Rochester's Point of View
Edward stood in the door of his hotel room balcony, looking out over the unknown and unfriendly city with a weary glance. This city had not always been unknown to him, nor unfriendly, but in the years that had passed between the time he stayed here frequently and his current life, it had become cold and barren to his eyes. The inexhaustible variety of life in London had always interested him, and from this balcony he could watch at his leisure, undetected. People shouted below, carriages crammed through the heavily populated streets, ladies with parasols in immaculate cream dresses walked by women so filthy with dirt that their once white blouses were now a blotchy brown. There was something so unfair about it- even as he sat in his hotel room Edward felt a guilt knot his stomach. City life had a way of making one see the juxtaposing extremes of life that life in such close proximity.
The journey to London had taken all of the morning with the rough weather encountered, and so when Rochester and Mr Eshton had arrived, they both were eager to have some time to rest for a while before dinner. The pair were not able to meet with the other share-holders until the next day, so any push to try and meet the night of their arrival would be in vain. Edward had retired to his room, but Eshton had gone to a local pub for a drink or two. Rochester had refused the invitation to accompany him, for he had no desire to indulge in any pleasure in town. He merely wanted to complete the task they had been set and return home with as little fuss as possible.
Edward's travelling cases had been brought up to the room by a bell boy and still sat by the door, untouched. Secretively Edward hoped to not unpack the trunk at all, for it would take longer to pack it up at the end of the trip and it would delay him in returning home. He chuckled to himself as he thought of the time in his life where he would have unpacked everything in a feverish rush so that the hotel room could prove to be as much of a mock home as possible. He may have even stayed in this hotel before, but if he did, he could not remember the specific time.
He lay down on the bed, the silken bed covers proving to be far more delicate and elaborate than anything he needed in order to be comfortable. It had begun raining, and what was at first a small patter of water had turned to thundering against the balcony doors within minutes. Edward smiled to himself- he hoped Jane could hear the rain if it was indeed raining at home too. As soon as he had heard it, he missed his wife's always enthusiastic and always genuine comments that seemed to slip out in excitement.
"Edward, can you hear that? It is raining!"
He loved those moments which were so unique to her. Moments of uncontrolled enthusiasm that came from nowhere and made her seem so childlike in the way they overtook her. It was one of those amazing things that happen to a married couple that would be impossible to anticipate- you know your spouse so well, and become fused to them in such a way that makes you grieve any moment of their joy or happiness you cannot be part of.
This small thought created a pang in his chest. It was not proper, and it was certainly not the typical situation for a husband to feel this way, he reflected to himself. It was also abnormal that he missed his wife not only as his companion, but as his best friend. His days of not having anyone he loved to return home to were far gone, and the craving he once had to get away and be on his own were now only distant ghosts of empty emotion.
How much he craved her company now.
At that moment there was a harsh knock at the door. As Edward rose to answer it, he heard a familiar voice call from behind it.
"Edward, open up"
The door swung opened and he looked at his friend sceptically.
"Good god man, I did have to make it to the door before I could open it. What is your rush?"
"My rush is more bad news, I fear you will not like it"
Eshton stepped inside and threw his coat over a nearby chair. Edward sat in a seat by the fire, signalling for Eshton to join him.
"Well Eshton, you may as well be out with it"
He looked at his friend seriously, as if he was gathering courage.
"If you knew what I was about to say you would not be so encouraging. Our other share-holders who we believed would be meeting tomorrow will not be the men we normally deal with. With something as big as this change in finances, the top bosses are coming-"
There was a slight pause,
"Including Mr Tibs and Mr Olsen"
"What!" cried Edward, rising from his chair "Good god, you cannot be serious"
"I am very serious Edward. I had no idea when I allowed the men to sign as partners that they were actually the bosses making the calls. The men who I am assuming signed on their behalf were quite different, and seemed quite trustworthy"
"Well of course they would. Two businessmen like that are sure to have friendlier faces than their own at the front of their operations. And they are absolutely coming?"
"Without a doubt"
Edward had not seen Mr. Tibs nor Mr Olsen since Eshton's Christmas ball. There had been quite the spectacle when they had been thrown out of the event, and Edward was always secretly surprised when there were no repercussions for them having being embarrassed in front of a rather large group of guests. But he had been right to expect a sort of revenge, for it came in this form, and at this moment.
