A/N: I've finally come round to the main story. From now on, Ruby begins her life as a Victorian governess. It took me a while to get to this bit, but I got there in the end. Now the real story starts! Just so you know, I may not update all-too regularly, but I will try to write a new chapter every few months. Please bear with me if it takes a while for me to update. :)

Hope you like this chapter and please leave a review! It really helps to know what you think!

Chapter X - A Very Warm Welcome

I heaved myself upwards and stood shakily on my own two feet. I was drenched, my hands and knees dripping with mud, my hair felt like goo. I was in the habit of using hairspray and hair products don't mix well with rain. There was no point in even trying to tidy myself up now anyway, as I was still standing on the premises of Thornfield Hall in the middle of a thunderstorm.

Better get inside, I thought.

I had no choice, did I? Was I ready to meet Mr Rochester in this state? No, certainly not, but his mansion was all I could see far and wide. I was not willing to linger in the midst of this hellish weather any longer, so I devised a plan.

I would take Jane's place at Thornfield Hall, telling Mrs Fairfax or whomever I met, that I was Jane Eyre. Nobody would ever know. I spoke French fluently and had learnt German at school, so teaching little Adèle wouldn't be a problem. As for fitting in -well, I knew my way around Charlotte's version of Jane Eyre, so this one shouldn't seem too unfamiliar. I was quite sure Thornfield Hall and the characters in this world could not be all that different from the real novel. If I had indeed landed in Jane's story, all was certainly to take place "by the book" (pun intended); and I would be prepared for each event, as I could foresee what was coming. However, I would have to pretend as if I was as much in the dark as the others. Otherwise, I would raise suspicion and I wouldn't want to get on Mr Rochester's bad side...

Due my lack of athleticism, I purposefully chose not to sprint through the rain, as I knew I would run out of breath within mere minutes if I tried this. Instead, I jogged slowly through the field, focusing intently on not stepping into any major puddles, so I wouldn't be splashed with any more muddy water. Although I must say, I had ceased to care at this stage. I was past the point of worrying about getting any wetter than I already was. It wouldn't make much of a difference. Once I was approaching the mighty mansion, I headed for the nearest entrance I could find.

I knocked on a small oak door and hoped desperately to be welcomed inside without being interrogated or mistrusted. My heart beat uncontrollably in my chest, only in part from my prior exertion. Mostly, I feared I would be turned away on the spot.

I was completely unprepared.

People say; be careful what you wish for. Boy, had they been right!

I knew the character of Jane Eyre inside out, but I now needed to be her. I tried to focus on taking on a Jane Eyrian frame of mind (if, indeed, there is such a thing), so I would come across as a girl from the 19th century, when I recalled with a start how unfittingly I was dressed. My heart sank.

How could I have been so neglectful? How was I supposed to fit in now?

I was still wearing my blue jeggings and my favourite woolly emerald knit sweater and checked trainers to top it all off.

For goodness sake! Think, Ruby, think!

How on Earth was I to explain this outfit?

Just when this thought crossed my mind, the door suddenly sprung open to reveal a rugged, middle-aged woman who, beneath her stern features, seemed friendly enough. She was small and stout; built like a farmer's wife whose rosy cheeks always show signs of their frequent work outdoors. The lines on her face showed she had lived through some hard times and wasn't taken aback by the rougher nature of life.

"'ello, Miss!" she said in a thick Yorkshire accent. "Come in, ye poor thing! Come in and warm yerself by the fireside!"

"Oh, thank you very much, Ma'am!" I said in surprise, for I was not expecting such a warm welcome at all. I guessed that the elderly woman must be Mrs Fairfax, for she seemed very much like I had imagined her.

However, even though she seemed to be a well-intending woman, I had not expected her to trust me - a complete stranger - so instantly, but perhaps she only greeted me this way, as she had been expecting company. Little did she know that it was not a Victorian governess who now stood before her, but a modern girl who had grown up two centuries later. However, my likeness to Jane had more to do with the experiences I had lived through than with my appearance. We were much the same in our character, so I would be able to be myself for the most part and still fit the bill.

