Once again, I have decided to post Jane's and Tom's POV's as two separate Chapters so this one is only Jane's POV. -D

CHAPTER 14:

Jane:

Tom opened his door and stepped aside to allow us to enter. I couldn't help but look about in admiration. It was a place that gave the feeling of being a "home". Not the stuffiness or stiffness of say Lady Gresham's place that fairly reeked of it. One was afraid of doing the slightest wrong thing in a place like that. But then, I had to remind myself, her place was not a place that had seen children as she had none herself...or if it had seen any, it hadn't not for many, many years. The Lefroy place on the other hand had seven children which I'm sure helped to keep their place from becoming too stiff and formal. Yet... oddly enough there was an air of elegance about the place as well. I found that I liked this feeling of it being "homey".

I now realized that one of the servants was wishing to take my coat and bonnet which I kindly gave up. I also noticed that Berkley, whom we had met in London was there to greet us as well as two females whom, although I couldn't be too sure about, I did wonder if they were Tom's sisters as they were not dressed in servant's uniforms. And they did bear some resemblance to the Lefroys.

Berkley, Tom had told us when we were in London, always accompanied him whenever he went to London and Anna would always go with Jane whenever she stayed with Tom in London.

"My sisters, Miss Phoebe Lefroy and Miss Sarah Lefroy." Tom now introduced the two ladies whom I had assumed correctly to be his sisters. The one called Sarah I thought looked the most like Tom whereas Phoebe although did share some similar traits with her brother, did not look quite as much like him as Sarah did. I didn't know for sure how old either sister was, but it was easy enough to tell that Sarah was the younger one, closer to Tom's and my own age I would guess, while Phoebe was the older sister.

"Mr. Henry Austen, his wife Mrs. Eliza Austen and Mr. Austen's sisters, Miss Cassandra Austen and Miss Jane Austen." Tom now finished off the introductions. We all bowed in acknowledgement to one another. "And of course you met Berkley in London," He now addressed us. "With the exception of Miss Cassandra Austen. Berkley, please make sure that our guests bags are put in their correct rooms."

"Very good sir." Berkley agreed and left us to carry out his duty.

"Let us now adjourn to the dining room for our tea" We followed Tom through the entrance hall and eventually into another room where a big dining table was already laden with candles, food and drink.

As like in London, Tom sat us all down in the same places he had sat us in London, this time with Cassandra beside myself and his sisters across from each other, Sarah beside Cassandra and Phoebe beside Eliza.

From the size of the table, it was clear that the Lefroy's all took their meals together. Which is something that I just realized. Where WERE the children? I hadn't seen nor even heard a peep from them since arriving. And there were no other places set for them at the table. I wondered if I should ask Tom about this. Surely...they ARE here? Tom wouldn't have sent them off to his wife's family...would he have? I thought the idea was for us all to meet...

"And where is the rest of your family Tom? I thought we might be meeting them when we came in the door." It was Eliza who asked.

"They are all taking their tea upstairs with Anna, the nursery maid whom you met in London." Tom replied. "I have asked them to give our guests the chance to recover from your long trip."

I had to admit that I was a bit amazed at how quiet it seemed in a house that had seven children. Even if it was a big house and they were all upstairs, I thought I might expect to hear some activity of some sort from them.

"They are so quiet!" Eliza voiced my exact opinion.

"For the most part, they are quite well behaved children, although as you are to stay for at least a month, you are sure to witness some falling out with them here and there." Tom said with a smile.

"Well, they are children after all." I was surprised to hear myself say, defending the brood I had yet to meet. Those were the first words I had spoken since acknowledging Tom at the Inn after he had arrived.

"Yes...they are." Tom replied appreciatively in a gentle voice. "You will meet them in a little while, I just wanted to give you all the chance to rest and refresh first."

"It was very thoughtful of you Tom." Eliza said.

"Miss Austen..." Tom's sister Sarah now spoke up. Both Cassandra and myself looked towards her. "I hope you don't mind, but I wish to tell you how fond I am of your writing. And that it is an honour to have you with us."