"Well, we need them out of this partnership, as soon as possible"
"Rochester we cannot do that now. With the other partner having pulled out we will have almost no financial security. Surely these men can be reasoned with, and if not reasoned, manipulated by us"
"I will not be doing any deals with the devil" Rochester said, frankly. "I knew Mr Tibs in Jamaica, Eshton. I saw the sort of businessman he was then, and trust me, you will want nothing to do with the sort of business he will be offering"
Eshton sunk lower in his chair, looking at the fire with a heavy sigh and then back at Rochester.
"You know you have a clear advantage over me in this situation. I cannot pretend I know anything of estate's finances, or how they are run, even in spite of your generous lessons. If you tell me we will be making a deal with the devil, then I know you speak rightly and we shall end the partnership now. But there will be danger of financial ruin?"
"Minimally, but yes".
Eshton stirred uncomfortably in his chair.
"Rochester, you know I cannot agree to that, even with the chance being minimal. I have that large houses, people on my estate- Anne and her family! If they knew the trouble we were in right now.."
Edward sat back down across from his friend. He put his hand to his mouth in thought before drawing it back down to rest on his leg.
"With those two having signed a partnership with your estate, they will not rest until the house is theirs. Why do you think they went after you and your estate? It is the largest and oldest in the county. It was owned by your excessively rich aunt and has a reputation attached to it. They know you are inexperienced as a master of an estate and will plan to take full advantage of that. If you choose to stay passive in this matter, Mr Tibs and Mr Olsen will slowly take power from you through taking advantage and suddenly you will be without a home, regardless. If we end their involvement in the partnership now, you have a fair shot of financially recovering with no long lasting effects. You will also, more importantly, be a free man".
"But how can I possibly make them terminate their partnership?"
Edward took some time in thinking of his answer. He poured him and his friend a drink, and in passing it to him the solution came.
"Mr Tibs and Mr Olsen do not know of my involvement. They will believe that you act alone and are like any other new estate owner- prone to poor financial decisions, excuse the generalisation. If you appeal to them, saying that you have already ruined yourself financially and are looking for their help, they are sure to pull out. A house already in financial ruin will be of absolutely no use to them".
"Rochester you are mad. But I think it may work"
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Jane's Point of View
The middle of May was beautiful that particular year. Although the weather still remained cold, the growth of spring had arrived, and Jane's hope for all the beauty of summer was reignited. She could now take longer walks, and could dare to venture outside of the garden confinements. In her condition, Jane could no longer walk alone, so she was grateful that Anne did not mind accompanying her. On their walks, they spoke of the wedding party which would be arriving in the next few days, and what they knew of each member.
Captain Franklin had a singular brother, a Mr Franklin of London. Mr Tom Franklin had recently become the most eligible bachelor in London after a long engagement with a young lady had been called off. Mr Franklin had been engaged to be married since he was nineteen and the lady was seventeen, but they were forced to wait until the time her uncle had claimed she could marry, which had been five years. At the end of this five years, however, the young lady had claimed her love had found a different devotion, and so she ended the engagement with Mr Franklin and married the next week to a wealthy aristocrat she had meet in Paris.
Very little was known of Sir Franklin and Lady Franklin. But Jane had noticed a sort of caution the Captain had used in describing them the last time he spoke of wedding arrangements with Jane. From his own guarded description, she felt like they thought too highly of themselves, were judgemental, and suffered with a lack of perspective and understanding that the generally very wealthy possessed. Jane suspected that the Franklin's overall would not prove to be so easy going or as kind as the Captain was, but she was determined to win over their affections and respect for the sake of Diana.
Diana and Mary arrived three days after Anne had come to stay with Jane. Their beaming faces as the exited the carriage was enough to make all of Jane's concerns over the upcoming days disappear. The four girls hugged each other enthusiastically before Mary turned to Jane.
"You are huge, Jane!" she said, and the group laughed.
"I know, and I still have a month to go. Imagine"
"But you look beautiful, absolutely glowing" Diana said
"You look so yourself, bride-to-be" Jane said, "How are you feeling for the wedding?"
