will not come easily or by anything he thinks is important. He is a bit foolish in how he addresses her, and is still very full of self-importance, but it does appear that he wants to know what Fanny thinks, which is good.

R: That did show Henry Crawford in a better light than anything up to this point, despite his self-importance; and he also seems to have an understanding of how his previous behaviour has affected Fanny’s opinion of him.

S: Edmund’s and Fanny’s walk and discussion are very interesting. I could tell the moment he began speaking of Miss Crawford, though Miss Austen did let us know through Fanny’s perspective, and it seems to me that he sounds a bit like Mr. Collins from Pride and Prejudice. What Mr. Collins learnt by rote memorisation about women, Edmund seems to have learnt by intuition. 

As frustrated as I am that he is back onto the idea that Miss Crawford will love him and that he pushes Fanny to speak, in a way I am glad that he does because Fanny is finally able to tell him how she really feels about Mr. Crawford’s character. Still, Edmund continues to press and desire that Fanny return Mr. Crawford’s affection and that makes her second guess herself, which does irritate me. It is good to have other’s opinions sometimes, to see things from another perspective, but it also seems that Fanny is still not actually being listened to: ‘She feared she had been doing wrong: saying too much, overacting the caution which she had been fancying necessary; in guarding against one evil, laying herself open to another…’.

R: This conversation is wonderful and frustrating by turns. I love that Edmund is understanding of Fanny’s feelings and doesn’t press her too much, though I still think it’s more than it should be. I’m also frustrated with him for giving everyone a bye for their behaviour during the play, and for discounting Fanny’s perspective on Henry Crawford’s behaviour with Edmund’s sisters. As their brother, he should have been more concerned that they weren’t behaving appropriately and safeguarding their virtue. Actually, as the eldest, that should have been Tom, but Edmund is definitely the more mature and well-behaved.

S: I don’t know how to feel right now; just like Fanny, my feelings are conflicted about what I think should happen.

(This conversation will contain spoilers for the current chapters and possibly for future chapters.)

R: Apparently, Edmund does still have hopes of marrying Miss Crawford. I shake my head at him. I think as the readers we can hear the death knell of that relationship. Or the rest of the story is going to be Edmund’s woes because he does end up marrying her.

Miss Crawford continues to show a significant amount of solicitude to Fanny. At first I was grateful for her immediate willingness to help Fanny prepare for the ball, but then she has to go and make Fanny super uncomfortable by saying that the necklace was originally a gift from her brother. I can’t decide whether this was meant to be malicious or mischievous, or a legitimate attempt to, I don’t know, give her blessing for the match if Fanny wishes to allow Henry Crawford’s suite. 

S: I’m also unsure what to think of Miss Crawford’s gift of the gold chain to Fanny. I feel like there’s a bit of manipulation going on with that particular interaction, but I’m not sure. 

Yet again, Sir Thomas has proven just how likeable of a character he is. Not only does he offer to throw a ball for William and Fanny, but he makes sure Mrs. Norris cannot put in her two cents…or pence. 

R: Poor Fanny is so worried about the ball and all the attention she’s likely to receive. Mrs. Norris doesn’t make things any easier the day of. 

I love that Edmund thought of Fanny and got her the chain to wear her brother’s cross with, but still frustrated with how he’s handling things with Miss Crawford. He says that he sees her flaws, but puts her virtues on par with Fanny’s own. He says, ‘I know her disposition to be as sweet and faultless as your own.’ He continues to hold out hope for marriage even as Miss Crawford says that she will never dance with him again because, ‘She never has danced with a clergyman, she says, and she never will.’

S: Chapter 27 made me laugh so much, just as much as it made me roll my eyes. 

I love that Edmund knew exactly what Fanny needed for the present from her brother. It’s no surprise that Fanny has feelings for Edmund even though she tries to deny them. I am, however, disappointed that Edmund also wants her to wear the necklace from Miss Crawford, and that he holds Miss Crawford in such high regard, still intent on marrying her. As you say, he ‘puts her virtues on par with Fanny’s’, and that part was very much a ‘roll-the-eyes’ moment. 

