blurb: An answer to the September Short Story Topic posted in the Tea Room. What prompts the Bertrams to finally send for Fanny Price after the scandal involving Maria Rushworth and Henry Crawford. Lady Bertram's Cup of Tea She believed that the answer to everything was in a good cup of tea. Lady Bertram sighed as she examined the tea cup in her hand. Fanny was always able to make the perfect cup of tea, but Sir Thomas had sent her away. She still did not understand why he wanted Fanny to marry Henry Crawford. He was amusing, to be sure, but if Fanny married him she would move away and there would be no one but her sister, Mrs. Norris, to prepare her tea. Now, her eldest son lay sick in his bed, and Lady Bertram couldn’t even get a decent cup of tea. He had been there for almost a month. Lady Bertram was certain that if only she could get him a good cup of tea, he would get better. The door to the sitting room opened, revealing Sir Thomas with a thunderous look upon his face. “Has Tom taken a turn for the worse?” Lady Bertram asked. “No. As far as I can tell he is still slowly recovering,” Sir Thomas replied. “I just received horrible news concerning our daughters.” “What has happened?” Lady Bertram asked, clutching her tea cup. “Maria has left Mr. Rushworth. She has run away with Henry Crawford.” “Oh dear,” Lady Bertram replied, looking back down to her mediocre tea. “And Julia has disappeared as well. In the confusion caused by Maria’s foolishness, it appears that she has eloped with Mr. Yates,” Sir Thomas explained. “What could they have been thinking?” Lady Bertram wondered, as she took a sip. With a grimace, she set her tea cup down. “It is a mess to be sorted, that is certain,” Sir Thomas replied. “What can I do to help you feel settled?” With a glance at her miserable tea cup, she looked to her husband. “Will you send for Fanny? I need her to come home.” “Of course, I’ll have Edmund retrieve her from Portsmouth.” “Thank you, my dear,” Lady Bertram replied. “After she arrives, I’m sure we will have an answer for everything.”https://dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?5,128471,128471#msg-128471Wed, 29 Apr 2026 23:05:43 +0100 Phorum 5.2.22 https://dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?5,128471,128480#msg-128480 https://dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?5,128471,128480#msg-128480 Emelyn Derbyshire Writers' GuildWed, 18 Sep 2019 02:21:08 +0100 https://dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?5,128471,128477#msg-128477 https://dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?5,128471,128477#msg-128477 dulciewlf Derbyshire Writers' GuildTue, 17 Sep 2019 05:34:15 +0100 https://dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?5,128471,128476#msg-128476 https://dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?5,128471,128476#msg-128476 Marci Derbyshire Writers' GuildMon, 16 Sep 2019 20:33:25 +0100 https://dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?5,128471,128475#msg-128475 https://dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?5,128471,128475#msg-128475 Lucy J. Derbyshire Writers' GuildSun, 15 Sep 2019 23:47:43 +0100 https://dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?5,128471,128473#msg-128473 https://dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?5,128471,128473#msg-128473 Shannon K Derbyshire Writers' GuildSat, 14 Sep 2019 17:50:59 +0100 https://dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?5,128471,128472#msg-128472 https://dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?5,128471,128472#msg-128472 Karentea Derbyshire Writers' GuildSat, 14 Sep 2019 05:41:08 +0100 https://dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?5,128471,128471#msg-128471 https://dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?5,128471,128471#msg-128471
Lady Bertram's Cup of Tea

She believed that the answer to everything was in a good cup of tea.

Lady Bertram sighed as she examined the tea cup in her hand. Fanny was always able to make the perfect cup of tea, but Sir Thomas had sent her away. She still did not understand why he wanted Fanny to marry Henry Crawford. He was amusing, to be sure, but if Fanny married him she would move away and there would be no one but her sister, Mrs. Norris, to prepare her tea.

Now, her eldest son lay sick in his bed, and Lady Bertram couldn’t even get a decent cup of tea. He had been there for almost a month. Lady Bertram was certain that if only she could get him a good cup of tea, he would get better.

The door to the sitting room opened, revealing Sir Thomas with a thunderous look upon his face.

“Has Tom taken a turn for the worse?” Lady Bertram asked.

“No. As far as I can tell he is still slowly recovering,” Sir Thomas replied. “I just received horrible news concerning our daughters.”

“What has happened?” Lady Bertram asked, clutching her tea cup.

“Maria has left Mr. Rushworth. She has run away with Henry Crawford.”

“Oh dear,” Lady Bertram replied, looking back down to her mediocre tea.

“And Julia has disappeared as well. In the confusion caused by Maria’s foolishness, it appears that she has eloped with Mr. Yates,” Sir Thomas explained.

“What could they have been thinking?” Lady Bertram wondered, as she took a sip. With a grimace, she set her tea cup down.

“It is a mess to be sorted, that is certain,” Sir Thomas replied. “What can I do to help you feel settled?”

With a glance at her miserable tea cup, she looked to her husband.

“Will you send for Fanny? I need her to come home.”

“Of course, I’ll have Edmund retrieve her from Portsmouth.”

“Thank you, my dear,” Lady Bertram replied. “After she arrives, I’m sure we will have an answer for everything.”]]> BethW Derbyshire Writers' GuildSat, 14 Sep 2019 03:55:38 +0100