Jane Actually

description—just an outline—of what the document is about. “
    “You’ve found an Austen manuscript?” Cindy Wallace asked.
    “I found it,” Blake answered. He put his messenger bag on the conference table and took out an accordion file. From the file, he extracted a photograph of a piece of yellowed paper. A ruler in the photograph showed that the paper was small, about four by five inches. The two JASNA woman stood and gasped.
    “Journal of Jane Bigg-Wither,” Stephen read softly.
    “Please point the camera at the document, Stephen,” Alice instructed him.
    “What the hell is this?” Melody demanded.
    “That’s for Miss Austen to tell us,” Alice said.
    “I have never seen this before, Dr Davis.”
    “And yet it’s in your own hand.”
    “Prove that,” Melody said.
    “It’s already proven,” Alice said. “Court, show them the Sotheby’s report.”
    He produced another item from the accordion file. Everyone could see it was written on letterhead bearing the name of the London auctioneers and appraisers. Stephen grabbed the report and began studying it.
    “According to Sotheby’s it’s written in Austen’s hand,” he said, “and they should be familiar with it, as they just sold
The Watsons
. It’s also written on paper and with ink authentic to the period.”
    While he was saying this, the camera was untrained and Alice quietly reached out to point the camera back toward the document.
    “That is as may be, but I am still unfamiliar with this,” Jane said. “I admit that appears to be my handwriting, but I most certainly did not write it.”
    “I think I’ve proved my point,” Alice said.
    Stephen objected: “Excuse me, but you haven’t proven anything.” He trained the camera on his mentor. “Miss Austen says she didn’t write it and this report only says they can’t prove it isn’t genuine.”
    “How is that different from the proof this woman provided the AfterNet? How do any of us know what she told them? Presumably she told them something only Jane Austen can know. Well I say only Jane Austen would know what was in this journal and if this woman will just offer a brief outline, then you will have my apology.”
    “Well where’s the rest of it?” Mary asked.
    “Safe at Sotheby’s. Did you think I would bring it with me?”
    “This is insane,” Melody said. “Are you seriously trying to defame Jane with this?”
    Ms Wallace said, “I have to agree. Dr Davis, you can’t make these accusations against Miss Austen in your presentation.”
    “I never said that I would.”
    “Where did you get this anyway?” Stephen asked.
    Courtney cleared his throat and said, “From an old woman in Leicestershire, England. Her mother left it to her … and not much else. Here, I have photos of the despatch boxes I found them in. It’s about three hundred pages in all.”
    He produced the photos from his bag and handed them to Stephen, who eagerly took them.
    Ms Johnsson tried to return to Alice’s denial: “Are you saying you didn’t tell Cindy you were planning to ‘expose’ Miss Austen?”
    Now Alice looked momentarily confused and said, “I may have … misspoken. I realize that making such an accusation at the AGM would cause a commotion.”
    “Oh, so you’ve brought us here for nothing,” Melody said.
    Melody’s sharp words roused Alice. She said, “On the contrary, I’ve accomplished my purpose of putting you on notice, in front of witnesses, that I do object to this woman being proclaimed as Jane Austen.”
    “Stop calling me … her … ‘this woman,’” Mary protested.
    “Ms Johnsson, please put a stop to this. If this woman”—and here Melody pointed to Alice—“has no other proof …”
    Now Alice smiled broadly. “I never said I had no other proof. I would be happy to give Miss Austen another opportunity to prove her identity.” She said “Miss Austen” very deliberately.
    “Court, show them the letter.”
    Courtney produced yet another photo from his bag, this time of what appeared to be a letter. The letter, which had been folded, was laid flat. The recipient was plainly visible, but the rest of the writing had been intentionally blurred. He also produced another photo of the letter in a small battered frame. The letter was folded so that only the recipient was visible.
    “And before you ask, the original is now at the British Library in London. So, Miss Austen, do you recognize this?”
    Jane had difficulty seeing because the