Miss Austen – Episode 1

As Cassandra (Keeley Hawes) sits reading her sister Jane’s (Patsy Ferran) final novel Persuasion, she receives news from Isabella Fowle (Rose Leslie) that her father Reverend Fulwar Fowle (Felix Scott) is ill and does not have much time left. Despite Isabella’s insistence that Cassandra does not need to be there, Cassandra prepares to head to Kintbury and help in any way that she can…as well as take care of one thing that is important to her at the estate.

It is nighttime when Cassandra finally arrives at Kintbury and seeks entrance to the household, even though they were not expecting her. The maid Dinah (Mirren Mack) answers and is surprised to see they have a visitor, but Isabella advises for Dinah to set up quarters for their guest as she will take Cassandra to see Fulwar. Cassandra is escorted to Fulwar’s room where he is being treated by local physician Mr. Lidderdale (Alfred Enoch). Fulwar takes notice of his new guest and everyone else leaves them alone in the room. While talking with Fulwar, Cassandra is asked one favor after his death: make sure that Isabella goes with her sisters…as the bond between siblings is important.

After their meeting Cassandra is taken to her room for the night but remains steadfast to her cause. Walking out into the hallway, Cassandra is about to head towards a room but is stopped by Dinah. Resigned to her predicament, Cassandra returns to her room for the night and decides to try again the next day. But before she can start to resume her purpose, she learns that Fulwar has passed away by morning.

As the funeral comes to an end and everyone disperses, Cassandra notices that her sister Beth (Clare Foster) is conversing with Mr. Lidderdale. During this time, Mr. Dundas (Thomas Coombes) arrives and greets Isabella, Cassandra and Isabella’s Aunt Mary (Jessica Hynes). While apologetic and remorseful for Fulwar’s passing, Dundas gets right down to business: as he is to take over the vicarage from Rev. Fowle, he will need Isabella out of the residence within two weeks. Cassandra decides to help Isabella by staying and making that transition as seamless as possible, despite the traditional amount of time to move being a month.

Mr. Dundas takes his leave after Isabella leaves the room, leaving Mary and Cassandra to talk privately. Mary starts to bring up Jane’s letters to Eliza, proposing that in her packing up of the house that those letters are procured and Jane’s story can be told. Cassandra does not like the idea as she tells everyone that the best way to know Jane is through her novels. Unfortunately, Mary remains steadfast in her words and even suggests that her son could write Jane’s story. With limited time and later learning that Isabella has gone for a walk, Cassandra seizes the opportunity and heads to her late sister Eliza’s (Madeleine Walker) bedroom to procure what she initially came for: Jane’s letters to Eliza. After many minutes of rummaging, she discovers them in the bottom of a chest and discreetly secures them in heading back to her quarters. There, Cassandra sifts through the letters and opens one…beginning to read.

In a flashback from the letters, Jane and young Cassy (Synnove Karlsen) have arrived at Kintbury for a visit. For Cassy, she is eager to spend time with Thomas Fowle (Calam Lynch). When Cassy and Thomas finally go for a walk and get a moment alone, Tom proposes to her…which she accepts. However, Tom forgets to mention it until it is announced to all the guests that he has accepted patronage in the West Indies. He will leave in two weeks and be gone for a year. Later, Tom takes Cassy aside and explains that this will only be for a year and the opportunity will be beneficial for the both of them when he returns and they are married. While not entirely happy about the idea, Cassy accepts the circumstances and the couple prepare for a year apart. Before leaving, Tom advises Cassy that if anything happens to him before he returns that she will be taken care of.

Back in the present, Cassandra goes to read another letter from Jane, hearing about Jane’s displeasure at the idea of marriage. As Cassandra, Eliza and their mother (Phyllis Logan) are looking at potential attire, their mother suggests creating a match between Mary Lloyd (Liv Hill) and their brother James (Patrick Knowles). As James has not been good at settling down, their mother hopes that with this potential match he will find some grounding. Cassandra and Eliza are on board with the idea, but Jane loathes the idea of an arranged match and being tied down. Surprised by Cassy’s insistence on the plan, Jane is forced to go along with it. At the County Ball, Mary and James do hit it off thanks to Cassy’s meddling on Mary’s behalf…and the couple ends up getting married.

When it comes time for Tom to return, Jane is nervous about what is to come. In present day, Cassandra finds another letter in the pile…this time from Mary to Eliza. She opens it and is taken back to when she was waiting for Thomas to return. Unfortunately, James and Mary arrive and usher Jane out of the room before delivering the bad news that Tom died of yellow fever two months ago. As Cassandra remembers the memory, she notices that Mary’s letter vastly differs from the account she remembers. In present-day, Cassandra looks up and out of the window. Seeing Mary walking down the path, Cassandra’s new purpose is born: keep the letters away from Mary.