Two weeks later, Jean and Atticus were setting out for Finch's Landing. Although she hadn't been nervous when Atticus had first mentioned meeting his family, talking with Maudie had made her increasingly anxious, especially when she had heard about how high strung his sister, Alexandra Hancock was. Jean wasn't a person who got nervous easily, but she was more than apprehensive about meeting Atticus' sister.
"Honey, Alexandra Hancock and Stephanie Crawford are one in the same. If you can handle one of them, you can handle the other, and you sure do know how to put Stephanie in her place when the need arises," Maudie had reassured her.
Though it should have reassured her greatly, it didn't. It was one thing to put Stephanie in her place, but Alexandra was Atticus' sister. She couldn't very well let loose on her and expect things between her and Atticus to remain as rosy as they were. Chances were that if Alexandra said something that ruffled Jean's feathers, she'd just have to smile and take it, which wasn't something she was particularly good at.
On the Saturday she and Atticus set out for the Landing, he was strangely quiet. Usually, whenever they drove anywhere Atticus would start up some sort of conversation, but today he remained silent. His silence only worried her more. Was he starting to think this was a bad idea? Was he having his own doubts about taking her to the Landing? Was he already thinking of the million and one things that might go wrong when they got there? Not for the first time since they had been together, Jean wished she had the ability to read his mind. She wondered if he knew just how much his silence was making her more and more uneasy.
When half an hour passed and Atticus still hadn't said a word, Jean slid herself closer to him and rested her head against his shoulder, causing him to look away from the road for just a second to smile at her.
"Stop worrying." He said, taking one hand off the wheel to hold hers.
"I'm not," Jean replied, her voice coming out as nothing more than a squeak.
"Honey, everything is gonna be fine. Alexandra will love you, and even on the impossible chance that she doesn't, I do," he said seriously.
"You seem awfully certain for a man who hasn't said a word since we left Maycomb," Jean shot back, hoping he would say what he was thinking, what he was worried about.
"Don't you mind me. I was just thinking." He raised her hand to his lips. "I promise today will go better than you think it will. In fact, I'd put my life on it," he said, a smile starting to tug at his lips.
Almost immediately, Jean was sitting up ramrod straight. "Mr Finch, just what is gonna be happening today? I thought we were just going to meet Alexandra?" She asked, watching him suspiciously.
"And Jack and Jimmy," he added. "It's nothin' fancy, don't worry," he reassured her.
Jean didn't believe him. "You're up to somethin'," she said, still eyeing him warily.
Atticus only chuckled at her. "If you say so, my love." He gave her hand a squeeze.
Now Jean felt as though she could honestly be sick. So help her if they arrived at the Landing and it was filled to capacity with his entire family, she'd drag him by the ear back to the car and tell him to take her home.
When Finch's Landing finally came into view after what seemed like hours of driving, Jean couldn't help but be impressed by the place. It had obviously been a very remarkable home in its prime, and though there were still a few little areas that needed some touching up, it still held a lot of charm reminiscent of the old American South. She took in the porches on both stories, the widows walk at the top, the little chapel out in the distance, and the jetty heading out into the Alabama River. She thought the place was utterly charming.
"You may have some trouble getting me to leave this place," Jean said, still taking in the surroundings. "It's beautiful."
"It's home," Atticus answered simply.
"I mean it." Jean turned to him with a smile. "We aren't leaving until you've shown me every corner. It's incredible."
"If Alexandra's interrogating starts to get to you, I'll use that as my excuse to get you out," he said, and she couldn't tell if he was being serious or teasing.
She followed Atticus out of the car, meeting him at the front and placing her hand in his. The Landing sat amongst a heavily wooded area and all manner of creatures could be heard calling in the distance. The sounds made Jean feel calm and at peace, the type of calm that she had never experienced in Montgomery or since moving to Maycomb. She couldn't imagine Alexandra being an impossible woman when she was surrounded by such beauty.
The newfound feeling of calmness never left her as they climbed the porch steps, Atticus simply walking on in when they reached the front door. From a room directly to her right, she heard voices. One sounded very agitated, while the other just sounded bored, and soon enough a woman vaguely similar in looks to Atticus was coming through the double doors. Jean knew it could only be Alexandra Hancock.
"I thought I heard you come in," she said in way of greeting, her face gradually forming a smile so forced Jean was sure it hurt her. "And you must be Jean. It's so nice to finally meet you, dear." She approached Jean and pulled her into an embrace that lacked any warmth.
Awkwardly, Jean hugged her back, feeling as though she were hugging a statue. "Atticus has told me all about you, Mrs Hancock," she said politely. "It's so nice to finally put a face to the name."
"Alexandra, honey, call me Alexandra," she said as she pulled back and held Jean by the shoulders. "I certainly wasn't expecting you to be so...young. You're practically a child!" She said, putting on a false cheery voice as though Jean should accept her comment as a compliment.
"Sister," Atticus said warningly. "Is Jack here?" He quickly changed course.