"Sit down, sit down!" said Mrs Fairfax, now ushering me towards a deep red velvet armchair by the fireside and handing me a blanket. I thanked her for her kindness and she went on: "Ye must be Jane Eyre, then, Miss, if I am not mistaken?"

"Yes, Ma'am. Indeed, I am. Very pleased to meet you!" I said, squeezing the ends of my soggy, unkempt hair in order to restore at least some sense of decency.

"Likewise, me dear! I'm Mrs Fairfax, the caretaker o' this 'ouse. I was expecting you a little earlier, but I assume with all that heavy rain going on, yer journey will have been prolonged a trifle?"

"Yes, Ma'am." I answered humbly, not wanting to draw too much attention to myself. Maybe she could overlook the way I was dressed if I acted demurely enough.

I was hoping my composure would just make me inconspicuous enough that my, for this era quite outlandish, clothes would remain unnoticed. But alas, I now felt Mrs Fairfax's gaze lingering on my jeans and shoes. She seemed fascinated.

"Yer garments are very unusual, me dear! Were ye robbed of yer dresses?" she inquired, frowning. "Ye have no bag with ye either!"

"I'm afraid so, yes. Something of the sort did happen." Or it could have anyway. "I found these clothes cast off by the wayside. My dress was torn to shreds, so I decided I would look more decent if I changed even though these clothes are not my own."

I wished I had come up with something a little more likely, but Mrs Fairfax seemed to believe me.

She replied, unfazed: "Well, then, we'll see to it that ye get some new dresses, ye poor thing. Don't you fret!" Mrs Fairfax smiled broadly. "We'll fix that in a jiffy. You'll have the proper attire by the mornin'."

I smiled at her and told her how much I appreciated her helpfulness.

"Oh, 'tis nuthin', me dear. You'll need to be dressed fittingly for yer post 'ere. It's no ma'er at all." She patted me on the back gently and offered me some freshly brewed tea while I warmed my hands by the blazing fire.

We sat there a while companionably, letting the low crackling of the flames fill the room. I watched them as they danced heartily over the coals.

The moon had come out now. It must be awfully late already. I wondered what time it could be. The howling of the wind was still audible outside. The rain had now grown less heavy. It was merely pitter-pattering softly against the windowpane.

I sipped my tea in appreciation and Mrs Fairfax started our conversation up again, asking me a few brief questions about my journey and if it had been bearable apart from the incident with the robbery. It was only idle chatter, but my heart missed a beat when she mentioned Mr Rochester's name, explaining to me how he would soon return from his present journey. I perked up a bit when Mrs Fairfax talked about Mr Rochester, but her description of him was quite brief - well enough, since I felt my eyes glaze over with fatigue, but I did feel excited at the prospect of meeting him in person. However, I felt so tired by this point that Mrs Fairfax's soothing voice almost lulled me to sleep. I had to fight against the urge to simply shut my eyes and finally let my body rest after all I had put it through today. When Mrs Fairfax addressed me directly with a few questions, all I could muster were basic monosyllabic answers. Thankfully, this didn't last too long, as she seemed to have decided rather quickly that I was to be trusted. I felt grateful that she didn't interrogate me and was relieved to have been let off easy. I also hoped I would be able to live up to her expectations, although Mrs Fairfax was by no means the intimidating sort.

Already now, I respected her. Mrs Fairfax was such a warm-hearted person; she seemed to glow with serenity. She made me feel a lot less nervous, even at ease at times. I was hopeful that I would be able to blend in after all, but I would still have to keep my guard up and be vigilant.

When I had finished my tea, Mrs Fairfax led me to my bedroom upstairs near the servant's quarters. She drew the heavy curtains and lit two candles when we arrived, placing one on the nightstand and one on the desk. After handing me a white linen nightgown, she bid me goodnight, leaving me to my own devices.

I shut the door quietly until it clicked softly in the lock and made sure to double lock the door securely with the intricate brass key I found already placed in the keyhole. Fastening the door to my bedroom tightly should ward off any unwelcome visitors for the night.

I was so exhausted by this point that all I could do was slump down on my canopy bed without much ado and let myself fall into a deep, dreamless slumber.