"Oh please...you must call me Jane." I told her right off at the start. Being that Cassandra was there with us this time, I was more than happy to relinquish the title that really belonged to her, as she is eldest of us two. "And the honour is all mine...ours. To be able to spend this time getting to know Mr. Lefroy's family." I finished off my reply. My reply seemed to please her she returned my reply with a rather pretty smile of her own. I couldn't help but smile back. I had the feeling that I would like Sarah. I wasn't sure about Phoebe yet.

"Tom has told us that you knew each other quite a few years back." Miss Phoebe now said.

"Yes." Henry was the one to reply this time. "Tom and myself met first while he was living in London and studying law and I was studying at Oxford. He met my sisters when he came out to visit your other family members who are also friends and neighbours of our family, George and Anne Lefroy."

"Of course. Tom did mention that." Phoebe replied.

"It is a shame that you fell out of touch with each other when he moved back here." Sarah now said while Tom and I shared a quick glance. It was obvious that Tom's sisters did not know of our..."history" which perhaps is a good thing.

"Yes.." Tom agreed. "But we here together now." He smiled looking at me again. I gave him a small smile in return.

The conversation continued to be an amicable one throughout our tea.

"I should like to see the rest of your lovely home Tom." Eliza said when we were finished.

"We are sure to have plenty of time for that." Henry said.

"If you wish to freshen yourselves up a bit, I can show you to your rooms right now." Tom told us. "And then we can all meet up in the sitting room and visit a bit more before I call for the children."

This being agreed upon, we all stood up to file out of the room, Tom first showing us the sitting room he wanted us to join him (and where Sarah and Phoebe left us) in once we were ready, then proceeded towards the grand curving staircase that lead us upstairs. With Cassandra and myself bringing up the rear behind Henry and Eliza, once we were upstairs I thought I detected a slight noise to the right of myself. I turned my head ever so slightly to notice that a door to one of the rooms was slightly ajar. From my position I couldn't really see too much, but I was pretty sure that our movements were being followed by more than one pair of curious young eyes. This was confirmed when I heard whispers behind our backs as we passed by. I bit down on my bottom lip to prevent myself from smiling. I didn't want to bring any attention to the young Lefroy's so I pretended that I hadn't noticed them at all. Then I heard the door click shut softly along with a low muffled voice. Most likely Anna berating the children for sneaking a look. Oddly enough, their behaviour made me feel somewhat more relaxed about meeting them.

Finally we arrived at our rooms, near the end of the hall. Henry and Eliza's room was beside ours and Tom's it turns out was across the hall and a little further down, right at the end of the hallway.

"Miss Austen...Jane..." He bowed slightly as he left us, Cassandra and myself returned it before entering our room.

Once inside, I breathed a sigh of relief. "And so..." I said as I fell down onto our bed. "Here we are."

"What a lovely room!" Cassandra exclaimed looking around the clean, bright, airy room. It was bigger than any of the ones in the houses that we had grown up in of course. And although not overly huge, it was roomy enough. There was even a fireplace with a small fire crackling merrily, keeping the room warm. There was most likely a fireplace in every room in this place...or...most of the rooms at least.

"It is nice...isn't it?" I agreed with her, also taking note of it. I went over to the window to look out, but it was already getting too dark to really be able to see outside anymore.

Cassandra was now at the basin which was placed upon a stand beside the bureau and was pouring some water into it so that we could wash our faces. Once we had done this, she turned to me and took my hands into hers and remarked. "Tom is as charming as ever." She said. "But this time...it is right." She finished off seriously.

"Oh Cass..." I didn't know what else to say. I had been hoping that she would act as a buffer between us, not as a 'catalyst'.

"You deserve this chance to be happy Jane. Don't deny yourself it."

I could only give her a bit of a watery smile in response.

"Come dearest sister...let us not keep our host waiting too long."

"I am so glad that you are with me this time Cass." I told her whole-heartedly.

