Morning rose and I was suddenly startled by a knock on my chamber door. Light ceased through the casement windows, how bright the sun shone today. I tried to open my eyes but they had not yet grown used to the early light of the morning and so I squinted them until they had adjusted.

"Sir? Are you awake?"

It was John, one of my servants. He had come to awaken me, as I had not yet risen.

"Yes John, I am awake, will you please prepare a bath for me this morning?"

I looked at the clock sitting on the mantel piece in my chamber. It was 9 o'clock. How late I was this morning! I had had much sleep and was revived of energy, I did not need a bath but urged for one greatly. I slowly arose from my bed and sought my robe; which was lying on the chair by the fire. I wrapped it about me and exited my chamber to wait for John to ready my bath.

After some wandering of the halls I returned to my chamber and sought out my bath and laid there in the heat of the rising steam of the water. Oh! I so needed that bath. I quickly dried myself, dressed and shaved. I dressed in my crisp white shirt, blue waistcoat and jacket and my matching breeches. I descended the stairs in search of breakfast. I found Leah (one of the cooks and maids at Thornfield) in the kitchen.

Leah turned and ran to embrace me. "How good it is to see you Mr Rochester!"

"Leah, I have missed our morning talks. How good it is to see you, you are looking very well."

"Thank you sir, please take a seat let me make you some breakfast!"

I sat down at the small, round oak table placed in the rear corner of the kitchen.

"What would you like?"

"Erm...Anything I don't mind. Just some toast and a cup of coffee will do."

I patiently watched as Leah made my toast and coffee. Whilst she was preparing my breakfast she sought to tell me about the latest happenings since I had been on my travels.

"We have a new post boy now Mr Rochester."

"And why might that be?"

"Sadly, Peter passed away some four months ago."

Peter had passed away? Poor Peter, I wonder how his wife Lily was faring and the kids as well.

"I am not surprised though Sir, no one was, he was 57."

"I'm sure this new post boy will be just as good."

I ate my toast and coffee, thanked Leah and then went to my study. I dreaded the thought of the business I had to attend to today. First I had to see to the house business, mortgages and what not, and then I had to appear up in the North tower and meet with grace about her charge. (Also known as Bertha). I heard footsteps in the hallway. Did Jane get back safely last night? Was she aware that the master of Thornfield had returned? I must speak with her today. No, I have business to attend to. Tonight? Yes, tonight we shall meet. I thought of how she would react when she found out I was the master of Thornfield, the man she had helped in Hay Lane only last night. As I was drifting away into my thoughts and dreams there was a knock on my door.

"Mr Rochester, sir?"

"Yes John?"

"Mr Grahams is here to see you"

"Send him in John."

Mr Grahams was my solicitor and banker. He took care of my financial business, my mortgages and share prices etc. I did not wish to see him today; I only wanted to see Miss Eyre. Mr Grahams entered my study and sat opposite me on the other side of my desk. I spent that morning talking with Mr Grahams about the money I had in several banks and when I would pay the mortgage on Thornfield Hall. After Mr Grahams had left I exited my study to return to the kitchen as I was in need of a hearty lunch.

Leah had made me a delicious jam sandwich with blueberry muffins afterwards, and a cup of tea. It was delicious. I finished my lunch and was about to return to the study when Mrs Fairfax entered the kitchen.

"Good morning Mrs Fairfax, how are you this morning?"

"I am very well, Sir, and you?"

"I am very well today Mrs Fairfax, thank you."

"Did you employ a governess for Adele?"

"Yes, Sir."

"When did she arrive?"

"She came to us in October I think it was."

"I see, well I wish to see her, please send her into the drawing room tonight after supper."

"Yes, Sir."

I bid Mrs Fairfax a good afternoon then retired to the drawing room.

It was not long before Adèle came to me in the drawing room.

"Monsieur Rochester! Vous êtes à la maison! Je suis si content, je vous ai manqué terriblement!"

She ran up to me and jumped onto my knee.

"Bonjour Adèle, aller la pièce avec le pilote par le feu, je suis dans aucune humeur pour votre bêtise."