"Nervous"
"Oh don't be!" Anne said, encouragingly, "We will not be outnumbered by the Franklin's. Not with us four along with Mr Eshton and Mr Rochester"
"Oh yes, where is Edward! We thought he would be here with you at the door. Is he very busy today?"
"In a sense. Edward and Mr Eshton have gone into town to deal with some urgent business that could not be left. They departed three days ago, and Anne has been kind enough to come and stay with me until they return, and of course, for your wedding".
Diana's smile faltered a little,
"And will they be back before the Franklin's arrive?"
"We are not sure when they will return" Jane said, honestly, "But we shall do all we can to keep the Franklin's occupied until they arrive"
"Greeting new members of a household without any gentlemen present.." Mary began. But before she could finish the thought Anne cut in.
"- will be a blessing for them, I am sure. Ladies are far more entertaining than gentleman anyways"
With spirits raised a little higher, the ladies all entered the house for their afternoon tea.
. . . . .
Over the next few days, the girls planned meticulously what exactly would happen when the family of Captain Franklin arrived. No one wanted any mistakes, or anything to go wrong that could easily be avoided. As much as the Diana, Mary and Anne helped, the responsibility fell on Jane's shoulders to command her staff and run things smoothly.
The morning of the Franklin families arrival, Jane went down into the kitchens before breakfast to speak to the all the servants of the household. When she stepped into the room they all straightened and bowed to her.
"Thank you all, please sit. I know I must rest after those stairs"
"Oh madam, you need not have come down all this way, and in your condition-"
"Oh, please John, I merely meant it in good fun. But please sit"
The eager group sat after she did and looked upon her with anticipation.
"As you know, today there arrives a rather large party of guests for Miss Rivers and Captain Franklin's wedding. Thankfully for me, many of you have more experience than I do in hosting parties, and so I will depend on your generous guidance and help. I come to tell you that the party we are expecting are not, from what I have been lead to believe, very agreeable. I do not say this to frighten you, only to promise that if there are problems of any kind, to any degree, please come to me and tell me, for I will look after them. I know that you will be wonderful, as you always are".
The room of servants assured Jane of their commitment and readiness before she once again climbed the stairs and walked into the dining room where Anne was now sitting quietly.
"Good morning" Jane called, bringing her to her senses, "How are you? This is indeed an early rise"
Anne nodded at her, "I went to bed too early last night. I woke and could not get back to sleep. What is it you were doing down there?"
"Just conversing with my staff about the families arrival today" Jane said, sitting across from her.
"My husband sent a telegram" Anne said, holding a piece of folded paper to Jane. "Read it, it contains good news"
"Dear Anne,
Me and Mr Rochester do well in London. We have devised a plan with our investors and hope to be home soon, most likely sooner than we expected. Hope you are well, E."
"This is wonderful news. Seems like things have gone well"
"Indeed. It will be good to have them both home again, though staying here with you has been more fun than I have had in such a long time"
Jane grinned over the rim of her teacup at her friend as John came into the dining room.
"Ms Rochester" John said, approaching with a letter on a silver platter, "A telegram from Mr Rochester that arrived this morning"
Jane thanked him as she took the letter from him. Diana entered the kitchen at just the moment that the letter was opened so that Anne was distracted in talking with her. Jane opened the wax seal on the telegram and slipped out the contents.
"Dearest Jane,
I hope you are well my darling, and that this telegram finds you at the breakfast table where you will have a healthy appetite and a beautiful morning.
Our business in London has proven to be far more difficult than we originally expected. I cannot say more over this telegram, but I believe the solution to our more intensified problem will be faster than we originally thought, so we will be home before the week is out. Keep control of the fort until I return, I know you have been doing so marvellously on your own already.
I miss you more than I dare say, and cannot wait to return to you.
Much love, Edward".
Jane looked up from the letter to see the members of the table eyeing her expectantly. She slipped the letter into her pocket as she took up her tea cup again.
"It was from Edward. He believes he and Mr Eshton will be home before the week is out, so I suppose within the next few days. Their business in London seems to need less time then they originally anticipated"
"Excellent" said Diana as Mary rounded the corner and greeted everyone good morning.
