The conversational dynamic during dinner was an odd one that night. In fact, when Jane thought of it, the four of them had spent virtually no time together, it had mostly been brief exchanges in hello's and goodbye's, but no extended conversation. Edward and Mr Eshton were natural and easy friends through their shared intelligence and curiosity for the world. Jane, who shared similar interests and curiosities could keep up in conversation well through her remarks and her questions. For poor Anne, however, it was not so easy. She could not enter into conversations already occurring with ease, and often became bored by what was happening around her. When there was a lull in conversation, she asked questions which were answered, but never could lead to a fuller conversation. Jane and Edward often spoke up to encourage her voice, and yet her husbands lack of interest seemed to deject her further. Edward asked Anne questions he hoped would draw her out, and with luck he did. When she did open up she was absolutely lovely to talk to, and the genuine interest that came from everyone as she spoke made her bloom with happiness. The conclusion being her inability to converse was the result of a lack of self-confidence, and not of material.

Jane watched Eshton as his wife spoke, and she could see the love he had for her. He was entertained in seeing her unfold, and Jane imagined it was close to what attracted him to her when they first met. But she knew that marriage often encouraged security in people that made them submissive, placing people into routines which could dull their thoughts overtime. It made Jane sad; to be married, and attached to someone only through fleeting reminders of why you liked someone in the first place was a painfully isolating thought. Although some people may claim to enjoy the detached but comfortable arrangement of marriage, Jane did not believe that in the deepest and most private spaces of their hearts they did not grieve for what could have been.

As Jane looked at Edward she smiled. He was an absolutely wonderful conversationalist. He was so full of life and so full of energy that it was impossible not to be drawn to him. He was an encouraging listener with guests, far more than Jane imagined him to be before she married him. Where he had teased Jane, and prompted her to engage with him fully and unreservedly, with guests she had noticed a fair scepticism in his manner. Perhaps it was because the company she often saw him with was those he did not like. Now when speaking with others Jane noticed his acute awareness of manners in order to make someone feel comfortable. Often times she had realised in conversation he knew far more about a subject then the speaker, but not wanting to appear rude he joined in equally with them, adding to it his own knowledge. He turned to Jane, looking away quickly, but turning back to her in seeing the look on her face. He smiled at her warmly, and she at him as Anne and Mr Eshton exchanged some words between themselves.

"Hello darling" he mouthed,

"Hello" Jane mouthed back.

They looked at one another until Anne turned back to Jane enthusiastically.

"Mr Eshton and I are throwing a Christmas ball this year at our house. You will of course be coming, will you not?"

Jane blushed deeply, "I have never been to a ball before"

"Then you must come! Think of all the fun we will have. Adele may come too, there will be other children there and I think she will enjoy their company. They must come, mustn't they, Mr Eshton?"

"But of course, Edward is the finest dancer and is sure to outshine us all"

"I am afraid I am out of practice"

"As if. No, the matter is quite settled. You two shall be our prime guests. Just give your word"

"Yes of course, we shall be there" Edward said, graciously.

. . .

"Yes of course? Edward! What would make you say such a thing?"

"Jane, I do not understand-" he began, Jane undoing her dress with unnecessary force and throwing it over the armchair in their bedroom.

"Edward, I have never been to a ball. Half the county is showing up, and all it will be for me is embarrassing and uncomfortable. I do not know why you agreed to it in front of them".

"How rude would it have looked if I refused?"

"You did not need to refuse on the spot, you could have made up something about scheduling and conflict later on-"

"Jane Rochester promoting lying, I do not believe it"

Jane stripped to her nightdress before walking to the mirror and sitting down, letting down her hair and brushing it through with the comb before her.

"You were born into this world Edward, and I was not. You forget that"

"I do not forget it. It is because of that that I accepted in the first place!".

Jane spun around, laying the brush down and looking at him. He too was undressing with some ferocity.

"Jane, I did not forget you would be ill-equipped for the ball and agreed to our invitation blindly. You will have me. I am all too aware of custom, and dances, and manners which occur, and I can show you. I had no doubt of you learning, for you are smart. I would never abandon you!".

Jane shot him a look as she climbed into bed, her back against the headboard, her arms crossed.

"Not only would you have me, but I would also have you there Jane- for i would never agree to go alone to this, and I would be proud to have you on my arm"

"As your thing to parade around and show off?"

"As my wife!"

"As your wife you should have cared enough about me to ask" she threw back at him.

As Edward blew out the candles and climbed into bed they turned away from each other decidedly.

It was a horrible quietness in the room. Jane wanted to cry. The argument had been her fault, she knew it was rooted in her own insecurity about the world marriage had brought her into. Her husband had done nothing wrong. He had been right- he was only being polite. It was not like he could have refused them at the table, and Jane would not have refused them at all. It had been her fault and she could not fall asleep like this. She sat up, looked momentarily at the door and turned to Edward who was staring wide-eyed at the bookshelf across from the bed.

"Edward, I cannot lay beside you knowing you are mad at me. Please, will you hear me?"

Her voice was soft, and filled with sadness. He turned over in bed to face her and she took his hand. She half expected him to pull his hand away, and yet he did not. There was a comforting warmth in his touch. He sat up next to her, taking her other hand in his as well.

"I did not mean to treat you thus, I was feeling self conscious in not knowing the customs i would have to exercise at the ball. It was my fault. I know in my heart that you would never abandon me, and that i could rely on you. I do not know what came over me. Please, forgive me".

Edward shook his head softly and caressed Jane's hand with his thumb.

"Jane, it is me that you must forgive. It was not right of me to accept the invitation- to accept anything, without your agreement. We are married, and I do not want to make you feel as if I must control decisions, or that we are not equals. i also knew that this would be a foreign experience for you and you may be apprehensive for it, yet that did not stop me from agreeing".

Jane looked down at their intertwined hands and then back up at him.

"I want to go with you. i want to be there as your wife. I just do not want to do it alone".

"You will not be alone, you have me, always. I only want to do such things together from now on. Please know that".

He rubbed her back naturally, and she felt a great weight lifted from her.

"Did we just have our first fight?"

Edward smiled slightly, somewhat confused.

"I guess that we did. But why keep track of that?".

"Because it was easy to resolve. I was willing to be honest with you, and you were equally honest with me, and we heard each other".

"That is because lying cannot sustain relationships, which we well know. I promised to never do it again"

Jane looked at him, nodding.

"If I hadn't spoken first, would you have spoken to me eventually?"

He lay back down on the bed, closing his eyes and nodding.

"I could never fall asleep next to you knowing you were upset with me. It would have eaten away to my hearts core. I was just building up the courage to say something".

Jane lay back beside him, this time resting her head on his chest and her hand on his stomach.

"Tomorrow, if it is suitable for you, I can teach you a dance- One dance that we will dance so perfectly that we will not need to dance another for us to entrance the onlookers".

Jane smiled quietly

"I would like that".