(Had to delete the first post, let's try this again!)

To round out 2022, we're reading The Younger Sister, a completion of Austen's The Watsons written by her niece, Catherine Hubback.

If you're reading ahead, please note there's a TW for a couple lines of dialogue near the end of volume 3, chapter 17. More info in the announcement post. Feel free to send a modmail if you have questions.

You can read about the author on wikipedia.

Download it for free from Project Gutenberg.

Prefer an audiobook? Check out LibriVox, also on YouTube.

Look out for discussion of volume 3 in two weeks, on December 14th.

Let's discuss volume 2 below!

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Volume 2 Summary

The ball! Penelope arrives home and is one of those “I’m brutally honest so it’s okay to be terrible” people. She says she has a secret, but Emma won’t ask what so she decides to hate Emma. They all dress up and go to the ball. Emma feels awkward at first because her sisters want to hang out near Miss Osbourn, but soon they are all adopted by Mrs. Willis. Mr. Howard talks to Emma and is then called by Lady Osbourn. He exchanges places with his friend, a baronet named Sir William Gordon. Emma clues into the Howard/Lady Osbourn dynamic and resolves not to be in love with him (good luck with that! lol) Tom Musgrove ignores the sisters because they aren’t important in this setting.

Lord Osbourn then comes over and awkwardly is able to sit beside Emma. Then Miss Osbourn takes Emma to another room, followed eventually by Sir William and Lord O. These men bring them jellies, which Lord Osbourn spills on Emma’s gown. He is mortified, poor dear, especially because his sister predicted it would happen. Miss Osbourn (who honestly, I just love) lends Emma a gown and sends the sucking-up Tom in search of her brother. Lord Osbourn returns and is happy to see the dress isn’t harmed (he DOES NOT realize it’s a new dress which is perfectly hilarious and I could totally see that happening)

Lord Osborun brings Emma into the ballroom, but she doesn’t really want to dance with him and feels awkward. He doesn’t ask her, but asks Tom to dance with one of the other sisters (he ends up with Margaret), and then has Howard dance with Emma. It’s super awkward. Then Osbourn dances with Emma, it’s super awkward. Miss Osbourn and Emma go into the conservatory and overhear Tom propose to Margaret, but are unseen. Then Emma dances with Sir William, is tired, and goes to bed.

The next day Emma rises early and goes for a walk, she runs into Sir William, it starts to rain and they run to the gamekeeper’s cottage. There, Sir William sketches Emma, which she is not into. They ride the gamekeeper’s little carriage back to the castle and Sir William claims it is a magnificent carriage to the clearly disappointed (by not spending time with Emma) Lord Osbourn. Miss Osbourn, who seems to really like Sir William, is jealous, but Emma eventually explains what happened. Then Sir William and everyone else make Emma sit so he can finish painting her and Lord Osbourn wants the painting or a copy.

Mr. Howard is awkward around Emma, because Lord Osbourn, in just the most delightful chapter, confides in his former tutor that he loves Emma and wants to propose. However, in unknowing cruelty, he asks Mr. Howard to propose for him. When Mr. Howard refuses, Lord Osbourn muses that Tom could do it for him, but Mr. Howard informs him that Emma doesn’t like Tom. Lord O considers writing or what he will say. On this account, and because of the messy dowager business, Mr. Howard elects to go on a trip and leave the whole problem behind. This makes Emma sad.

Emma is suddenly called home by her father having fallen into a coma. Miss Osbourn sends her brother to fetch a doctor, but nothing can be done. Robert Watson arrives, is the absolute worst, and Mr. Watson dies. Pen reveals that she is engaged to an old doctor and will marry him soon, she leaves to live near him until her marriage. Margaret reveals her engagement to Tom, which Emma is hesitant to verify though she tells Elizabth the truth. Robert whines about having to take in all these dependents. Sam visits and is awesome (think William Price from Mansfield Park).

The house is closed up and Emma heads to Robert’s house, where Jane has decided to use Emma as an unpaid governess. The Osbourns have gone to London and Tom has run off with them, to the great distress of Margaret. Emma is about to write to Miss Osbourn, to see if she will help with a breach of promise case against Tom, when Miss Osbourn writes the same thing to Emma. (Jane also just gives us the creeps the whole time). Robert lays out a plan to sue Tom.

Emma shows Robert the letter and he is very excited to bring a suit against Tom, which might give Margaret enough in breach of promise damages to marry someone else. Mrs. Turner arrives, who tells the girls that her son-in-law, George Miller is looking for a wife. At dinner that night we also meet Mr. Alfred Freemantle who is extremely annoying and who takes an interest in Emma. Margaret and Jane berate Emma for being too alluring. We also meet Annie Miller, George’s younger half-sister. She is pretty hilarious and makes fun of Freemantel. She locks Mr. Grant (he doesn’t show up again so feel free to forget him)

Elizabeth goes on a walk with George and Annie Miller, which Emma is forbidden from going on. Tom writes back to Margaret denying the engagement and Emma writes to Miss Osbourn, saying that appearing in court frightens her. Then we switch to Miss Osbourn, who is with Sir William Gordon, soon to be married. She also does not want to appear in court and despite her fiance’s objections, she wants him to influence Tom to marry Margaret.

Margaret is delighted to be officially engaged, even though Tom does not write her or visit. Emma goes to a party where she meets Mr. Morgan, a doctor, and he suggests a new governess position for her. Mr. Morgan then happens upon Emma during her walk with Janetta and offers to help carry the child home. Elizabeth is shocked she walked with a single man, but Emma brushes it off because he’s so old. Then Jane finds out Emma wants to accept the new position and she FREAKS OUT. Mr. Morgan intervenes and then is very creepy while “taking care” of Jane.

Larry Nassar Mr. Morgan “happens” upon Emma again, and we learn he is a major creep. Elizabeth is engaged to George Miller. Emma starts to worry about being seen walking alone with Mr. Morgan and refuses to take Janetta out anymore unless accompanied by a servant or her sister.