Page 41 of Persuading Penny
“Please sit down, dear. You’ve hardly eaten.”
“I’ve eaten plenty.”
Dad, after taking a final bite of his roast, slammed his fork to the table and also rose. “And I’ve got work to do.”
“Good!”I shouted at him.
“Fine!”he grunted back.
Poor Mum simply sat there. “What just happened?”
TWELVE
The weather forecastcalled for dark clouds riding on a brisk breeze allowing for a few rays of sun to pierce through. Only a little bit of rain was set to fall in the days to come. This situation was far more suitable for filming outdoors, and the same little group of actors and crew members headed back to Southampton once again.
This time Keely sat with Cliff, discussing the upcoming scenes and what she hoped to capture.
“I’d like a special nod to Jane Austen’s passage through Southampton,” she said. “We could perhaps pass in front of her favorite haunts.”
Cliff nodded as he listened closely.
“I would like to see our characters; Anne and Frederick as well as the others, walking down the street, perhaps get them from behind. No audible dialogue, just them strolling, visiting, sightseeing.”
Again, he nodded. “Did you want a shot of Chawton House, or the cottage where Jane lived? It’s a little way out of town, but accessible. And what about Winchester where she last lived?”
She smiled, clearly impressed. “Oh. You know about all that?”
“I did a bit of digging. Found out how her brother Edward acquired Chawton House and offered the nearby, smaller cottage to his sisters. But weeks before dying she and her sister moved to Winchester.”
“That’s good. I’m happy to hear you’re keeping up. But no. We won’t need to go that far. Just the procession down College Street. Most movie goers who just know Jane as a writer won’t make the connection, but the few avid fans who know all about her life and death will recognize it.”
“I don’t mean to butt in,” Abbie said, “but I think you should consider going all the way to Winchester for a shot of the cathedral. Chawton is about thirty miles from here with Winchester midway there.”
Keely nodded. “I’ll consider it. If we get the scene on the wall done in one day...maybe.”
*****