"What is excellent?" she asked as she sat beside Jane
"Mr Rochester and Mr Eshton will be home before the week is out" Anna answered quickly
"Good. I long to see them both again. They are such fun"
The rest of the breakfast conversation was lighthearted and happy. After breakfast was over, Jane retired to her room to change into something more fitting for meeting company. She called up her maid Jenny in order to ask her opinion on which dress she should wear. There was a soft knock on the door of Jane's bedroom as Jenny stepped in, smiling.
"Good morning Jane"
"Good morning Jenny, I need your help"
"But of course"
"As you know, company arrives today, and I do not know which dress to wear. The yellow is too bright and far too reserved for summer when our weather is still so cold. The dark green is too fancy I think, with the embroidery. The lilac is for the wedding in a few days. That leaves me with the light blue and the pink, but I do not know which one. I have never been formally introduced to strangers who will soon become family"
"Hmm" thought Jenny, holding both dresses out at arms length to look at them. "Both colours suit you very well, and you look beautiful in both. The pink becomes you especially, and though is it more simple than the blue, you can wear the blue when you dine with them and the pink now"
"Good thinking Jenny, thank you"
"Now, if we help you into this dress I can give you some suggestions on your hair?"
Jane began to slide off her dress so that she stood in her slip. Her large belly pulled the slip almost to her knee before she could pull it down. She laughed to herself, and Jenny smiled.
"I have hardly seen anyone so big as you in their eight month miss"
"You tell me so! I feel as if getting out of a chair now is a large accomplishment and I still have a month left!"
Jane often found that now she was so pregnant it was all people commented on. But she did not mind. She was beyond happy at the prospect of becoming a mother and she was humbled by others enthusiasm for her new families happiness.
"But you will do very well. You seem so happy, and the master as well. I cannot wait until there is a baby in this house, what happy prospects!"
Jane smiled at her, nodding.
"It will be so new, for all of us. In quiet moments I am even anxious for it"
"Enough of that talk miss" Jenny said, buttoning the last button on her dress and turning her around. "I shall hear none of it. You will be a superb mother. Beautiful! Now, to do something with your hair.."
. . . .
In early afternoon all the ladies sat in the sitting room on the front of the house, waiting for a sign of the coach. All ladies had changed, and Jane thought all looked quite lovely. Diana and Mary had certainly bought some new clothes with the money Jane had gifted them some time ago, for when she first knew them they owned nothing but the simpliest of dresses that were plain and practical. Anne, who was always dressed to the utmost elegance, had changed into a wonderfully becoming orange frock. Not much was said in this shared time of anticipation. Jane tried to start some conversation with Anne, but seeing how quiet Diana and Mary were made her reconsider idle conversation, and so she took to glancing out of the window for a sign of their arrival.
And a sign came.
Shortly after two o'clock a carriage came into view at the end of the drive. After Jane alerted all the women present to it, they wheeled around and stood up, straightening their dresses. As the carriage pulled up in front of the house, Jane stepped through the foyer and onto the steps to be introduced. Of course she recognised the Captain at once; He stepped from the carriage and walked over to Jane, removing his hat and bowing lowly.
"Ms Rochester, indeed you look well"
"Captain Franklin, it is a pleasure to see you again, as always"
"Ms Rochester, please allow me to introduce my family to you. This is my father Lord Franklin, my mother Lady Franklin, and my brother, Mr Tom Franklin. Father, Mother, Tom, this is the Honourable Ms Jane Rochester".
Lord Franklin was a very large man, tall in height and long in features. His proportions were abnormal to the average man, with extended legs and arms but a short torso. His face was sharp and pointed with a long hooked nose. Dark circles, no doubt due to a family trait rather than a lack of sleep, covered a large area under his eyes, which surveyed the surroundings with quiet but an unwavering judgement. He made no attempt to make any sort of contact with Jane, nor did he make any attempt to acknowledge her.
Lady Franklin was similar in build to her husband, though far more graceful. Jane was reminded that in her youth she was most likely a very attractive woman with a feminine figure- yet at this point in her life, age had changed her. She looked as if she clung to the last notions of youth left in her face and in her figure, though there was nothing close to that beauty left now. Without her air of grace, Jane thought she would have appeared very silly. Her beautiful dress was perfectly crafted to suit her ageing structure, and made her even more appealing to look at. The large and elaborate hat she wore covered the majority of her face, but Jane could still see it was hollow and sunken, and her attitude of superiority flooded every feature she had.
