As soon as the carriage doors had been closed and they were bound for Ferndean, Edward turned to Jane happily.

"Tell me Jane, what are your thoughts?"

Jane paused, thinking.

"I do not think we can be in disagreement about the house. We both seem to already be so attached to it. If it is possible to live here, I would love for that to be our home. Though I cannot imagine that if I were with you I would contest any house we lived in".

Edward learned in, guided Jane's face to his and kissed her gently. She did not know if it was the kiss or the rocky road that made her feel lightheaded, but she assumed it had been a bit of both. When he pulled away he was looking thoughtful and serious.

"Jane, if you say so then the house is ours. I will sign the papers first thing tomorrow. But in order to do that I will have to have an answer regarding what we are to do with all of those servants. 12 servants for two people, that will be 6 servants each. It is quite the number"

"And you think we should send them away?" she asked, apprehensively.

"How can we Jane? Those are people reliant on this employment to feed families and to care for others. There are old couples, people incapable of work outside of what they have known their whole life"

"And small children" Jane added, sadly.

"How young Jane?" Edward asked, surprised.

"The boy I spoke to today was perhaps eleven or twelve. He was not eating enough and looked very dirty. He told me he was a stable hand, whatever that may entail for a young boy"

'Too much work, I am sure. So that is where you ran off to?"

" Yes, I wanted to ask him some questions. He spoke French, but his English was not good. He had trouble speaking to me, and I wondered, for he cannot be in school if he is helping around here-"

"I see your old governess ways are springing up within you, Jane" he said, grinning. But his grin fell as he sighed.

"And I also see that you care for this boy and his well being along with all the other servants. I know we feel the same way on this issue".

He grasped her hands and held them in his, looking at her intently.

"Because everything I have is now yours, I will ask you if financially you would like to take on all the servants. We have enough, for it is a quarter of the servants I kept at Thornfield hall. But I ask you all the same as I want to make no decision without you".

Jane rubbed his hand with her thumb, looking upon his hard exterior but seeing nothing but his perfectly kind and gentle soul.

"Then yes, I want to take on the servants, I want to live in this house and above all else, I want you".

Edward chuckled softly and kissed her cheek, his lips clumsily missing her mouth as they hit a particularly large bump in the road.

"Good God Jane, how desperately I wish to be home with you, how desperately I want you" he said lowly in her ear.

She smiled and closed her eyes as he kissed her neck and jaw.

"No Edward, you mustn't"

"Why ever not?" he said, drawing his lips away from her collar bone. "Who would ever know? You do not sound convinced I must stop yourself".

Jane held his face in her hands as she pulled back from him.

"Good things come to those who wait"

Half grumpily, he sank back in his chair.

"You do not have to tell me Janet"

Jane smiled, and turned to him.

"That is the first time you have called me Janet since we have been married"

"Is it? An old habit I suppose, provoked by your teasing restraint. To hold back and to restrain yourself has not been in your vocabulary since we have wed" he said, grinning.

Jane kissed his lips briefly.

"It is a good thing I love you too deeply to hold any grudges against you".