Dear reader: Thank you for your patience and all your kind feedback—it has been a crazy couple of months, but hopefully now I can resume posting regularly. Enjoy.

Ch. 14

The arrival of baby James was the greatest of blessings. After all the commotion surrounding his birth, after the months of waiting and worry, nothing gave me more joy than simply holding him in my arms or watching him sleep.

I remained in bed for only a week. That was as long as I could bear the confinement. As Dr. McKay assured Edward that allowing me the run of the house while I recovered would do me no harm, soon as I was up and about, trying to oversee the household routine as best I could. I am pleased to say Sarah indeed proved ideal for her new position. She somehow contrived to simultaneously care for both James and myself and to move all of her belongings out of the Buntings and into Atherton so smoothly that I scare noticed her absence.

My baby's temperament also made these first days far smoother than they might have been otherwise. So long as he was fed and dry, James was a calm infant. He preferred contemplating the world around him with his wide, dark eyes to crying. Edward said James' expression at such moments reminded him uncannily of me. Since in all other ways James resembled Edward, I will confess I took a great deal of motherly pride in such a statement.

And my happiness was made complete when, three weeks after James' birth, Edward brought me the news for which I had been waiting. I had been trying my hand at bathing the baby unaided in a special tin bath brought upstairs for the purpose. James endured my awkward struggles with heroic complacence, but even so I had only just finished when Edward appeared holding a letter in his hand.

"It is from Moor House, my dear, just arrived in the morning post." He smiled at the sight of James, still damp and now towel-wrapped. "I believe it will contain the news for which you have been waiting.

"Oh, yes," I breathed. In my joy over the birth of my son I had of course not forgotten my cousin Mary's own lying-in. I had been awaiting the news most anxiously, and every post without news had been heightening my worry. I took the letter, and for a moment struggled to balance my baby in one arm and open the letter with my free hand. Edward wisely intervened and took James from me. He stood patiently to one side while I opened and read the missive with damp hands.

"Well?" He finally demanded, bouncing James gently in his arms. "What news? Good or bad?"

"Good." I smiled. "Most happy news. Mary has been safely delivered of a daughter. Diana writes that mother and daughter are in excellent health, and the father in excellent spirits." My smiled widened. "They have named her 'Jane.'"

"Then it is excellent news indeed." My master chuckled. "And what do you think of that news, my fine fellow?" Edward asked the baby. "You have a new cousin."

He glanced slyly at me. "What do you think, my dear? Shall we betroth them?"

"Do not tease, Edward. They are only infants."

I took James back, cradling him in my arms. He was not yet strong enough to hold up his own head, but he squinted up at me in recognition, and worked his rosebud mouth a bit into what I was certain was his attempt at a smile.

"Do not listen to your father, little one—you will find he has a rather curious sense of humour." I smoothed James' wet baby curls away from his little face.

"And your mother has a streak of stubborn impetuousness," Edward quickly shot back. "Imagine my surprise when I met your nurse downstairs and found out your mother was attempting to bathe you all by herself! But I am relieved to see you have not been too hard on her this morning."

"We managed very well, thank you," I said tartly. "Now do make yourself useful and bring me one of his gowns."

With Edward watching over my shoulder, James was soon dry, dressed, and back in his cradle for his mid-morning nap. He sucked contentedly on his tiny fingers as he drifted off to sleep, and my master and I watched him in happy silence until Sarah appeared with a pile of clean linen in her arms. The girl looked the very picture of an efficient nursemaid in her cap and starched apron.

She smiled and bobbed a polite curtsey at us. "Good morning, sir. Mum."

"He is down for his nap now, Sarah." I explained softly. "I believe Mr. Rochester and I shall go downstairs and try to catch up on our correspondence. But you will fetch me if he cries?"

"Of course, Mum."

Quickly, before we could be lulled into any more baby worship, Edward and I went downstairs to his study, where the aforementioned letters sat waiting.

The bond I had with James was deeper than any I had ever had with another living soul, save Edward. From his first moments on Earth it was as if James was a breathing, feeling piece of my heart. And, of course, in a way he was. But it was those very feelings that made it difficult for me to tear myself away from him, even to help my husband attend to business. Edward, I am happy to say, had anticipated this, and had already sorted out only those missives upon which he felt my input urgently needed. All the others, he insisted, could wait.

After a great flurry of writing and sealing, we came to the last one, from his London solicitor. This he insisted I read it over most carefully.

"It involves the provisions I have made for you and the baby, Jane."

"Oh, I trust you to do what is best, Edward," I said.

