The official end of the honeymoon was marked by the servants returning to Ferndean a week after the wedding had taken place. Rochester only kept two servants after the fire at Thornfield. Jane was convinced he would have kept none if he was able to function doing things on his own, but this of course would never be the case for him. John and Leah were an older married couple, their age showing more and more in their ability to work. Jane suspected that any other master of a home would have released them from service long ago, and she believed this is precisely why Edward kept them. John and Leah were not nosy, they were not intrusive. They preferred to work quietly, uninterrupted and had a genuine care for . They had liked Jane too, she believed. Leah often stooped Jane in the morning to ask after herself and the master, and Jane would often sit in her kitchen and help her peel potatoes or make bread, for her hands were failing her in a painful way to acknowledge.
Because John and Leah were hardly ever present, little did Jane and Rochester's routine change.
One morning, a month into their union, Jane was sitting in the library alone. Since discovering it, she and had spent much more time in it, her reading to him- often for many hours. She had dusted the tables and chairs, sorted the books, cleaned the piles of paper and ink and aired the room so that it became quite a pleasant place to be. This morning, however, Mr. Rochester had been called into a meeting based on his estate. As he had grumpily dressed with Jane's help, she reminded him that since the honeymoon was over, they would, in a sense, have to revert back to normal life, including meetings. This had not improved his mood, he had mumbled something about the soul sucking trite, trivial matters of estate and stocks before retreating from the room. Jane had only been amused by him and had resolved to finish a book she had been reading the previous day. It was in this state that her husband had rejoined her an hour and a half later looking a little less sullen but a little more drained. Jane called to him as he had entered so that he knew of her presence and he came to sit beside her.
"My darling, you think I should need you to call out in order for me to know you are in here?" he asked, smiling.
Jane had smiled, but then she frowned.
"You look tired, my love" she said "Is all well?"
"Oh yes, things are very well. In fact, there is something I wish to speak to you about Jane that I believe will make us both happier".
"Oh?"
"Jane, now that we are married, I want us to have a home that is ours. Ferndean is not your home, and it is certainly no home to me. It's damp walls and dark surroundings are no place for spirits such as ourselves to be. I could not bring you here and expect you to live happily. My father acquired this estate quite accidentally and I fear had always wanted to rid himself of it's burden. This house was only ever used as an escape from life, and I have no wish to escape you. We have the means to live anywhere we choose, in a castle if you should like! , though I know your humble nature would forbid it".
He paused before continuing, looking more serious.
"Jane, as much life as you have breathed into this home, as much freshness and goodness you have imparted, this house is filled with memories of isolation for me, of loneliness and despair. Must we truly reside here forever? Raise a family here?. Of course, if you are happy here, if this place is all you could wish for, then we shall not be moved from it. But tell me now what you think".
Jane took his hand. "I cannot pretend I have not entertained the thought of moving from this house for a clean start, for a better start. I know so much of your past is bound to this house, I know that you walk the halls here differently from me. But I would be content, more than content, living anywhere so long as you are beside me. You were the first person I have ever known that gave me a place to call home, and that home is you. It was never Thornfield, and it isn't even Ferndean now, rather, knowing I had a place to reside in you that made me feel at home".
Edward brought their joined hands to his mouth, pressing his lips to them gently.
"Shall I tell Cooper to begin looking then?"
"So long as you are fully aware that we will not be living in any sort of castle" Jane teased.