Dispelling the Gloom, Part 4

Happy November—and for those of you who celebrate the holiday, Happy American Thanksgiving! I am thankful to be part of a community that takes such pleasure in Jane Austen’s works.

I’m also thankful for your patience! Over a month ago, I began a “vignette” called “Dispelling the Gloom,” based on October’s magic and malevolence theme. What began as a 1,000-word scene morphed into short story with more than 10,000 words, mainly because I can never control myself when dialogue is involved. If I had...