When the next morning came Jane rose and dressed with more excitement then she had anticipated. Afterall, learning to dance for a ball was a completely new experience for Jane, one she thought she would never have. She went down to breakfast with Adele where she told her of the plans for the day. Adele had leapt with excitement from the chair in which she had been eating her breakfast.

"Jane, you shall be so beautiful dancing among all the ladies there. Surely you will be the most graceful one of all"

"You speak prematurely Adele, I am sure I will not be very naturally graceful"

"Nonsense!" Jane's husband called, leaning naturally against the door frame. She smiled at him briefly as he wished them both good morning, kissing Jane on the top of the head and patting Adele's back.

"It is too bad you cannot dance with the ladies, Adele. I am sure then you could hold the eyes of everyone in the room".

Adele sighed, looking dreamy.

"I know, how tragic"

Jane and Edward shared a quick amused look.

"With time Adele!" said Mr Rochester, sitting beside her and being handed a plate of breakfast. "You are young, you must enjoy your youth and not wish it away".

"But grownups get to do all the fun things"

Jane looked from Adele to her husband who was raising his eyebrow at her mischievously. She grinned shyly, shaking her head .

"Adele, you will have time to do all the things adults do. But for now, you must be content and thankful for what you have. Many children do not even have shoes on their feet".

She slumped back in the chair, nodding, "Yes, you are right. I shall be content and eat my breakfast".

"Besides Adele, I hear that there is to be a special delivery for you today. I do not think you will feel just content when it arrives"

"Oh, Mr. Rochester, what is it!"

"We will have to wait and see" he said, smiling.

. . .

After breakfast Adele wanted to come watch Jane learn to dance, however the special delivery arrived and, to her great delight, Adele had found it was fabric Jane had ordered to make her a new dress. Their intention to get fabric in town had been dashed, and though Jane knew she did not particularly need a new dress, she had still promised it to her. So Adele hurried off to show Leah excitidely, and to begin planning while Jane and Edward were left alone in the ballroom.

Jane felt extravagant saying they had a ballroom in their house, partially because she did not dance and so it was an unused space, but also because their house was not as grand as some larger manors were that did not even have ballrooms within them. The previous owners must have simply wanted one, and so it was a luxury that they had been given upon buying the house. Yet no one ever went in this room, though it was indeed very beautiful, and Jane wondered to herself why the beauty of the room had not encouraged her to learn to dance previously. The room itself was long with the floor being an attractive, medium toned wood. The walls were of equal interchanging of wall and window, the view being of snow covered trees and the large extensive hills of the gardens. The walls were a dark baby blue, and the ceiling was rounded with ornate decorations along the moulding.

"Well, Ms Rochester. May I have this dance?"

Edward extended his hand to her, and smiled. She placed her hand in his.

He swept her into his arms, his hand holding the small of her back and the other grasping her hand, extended from their bodies easily at shoulder height. Jane smiled up at him as he started to move her easily around the floor.

"I do not believe this can be right, Mr Rochester"

He smiled softly as she pressed her cheek to his.

"It feels right to me"

"What do you think would happen if we were to show up and dance in such an intimate way?"

"I think we would cause a great stir- people would not know how to take us. We would not be invited to any more balls, I'm afraid".

"Partially because this would be wholly improper"

"You may be right, but it feels better here then dancing here-" he said, pushing her apart from him, raising their joined hands away from their bodies and standing ridgidely upright.

"Ah, so this is what I am meant to master" she said, adjusting to his awkward position.

"Indeed. Now" he said, dropping the pose and moving Jane to the wall of the room. "I know that no other man will ask you to dance- or by god I shall have something to say about it-", Jane smiled, "But seeing as you do not have the full experience, I intend to give it to you. Now, I am an ardent admirer of you and I have been building up the courage to ask you all night to share a dance!' he called, running to the other side of the room and stopping. Jane laughed heartily. He stopped, looked at her, pretended to skirt around those "dancing" on the floor and stood before her. When he spoke his voice was very formal.

"Madam, if you are not otherwise engaged, may I have the pleasure of the next two dances?".

Jane smiled, curtsying briefly and looking back up at him, "I would be delighted".

She took his outstretched arm and was lead onto the dance floor.

"Now Jane, do you trust me?"

She smiled, "Yes"

"Then follow my lead"

. . .

The Eshton's Christmas ball was to take place Christmas Eve. The days leading up to the event were filled with happiness and much excitement. Adele was absolutely thrilled at the thought of being with children of her own age. The Eshton's niece, Susanna, was going to be there and she was Adele's exact age, and from what Anne had told Jane they seemed to be very similar in tastes and temperament. Though Jane knew in young girls this age could be at times immature, she thought Adele was too desperate for a friend to allow any disagreements between them, if such was to be the case.

Edward said that he was excited to appear somewhere as a married man, and Jane could not blame him. Though she scorned his words of being able to attend with a very angel for company, or having the most beautiful girl there on his arm, she could not fault his pride. Though of course he had been married before, he fought to conceal the truth and always appear to be the opposite- the bachelor. But now he was free to take pride in his wife, to enter the room with her and have her for support and encouragement. Jane blushed at the thought. To be so loved, and so admired by your husband, and feel the same way towards him, is all one could ask for.

Jane herself was excited for the new experience, one she never imagined herself to be part of. She wouldbe there as Ms Rochester, and her growing nerves could only be at ease only in knowing she had the unfailing support of her husband to help her though her first ball. It all seemed overwhelming at times, in Jane's still limited social mind- but Edward was always there to encourage and restore faith to her doubts. She had learned the dances quickly, and enjoyed dancing them with Edward. He was indeed a wonderful dancer and an easy partner. She was left then with no reason but to be excited for the upcoming ball.