He smiled. "I know you do, my fairy. But James is son and heir, and so new papers are being drawn up. Should anything happen to me, you shall be in charge of the estates until James turns twenty-one."

"Twenty-one?" I thought of the rosy little bundle in the cradle upstairs. Such a time seemed incredibly remote to me at the moment, but I understood Edward's point. "Not eighteen, my dear?"

"Twenty-one," he repeated firmly. "I am quite certain you would raise our son to be a sensible, honorable man…"

"Thank you," I interjected with a smile.

"But," my master continued, "there is a world of experience for a young man between eighteen and twenty-one. I would rather he not take on the full burden until he reaches a more mature age."

"I see. I think that is an eminently sensible plan."

"My hope is that such a plan will be moot, as I intend to be present while my son grows up. In which case he can perhaps assume management of some part of the estates as soon as we agree he is ready, regardless of his age. Now, the other matter, Jane, is what you would like done with your five thousand pounds."

I had nearly forgotten about my inheritance. Edward did not let me use it, and so it sat in investments in London, still untouched.

"I had not really thought about it, Edward. I suppose it should go to James as well, but…actually, I had rather thought I might give some portion of it to Adele."

He raised his brows. "To Adele?"

"Well, yes. Oh, do not mistake me—I have no doubt you will continue to provide for her as long as need be. But I know from experience that a young woman does not like to be beholden to others for her survival. Nor do I want to see Adele forced to work if she does not wish to do so. I think perhaps a small sum, set aside for her until she reaches a certain age, would do a great deal to help her feel more secure in the world."

Edward was thoughtful for a long moment.

"Well, Jane," he said finally, "if that is really what you believe you want to do, I shall not say no."

"Good. What would you think of a thousand pounds?"

His brows shot back up again. "A thousand pounds?"

"When she turns twenty-one. Oh," I held up a hand, "I know if she were to have it now of course she would likely spend it all rather recklessly. But I am quite certain that Adele at twenty-one shall be quite a more responsible creature. And I shall do the same for James." I was feeling more confident in my decision every moment. "That is exactly what I should like to do, Edward."

"I might suggest you arrange it so she shall have the money when she turns twenty-one or when she marries, whichever happens first. If she marries young she may have need of it sooner rather than later."

"I rather hope she does not marry too young, but again, that is a very sensible suggestion, Edward." I smiled. "And we shall make the same arrangements for any other children we have."

"Your inheritance will provide for Adele, James, and three more. But what if we have four more? Or five more? What then, my Janet?"

I could tell by the twinkle in his eye he was teasing me again, but I did not rise to the occasion. Instead I stood.

"Bite your tongue, Mr. Rochester," I said, and graciously sailed out of the room.

We waited until the end of May to have James christened. In part this was a purely practical matter, as April was as miserable and blustery as March had been and I did not want to take the baby out in bad weather. But I also wanted to wait until Adele was home from school for the summer, so she, too, could attend.

And so it was on a very fine day, the last day in May, as it happens, that I dressed my baby in his new white gown and the whole Atherton family, including Mrs. Fairfax, Maria, and John, went into Dovecote for the service.

Captain and Mrs. Spencer had been most gratified at our request they stand as godparents, and James behaved himself beautifully in Mrs. Spencer's arms at the font. He only squealed once when the cool water rushed over his little head, but he soon recovered his good humour.

Afterwards most of the congregation followed up back to Lansdowne where a hearty luncheon awaited. The men took turns congratulating Edward on getting a son, and the ladies followed me about with suggestions for the proper upbringing of the baby.

Adele, I am proud to say, did her best to ignore Chauncey Wheeler, even refusing to go outside to play with the boys so she could remain at my side. She loved James with all the tenderness in her young heart, and was ever ready to cuddle or amuse him. He, as guest of honor, was content to lie back like a tiny pasha and gnaw on the engraved silver rattle that had been his christening gift from his loving godparents.

For me it was the happiest and proudest of days. Adele was thriving, Edward was well, and James was growing larger and stronger every day. In fact, it brought a pang to my heart when I overheard Captain Spencer, with his two rambunctious, growing boys crawling up his legs, advise Edward to enjoy James as much as he could now, while James was still relatively quiet and had to stay where we put him.

I knew Captain Spencer loved his boys and was only joking, but I understood his meaning. James would not be a baby for long; certainly not as long as I, his mother, would like. But it was enough that my family was together. I knew that as James grew Edward would be here to help me raise him. I was confident that, come what may, Edward and I would be able to deal with it as husband and wife and now, for the first time in our lives, as mother and father.