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Ch.2

To be a Governess…

As the door opened, I was faced with a man around my age, perhaps a bit older, who had dark hair with the back tied into a low ponytail.

"Welcome," he said, "to Thornfield Hall. I expect you to be Miss Higurashi? Yes, I thought so. If I may direct you this way to the parlor… By the way, I am Miroku, one of the servants here. I hope you will be comfortable."

I only nodded as I took in the grand hall I was walking through. It was very fancy but still antique. I felt myself growing fonder towards the house with every step. It had a more homely look about it than my Uncle's, though much finer.

He led me to the parlor and near the fireplace seated on a rocking chair was an elderly woman. She was dressed in all black and had a grandmotherly look about her. Her feet set on a stool so that her knees could support her knitting, which was currently her occupation.

She looked up at me, seemed to have a somewhat surprised look, and then replaced it with a sincere look of welcome.

"Come, come sit down!" she exclaimed, standing up to usher me to the stool she had previously placed her feet on, and drew it closer to herself. She then nodded at the servant Miroku to send him on his way.

She re-seated herself after taking my shawl and hat.

"Well! So, I am Kaede. I was the one who answered your advertisement. I hope your trip wasn't too horrible, I know the coachman to be awfully slow. My! You are freezing! Come closer to the fire, child, so you don't catch a cold."

I must admit, I was very much in shock. I had always heard that governesses were treated crudely, and here this woman was treating me as a guest, an equal! I didn't know how to respond to this type of treatment.

Kaede-sama rang a small bell and a few moments later a maid came in. She had mid-length black hair and was very beautiful.

"Sango, dear, would you please go fetch some sandwiches and coffee for Miss Higurashi?" Kaede-sama asked the girl.

"Yes ma'am," Sango answered and walked back out.

Kaede-sama turned her attention back to me.

"That was Sango. She's a charming girl, married to the man you met earlier, Miroku. Miroku's father worked for the Shigomi family for most of his life. Miroku just kept up the tradition. He and the master are very good friends as well."

I started at this.

"The master? But aren't you the owner of this house?" I asked, with surprise thick over my voice.

"Me?! Why no dear, of course not. I am only the housekeeper, the manager. Wherever did you get the idea that I was the owner?" she exclaimed incredulously.

"Why, I just assumed. No master of the house was mentioned in your letters."

At this she laughed heartily.

"No, my dear, this abode is owned by the Shigomi family. The present Shigomi-san is currently on business on the southern island. He is not often here, for he is away most of the time on business. Sometimes he is not even in Japan! But when he does come he does so unexpectedly. It is a motive for us to keep the house very clean."

She said this as if everyone in the world knew that Shigomi-san was the master of Thornfield.

A few moments later Sango brought the sandwiches and coffee. I ate and drank until my strength was regained and Kaede-sama showed me to my room.

I followed her to a hallway with a series of doors on either side. Almost at the end of the hall she turned to the right and opened to door.

It was large but not fancily decorated, as one would expect in such a house. I liked it immediately.

"This is one of the smaller ones. I thought you might like it better than the larger ones on the other side of the house. They are terribly drafty and no one sleeps in them anyway. Not even Mr. Shigomi. Well, there are your bags and if you need anything I'm just down the hall."

She bade me goodnight and closed the door behind her. I changed into my nightclothes and quickly fell asleep on the warm bed I was given.

I woke up fairly early and dressed quickly so that I might have a walk about the grounds outside and become familiar with them.

I walked out the side door into the garden. There were rows and rows of beautiful flowers and an orchard of different trees that were all flowering beautifully. I was always a lover of nature and the things of outdoors and such. This garden was no exception.

After about five minutes I heard footsteps coming toward me. I looked back to see none other than Kaede-sama.

She scurried over and exclaimed, "Why Miss Higurashi! I did not know you were such an early riser! How did you sleep last night? Well, I should hope. Are you going to start the teaching of your new pupil today?"

At this I nodded and she continued, "I thought as much. Oh! Speaking of, here comes little Rin now with Sango."

I looked over to where she was looking and indeed saw a young girl with black hair approaching with Sango, the servant I had seen last night.

Little Rin looked up at me, smiled, then turned to Sango and asked in a low whisper, "Is this to be my governess?"

