Miss Austen – Episode 3

By: Jennifer Vintzileos

As Cass (Keeley Hawes) recovers from her illness, she worries about the letters and tries to get up to hide them. Isabella (Rose Leslie) and Dinah (Mirren Mack) enter, trying to prevent her from getting up. Cass pleads with them to let her get up and take care of the letters that she needs to keep from Mary. Unfortunately, Mary (Jessica Hynes) walks into the home and overhears this conversation. Isabella continues to try calming Cass, having Dinah go outside and fetch some fresh water. On Dinah’s way to grab some water, she spots Mr. Lidderdale (Alfred Enoch) walking towards the house. Eventually, Isabella and Dinah are able to calm Cass and she rests. Later, Isabella goes to answer the door and is greeted by Mr. Lidderdale. He inquires about seeing Dinah rushing away from the house, but Isabella assures him everything is fine. When she comes back to Cass’s side, Isabella picks up Persuasion and starts where she left off.

In a flashback, Cassy (Synnove Karlsen) and Mr. Hobday (Max Irons) continue to become acquainted with one another. While Jane (Patsy Ferran) is excited for her sister finally finding love again, Cassy refuses to acknowledge the match to her family. Later that night Jane questions her sister about why she is refusing to move forward in life…especially since she does not want her to end up alone. The next morning, Mr. Hobday comes to call on Cassy and invites her for a morning stroll. She joins him as they stroll along the shore. There Mr. Hobday professes his love for Cassy and asks her to marry him. Cassy goes into her own flashback and remembers her last meeting with Tom (Calam Lynch), where even though he wants her to move on if something happens to him she is steadfast in promising she will never marry another. Eventually, Cassy returns to the house and tells Jane about Mr. Hobday’s proposal and her refusal. Jane is upset with the outcome and demands an explanation, but Cassy remains firm in her beliefs.

In present-day Isabella and Dinah find Cass in the chapel where she last met with Tom. Eventually, they are able to bring her back to the house. Later that day Mary comes to pay a visit and inquires about the letters again…especially after hearing Cass talk about them in her delirium. Cass continues to deny their existence, yet later that night in her room opens another letter from Jane to Eliza (Madeleine Walker)…this time an angry one about what Cassy has decided for her future. Determined to allow her sister to have a future with love, Jane and Cassy head to Hampshire to spend time with the Bigg-Withers. At the dinner Jane garners the attention of Harris Bigg-Wither (Tom Glenister) and sees her chance. Harris proposes to Jane and she accepts the engagement. Everyone is happy, except for Cassy who later chides her sister for making such a rash decision. When Cassy’s reasoning finally gets through to Jane, the engagement is called off the next day and the sisters return to the Austen household.

Cass continues to clean out the library in the Fowle household and comes across copies of Jane’s books, hidden behind an anthology of novels. Another flashback brings the sisters back to their home, but not for long. When James (Patrick Knowles) and Mary (Liv Hill) come to visit, James requests taking over the Austen household as they require more space for their growing family. Unable to refuse his son, Mr. Austen (Kevin McNally) makes the arrangements and the parents and their daughters leave to find smaller accommodations. Meanwhile, Jane has finished writing her first novel Susan and submitted it for publication. As they settle, good news arrives that Susan is being published and Jane will receive ten pounds for her work. While everyone is excited at Jane’s accomplishments, Mr. Austen falls ill and passes away. Before he passes, he asks that Cassy make sure to look after her sister.

Mary and her daughter Anna (Carys Bowkett) come to visit the Fowle household once again, Cass opening the door and delighted to see her niece. However, bringing Anna was a ruse as Mary takes the opportunity to turn Cass’s room upside down in her search for Jane’s letters. She is unable to find them and resorts to resting in the parlor later that day, her leg still hurting her. When Isabella goes to continue reading Persuasion, Mary brushes off the idea and insists on a conversation outside of Jane’s accomplishments.

The next day Cass goes to visit Beth (Clare Foster) once more. Beth runs a daycare in town for working mothers and loves her job. Cass asks for Beth’s help in taking care of Isabella, mentioning how it seems she is close with Mr. Lidderdale. However, Beth is taken back by the insinuation that she is the one involved with Mr. Lidderdale…when Isabella is the one with the history.