Jane woke several hours later when the sun had fully risen and illuminated the whole room in a bright but warm glow. She woke before her husband, and carefully untangled herself from his arms before going to the washroom to freshen herself up.
She caught a glance of herself in the mirror, and what she saw made her smile. There was a thin sheen of sweat over her skin, and she was radiant- Her eyes were bright, and her whole face radiated and embodied how truly happy she felt. She could not have been more content in that moment if she wished.
After washing and dressing, Jane walked back over to the bed and sat beside her sleeping husband. She leaned down and pressed her lips to his cheek, and moved her hand to his forehead before he started to stir.
"Edward" Jane said softly, shaking his arm gently.
"Mmm" he grunted,
"Its time to get up, breakfast will be very soon"
He stretched lazily before fully looking at Jane, his face settling into contented happiness.
"You look beautiful this morning"
"Thank you very much"
"I mean it, you are radiant"
"You have given me a reason to be"
A soft kiss.
"Must I really get up now? Can I not wait any longer?"
"Mr Rochester, am I to indeed believe that you are becoming too old for these early morning love-making session? It seems to have done you in"
"No, you wicked creature. You have done me in"
Jane grinned as he took her hand and brought it to his lips.
"I shall be waiting for you downstairs"
"No!" he begged, tugging playfully at her arm as she went to stand up "Stay with me"
"Edward I must go!"
"Why"
"Because, I-I must be downstairs to-
"To what?"
Jane grinned,
"Stay"
Jane leaned in and pressed her lips to Edwards, feeling his hand move to the small of her back and hold her steady.
"I'll see you downstairs, Merry Christmas"
"Merry Christmas my love"
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Downstairs, Jane was immediately met by a gleeful Adele, who bounded towards her and jumped into her arms.
"Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas!"
"Merry Christmas Adele! how did you sleep?"
"Good. I was so tired last night, I do not even remember getting into bed"
Jane smiled, lifting her back to the ground and rubbing her arm,
"I know, we kept you out quite late"
Jane and Adele walked towards the library together.
"Oh, but I had the most marvellous time. The girl I was with, Sophie, she was wonderful. We had such fun together. I think she will be my best friend forever"
"Adele, that is wonderful news. You shall have to invite her here before you leave again for school, we would love to meet her!"
As Jane and Adele sat on the library couch, a momentary sadness flashed over Adele's face and Jane instantly felt sorry. She had no intention of bringing Adele back to the horrible school she had been placed in. It was an unfortunately familiar situation. The school had a wonderful reputation, with wonderful teachers and credentials advertised, but the reality of the situation was far from the expectation. Jane had been searching over the past few weeks for a school better suited for Adele, but she did not want to bring the subject up to her, not yet. She wanted her to have a wonderful Christmas, and to not worry about the changes to come.
"Yes" replied Adele, "I should be very happy for that. I will ask Mr Rochester later"
"Ask me what?"
Adele turned to see Mr Rochester walking towards her, and she ran to hug him tightly. He smiled knowingly at Jane- for he knew that Jane loved to see him more affectionate with Adele than he had previously been.
"I was going to ask you if I could invite Sophie over for tea, that is before I have to go back to school"
"Who is this Sohpie?"
"Mr Eshtons neice. I liked her very much, and she liked me too"
"Alright then, tea can be arranged. I shall send Eshton a letter tomorrow to arrange it"
"Oh thank you, thank you!" she said, kissing his cheek. She ran off around the corner to find Leah in order to tell her the news before Jane turned back to her husband.
"Edward, will you do something for me?"
"Of course, anything. Although it sounds rather serious, for all your sunshine is gone"
"I fear that such might be the case. It is Ms Olsen- I've been thinking about her. Her husbands actions last night, her late return home, her sentiments when leaving the carriage... I just have this feeling that things may not be quite right in that house this morning".
"Of course, I shall ride over as soon as I possibly can. Today would be impertinant, but tomorrow I shall go in the morning and inquire after both"
"Thank you" Jane said, squeezing his hand affectionately, "I appreciate it. I shall go with you, if you will have me"
"I will not. That man is a brute, and I will not have you around him"
"But perhaps I will be of some use there-"
"Jane, I commend your noble spirit which will not allow anyone to suffer, but you will do no good". Jane grew defensive at his tone, which was raised and angry. Her stomach turned uncomfortably as she looked at him.