"I'm right in here preparing myself to be reunited with that scoundrel you're courting!" Jack hollered from the parlour, making Jean relax massively.
Alexandra's eyes went as wide as saucers at Jack's comment, but Atticus paid no mind to her and guided Jean through to the parlour. Jack was on his feet immediately and beaming at her in a way that made her feel right at home. With a roll of his eyes, he opened his arms wide for her to embrace him.
"C'mon, then. Let's get this over with," he said, the same words he said when she left Massachusetts.
Acting as though she would rather be doing anything else, Jean hugged him, listening to Atticus explain to Alexandra how they knew each other. "I'm sure as hell glad to see you again, Doctor Jack Finch," she said, Atticus having told her of Jack's recent completion of his studies.
"I guess it's nice to see you, too." Jack said teasingly with a shrug, causing Jean to softly whack his arm. "If she gets too much for you," he motioned to Alexandra still talking with Atticus, "just give me the signal and I'll try and slip something into her tea," he said out of the corner of his mouth
"That's very kind," Jean said sarcastically. "But I don't think it'll be necessary. I'm sure we'll be fine."
"I might do it anyway. Just to shut her up for a few hours," Jack said with a smirk.
"You're still as awful as ever," Jean teased him as Atticus finally approached, Jean noticing that he looked a little agitated.
As Atticus and Jack greeted each other, Jean felt Alexandra approach beside her. "I was just sayin' to Atticus," she began, "you'll need to come out here more often. You're the first girl my brother has ever been interested in, and I'm basically on my own out here, it would be nice for us to spend some time together, don't you think?" Alexandra said, Jean trying not to look too irritated at being referred to as a "girl".
Putting on her best company smile, Jean rested a hand on her arm. "I think that's just a charming idea!" She pretended to gush, all the while thinking she may take Jack up on his offer.
oOoOoOo
Alexandra served dinner roughly an hour after they arrived, and Jean had to admit she was an excellent cook. The meal passed without much real event, save Alexandra's continuous questioning about her life. Across the table from her, she saw Jack catch her eye and smirk, something that had her struggling to keep a straight face. For the most part, Alexandra seemed pleased that her father had been a lawyer and her mother stayed in the home, but became openly appalled when Jean spoke of Catherine and how she had just finished her second year of college. Jean thought Alexandra would actually hurl her dinner plate at her.
"College is no place for a young lady." She said stiffly, turning her nose up as she spoke. "There's nothin' they can teach a lady at college that she can't learn in her own home."
Atticus quickly and expertly changed the subject after that, telling his sister about how they had met, which seemed to appease her, though she looked less than pleased to discover that Jean had also worked outside of the home. Jack's offer was looking more and more tempting by the minute, and across the table he kept making little hand gestures of pouring something in her drink that nearly had Jean forgetting everything Alexandra was saying. Nearly.
When dinner was over, Jean excused herself to go and freshen up, feeling like she needed a few minutes to herself before round two commenced in the parlour. She didn't know what else Alexandra would possibly be able to criticise, but she was sure the woman would find something. It was when she was retuning to the dining room that she heard Alexandra's voice raised in argument with someone, the other person being Atticus.
"...far too young. It's an absolute disgrace you being with her! She was your secretary!" She heard Alexandra stage whisper.
"Alexandra, I don't care what you have to say. I love her, and maybe if you took the time to get to know her you'd see why. This is one thing I won't allow you to meddle in," Atticus replied, his voice as calm as always.
"Atticus, this is a disgrace! You're nearly forty! You need to put an end to this nonsense! What if..." Alexandra began another argument, but stopped hastily when Jean pushed open the door to the dining room, her face quickly drinking of colour. "Oh, Jean, there you are. We though you'd gotten lost," she said, forcing herself to smile.
"No, I was right here," Jean said with emphasis, never breaking eye contact with Alexandra, letting her know that she'd heard every word. "Atticus? Could you take me out for some air? I'm not really feelin' up to coffee right now for some reason," she asked him.
Almost too hastily, Atticus was standing, clearly wanting to get her out of the room as quickly as possible. "Of course." He smiled, quickly approaching her and taking her hand. "Sister, we shouldn't be long."
With Alexandra's gaze on her back, Jean let Atticus guide her from the dining room and down the hallway until they were outside. "Are you alright?" Atticus asked the moment the door had closed behind them, pulling her close to him.
"I'm just fine, don't you go worrying." Jean laughed and patted his chest. It was the truth. What Alexandra had said hadn't bothered her that much. After all, she hadn't been put on earth just to please the woman.
"If you want to leave now we can. I don't want to force you to stay if you're uncomfortable." He said as they began walking down a little lane that was threatening to be overcome with brambles.
"Honey, it's fine. I promise. She can say she's a lady all she wants, but ultimately her conduct tells a very different story," she replied. He said nothing.