It is so adorable when Fanny is fawning over the unfinished note to her in Edmund’s hand; I laughed aloud. 

It’s also amusing to me that it didn’t occur to her that the ball was for her coming out and that no one seemed to think it important to tell her, although I suppose she thinks so little of herself that it really hadn’t occurred to her. 

I know she wishes that Edmund would give up on Miss Crawford, and I have to agree, so it made me almost as happy as she when they are interrupted in their conversation just before they need to get ready for the ball and that the cross didn’t fit on Miss Crawford’s necklace but did on the one from Edmund. 

R: Oh, my goodness, yes! The bit with Edmund’s note was sweet, and the fact that Fanny had not a clue that the event was actually her coming-out ball was both funny and sad. Mrs. Norris has her so convinced of her unimportance that it never even occurs to Fanny.

Mr. Crawford asks Fanny to dance the first two dances with him, which makes Fanny happy because she wasn’t left to languish, but also makes her nervous because of his attention. Miss Crawford isn’t upset at her own gifted necklace being preempted by Edmund’s; in fact, she seems rather delighted by his gesture. 

Then poor Fanny finds out that it is her duty to open the ball. That is, to lead things off in the first dance, and she is mortified. Fanny doesn’t want all the attention, and it places her above many other ladies of higher rank. 

S: I really love that Fanny’s uncle wants to honour her, albeit a bit late, probably, though perhaps in his mind it was for her own protection from his girls, Mrs. Norris, and society in general because of her quiet nature.

R: Miss Crawford tries to ingratiate herself to the Bertrams by praising Fanny, and I’m just not sure what she’s about. She doesn’t want to marry a clergyman, but she keeps acting as if she’s still interested in Edmund. When she and Edmund dance together, she continues to speak badly about the clergy. Does she think she’ll convince him to not take orders?

S: That’s what I’m thinking. It seems as though she thinks that the more she tells him she hates the church and clergy that Edmund will choose another career, but this, to me, goes to show how little she really understands about how he feels about his faith. 

I also think Miss Crawford’s insistence that Fanny knows something more about Mr. Crawford’s visit to London is weird. She either really doesn’t understand their relationship or is trying to ingratiate herself, as you’ve observed, with at least one person in the family since she knows that Sir Thomas is not a fan of hers. I believe she knows she is not as liked as she could be. 

It makes me so happy that Sir Thomas recognises that Fanny wants to spend as much time with her brother as possible and kindly insists that she go to bed much before the ball, held in her honour, has ended. He really is a good father figure.

As an aside, Lady Bertram is so funny and so very oblivious. I was very happy that we saw very little of her or Mrs Norris in these chapters. 

R: The next chapter has the families, but especially Fanny and Mary Crawford, dealing with the departure of Edmund, William and Henry Crawford. When Edmund doesn’t return when he’d originally promised he would, Miss Crawford tries to get information from Fanny, afraid that he will have found someone else to marry while staying with his friend who has several sisters. Miss Crawford seems like such a mass of contradictions. Despite her feelings about his vocation, she still appears to want to marry him.

S: She really sounds rather foolish fishing for information. I suppose I can’t blame her; it appears she’s realised she actually does like Edmund and is unhappy he’s away. 

I do feel for Fanny. She is caught in the middle and it appears she is unable to speak her mind to anyone or allow herself to acknowledge her feelings toward Edmund. 

I have to say, I really liked the scene with Fanny and her aunt and uncle; it was so quiet and comfortable, very companionable silence they have, even though the mood was sad because it was only the three of them. Although, again, Lady Bertram really is in her own world and Sir Thomas is not, it appears, going to burst her bubble. 