Adèle jumped off my knee and took up her place beside the fire with Pilot. It appeared that she was putting ribbons in his fur; Pilot did not look very satisfied. I chuckled to myself at the way he looked, like a porcelain French doll.

I turned my seat beside the fire so it was facing away from the door, so that I could not be seen clearly. I would finally get to meet this Miss Jane Eyre who had been living in my residence since October. Why was she all I could think about? After what felt like an eternity a half hour passed and Mrs Fairfax entered the drawing room. "Mrs Fairfax, could you please bring in some tea?"

"Of course Sir"

Mrs Fairfax exited the drawing room and I sat patiently and watched Adele play with Pilot while I waited for Miss Eyre's entrance. I did not hear her enter but Adele had noticed.

"Ah. Miss Eyre."

Adele was very fond of presents just like her mother Celine, now she spoke up and asked of her present.

"Mr Rochester, avez-vous amené un cadeau? Et mademoiselle Eyre?"

"Did you expect me to have brought you back a present Miss Eyre?"

She replied in the sweetest of ways.

"Excuse me sir?"

"Are you fond of presents Miss Eyre?"

"I hardly know Sir; I have little experience of them."

I was taken aback by her reply. She had never received a present? I was so surprised at her reply that I had to ask her.

"Never had a present?"

"I believe they are generally thought pleasant things, Sir."

Generally thought? Well surely she must know, even if she has never received a present before. I must know more of this girl, her family, her life, and how she came to be employed here. She was once again dressed in a light grey dress as she had been when we first met in Hay Lane. Petite figure, not that tall, her skin as white as snow, I thought once by the heat of the fire her skin would become soft and warm and her cheeks would be rosy red. I bid her to sit in the seat I had placed beside me.

She took the request and was seated.

"How old are you?"

"Eighteen Sir"

"What of your family?"

"I have none sir."

"None at all? Friends?"

"None, Sir."

"Not one?"

"I had a friend once but she died a long time ago."

I could see the distress this caused her, having her friend taken from her. I thought it wise to change the subject topic. I asked her how she came to be in my employment and she simply replied "I advertised." How forthright she was, she showed no fear or shame of her situation; she was proud to be a governess. She explained to me how her parents died when she was young, and how she lived with her uncle and Aunt Reed; but when her uncle died her Aunt cast her off and she went to Lowood Girls Institution. I wondered how long she had been there for so I asked her the question.

"How long were you there?"

"Eight years"

Eight years? So that would make her 10 when she was sent there as she had recently told me she was but eighteen. My assumptions of her age where correct. When I met her in Hay Lane I had concluded she must be seventeen or eighteen. She was fairly small.

"Didn't they feed you at Lowood?"

"No, Sir."

"I'm surprised you survived your so small."

I came to the conclusion that from the dates she had given me of when she was at Lowood, she was at the worst of it. I had heard in the local newspapers that a fever broke out and many died; maybe this was how her friend had died.

I asked her if she could play the piano as Adele said she played brilliantly. I told her to play. She could play a little. Adele also told me she was an artist. I had her portfolio called for earlier and pursued to look through it. The artwork was superb. She couldn't have painted these herself?

"Did you paint these?"

"Yes, Sir?"

"Are the ideas all yours?"

"Yes."

"Where you happy when you painted these?"

"I was fully occupied, I was not unhappy."

How could she have been happy? The paintings were extraordinary; she was quite the artist. It was almost 9 o'clock what was I thinking of Adele should be in bed! I quickly bid Miss Eyre and Adele goodnight. As they exited the drawing room I quickly made a stern remark.

"My foot hurts like the blazes"

It did not hurt any more but I was eager in what her reply would be; I was ready for some stern remark back but all I got in return was "Goodnight Sir."

And she was gone.

I had learnt so much about Miss Jane Eyre in the past hour or so that I felt as if I had known her all of my life. We were both so alike. She and I were both alone. We had no family to speak off, my father and brother are both passed away and Jane's family cast her off after her parents died; so we were both alone. Alone and miserable. I took a deep breathe stood and ventured upstairs to my own chamber, where I could rest and dream peaceful dreams of Jane.