Tom Franklin was quite more handsome than his already handsome brother with fair hair, dark eyebrows and thick eyelashes. His eyes were a rich shade of blue that still somehow seemed warm. When he smiled at Jane to say hello, which was the first civil acknowledgement of her presence, his smile was not genuine, rather seemed excessively rehearsed to achieve the perfect effect of welcoming presence each time he imparted it. Still, when he spoke Jane was grateful.
"Ms Rochester, it is indeed a pleasure to meet you. My brother here was just telling me of you on the carriage ride over. He is quite impressed with you, you know"
Captain Franklin looked at his brother in an odd, reprimanding way. Jane felt too that the comment was inappropriate, given she was a married woman and he had not yet meet his brothers bride to be. Still, Jane smiled and smoothed over the awkward moment.
"It is a pleasure to meet you as well. I hope you shall enjoy your stay here, we are very glad to have you all"
These words were the first acknowledgement she received from either Lord or Lady Franklin. They looked at each other, and then at her.
"You have saved us from lodgings at that small, and ancient looking Inn in town"
"No dearest" corrected Lady Franklin, "We would have made other arrangements rather than stay there, but it was a rather grim prospect"
"You have a very happy situation here" Mr Franklin said, referencing Jane's home.
Though it was not yet summer weather, the ground was no longer frozen, and tree's had begun to bloom and blossom. Grass covered the land again, and the house looked perfectly maintained. She had exceptionally talented gardeners.
"Thank you, you are very kind. I am lucky to be so fond of my home. Please, will you not come inside? I fear that the wind grows colder as the day becomes longer. I will introduce you to our other guests".
The initial meeting of the Franklin's with Diana was not fully what Jane had hoped. Though Lord and Lady Franklin were outwardly friendly to her, and made seemingly friendly enough small talk, Jane could tell they were dissatisfied with the match. Lucky, in Diana's happiness in seeing her fiance again, she did not notice the somewhat cold replies and retorts her kind questions were meet with. After everyone had mingled among the group for some time, afternoon tea was brought into the room, and the group spoke generally with one another rather than the previous situation of personal conversations between two. Lady Franklin addressed Jane from across the table as she buttered her cake.
"Ms Rochester, indeed it is very odd that you greet us without a husband. He must be very busy currently to miss our arrival"
"Indeed ma'am. But even if he were here, and very busy, that would not stop him from the very happy occasion of greeting you as his guest. He is out of town at the moment on urgent business- we expect him and Ms Eshton's husband to return within a few days"
"I see" was her reply as she sunk back into the chair, eyeing up the room silently once more.
"I hope your journey here was enjoyable" Diana said, pulling out of her conversation with Captain Franklin, who sat beside her. "When we arrived a few days ago the roads with quite full of holes after the winter"
"Well, the further you get away from the city the more you can expect such" Lord Franklin said, "It is part of the charm of country living"
"And do you enjoy country living?" Jane asked, conversationally.
"I do indeed. I enjoy fishing and hunting and shooting. The reason I do not live as such is my wife- for she enjoys the refinements of city living far too much"
"We also raised the boys in the country" Ms Franklin interjected, "We have had our time of country living. Now that our boys are men, there is no need for them to live in the country. They can already shoot and ride, what else does a gentleman need from the country?"
"A wife, mother" the Captain interjected, looking to Diana and missing his mothers unimpressed glance.
"Well yes, of course" she covered, poorly.
"Will you raise your family here, Ms Rochester?" Asked Mr Franklin, rising and being offered a glass of alcohol from John.
"Yes, of course" Jane said, "Although I suspect that the country is the better place to raise a child regardless, me and my husband are both better suited for country living. We are not city people".
"Perhaps that is because you have such little expose, it can be quite exciting as a young person, in a new city"
"I am sure you are right".
Jane meant the comment to be unimposing, but it seemed to spark something in Mr Franklin. He turned quickly and looked at her, a certain excitement in his manner.
"You mean that you do not know for yourself?"
