(A/N: Allyrwhitney- I do recommend reading the book. Granted, it is not a short read. I've read it all the way through enough times to know that for sure. But it is a good book. I first read it as a junior in high school and shortly afterwards, I watched a bunch of film adaptations. If you decide you want to watch any of the adaptations, the 1983 and 2006 BBC miniseries are the most true to book adaptations. They are several hours long though (5 1/2 and 4 hours respectively). If you only were to have an hour or two, I'd recommend the 1996, 1997, and 2011 adaptations. They all have the general essence of the book but do have spots that are not true to the book at all and scenes that are missing all together. Yes, definitely read the book and/or watch an adaptation or two if you want. Jane Eyre is a truly beautiful story, in my humble opinion.

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Within moments of her arrival to her childhood home, Sofia could feel old anxiety creeping up her spine. Sure, Slickwell was gone, but that still left the other inhabitants of Hilty Park to deal with. Sofia wasn't sure she wanted to discover just how changed her two remaining cousins were. Would they continue the abuse she'd been subjugated to as a child? Sofia sincerely hoped not. Morgana, Sofia remembered, did sometimes join the abuse. Jade, the one who had written her, generally stayed out of the shenanigans her siblings took up. Maybe things had changed enough in the past ten years that she wouldn't have to shiver in fear?

Sofia truly didn't know what to expect.

"Miss Balthazar of Hexley Hall," a footman announced.

For the first time in a decade, Sofia laid eyes on her estranged family. It was very easy to pick out which of her two cousins were whom. Jade, once a lanky child, had grown quite into herself and was dressed in a plain, nearly homely, manner. Morgana, it seemed, hadn't changed much from her childhood self. Everything about her appearance and expressions spoke of vanity.

"Sofia?" Jade spoke. "You look so different."

"Thank you," Sofia replied, unsure if the comment was a compliment or not. "How is Mrs. Hilty?"

The sisters looked momentarily confused.

"Mrs. Hilty?" Morgana said. "Oh, Mama. She's resting now. I doubt anyone could see her now."

"I had hoped to see what she required of me as quickly as possible," Sofia said. "I don't mean to intrude anymore than necessary. Would it be possible to see if she can receive me now?"

The two sisters shrugged at each other. Jade, though, signaled to a nearby servant to do as requested by the visitor. Within moments, the servant had confirmed what Morgana had said moments before: Mrs. Hilty was deeply sleeping and the nurse didn't think it wise to rouse her. Like it or not, Sofia was going to have to wait to see what business her aunt had with her.

'There's always tomorrow,' Sofia silently mused.

If the old woman could receive her then, Sofia figured she could be back to her post at the end of the week. Despite the looming uncertainty of how long she had left at Hexley Hall, the thought made her smile slightly.

oOo

As Sofia quickly discovered, not giving her word to be back in a week's time had proved fortuitous. Five days into her stay at Hilty Park, and she hadn't been able to see Mrs. Hilty once. When the sickly woman wasn't sleeping, she had been deeply anxious and had had several fits where she screamed nonsensical things. Even now, she could hear distant echoes of the woman's current fit. But, having grown somewhat used to the sound, Sofia paid it no heed and instead was quietly sketching in her book.

"Who is that?"

Sofia startled at the innocent question from Jade. Sofia looked at her sketchpad and realized whom she had drawn. It was a very faithful representation of her long since passed away friend from Lowood.

'Oh how I miss you, Vivian,' Sofia thought.

"Someone I once knew," Sofia answered quietly.

"You draw quite well," Jade answered. "Far better than Morgana or I ever could. Mama was always despairing about our abysmal art talents."

"No two people are ever the same," Sofia said plainly. "I've heard you at the piano the past few mornings. You're much better at it than I ever was. Some people have incredible talents with one thing. Other people find their strengths in other places."

Jade moved so she was sitting near her estranged cousin.

"You know, you are absolutely right. Mama never could see that. She was always so proud of Morgana because society was very enamored of her. But me? She grumbled that I was too much like Father. She often referred to him as weak, soft, and pitiful."

"So he was a kind and caring man," Sofia said. "Why should that have made Prisma hate him and by default, you?"

Jade shrugged. "I never could figure the woman out."

The two cousins sat together in silence for a few minutes.

"You know, Sofia, when you return to...what was it called again? The place you work?"

"Hexley Hall," Sofia supplied.

"Right. When you return to Hexley Hall, I think you'd be a great person to write to. You're kind and caring. And you've accepted me for me. I wish I had reached out to you sooner."

Sofia smiled. "I'd like very much to receive your letters and write to you in return. I don't know how long I will remain at Hexley Hall. The master apparently wishes to get married."

"You sound like you'll be sad to leave there."

Sofia was silent for a moment. "Yes, I do think I will miss it very much. I've loved it there. It's been the first place I've been since my parents died where I didn't feel frightened that those around me would belittle and trample me."

Jade went silent. "You did endure a lot of abuse at the hands of my siblings, especially my brother, didn't you? I'm sorry they made your life so miserable here."

For a moment, Sofia was stunned into silence. Never in her wildest dreams did she expect to receive an apology from her estranged family for her torturous childhood in Hilty Park.

"Thank you. I... Thank you Jade."

Jade nodded solemnly. "So, tell me about your position and Hexley Hall."

Sofia smiled. "I teach one child, a sweet girl who is nine years old. Her manners need a lot of work and I often have to threaten to cut her music and arts to get her to focus on the other subjects I teach her but she is a wonderful child."

Jade smiled. "That's wonderful. And how is she related to the master of the hall?"

"He's her uncle. Her parents died when she was a small child- one or two years old, if I remember correctly. But she adores her uncle, that much was clear to me the moment I met her. And he feels the same towards her, I can tell."

"So she has no memories of them? You were five or six when you came to us. Do you remember your parents?"

"Only a very few vague memories. I can remember that Mom loved to hold me in her arms and often played the piano. She taught me her favorite tune because I begged her to but I barely can play it anymore. I don't even know what it's called so I have no way to try and seek music for it so I could relearn it."

"That's unfortunate," Jade said sympathetically.

In the distance, a clock chimed the hour. Jade looked up, enthusiastically.

"It's time for me to go to the vicarage. I take baskets to the less fortunate members of the parish. Would you like to come with me?"

Sofia hesitated. Compliments of her time of Lowood, she was wary of so called religious men.

"What's the vicar like?" Sofia asked.

"Mr. Jaxon is a good man. Speculation is that he's going to retire this year or next, he's quite old. But he is very diligent in serving the people here. He's a very humble man and doesn't have a mean bone in his body. He uses his own hard earned money to help fill the baskets that I take to others."

Sofia decided she liked what she heard of the local religious man. She still felt a tiny bit wary, but she decided to at least try.

"Sure, I'd like to come with you."

As the two cousins hurried to get ready to go out, Sofia smiled to herself. It seemed she had found a new friend. A friend she had longed for ever since Vivian's premature death.