R: Finally, for this section, we get what I think is the rather stunning revelation that Henry Crawford has developed real feelings for Fanny. He’s still horribly rude about her aunts when speaking to his sister, but his original plan of stringing Fanny along as he had with her cousins seems to have fallen to the wayside. 

S: Chapter 30 is rather revealing! I am not surprised that Mr. Crawford ends up wanting to marry Fanny, but apparently Miss Crawford is. I think he might be putting Fanny upon a pedestal much like Edmund is putting Miss Crawford upon one. I don’t know that I agree with him that the Admiral would like Fanny, but perhaps we will find out. 

I’m very interested in seeing how this will all play out! I really don’t want Edmund to end up with Miss Crawford or Fanny to end up with Mr. Crawford; I’d like to see Fanny and Edmund together, because it appears they would compliment each other very well. 

R: I agree! I have no real recollection of the details of the story, so it’s almost like I’m reading it for the first time. The first few chapters were pretty boring to me, but I really feel like the story has picked up and I’m eager to move on.

(This conversation will contain spoilers for the current chapters and possibly for future chapters.)

R: Chapter 21 caught my interest for a couple of reasons. I was really surprised at Edmund’s disparaging comments about Mr. Rushworth. I don’t remember him saying anything like this previously, so it seemed like a sudden turnaround. In a similar turnaround, Miss Bertram is suddenly fine with marrying Mr. Rushworth, despite being given an out by her father. Austen does say that her answer might have been different if he’d asked a few days earlier, but there we are. And the chapter moves rapidly on past the wedding and getting both Miss Bertrams out of the house.

Also of note are Edmund’s highly complimentary comments to Fanny about Fanny, which send her into a tizzy of embarrassment. She is still concealing that she has feelings for Edmund. He is also adulatory about Miss Crawford, wishing that his father weren’t being quite so resistant to having anyone but the family around after his return.

Then we get what I think is a pretty significant blow to Edmund’s hopes for his not-yet-existent suite of Miss Crawford. She says, ‘I meant to be too rich to lament or to feel anything of the sort. A large income is the best recipe for happiness I ever heard of.’ As we know, Edmund intends to take orders, which is hardly ever a lucrative career. While she may like him, I don’t think Miss Crawford has any serious intentions toward marrying Edmund.

S: I have to say that after this chapter, I think Sir Thomas is my favourite character. He might be quiet and enjoy less of the gaiety to which his children have become accustomed, but he truly does love his children and Fanny. It was so sweet the way he spoke with Maria about Mr. Rushworth. 

I thought it was a little odd the way Edmund teased Fanny about having grown up so prettily; it seemed out of character for him, but I might attribute that to his spending so much time around Miss Crawford. It made me a little frustrated that he said Miss Crawford is the most discerning woman he knows because in actuality I think Fanny is the more discerning, as well as being gracious with it. 

I was also surprised at how quick the wedding was! I’m wondering if that decision will come back to bite Maria. It made me laugh out loud when Austen says that Lady Bertram was less emotional than Sir Thomas at the wedding!

R: I agree that Fanny is far more discerning than Miss Crawford. Miss Crawford is good at reading people and manoeuvring them around to her way of thinking, except for Edmund. He seems at least somewhat able to resist her machinations. 

Chapter 22 has Fanny becoming a much desired visitor at the Grants’ home. Miss Crawford is bored since both the Miss Bertrams are away from home. Her motives don’t seem entirely selfish, however – she does treat Fanny well. 

S: This is a surprise! Fanny is truly able to come into her own now, or at least beginning to. I know she is not necessarily a close friend to Mrs. Grant or Miss Crawford, but her days are at least less filled with her Aunt’s criticisms.

Obviously Edmund and Miss Crawford have different goals in life and I wonder what this will mean for Edmund – will he try to pursue something different than the church or will he stick to his guns and keep his integrity?

