The next morning, Jane woke before her husband. It was early, perhaps 6, but she could not sleep any more then she had. She got up and dressed with ease without waking her husband, for he was a heavy sleeper. She took her time doing her hair and putting on her clothes, in her current state she hardly rushed to do anything now. As Jane stood looking at herself in the mirror she smiled- she loved being able to see that she was pregnant. Although it was societal custom to hide the pregnancy for as long as a woman could, Jane did not want to, she was so happy, and felt so fulfilled. But her joyous mood was slightly dimmed when she looked in the mirror for she realized that in town she would need to buy some fabric to make some new dresses, she only fit in two now and that was quickly changing too.

After she was finished dressing and was ready to go downstairs, Jane walked to Edward's side and sat on the edge of the bed. It was a practice that had translated from his time of blindness, but he did not like to wake and not know where Jane was. And so she moved his curls away from his face and caressed his cheek with her thumb until he stirred.

"Good morning" Jane said, smiling at him.

"Morning" he said quickly, his voice heavy with sleep.

He turned on his back in order to look at Jane and in seeing her, his face softened.

"Good morning my darling".

A brief kiss.

"How did you sleep?"

"Very well. And you?"

"Quite well"

"And yet you are up very early"

"I just went to bed early, and so I did not sleep in as long. I am feeling wonderful".

"And how are you this morning?" Edward asked, sitting up and leaning down to kiss Jane's stomach. "I cannot wait to hold you in my arms, I do not think I will ever be a happier man than in that moment".

Jane smiled at him, the extremes of his moods were amusing to her now. Though he was far less hard and changeable than he had been previously, when there were moments of it, Jane simply smiled at him. In this moment, however, he was so gentle, and so loving. How well she loved him in such times.

"This little one is causing me to no longer fit into any of my clothes. I now only have two dresses that fit, and one just barely. When I am in town today, I must get some new fabric for some dresses"

"I vote for a red silk dress, one that hangs from the shoulders and is easy to remove"

Jane raised her eyebrow at him."Your vote is discounted, it is not reasonable"

"It is reasonable for my eyes"

Jane laughed and stood from the bed, yet her hand was still held.

"I must go downstairs and find Diana and Mary for breakfast"

"No, no, you must stay with me" he said, pulling playfully at her arm.

"No, you must come to me downstairs"

"I am not free to kiss you there as I am free to kiss you now"

"Then kiss me before I go"

"Mm, gladly".

Edward drew her near and pressed his lips to her passionately. For a moment she was lost in the kiss...her determination to leave had slowed. She eventually drew back and opened her eyes slowly to him, smiling.

"Don't be long"

"I wont be".

. . . .

Diana and Mary were not yet up when Jane arrived downstairs, in looking at the clock she saw it was only 7:30. But the girls, similar to Jane, had not taken advantage of the luxury of sleeping in, and they were up within ten minutes of Jane arriving downstairs.

"Good morning" Jane said brightly as she saw them looking around the hall.

"Morning dear Jane" they said, rushing forward to greet her.

"Please, sit with me. How did you sleep?"

"It was the best night's sleep I've ever had" Mary said, grinning broadly.

"I thought I would sink into the mattress" Diana agreed.

"You do not have to rush out of bed in the mornings, so long as you are here you are free to do what you wish"

'How could we justify staying in bed with so much excitement to be had?"

Jane smiled, "I agree".

Jane conveyed to Diana and Mary the options for the days activities over breakfast. Easily they chose a walk into town. They were excited, for even though the town locally was relatively small compared to some, they had never been in a place larger than where they grew up, and so it would be very different. They had asked Mr Rochester if he wanted to go, and yet he said he would stay at home and continue to read, if it was suitable to them. Outside, when they were out of earshot of Mr Rochester waving from the step, Diana turned on Jane.

"I suppose Mr Rochester will not come because we are to look at dress fabric and surely other feminine things of which he has no interest? We could always pick another activity if he wished to be included".

"It is not because of the activity he is not coming. Indeed, Edward will come along in most any activity, if for nothing else for the support and companionship. I believe he does not come because he does not wish to tread on our toes, and he knows we still have much to catch up on".

Diana looked slightly saddened.

"I fear I was looking for a slight hitch in his otherwise good character. I say this as a friend, as I am sure you know. He is so well read, and so intelligent-though far too much so for my intellect, yet perfectly suited for yours. I lay in bed last night thinking of how I do not think I shall ever find such a man who loves me in the way Mr Rochester loves you. In fact I have never seen anything like it before. You have a claim on him, and a control over him. Though he is not pitiable and wilting in your presence as some men are in marriage. He is not disengaged. You are a true unit. Such is certainly not the natural state in marriage- I have seen it in my mother and father. Though they loved each other, she had no say, and she had no power. He made almost every decision alone, and never sought her opinions".

"And you often observed this?" Jane asked

"Oh yes" Mary agreed, "As Diana says, he appreciated my mother, but as a companion, and not as a love. In her later years she felt very alone, I fear. And very isolated. Though she knew she had little to complain about, for he never raised a hand to her, and his stoicism was better than a passionate temperament prone to wrath. He was very like St. John, in fact".

"And yet it is unfair to expect the same for yourselves" Jane said, somewhat forcefully. "I resigned myself to the belief I would never marry- I wanted only a small place of my own one day where I could live simply and be happy. I would not marry if it were not for love, and i doubted the possibility of that. But love was swept into my path in the form of a man who, like you say, thinks of me as he thinks of himself. But I did not ask for it, I left the choice to providence, and here I find myself. You must look upon yourselves with kindness, and do the same".

"There is one man.." Diana said slowly, looking forward thoughtfully.

"I cannot believe you have held this from me for so long!"

Mary laughed, "You are not alone Jane. Diana! Who can you possibly speak of"

"He is a naval captain, a Captain Roy"

"He sounds distinguished, where did you meet?" Jane asked.

"I meet him while visiting Rosamond Oliver, surely you remember her"

"Of course" the listeners answered in reply.

'Well, this was a friend of her cousin who was visiting. We did not converse for very long, or on more than a handful of occasions, yet I must admit I was taken with him".

"Diana! When will you see him again" Mary asked

"Possibly never, and so I try to not think of him. Still, sometimes I find my mind wanders.."

"Naturally, your face practically glows at the mention of him" Jane said, touched.

"Well, I will not be a silly romantic, and so I must not put my mind to him again"

"We shall see about that" Jane said, glancing at Mary happily.