They continued to walk with Atticus pointing various things out to her as they passed, including the place his father had taught him to shoot when he was thirteen, the little chapel where they had all been christened, and the barn where Jack had once tied Alexandra up in. It had been on the tip of her tongue to say that it was a pity he untied her, but she forced herself to stay quiet. Soon enough, they ended up out on the jetty. The lights from the house were still visible, but it felt very private. The sound of the river around her was calming and she felt content with Atticus' hand in hers. Even with Alexandra's previous remarks, she was still having a wonderful day with him.
"My daddy and I used to come down here to get supplies off the boats passing from Mobile. It used to be a competition between Jack and I as to who could carry the most back to Mama," Atticus laughed, gazing off down the river as if back in those moments.
"And let me guess, you always got the most back with Jack only havin' him arms half full. Or Jack would somehow trip on somethin' mysterious and end up dropping everything," she teased him.
"It's like you were there with us," he replied, making her laugh and shake her head at him.
"Do you miss it? Living here?" Jean then asked when he went silent again.
She watched as he turned his gaze back to the Alabama River stretching for miles before them. It didn't matter how unimportant the question was she asked him, he always took his time to think before giving her an answer. It could be both endearing and frustrating at times.
"Sometimes," he answered eventually. "Sometimes you find yourself missing how peaceful it is here, how easy it is to convince yourself you're completely cut off from everything."
"Would you ever move back?" She asked, wanting to keep the conversation flowing between the two of them, wanting to find out every and any possible little things about him that he may have kept quiet. She wanted to know everything.
"And spend everyday with Alexandra?" Atticus turned his head a fraction towards her, a smile on the corner of his lips. "I'm positive I'd end up pushing her in here," he gestured to the river. "Though I'm not sure what good that would do seeing as she can swim," he added as an afterthought.
"It's very beautiful," Jean said quietly, looking at the river and the large area of woodland on either side. It must have been an idyllic place for Atticus and his siblings to grow up. She couldn't help but envy him slightly. She had grown up right in the middle of Montgomery where there was always noise and always something happening. Peaceful places like this were hard to come by.
"Do you think?" He asked her, a different note to his voice that she couldn't pick up on.
"I do. If you ever lose me, your first place to look should be here. It's really somethin' else." She replied, still quiet, and not seeing the look that passed over Atticus' face.
She heard him clear his throat and move just little bit closer to her. "Jean, can I ask you somethin'?"
A little wary, she nodded. "Of course."
"Are you happy?"
She hadn't been expecting that. What did he mean by "happy"? Of course she was happy, hell she was beyond happy. If he hadn't picked up that she had practically been walking on air since they had been together, she didn't know what more she could do to show him.
"What do you mean am I happy?" She asked stupidly, feeling her guard going up a little.
Beside her, Atticus shrugged a little. "I mean just that: are you happy? I'd hate to think maybe you've gotten bored of me," he said, trying not to sound too serious.
Jean smiled and rolled her eyes at him. "Honey, if I was bored with you, I wouldn't be standing here with you right now. I've told you a million times before that I love you and it gets truer with each day God gives me." She said, taking his face in her hands and kissing him.
He seemed to relax visibly after that, and moved her hands from his face to hold them tightly in his own. "In that case, there's somethin' else I want to ask you," he said, and she could see him fighting a smile.
"You go right ahead," Jean said with another laugh, wondering what on earth had come over him that night.
What she hadn't been expecting was Atticus to then get down on his knee, making her face fall in shock. So he had been up to something. She was smiling stupidly as she looked down at him.
"This isn't somethin' I do often, so you'll have to forgive me if I get it a bit wrong." He laughed and reached for her left hand. "Jean Graham, I love you, and you would make me the happiest man in Alabama if you agreed to marry me." He asked, reaching into his pocket and producing a small velvet box that held a very simple but beautiful diamond.
"Are you serious?" Jean practically squeaked out, still trying to process everything.
"Actually, now that you've mentioned it..." Atticus began, pretending to close the box and make moves to get up. "Yes, you silly woman, I'm serious," he said, smiling at her in a way he never had before.
"Yes! Of course I'll marry you!" She eventually managed to get out, watching in ecstatic happiness as Atticus placed the ring on her finger.
He had no sooner returned to his feet than she was jumping into him, nearly knocking him over as she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. "How long have you been planning this? You aren't just asking me because of what Alexandra said?" She teased, still grinning at him while her arms were still locked around his neck.
"No," he replied, very seriously. "I've been planning this for a while. I wasn't sure where to do it. Here, at home, or maybe take you away somewhere. To be very honest, I couldn't wait any longer."
"I love you." She said quietly, rubbing her nose on his.
"After what just happened I'd like to believe so," he teased her. "I love you, too." He said quietly, reaching in and kissing her again.
To Jean, it didn't matter that Alexandra was liable to have some sort of fit when they returned to the house and told her they were engaged, it didn't matter that she'd likely talk to Atticus about how "disgraceful" their whole relationship was. Jean felt like she could put up with anything the woman might throw at her once they returned, secure in the knowledge that she was engaged to the love of her life and there was nothing Alexandra could do about it. She was happy, completely, unbelievably happy, and there was nothing Alexandra could say or do to tarnish it.