Page 1 of Sensing Selma
PROLOGUE
Keely
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THE CHILLY AND RAINYnight had left us with a cool and damp morning. Water still glistened on the streets that were dotted with puddles. Every pedestrian I passed carried an umbrella, ready for the rain that would surely fall despite the promise of a bright and sunny day. I shivered and pulled my sweater a little tighter around me to stave off the cold.
I arrived at the small church in Bath early, hoping to have a moment to get everything ready before the others arrived. The Jane Austen Association Book Club hadn’t met for six weeks.As a co-founder of the club in America that now had a chapter in the U.K., I wanted everything to be perfect. I’d spent the better part of the previous evening preparing finger sandwiches, a few salads, and I’d even made a batch of chocolate chip cookies.
Parking as close to the door as I could, I got out of the car and was surprised to find the sun already warming the air.
I brought out the box of salads and cookies and set it by the door. Then I carefully got the tray of sandwiches out and slammed the car door shut.
As I balanced the tray of sandwiches with one hand and struggled to unlock the church door with the other, Abbie pulled up and parked beside my car.She was a heaven-sent.Not only did she help start the U.K.branch of the club, but she stepped up to take the place of my friend and co-founder Ayra Patel, as the Assistant Director and producer for my Jane Austen films.
“Keely!”she shouted as she hurried out of her car. “Let me help you with that.”
“As usual, your timing is impeccable.”
She took the keys from my hand and unlocked the door. “Are you bringing all of this inside as well?”she said, looking down at the box by the door.
“Yes. Would you mind?”
She grabbed the box and followed me inside.
“It’s cold and damp in here after the cold night we had. We’d better leave the doors open to let the warm air come in.”
With the tip of her shoe, she pushed a stone up against the open door to hold it in place. “What do you have in the box?”
“The usual...salads, cookies, tea, sugar, coffee.”
“Wait a minute. Did you say cookies? You made cookies?”
I smiled as I put everything out on the long table set up at the back of the small church.
“Did you thank your wonderful husband for letting us use his church again?”
She waved the comment away. “You know Gabriel. He’s more than happy to see us using it. As he once said; the Tillsbury’s church is everyone’s church.”
I’d just finished placing the last bowl of salad on the table when members began to enter the church. After brief greetings, everyone chatted amiably as we waited for more members to arrive.
As usual, the conversation turned to our favorite Jane Austen line, their favorite choice of words or their favorite ending.
With everyone finally in attendance, including two new faces I’d not had the chance to greet, we settled in to read a chapter from Jane Austen’sSense and Sensibility.
Chapter One
The family of Dashwood had long been settled in Sussex. Their estate was large, and their residence was at Norland Park in the center of their property where for many generations they had lived in so respectable a manner as to engage the general good opinion of their surrounding acquaintance.
Captivated by the familiar lines, the members hung on every word Abbie read.
Margaret, the other sister, was a good-humored, well-disposed girl, but as she had already imbibed a good deal of Marianne’s romance without having much of her sense, she did not, at thirteen, bid fair to equal her sisters at a more advanced period of life.
“You read beautifully,” one of the newcomers was quick to tell Abbie as she finished reading the first chapter.
“Thank you,” Abbie said. “I do pride myself on my ability to read aloud, but I have to admit that Jane Austen makes it so easy. I honestly think that anyone reading her words would sound good.”
The young woman laughed. “You may be right.”
