Jane's POV:
Tom's face light up again, the way it had before when I had agreed to stay at his place here in London, after I finally gave him my reply in the positive for Christmas at his place in Ireland. I will not deny that this made me feel very happy...something I thought I would never get the chance to feel again with Tom. I thought that had passed a long time ago...
However, I was still not about to let on how this arrangement was making me feel. I was happy that Tom was so visibly happy about the idea...and I was happy that he had asked us to join him for Christmas...happy that it was what Tom wanted. But I must keep myself in check. Perhaps I was too hasty in my reply to him after all...because...again...where could this all lead to but another painful departure between us...yet...maybe not. Maybe, like I had told myself earlier, we COULD just carry on as friends. Perhaps with time spent together, that is exactly what would happen. I couldn't...didn't really want to change my mind about it now anyway. The time spent here with Tom might show how things would go, could go between the two of us in the future.
This entire conversation had taken place while we were wandering through the house. We came upon one of the sitting rooms and Tom stepped aside allowing the rest of us to enter so that we could all sit down and be comfortable. I noticed a pianoforte at the opposite end of the room and moved towards it. This was something new...I would have remembered it.
"That wasn't here before." I remarked pointing to it.
"No, it wasn't." Tom answered quietly following me over to it.
I stretched out my hand upon reaching it and ran my hands gently over the keys.
"I bought it for Jane." Tom told us, as he now stood beside me. I looked at him. I detected a double meaning in his voice and eyes. He had bought it for Jane...and for me?
Jane had been following us the entire time and I now turned towards her with a smile and addressed her. "You play?"
"Some..." she replied.
"Then you should play for us." I encouraged her.
Young Jane blushed at the attention. "Oh..I don't know that I could."
"You play just fine, Jane." Tom agreed. "You should play what you know best for our guests, especially as Miss Austen has asked you so nicely."
Jane knew she had no choice but to obey her father. She came over to the piano, sat down and drew a bit of a breath before she started to play.
She played us a couple of pieces which, I had to agree, she played just fine for her age. I was impressed as was the her small audience. When she had finished, we applauded as she stood up and politely curtsied to us.
"And now, Miss Austen should play for us." Tom stated firmly, taking me off of my guard. I gaped at him and I swear if eyes could twinkle, his were at that moment.
"Do you play too Miss Austen?" Jane looked at me, her face bright with this knowledge.
"Well yes, dearest..." I replied using the affectionate term "dearest" without even thinking. Cassandra and I often use that term for our own young nieces and nephews. "I do play...some."
"My sister is actually fairly accomplished in the pianoforte." Henry now took it upon himself to help throw me into a situation that I had not expected to be in. I looked over at him and shot him a withering look. If I had not been with both Henry and Tom since our departure from the art gallery building, I would have sworn that the two them had planned this. Honestly! The pair of them!
"Would you play for us to then?" Jane pleaded.
I would have thought that Tom would have admonished Jane for begging, but as he was obviously on her side, he stayed his tongue in that regard.
"Please Jane. You do play very well." Now it was Eliza who spoke up.
Now I was the one without a choice but to play for them. I made my way over to the piano, sat down and after a moment of silence, I let my fingers take over the keys...and everything and everyone vanished from the room from the moment I started playing.
I was startled back to the present by the applause when I had finished.
"Oh you do play beautifully Miss Austen." Jane sighed. "Perhaps you could teach me how to play more like you while you are here?"
"Jane.." This time Tom decided to step in. But by this time I had my wits about me again.
"Of course, Miss Lefroy." I countered him, not thinking straight off about what I might be getting myself into. "I will be happy to sit down with you and help you the best I can."
In all honesty, I had no idea how I would fair teaching a young girl how to play as I had never actually taught anyone before...but I had already made my promise and I would do my best. I hoped I could teach her well enough to satisfy both her and her father.
"Oh, thank you Miss Austen!"
"Jane, I think it's time for you to go upstairs and get yourself ready for dinner." Tom told his young daughter who happily bowed to us before she left the room.
Once she was out of the room, Tom turned to the rest of us and said, "Mary's passing has been very hard on Jane. She misses her mother very much, they were very close. And it is made even more difficult by her age as she is getting to the age where she needs her mother. My sisters who are helping to raise my family have done a wonderful job, but it's not the same. It's one of the reasons why I allow her to stay with me in London sometimes. So that we can spend some time alone together. As her mother can't be there for her, at least I can, her father."