My favourite part in Chapter 23 is the interaction between Sir Thomas and Mrs. Norris when she insists that Fanny walk to the Grant’s house for the dinner party: ‘Walk!’ repeated Sir Thomas, in a tone of most unanswerable dignity, and coming farther into the room. ‘My niece walk to a dinner engagement at this time of the year? Will twenty minutes after four suit you?’ Seriously, I love Sir Thomas! 

R: Sir Thomas really seems like a different character from the beginning of the book, but I like it. After the way her aunts and cousins treat her, other than Edmund, it’s nice to see someone consider Fanny’s well-being.

S: Indeed!

I’m so happy that Fanny was able to speak her mind to Mr. Crawford while they were playing the card game. I know she was embarrassed afterward, but he needed to be taken down a peg. I was very interested that Miss Crawford is now steeling her heart against Edmund. How funny she thought she had so much sway over him!

R: My earlier question was answered in this chapter. Miss Crawford was really interested in trying to get Edmund to marry her, but having realised how opposed their perspectives on life are, she seems to think better of it. And Edmund, I think, is starting to realise as well that she wouldn’t be a good match for him. I certainly couldn’t imagine her as a serious clergyman’s wife.

S: I was not expecting Mr. Crawford to try and win Fanny’s love. I mean, looking at his character it now seems obvious that he would try with Julia and Maria gone, but I kid you not I gasped out loud when I read what he means to do! 

R: I wanted to slap Henry Crawford at the beginning of the chapter. He’s so callous in his plans for Fanny, and Miss Crawford, too, in her indifference to his actions. I’m glad he started to realise Fanny’s merit.

S: I’m so glad that Fanny has been able to have time with William, even though it only made Mr. Crawford more determined to seek her love. I don’t quite know how to feel about Miss Crawford’s indifference toward her brother’s scheme. She did try to discourage him, but the fact that she isn’t going to warn Fanny is a bit frustrating. I love that Sir Thomas and Edmund both kept Mrs. Norris from interrupting Fanny and William’s reunion!

R: Sir Thomas continues to surprise me, but I’m grateful for how he’s helped Fanny’s brother and made him so welcome to come visit Fanny. Sir Thomas and Edmund running interference to let Fanny and William have some time to visit alone was brilliant! It really showed their understanding of their own family’s shortcomings.

S: Yes!

I know I’ve said it already, but I really, really like Sir Thomas. I think Fanny is surprised at how much he actually cares for her and her brother and I wonder if the rift between them was more due to her timidity and his stoicism. 

R: I’m a little worried about what Sir Thomas has in mind in regard to Henry Crawford and Fanny. She would never think of setting her cap at him, but Sir Thomas might become convinced that it would be a good match for Fanny, especially since Henry is showing interest in her.

S: I’m also a little nervous about that. 

Austen’s jabs at Mrs. Norris are delightful, as well as her jabs at the Crawfords and Lady Bertram. She is so good at showing caricatures of human nature! 

It is unfortunate that Miss Crawford, rather than being happy for Edmund and his chosen career, is angry that he does indeed aspire to be a good parson and appears to be unconcerned with fixing up the Thornton Vale house so that it appears better. Edmund is very wise – if something is done in the name of vanity is there really a reason to do it? It seems like he would rather use that money on what’s needed as opposed to cosmetics.

R: Everyone is being so peremptory in making over the house that Edmund hasn’t even moved into yet! And he still has the grace to offer Henry Crawford a place to live at will.

S: I am very interested as to what Sir Thomas is hinting at when William talks to Fanny of dancing and promotion! It seems Sir Thomas is planning something, but we’ll have to wait and see – I could be wrong. 

The story is definitely progressing! It feels as though we’re leaving the second act and entering the third and I’m excited to see how it all ends!

R: I enjoyed these chapters much more than the last set. I felt like the story made some actual progress and is headed somewhere interesting.

S: I agree! Things are really starting to pick up and I’m really enjoying this more than I was.