"But she is a fellow woman, and I know what it is to suffer because of an abusive man. I was practically raised by them".
Edwards face turned dark and serious at her words, but he continued on.
"Exactly, you are a woman, and in his mind all you shall do is satisfy his dirty gaze and give him disgusting, filthy ideas"
Jane turned away from him and sat down on the couch.
"So that is all women can be- instigators of dirty ideas?"
He sat down beside her and reached for her hand but she tugged it away, and he sighed in frustration.
"Jane, of course that is not true. I do not wish to ever command you, or force any action upon you. But as your husband, it is my job to protect you. And if he were to touch you- I would never forgive myself"
"Then we must do something for Ms Olsen, for right now there is no one to protect her"
'I agree Jane, but a man's wife is-"
"Worthy of feeling safe."
He paused and sighed, nodding with certainty.
"Of course" he said guiltily, "Of course. Tomorrow I shall go and eye the situation. If we need to, we shall intervene, even if it is through lawful means".
Jane nodded, but in doing so she turned her gaze from him and looked towards the door, her hands crossed in her lap.
"My love, will you forgive me? I should not have said what I did in the way that I did. I know I am quite harsh"
"I am angry at the situation Edward, not you. I know the reality of that sort of man, what they are capable of, and why you want me to stay away".
"I'm not sure you fully do, Jane. Mr Olsen was arrested many years ago for running a compromising sexual house in Paris which he often frequented as a guest himself. Though Paris has many of such houses, his was notoriously filled with corruption, dirt, and crime. When it was discovered and shut down it caused quite the stir, and many of the women who worked there were cast out into the street, and he was set a court case".
"What a disgraceful man"
"Your words are kind Jane, for I can think of others that are far more fitting"
"But how is it then that you meet him during your time in Jamaica?"
"Well, he did not show up for his trial, and the authorities could not find him so the whole incident just was swept under the rug. When I arrived in Jamaica, I learned that he had moved there as well and was running the same sort of institution"
"How could he? How could his own conscious allow for that?"
"Because he had no conscious to interfere in the first place. Needless to say, I had nothing to do with him, but he did make enough of a name for himself and created enough of a stir to cause a problem in Jamaica which also got back to England. He was immediately sent for and arrested"
"Still though, how is it that you came to know him, and by name?"
"Ah yes, well" he began, shuffling awkwardly in his sear, "I encountered him first after I got in a bit of a fight with him while trying to defend a ladies honour"
"Oh, I see, you were playing the hero"
"Not exactly. I simply had too much to drink, along with caring for the young woman's reputation"
"I see"
Jane smiled slightly before Edward continued slowly,
"But it was not only that. He also was quite familiar with Bertha, on quite an intimate level. I meet him, more than once in my house there alone with her, but only once caught them in a compromising situation"
"Oh Edward-"
"No, that anger is long gone. Any power he had over me is now gone too. Though when I see him now I cannot help but remember everything he has done, and all that makes up the horrible monster he is. That is why I do not want you to come".
Jane nodded, reaching for her husbands hand.
"I trust you. I trust that you know what is best. I'll not contradict your wishes"
"Please, just this once".
He pressed his lips to her forehead before pulling back,
"Thank you'
. . . .
The morning was absolutely wonderful.
Jane and Adele made cookies after breakfast down in the kitchen with Leah. Adele had never been in a kitchen, which was striking to Jane. As a servant, how many hours did she herself spend sitting in the kitchen, eating, warming herself by the fire, and finding someone to talk to when she was feeling lonely. The kitchen had always been a happy place for her, and she felt an odd sadness in knowing Adele would never know the simple pleasure of a fire, or of food when you are hungry, or a friend when you are sad. It was an odd sadness to have for someone, for all such things are a sign of being either deprived or unhappy. But still, such thoughts kept Jane grounded, and connected to the person that she had once been, and the person she still was in the quiet, laid to rest chambers of her soul.