Sango smiled and nodded yes.

Rin jumped and squealed in exclamation; eagerly clapping her small hands on mine and excitedly cried, "Oh how good it is to see you! You are much prettier and younger than I expected you to be. Oh!, now you must come and eat breakfast with me while I tell you about the trip me and Shigomi-sama took over here. There was a big boat and this place we stayed called a hotel. It was very nice and I slept in a room all by myself…."

She chattered about her adventure, and of course, her Shigomi-san. I listened with patience until we sat at the breakfast table and I told her she must eat before her toast grew cold.

She ate as silently as a young child is capable of and eagerly told me of her momma who went to the Angel Mary in heaven before her Shigomi-sama brought her to Thornfield Hall. Her dear momma it seemed, was a dancer and actress, and had even "taught

Rin-chan to sing and recite poetry".

She begged me to let her recite a verse or two and I allowed her, it being our first meeting. She solemnly stood and took on the face of a true actress, and proceeded to recite a song about a scorn woman from an adulterous affair. While she said it with perfect loveliness, the subject matter was not that a child should speak of.

After breakfast I took her to the library set up for our daily sessions and gave a short lesson, just to get her in the habit of our schedule.

For three months nothing changed. There were very few visitors and life continued at an almost boorish pace. I didn't like to think of it as boring, for I was really living a very luxurious life for someone in my position.

There was really nothing to complain about, but I could nonetheless feel a sense of wanting to escape. No matter how I tried, I could not shake it from me.

There was an instance however, that shook me for a short time.

Once when I was helping Kaede-sama with something up in the attic, I heard a long, low, almost demonic, laugh. It gave me quite a scare. I turned to Kaede-sama and asked hurriedly, "Did you hear that? What was that evil sound?"

Kaede-sama merely shook her head and said, "It is probably one of the servants. Sakuraba-san most likely. She is very peculiar and sometimes starts laughing with one of the other servants."

I was quiet for a while, straining to hear the sound again, for I was sure that it could not have been just a servant. I continued helping Kaede-sama however, and eventually thought it to be as she had said.

I found myself looking out the window one cold November evening, regaining that feel of being away from the rest of the world. Restlessness, if you will. I wanted to get out of the manor for a while, breath the night air.

I was very fortunate it seemed, that Kaede-sama needed someone to got to town and mail a few letters for her. I quickly volunteered and was off in no more than five minutes.

I took my time, strolling and enjoying the nice view, watching farmers gathering the last of their crops. It was quite chilly, but felt wonderful compared to the stuffiness of Thornfield.

I was on the edge of the town when I heard the clatter of a horse's hooves. Now, this normally would not have frightened me, but it was growing dark, and all sorts of fancies had entered my mind, making me think of tales I heard when I was younger; of the "Gytrash", which in the form of a horse, mule, or large dog, haunted solitary ways and sometimes came upon belated travelers, as this horse was now coming upon me.

It had come near, but not yet in sight, when I heard a trample in the hedge further down the lane. A huge brown dog emerged, looking exactly as I had remembered tales of the "Gytrash".

This fantasy was soon abandoned however when the horse came into view, and I saw a man riding the horse, and the "Gytrash" never allowed a rider on its back.

I let the horse and rider pass and the man never even once seemed to take notice of me. A few moments later, I heard a sliding sound and an exclamation of, "What the deuce is to do now?" and a clattering tumble.

I turned to see that man and horse were down; they had slipped on the ice in the road. The dog, seeing his master subdued, barked until the hills rolled.

I rushed back to the man and asked, "Sir, are you hurt? Could I do anything to help?"

The man looked up at my question and I got a clear look at his face.

He had long silver hair that gleamed in the moonlight, giving him an almost ethereal look. He had a very cold eye and a thin, well-shaped face. He was past his youth, around thirty-five I presumed. He wore a white travelers haori and a yellow and blue sash around his waist. A sword was fastened at his waist.

His aura and look about him made him out to be very demanding and harsh. He was not altogether attractive, but not ugly either.

He gave me a somewhat rude glare, and answered in a smooth voice, "Just stand on one side. I am fine."

The dog started barking again as his master tried to rise, making me back up a yard or two, but was quickly silenced with a "Down, Jakken!" from his master.

As the man tried his foot in order to stand, I heard an involuntary "Ugh!" come from him.

