The boat docked at the harbor in Kingston Jamaica. Caroline Rochester stooped to tie the bonnet strings on her little daughter Celine, and then thought better of it. The child's hair was already damp from the heat and humidity. Mother and daughter were dressed in loose white dresses. Caroline even stowed her bonnet away with her now abandoned corsets, loosened her coiffure and enjoyed the freedom. The constraints of being an English upper class matron life were discarded with the bonnet and corset. Caroline did give Celine a parasol. The increased sunshine could burn fair skin that was accustomed to the English climate.
The Rochesters, Lady Caroline and her children Edward, James and Celine and their American grandmother, Mrs. Celestine Awe, waited for conveyance to Spanish Town, which was some miles inland from Kingston. A message had been sent on to Spanish Town to discreetly inform Mrs. Jane Rivers that there were people from England who would be visiting. In the message, Mrs. Awe said that there was nothing to fear, but requested that Mrs. Rivers keep the news to herself until she was contacted again.
The island cast its spell on Caroline and Celestine. They stood on the dock and let the warm breezes wash over them. The white sand of the beach reflected the sun. In the endless horizon, the Atlantic was a bright blue that reflected the warm sky and the white sand. The view of the island was green mountains covered with trees and vegetation that went from a dusky green to a dark green. Along the quay's buildings, the palm trees lined the sand road. How different from the dirty gray ocean and cold winds at the Harbor in England!
The boys ran from the deck to the beach. Whooping and hollering, they threw their hats on the ground. Little David ran headlong into a dock worker, knocking them both over. The child was immediately abashed, waiting for punishment. The man only laughed, brushed the sand off himself and David and said "Welcome to our island, little man" with an accent of the local patois. This too was different from England, where children were always to be seen and not heard. The dock worker picked up his cargo and continued along the beach, laughing and singing a song about flowers, the sea and dancing with a beautiful girl in the moonlight.
--
The journey to Spanish Town was on a dusty road with a view of the mountains. Their driver and the hired body guard named Big George said that the local name for the hills was the Blue Mountains. All along the road was the intense green vegetation and bright red fluffy flowers. The children asked what the name of the flowers were and were told that they were the flame flowers.
They kept up a constant barrage of questions to the body guard--what are those animals--are those lizards poisonous? David and Edward asked if there were any man eating tigers on the road. Little Celine looked at Big George's dark skin and asked if it could wash off. The older brothers gasped in fear of punishment, and Edward put a hand over their sister's mouth. David started to mouth an apology, he so feared that his baby sister would get her ears boxed for her impertinence.
However, Big George and the driver laughed and laughed, loud booming laughs. The body guard picked up little Celine, put her on his lap and said that the color of his skin was the way God made him, just like the blue eyes and red hair that God gave to little Celine. Then, he motioned Edward and David closer, and gave them a conspiratorial wink. Big George said that on the Islands, all children were said to be close to Angels their questions came from God and their innocence was treasured.
Big George looked at the children with a twinkle in his eye"Young master, there are no man eating tigers on Jamaica. But once upon a time, there was a trickster on the island" Little Celine knew that a story was coming and snuggled closer to Big George, finger in her mouth. "Once upon a time, the spider Adancy decided that he wanted to be a ship captain..." The driver smiled at the cozy scene. How the Anglos kept their children under such fear of being punished.
Celestine and Caroline dozed in the pleasant warmth. Caroline suddenly felt safe for the first time in years.
In the evening, in view of a wild dark pink sunset, the travelers from England arrived at a hotel in Spanish Town. Big George and the driver assured them that, even though the establishment was not the most luxurious, it was safe and clean. The building was whitewashed, and had an inviting veranda with wicker rocking chairs and bright flowers growing in large containers.
Caroline looked at her mother with a questioning expression. For all her life, a hotel meant smartly dressed attentive door men, five star meals served in the suites, hot water on demand and a lady's maid
Celestine laughed. "My goodness Caro." She said "You keep forgetting that your mother is from a poor family in upstate New York and spent the first thirteen years of her life sleeping on a corn shuck mattress on a dirt floor. I don't need a luxury hotel with servants to get a decent night of sleep." Caroline laughed, the first real laugh since she left England and James Rochester. The children were enchanted at the small hotel. They were already running up the veranda.
The rooms were airy, clean and the sounds and smell of the islands lulled the family to sleep.
--
The next morning, a carriage was hired to travel to the mission compound.
"Come children! We are ready to meet your grandmother!" Caroline adjusted the bonnet on little Celine and gave Eddie and David a little tweak. "But, we already know YOU, grandmama Sellie" protested David. Caroline smiled at the boy. "Yes, but you also have a grandmama Jane. She is your father's mama." The little boy looked puzzled. He tried to remember his papa, but just could not bring the face to mind.
Little Eddie remembered papa, but did not like his memories. "Will he laugh at us like papa did?" asked Eddie, an apprehensive look clouding his bright blue eyes. Caroline stifled her anger at the now far away James Rochester. How unnatural, to inspire fear instead of love in his sons! The man was so fortunate that he had three very healthy and vibrant children. Instead, he made disparaging comments about their red hair and their "American" manners and disappeared back to London.
On the other hand, thought Caroline, at least the man will not come looking for them for a very long time. Dwight's people would see to it that when James sobered up enough to notice that his family had been gone for months, he would not be able to afford to drag them back to England.
Caroline smiled, forcing gayety for the sake of the children. "Now Edward, I have heard that your grandmother Jane was once a governess to aunt Adele. Do you remember how Auntie Adele says that she loved her first teacher?" The boys nodded solemnly. Little Celine danced around singing "Aunt Adele! Aunt Adele!" They loved their Aunt Adele, another person who was banned from Thornfield by James.
Celestine came up to the carriage, and turned her family with a smile. Already, Caroline had recovered some of her fine coloring and lost the frightened expression. The children were laughing and talking without any restraint or fear. It may not be God's law to encourage a married couple to separate, but was it also God's law to force a vibrant young woman, a good mother and innocent children to put up with the likes of James Rochester?
Celestine had only heard rumors about James' mother Jane. Richard Rochester never spoke about his mother. James Rochester and Helen Rochester Eshton called their mother a "whore" and once James did so in front of the children. Caroline had to shush her husband. No matter what, it would not do to sully the image of the children's grandmother.
Celestine Awe was world wise. The woman Jane Rochester/Rivers must have had a great need to leave England. The local people around Thornfield remembered Jane as a fine and kind woman--someone who was correct and thoughtful in all she did. They told of the great love and reverence that James' parents had for one another--a love story out of a fairy tale. No, thought Celestine, a proper English wife with a religious education and who always was circumspect and responsible would not bolt on a whim.