The Approach to Barton Cottage was one of a long list of rather gratuitous insults to be borne by Mrs. John Dashwood on her arrival in Devonshire.

It's improvements had commenced with the departure of Margaret_the last of the Dashwood daughters into Lincolnshire on her marriage and had gone on apace ever since, giving Barton Cottage all the charm, elegance and prettiness its Mistress had wanted. It had been an handsome house whenever Mrs Henry Dashwood had taken possession of it some ten years ago. Now it positively shown. Not that it was the most handsome of the houses in the area by any means.

Indeed, there were Manor Houses, Parsonage Houses, Villas and even other Cottages in Devonshire that were certainly grander; however, the artistic bent of Mrs. Dashwood, to Fanny's disgust, had never been content to do anything by halves whether it be in the cut of a Gown, the sweep of a Traveling Frock, or the dimensions and coloration of a Sitting Room or Breakfast Parlor; and having ready money for improvements due to the Legacy of 20, 000 lbs left to her by an Uncle_an Admiral, Sir William Pellew_she'd been able to expand and improve until her heart was content.

In the absence of her girls who were now all happily married and settled, Mrs. Dashwood had thrown herself into her surroundings, her home, her books, her writing and her gardens.

The approach to the Cottage terminated in a slender twisting Walk of Blue-Gray Flagstone, flanked on either side by troops of Irises, Hyacinth, Blue Bells, Bleeding Heart, and clusters of King Alfred's. It's Porch flanked on either side by Pillars of the same coloration was adorned with a twining, twisting amalgam of Shew Rose and Forsethya that extended their way upwards past its ground floor.

Outrageous as these were to witness and see, what Mrs. John Dashwood found most particularly provoking was the interior of Barton Cottage. The sight of its two Drawing Rooms filled with all the spoils that had once belonged to Norland Park; but that been pinched away whenever the Dashwood Ladies had quitted it some ten years previous was odious to her.

Linens, draperies, Pictures, and furnishings which had rightfully belonged to Norland Park now sat ensconced in Drawing Rooms, in Bed Chambers, Linen Closets, mocking, and tormenting as it were. But the deepest cut of them all in the opinions of Fanny Dashwood were the elegant Dinner Service and Breakfast China, both of which had been pillaged from Norland House by these same evil minded ladies and which was now displayed rather brazenly inside China Cabinets in Mother Dashwood's enlarged Breakfast and Dining Rooms.

It had been an ongoing and serious dispute among the Ladies for the whole of the six months Elinor and her daughters had remained at Norland. Both Mrs. Dashwood and her daughters had taken pains on numerous occasions to explain to both John and Fanny that the China, Linens, pictures and pieces of furniture had come to their Mother from her family on her marriage and that the handsome Piano Forte which had also departed along with the other Parcels had been a present to the former Ms. Marianne from their late Father. Therefore as the property of Ms. Marianne_now Mrs. Brandon it had been hers to do with or dispose of as she pleased.

Of course the evil minded Chit_not content with all the other impertinent acts she'd perpetrated during her stay at Norland (her sharp tongue, her beauty, her intelligence and accomplishments) as she had not been pleased to leave behind aforesaid Piano Forte and all its accoutrements at Mrs. John Dashwood's orders_which orders of course had been couched in the form of suggestions, requests, recommendations and las entreaties, Fanny had declared the Gel to be utterly unnatural and devoid of every other virtue attributed to rational and dutiful creatures.

Had there been nothing due to her as the then Mistress of Norland for her attentions to her and the other Dashwood ladies during their stay? Which attentions had consisted of an endless profusion of broad hints as to 'how long it would take them to move out? Had they found themselves a new home as yet? How lovely and peaceful they would find it whenever they moved into their new home? Where she and her little Harry to be invaded by every Relation in the Country? And how it was simply too much to be borne having poor and begging Relations continuously about!

In vain did the Dashwood ladies endeavor to make her reasonable or in the absence of that move their Hostess to a graceful acceptance of the inevitable. On these subjects however, Mrs. John Dashwood had ever been beyond the reach of reason.

She had sighed deeply as the packages had departed and upon finding the Dashwood ladies would not be prevailed upon to change their minds, and that they were resolved to leave behind not even a Silver Teapot nor anything up to and including all of the Stanhill effects that had been leftover after it had been sold, Fanny had set them down one and all as thoroughly hardened Villainesses and among the most selfish, heartless creatures in existence.

Anything in the way of improvements to the Cottage that crossed her eye, which was not unseldom, managed to throw her_on purpose she was inclined to believe_into an agony of ill humor. It seemed to Fanny_just as her dear Sue-Sue had warned her, now it struck her_that the invitation by Mother Dashwood to visit Barton had been for the sole purpose of tormenting her at every turn by the reminder of all that she had lost when it became her time to quit Norland.

She had been settled a week at the Cottage before she could witness with patience the size of Mother Dashwood's new Dinning Table or sight of the Dinner Service the woman had pilfered. Another week had passed before the sight of her Mother in Law in a new gown ceased to give offense. And still another week was required before she could enter the Drawing Room and look upon any of the pictures and furnishings without considering herself the most put upon of beings and wondering if there were any Justice at all in the Universe?

Any Justice indeed when a Former Governess_nay a common Thief_could be suffered to take place of the daughter of Mrs. Henrietta Ferrars-Extraordinaire she was sure.

Who was she to be taking Tea with Lord and Lady Grantham_and with some of the very China she'd taken from Norland. Fanny for her part could scarce swallow more than two or three cups full without being thoroughly sickened with the business or eat more than three or four Sandwiches before recollecting of a sudden how her peace should be thoroughly cut up or her appetite gone. She could barely manage more than three of four of the Biscuits Cook had made without swearing within herself that she might choke on one them. Which of course she never did and that considering the rapidity with which the things vanished the instant the Tray touched the Tea Table.

It was only after she had suffered all these impertinences that she had leisure to reflect on the perversity of beholding her Mother in Law walking Tete-a-Tete with Lady Mary, or Lady Edith or that chit of a dogooder, Lady Sybil. Indeed what was the Gentry coming to?

Gaol (she thought with no small amount of acid) would be too good for the Hedge robbing villainess she was sure_nothing short of the Old Bailey, the Gallows and the Halter would do for her!

After soothing her injured bosom with these moral extracts, along with three or four more Biscuits and another two cups of Tea which vanished with the same rapidity as the first, she was able to recline in her chair, congratulate herself upon the discovery of all her Mother in Law's hypocrisy and deceit. To revel in her decided opinion of Lord and Lady Grantham's being completely taken in and to look upon one and all of the party with an aspect of deep wisdom and to peak herself upon the solidity of her reflections.