I was in a helpful mood and did not want to leave him if he was indeed injured.

I stated this to him.

"I cannot think of leaving you, sir, at so late an hour in this solitary lane, till I see you are fit to mount your horse."

He looked at me again, examining me before answering; "You ought to be at home yourself if you have a home in this neighborhood. Where do you come from?"

"From just below, and I am not at all afraid of being out late when it is moonlight. I will run over to town for you with pleasure if you wish it; indeed, I am going there to mail a letter."

"You live just below – do you mean that house with the battlements?" – pointing to Thornfield Hall.

"Yes, sir."

"Whose house it is?"

"Shigomi-san's"

"Do you know Shigomi?"

"No, I have never seen him."

"He is not resident then?"

"No."

"Can you tell me where he is?"

"On the southern island, I believe."

"You are not a servant at the hall, of course. You are –" At this he stopped, ran his eye over my plain dress, not fine enough for even a lady's maid. He seemed puzzled so I decided to help him.

"I am the governess."

"Ah, the governess!" he repeated; "deuce take me, if I had not forgotten! The governess!" and again my apparel underwent scrutiny.

He tried again to rise and walk but fell back again in pain.

"I cannot commission you to fetch help, but you may help me yourself," he rather demanded than asked.

"Yes, sir."

"Do you have an umbrella I can use as a walking stick?"

"No, sir."

"Try to get hold of my horse's bridle then, and lead him to me."

I was afraid of going near the beast, but when ordered to I was disposed to obey. I tried to catch the bridle but it was a spirited thing and would not let me come near its head. After trying in vain for a moment longer, the traveler laughed and said, "I see the mountain will never be brought to Mahomet, so all you can do is aid Mahomet to the mountain. Come here, then."

I came. "Necessity compels me to make you useful.

He then laid his hand on my shoulder, and using me as a makeshift crutch limped to his horse. Having at once caught the bridle, he hoisted up onto it with a grimace of pain, and again turned to me.

"Now, make haste with the letter and return home as fast as you can."

With that, a touch of his heel made his horse rear and start off down the lane.

I walked on to town, taking the incident as one of no moment, no romance, no interest. For it was an incident to me, and nothing more.

I mailed the letters and began my walk back home; to tranquil Kaede-sama, my lonely room, and dull Thornfield Hall, to regain my post and continue life as boring as it had been.

I lingered at the gates; I lingered at the lawn; I paced backwards and forwards on the pavement; trying to make my little outing last as long as possible. I finally entered the house and went to Kaede-sama's room, where I usually had my tea.

As I entered the room, I beheld a great brown dog, exactly like the Gytrash of the road. It was so similar I approached and called "Jakken". It got up and came to me, wagging his great tail. I wanted to get account of this visitant, so I rang the bell for Sango.

She soon entered.

"What dog is this?" I asked.

"He came with the master."

"With whom?"

"With master – Shigomi-sama – he is just arrived."

"Indeed! And is Kaede-sama with him?"

"Yes, and Miss Rin; they are in the dining-room, and Miroku had gone for a surgeon: for master has had an accident. His horse fell and his ankle is sprained."

"Did the horse fall on the lane going into town?"

"Yes, coming down a hill. It slipped on some ice."

"Ah!, bring me a candle, will you Sango?"

She brought it, followed by Kaede-sama who repeated the news. It seemed the surgeon had come and was now with Shigomi-san. She then hurried out orders about tea, and I went upstairs to take off my things.

I fixed this chapter, making his hair silver. I just wasn't right! Ok, and I lied about the updating in a few days part. I'm still not happy with the third chapter (I just looked over it again) and I guess I'll try and post it some time…..who knows when. Ok, hope everyone likes the changes. Buaha! I re-named the dog Jakken, even though he's huge and brown….the dog I mean….but it's the only way I could fit him in the story so, there we go!

Btw, someone told me that this fic followed too closely to the book, and it's true, a lot of the dialogue is straight from the book, mainly because I just couldn't bring myself to changing a word of Charlotte Bronte's! It'd be like I was ruining a masterpiece…sniff. For the plot, it will almost be the exact same story, so for those who have already read Jane Eyre, you know what's going to happen, don't expect too many surprises…

Anywho, tata!