Over the next few days Jane couldn't help but give thought to the Eshtons. It had been playing on her mind how disillusioning it would be to find yourself in a marriage where the love you believed would be present suddenly dissolves before duties and responsibilities. It made her truly appreciate her husband even more. It was shocking and hard to imagine what some wives must suffer at the hands of their husbands when such a good, selfless soul stood before her at every moment. Still, she could not shake these thoughts from her mind, and they stayed with her in the following days of her tea.

She thought perhaps she had been the only one, yet one night she woke to Mr Rochester tossing violently in his sleep. She sat up quickly and heard him muttering, his face twisting into pain. As his tossing became more frantic Jane shook him to wake him. As his eyes flashed opened Jane spoke to him warmly.

"Edward, Edward, shh, shh, I am here"

"Jane" he said, breathlessly, "I have not dreamed like that in so long".

Jane took his hands in hers and kissed his forehead reassuringly.

"What torments you?"

"It is nothing to give any time to. It is a mere falsehood, one that has haunted me for too long and was brought on by our recent visit to the Eshtons".

Jane understood.

"I know it sounds silly, but seeing a married couple in perhaps a more real reality of marriage embedded seeds of doubt in the back of my mind as to how real our marriage can be. How can it be real, Jane?'.

She moved on top of him, moving her face close to his and kissing him deeply.

"Does that seem real?"

He smiled "I have told you before, gentle sweet dream, you shall fly too"

Jane lay beside him again, putting her head onto his shoulder. Her lips brushed his neck as she lay there, closing her eyes.

"Sleep easy, our love is not an empty promise. In fact, I am afraid that one day when you wish to be rid of me, you will not be able to do so".

He turned to face her, his face flushing with feeling.

"Kiss me" he said, lowly.

She pressed her lips to his passionately, him running his fingers through her loose hair. She could sense relaxation come over him and felt his ease when the kiss broke.

"What Jane, is that to be it for me tonight?

"Yes, I think so" she said, grinning and turning over so that her back was against him and his arms would be around her.

He chuckled to himself before cuddling close to her, his face buried in her hair.

. . .

The next morning Jane woke up quite early. Her sleep had been sound, and yet when her eyes opened she felt fully awake. She tried to untangle herself stealthily from Edward as not to wake him, but when she had moved she had woken him too. She grabbed her nightdress from the nearby chair she had hung it on the night and pulled it over her head before pulling her husbands robe around her and tying it at the waist. Walking back to the bed she sat on her husbands side, leaning on him for support.

"Good morning" Jane said happily. His curls were messy from the nights sleep and his face was pressed sleepily into the pillow.

"Morning my darling" he said, his voice heavy.

"Will you come down to breakfast with me now?"

"Mmmm" he moaned, feeling for her, "Come back to bed"

She shook her head, laughing as he pulled her to him, holding her closely.

"Please"

"I am hungry" Jane said, freeing herself from him. "I'll see you downstairs"

"You're forgetting something"

Pressing her lips to his, she smiled, kissing him quickly before heading for breakfast.