Anne Elliot’s Boots

While the reader is focused on Anne and Captain Wentworth, Austen slips in clues about Mr. Elliot and Mrs. Clay’s relationship. Mrs. Clay clearly wants to walk with Mr. Elliot, saying she doesn’t mind the rain and her boots are the thickest. She thinks rainy days are for romance.

Mr. Elliot settles the matter “on appeal” by saying Anne’s boots are the thickest. He’ll side with the woman with the thickest boots, especially if it means getting at the money that buys those boots. He can’t allow his dalliance Mrs. Clay to stand in the way of his plans, so he makes sure she rides in the carriage.

Austen sends Mr. Elliot on an errand for Mrs. Clay, making way for Anne and Wentworth to meet and speak, while cleverly dropping yet another breadcrumb about the Elliot-Clay affair. Mrs. Clay may not get her rainy-day alone time, but she exerts her power of him just the same.

One almost imagines Austen’s laughing to herself over these minuscule details and clever plotting.

We should do this more often:

• I’d love to stay in touch!
• If you enjoyed this article, click here to subscribe to my blog. You’ll receive a FREE set of Jane Austen prayers cards!
• Books & Gifts: To order a signed copy of my book, Praying with Jane: 31 Days Through the Prayers of Jane Austen, click here.
• Jane Austen’s World: For my featured articles on Jane Austen’s World, click here.