Arm in arm, we quit our room together and met up with Henry and Eliza at the bottom of the stairs where we all made our way to the sitting room that Tom had shown us before and we all four of us descended upon it.

When Tom had shown us this room, we hadn't really seen the inside of it so upon entering, I looked around it in delight as it was as homey and elegant as what I had seen of his place so far. I was impressed. As we went further in, I happened to notice a portrait that hung on one of the walls. You wouldn't notice it until you are fully inside. Captivated, I went over to it. Without even being told, I was pretty sure I knew who it was a picture of.

"My wife...Mary." Tom announced, coming up beside me.

I had guessed correctly. "She was lovely Tom." I said in all honesty. She really had been quite an attractive lady. Her hair was a lighter brown colour than Tom's, and there were dainty little ringlets that softly framed a sweet, kind looking face with rather large, grey-blue eyes making her almost seem child-like...sweet and innocent. Which couldn't help me from wondering how old she had been in it. I could see why Tom had fallen in love with her but surprised that it hadn't happened sooner for him. And as Mary had been so attractive, what did Tom see in me then? I could also see that young Jane looked quite a bit like her mother.

Tom now gestured that we all get comfortable and I found Sarah joining me on one of the settees whereas, like in the dining room, Phoebe was sitting beside Cassandra. Tom and Eliza were of course together on another settee. Tom sat in alone in one of the chairs.

"Tom has told us that we are to have a Christmas Ball in your honour." Sarah addressed me. I looked at her first in astonishment and then fired a look at Tom who quickly obliged us with an explanation.

"Not in Jane's honour." He corrected her quickly. "In honour of the Christmas Season and in honour of all of our guests."

"It was actually young Miss Lefroy who suggested it when were staying at Mr. Lefroy's in London." I said hoping to make it even more clear that it was not to be a ball in honour of myself.

"Have you settled on a date?" Eliza asked.

"23rd of December." Tom replied.

"And Tom has invited some of the most prominent people in Ireland!" Sarah exclaimed.

"Only people I know through my work." Tom seemed to be trying to downplay his sister's enthusiasm. "Some I have worked with and some I have represented in the past."

"And there will be more of our family for you to meet as well, Jane!" Sarah now turned to me, her eyes dancing with delight.

She was obviously excited by the idea of this ball. Then I realized...more Lefroys? Tom's other brothers and sisters of course. That could be interesting.

"It will all be very splendid, I'm sure." I replied with a smile at Sarah.

"How people will talk about it for a time afterwards!" Sarah went on. "And how Miss Jane Austen was in attendance as well!"

"Sarah!" Tom exclaimed a bit sharply. "This is not to be a ball about Jane. She is not here to showcase herself. She is here as my...our guest and it should not be interpreted as anything more than that."

I threw Tom a grateful look but also noticed that Sarah now looked a bit deflated from her excitement only a moment before. I smiled warmly at her and said placing one of my hands gently upon hers, "I am flattered that you wish for me to be the "main attraction" for your brother's ball, but he is right. I get more than enough attention at home and I really just wish to spend the holidays in a "quiet"...unobserved manner. I have come to meet and get to know all you, not to have the people of Ireland get to know me. I hope you understand, dear."

Sarah looked at me and smiled back a rather shy smile. "Of course. Please forgive me for allowing my eagerness to get the better of me."

"There is nothing to forgive." I assured her gently but kindly. "I know you mean well."

Our conversations continued for awhile in a amicable and at times a somewhat jovial manner as we reconnected with one another again and got to know Tom's two sisters.

After awhile Tom finally made the announcement. Standing up, he said, "If I am to introduce my children before our dinner, then it is time that I send for them."

"Would you like that Sarah and myself bring them down, Tom?" Phoebe asked.

"Yes, if you wouldn't mind, that would be good of you Phoebe. Make sure that they are presentable before you bring them down of course."

"Of course." Both sisters stood up and quit the room together while we four remained in the room awaiting for the Lefroy brood to make their appearance..