After a few extended hours of lazily drifting in and out of sleep, Jane rose and dressed. About halfway through getting ready she woke her husband, who only needed half her time to be ready for the day. She would have let him sleep at length, only for he had to address the servants at breakfast when they were all sure to be around. As they left their bedroom together they were meet by Adele in the hall, playing with a very old, and very grey pilot. The poor dog was now blind, and was not up for long journeys- nor even short ones. He did not run down the halls of this house as he did in Thornfield, he did not even beg for food at his masters side. He was very dormant and quiet now. Still, he often curled up at his masters feet at night and was patted affectionately. It was all an old dog could want, Jane supposed, to have served its master well and be loved in old age.

Just as breakfast was served, Edward called all the servants into the dining room. They seemed surprised that he did so, yet he continued.

"Good morning. I am sorry to call you at breakfast, I know it is your time to yourself when we are eating and I am taking away from it. I wanted to say this to you all directly, however, so there would be no confusion. Ms Rochester and myself told you last week that, with the kind exception of John and Leah who are staying to help us here, you all are free from work from today, the 24th until the 28th of December. It did not occour to me however that you would have no way of returning to your famailies in the village and beyond- especially not in the snow that it looks like we are starting to have. Please forgive my insensative thought. John has very kindly agreed to help me with a coach that will bring you where you need to go, for no one's home is more than 5 miles away. After breakfast we shall load the trunks onto the coach and be off. For anyone who is staying here for Christmas, you are free now to do as you wish".

"Merry Christmas, and thank you for your very excellent and very hard work this year" Jane said warmly,

"And this week!" Adele enthuastically added.

They all came up to thank Jane and Mr Rochester, and Jane felt a slight sense of doing some good. She understood the lives of these servants and how ill treated they often were. Though Mr Rochester was a very good and fair master and had the greatest amount of respect from his servants, he would not have thought of this on his own. It took no convincing for him to agree with Jane to let them have a few days off, yet it was only her experience of being alone on Christmas which allowed for it. She wished in those times that someone had thought to consider her in such a way. Though, in hindsight, it is perhaps not very likely that she was lost from the mind of a certain person on Christmas. The thought made her smile and she greated Jenny, one of the girls from the kitchen, who stood before her.

"Good Morning miss. I am staying here for Christmas, for my family are not near these parts and I left on unfavourable terms. I know that you are attending a ball tonight, and though I am a kitchen girl I do have a great experience with doing hair and such. I worked for a Ms Jones before I came to work here, a wicked woman, and I did her hair. She was so vengeful and angry that I became sure to do her hair good the first time. I am wondering if I may be of assistance to you?"

"Oh Jenny!" Jane said, "That is exceptionally kind of you! I fear I was worried about it quite a bit, for I have such little experience with hair myself, though I was not about to ask anyone to stay here during their time off for my hairs sake. I would be so grateful"

"Perfect, then it is settled. May I ask little Adele too?"

"You may, though I can guess her answer"

They smiled at one another, and Jenny and rushed off to Adele without another word.

. . . . .

Mr Rochester was gone most of the day with John in the coach, for John could not lift the trunks off the back of the coach alone anymore and could not ask the ladies to do so either. Mr Rochester promised he was happy to get fresh air and see off the servants, which while not being completely true was true enough, and enough for John to set off happily with his old master as his companion. Jane had waved goodbye to them all before returning indoors and spending some time in the servants corridor with the women there. They were all thrilled to have some time to themselves, and spoke with Jane openly, as if she were a close friend and a fellow servant. Was she not still, in many ways?

Jane and Adele also spent some time together, reading, talking and being real women together. It occoured in this conversation with Jane that one day, when she was older and more mature, she and Adele would be wonderful companions. There was only a 10 year age gap between them, which at this moment in time was a vast number, but in time it would seem very little. She had matured greatly, even in the year Jane was away. Perhaps it was partly the natural course of becoming more mature, but Jane thought it more likely to be the result of attending a strict school which forced her to grow up faster. It had done the same to Jane. Not that Adele's school was like Lowood, but any school where you are removed from family teaches you to be more independant. Jane was excited for the eventual prospect of having her as a friend.

Jane bathed at around 4:00 to prepare for the evening. She enjoyed the quiet time in the bath, for she was preparing for the night ahead. She was not nervous, for that was not the right word. She was not at ease, surely, but also was not unhappy. She only wanted the night to go well, she wanted to be acceptable as Ms Rochester, for she knew that people certainly had preconcieved notions of what she would be like. Jane never thought anymore about how their marriage was perhaps not conventional, for what others thought mattered so little to her, but she realised that for others it may not be so easy to overlook what was not typical. She was so quiet, and rather shy. She hated any amount of focus on her, but if it was for being the wife of the man she loved so dearly, and one she was proud to stand beside, she thought that she could take the judgemental speculation.

. . .

Later, there was a knock at the door as Jane slipped into her dress for the evening.

The dress Jane was wearing that evening was by far the most elegant she had ever owned. It was a cream satin dress with straight neckline across the chest, leaving the smallest amount of the top of her shoulder showing. From the neckline was the smallest amount of lace showing, making the neckline very femanine. The sleeves were long, with one band just below the shoulder which allowed the rest of the sleeve to be slightly puffy before ending in a closed cuff. The skirt was full, but not excessively so, with pleats starting at the waistline and cascading down to the bottom. The whole dress was covered in beautifully embroidered small flowers with leaves extending from them and as Jane slipped it on, she couldn't help but see herself as beautiful.

"Come in" Jane called,

Jenny stepped into the room, carrying several tools for styling hair in her arms.

Her eyes widened as they fell upon Jane, "Oh, Ms Jane, you look quite stunning".

Jane smiled, blushing slightly.

"Thank you so much Jenny. I think it the most beautiful dress I have ever seen. I have never owned anything that could even be compared to this. I almost feel silly in it, like someone as me is not meant to wear it".

"Nonsense" Jenny called, laying her things down on the table in front of Jane's mirror. "You will do just as well as any lady there tonight- better perhaps! For you are a better person".

"I only wish that good intentions could cause suscess in these situations, it would be impossible for me to fail".

"Here miss, I will help you with your corset, we shall do up this dress, style your hair and then you shall look the part too".

Jane smiled, it felt good to have a woman friend, she did not care that it was her servant- such a claim of class status on friendship seemed absolutely insupportable. She admired her for her honesty and goodness, and what of class when she carried both in abundance.

Two hours later Jane was finished. Her hair had been curled from the root and pulled loosely back into a bun, which was held in place by a braid which incircled it. Jenny had pulled a few pieces of hair loose in order to be curled around her face. It was a beautiful job. Jane had never looked so well.