When the cookies came out of the oven, the three women shared them over tea. They spoke of school, young gents, pretty dresses, good manners, and all other female things. It made Jane smile, for Leah, who was normally focused on her work and who was serious in her actions, was bright and cheerful in talking of her own experiences. Jane had never had a Christmas tradition, for she had never really had a Christmas at all, but she thought that this perhaps could become one for the future.
As they were talking, Mr Rochester rounded the corner.
"Ladies, excuse me. I do not mean to interrupt your conversation"
"Sir, you do no such thing" Leah said,
"Have a cookie" Jane said, handing one to him. He graciously accepted, biting into the cookie.
"Mmm, who am I to congratulate for these wonderful cookies?" he asked charmingly.
Adele beamed, both chiming in her and Leah's efforts.
"And what about you, Ms Rochester?" he asked, bending forward and stealing his wife's last bite of cookie.
Jane grinned while trying to give him a disapproving look, but Adele answered so that Jane could not reprimand him.
"She rolled the dough out the best, she made it so even"
Edward smiled at his wife, holding the back of her chair,
"Is that so? Well ladies, I did not mean to interrupt your afternoon, but I am glad I did in order to get this cookie. Jane darling, can I speak to you for a moment?"
Jane excused herself the kitchen and rounded the corner at the top of the stairs before her husband stopped her, smiling.
"What is it?"
"So, part of your Christmas gift was meant to be a surprise- no, you cannot give me that look"
"I have no look!"
"Oh yes you do, you cannot pretend like I cannot read you like a book"
Jane grinned, and closed her eyes, "No, continue with what you were saying, please"
"Well, remember how you wrote Diana and Mary a few months ago to ask if they would like to come for Christmas and you never received a response?"
"Yes, of course. It has made me quite uneasy"
"Well, they did write you, but in the towns fire not long ago the letter was lost'
"So how is it that you have come to know this!"
"When I was in town not long ago the postman ran out of the shop and told me that several letters were lost of ours, including one which he said was of a personal nature. Though he did not say who it was, I knew it was either Eshton, whom I had since spoken to and heard nothing from, or your cousins. So I wrote to them-"
"And!"
"And they asked to come and visit during Christmas. They were meant to come in two days time from now, but they experienced some issues in securing their home at the proper time and so they asked to come early"
"So they are here now?"
"They will be, in about half an hour. Would you like to join me? I said I would collect them at the train station"
"Of course I should like to come!"
He smiled, nodding. "I thought you may, shall we leave once you grab your cloak?"
. . . .
A few minutes later Jane stood in the porch, clasping her cloak together and pulling on her warm gloves.
"Darling, take my scarf, it is quite cold today and the wind is blowing"
"You will need it, surely"
"I will, but I have multiple, and your scarf has been missing for quite some time now. We shall have to remember to get you a new one, next time we are in town" he said, wrapping it around her neck and tucking it into her cloak.
"I feel so silly buying a new scarf when I simply misplaced the old one, but it has been so long now, I fear it is gone"
"I think we can find within our finances the money for a scarf, love".
Jane laughed, as he put his hand in the small of her back, guiding her out of the door.
The carriage ride was slower than normal because of the snow that covered the ground, but with Edward as her companion, Jane never felt the burden of time, in any span. But eventually, silence fell between them, and Jane spent her time looking out of the window. In time, Edward turned to Jane knowingly, and placed his hand on her knee.
My darling, is something the matter?
"No, I suppose not. I was only thinking of the last time Diana and Mary were here. I did not even get to say goodbye.I rejected their wishes to see me at that time, and the letter I wrote to them apologising I re-wrote about fifty times before I finally sent one which was not sufficient in the least in expressing my feelings"
"Jane, you must know that an apology from you was not needed. I know that you did not speak to them, and although I did, if only briefly, they were only saddened in knowing they could do nothing to help"
"I do know such, but the memory of that time-"
His hands wrapped around hers tightly, and he looked into her eyes with every ounce of honesty he could.
"If only I could take all your pain away, for I know how hard it still is, and how it weighs on your heart. I am so sorry. But you shall have me"
"And you have me" Jane promised, relaxing back into his arms. "With that promise, I fear nothing".