As I looked at Tom, my heart filled with sympathy for Jane...and admiration for Tom.
Now he looked at me as if to address me solely and said in a soft but serious voice. "I believe my daughter has become quite attached to you Jane."
Tom's POV:
For the second time that day, Jane's reply brought exuberant joy to me. I confess that I didn't know how well the idea of having the three of them for Christmas in Ireland would go over with Jane, I was afraid that I might be pushing my luck with it. But once the idea had come to my mind, I couldn't let it go. I was both relieved and ecstatic that she had accepted it.
Now as we moved about the house, I guided my guests towards one of the sitting rooms where would could converse in comfort. My daughter Jane was still amongst us, following. I had been observing her with interest, her interaction with the elder Jane. I had realized earlier on that she seemed to be becoming a bit "smitten" with Jane, but as I continued to watch, I could see the fondness continue to grow...
Upon entering the sitting room, Jane noticed the pianoforte at the opposite end of the room and wandered over to it. I followed her. As she gently stroked the keys with her fingers, I told her in a meaningful way, "I bought it for Jane." She looked at me in a way that told me she understood what I was saying. I had bought it for my daughter so that she would be able to continue with her practicing whenever she was visiting me. But...I did have another Jane in mind when I bought it for I knew that Jane also played. At the time I bought it, as outrageous as it was, I did picture my Jane playing it and I knew I had to buy it.
Jane was now encouraging my daughter to play and I agreed that she must. She knew that she had to obey me. I admit that I am rather proud of her piano-playing and wanted to show her off a bit. I watched the elder Jane as she watched my daughter play. She seemed to be taking an interest in Jane which pleased me very much. I could also tell that she was impressed with her playing as well.
"And now, Miss Austen should play for us." I had had it in my mind all along that Jane would play for us if they stayed at my place. I was going to make that image of her playing my pianoforte come true. I also knew that I had to catch her off guard so that it would leave her no chance to get out of it. This enthralled my daughter even more to find out that Miss Austen could play the piano as well.
"Do you play too Miss Austen?" She asked.
"Well yes, dearest...I do play...some." Was her reply.
I was quick to pick up on Jane's term of affection for my daughter, calling her "dearest"...my two Janes were growing closer, I felt...A small, inaudible sigh of contentment escaped me at this thought.
"Would you play for us to then?" Jane now was begging. Normally, I would never allow my children to beg someone for something as Jane did just then, but I purposely let it go this time as I wanted the same thing. And thanks to both Henry and Eliza who also encouraged Jane to play for us, I got my wish as Jane knew that she should not refuse the request that all of us wanted.
She sat down at the piano and didn't play for several seconds..but when she did, I found that I was as lost in the music she played as I had been in her voice when she had read for us...and like the reading, her music came to an end much too soon.
"Oh you do play beautifully Miss Austen." I heard Jane say. "Perhaps you could teach me how to play more like you while you are here?"
Now I thought perhaps my daughter was asking too much of Jane. "Jane.." I used my warning voice.
But the elder Jane jumped right in, "Of course, Miss Lefroy. I will be happy to sit down with you and help you the best I can."
I admit that Jane's readiness to help my daughter with the piano surprised me...but in a pleasant way as the image of the two of them sitting at the piano making music together came to my mind and warmed my heart considerably.
"Jane, I think it's time for you to go upstairs and get yourself ready for dinner." I now told her. I could tell that she was very happy with the way things were going with "Miss Austen". I was too. She politely bowed to everyone and left the room.
Even though we had been completely alone at the art gallery when we first started talking, Jane and myself, I still did not feel right talking about certain things there. But now that we were in the privacy of my own home and once Jane had left us, I felt I could talk about those issues I felt were more private...more sensitive.
I turned to my guests and told them, "Mary's passing has been very hard on Jane. She misses her mother very much, they were very close. And it is made even more difficult by her age as she is getting to the age where she needs her mother. My sisters who are helping to raise my family have done a wonderful job, but it's not the same. It's one of the reasons why I allow her to stay with me in London sometimes. So that we can spend some time alone together. As her mother can't be there for her, at least I can, her father."
I noticed Jane's eyes fill with sympathy at my words. The look in her eyes is what made me want to say what I said next...I really wanted her to realize the impression her presence seemed to be having on my daughter. Even though I realized that Eliza and Henry were still in the room, I addressed my next words strictly to her.
"I believe my daughter has become quite attached to you Jane."