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 TeaShe 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.”