"No, I suppose not. I have had very little experience of town"
"So you cannot say that you do not like it. How very cruel of your husband to not take you to town when you were first married. How long have you been married now?
"Almost one year. But I assure you that he is in no way cruel to me, especially in not, as you put it 'not taking me to town'. I have been nothing but happy here"
"Goodness, almost a year. And still the idea of marriage bliss has not been lost on you. How charming that is"
Jane would have been compelled to make a more unkind remark to him about knowing nothing of marriage, but knowing what she did of his long broken engagement, she settled on a kinder reply.
"I would wish my own happiness in marriage on anyone, including your brother and Ms Rivers"
The awkward questioning put on Jane dissolved into happier chatter among the group once more as general conversation began again, but Mr Franklin did not take his gaze off of Jane. Even as he took a sip of his drink he viewed her over the rim of his glass, eyeing her with an eagerness and an interest that made her stomach knot uncomfortably. She wished in that moment more than ever before that her husband would come home.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The following days in the Rochester house were more relaxed and comfortable than the first day the two groups had meet-and that is exactly what the house felt like, two different group's co-existing in each others space. When Jane was alone with the girls or Captain Franklin she was quite at ease and happy, but with the Captains family she felt quite put on her guard and carefully assessed everything she spoke aloud as to not give any ammunition for debate or argument. She also avoided Mr Franklin, especially situations where it was possible for them to be alone. Though he did not do anything particular to her, she was still uncomfortable around him and wished for distance. Each night, Jane, Diana, Mary and Anne went to bed exhausted after a day of forced civility and conversation. There was not even a spare moment in the day to be alone, for the Franklin's were constantly in expectation of amusement.
Not only was Jane tired from the constant social interactions, but she did not sleep well in the nights and had a very small appetite in the days. In the afternoons she found herself almost drifting off so frequently that when it was time for bed she greeted it with great enthusiasm. Such was the case on the fourth night of her company's visit. Early in the night she started to feel her eyelids drop and her eyes could no longer focus on the fire before her. She had excused herself early, and retired to her room where she got changed for bed and was asleep before her face touched the pillow.
Hours later, Jane's eyes flickered opened to see a still relatively dark room. All was quieter now, which meant that much time had passed, and everyone had gone to bed. Jane looked towards the window and noticed the blind had been drawn over the window, an action she had forgotten to do before bed. As she moved her positioning in bed to look more closely she felt her body make contact with something solid. She turned over, with great difficulty, to see her husband laying beside her, his breathing deep and steady. Jane beamed with happiness, her face breaking into a wide smile. She leaned over and pressed her lips to his forehead without hesitation. She then kissed his cheek and his chin. When she roused him enough that he stirred, she pressed her lips to his softly. He curled up from his laying position and placed his hand on the back of her neck, drawing her closer to him. Jane kissed him back against the pillows before she pulled back, looking at his happy face. His hand reached up to caress her cheek and he kissed her forehead lovingly.
"I'm sorry" he said, gently, "I did not want to wake you when I arrived home"
"You should have" Jane protested, laying down beside him again. She felt tears flood her eyes and easily spill over, despite her efforts to keep them in. Her pregnancy made her feel every emotion enhanced ten fold. Edward did not laugh at the silly response, however. He moved above her,holding himself up on his elbow, his serious face kissed away her tears, and then he moved his lips to her trembling mouth. Jane felt herself subside slightly as he pulled back, moving her hair away from her face.
"It's alright. I'm home" he said, reassuringly. "I missed you too. More than I could say"
He lay back down beside his wife and raised his arm in mute invitation. She gratefully cuddled into his secure frame as he kissed the top of her head protectively.
"And how is this little one?" he asked, his warm hand moving to Jane's stomach.
"They are well. Kicking and moving all the time. But I have not slept well since you've been gone, and I have felt nauseous as I have not felt in a very long time. This little one is putting up a fight with me"
Edward nodded, his hand massaging his wife's back naturally and without thought.
"It will not be long now, and I shall have my share of taking care of this little one" he said, pride flooding every ounce of his features. Jane looked at him seriously.
"I cannot wait for you to take your turn caring for our child. I fear I have been carrying the majority of the weight so far "
He chuckled softly as Jane asked how his trip to London was, but Edward shook his head, kissing her lovingly.
"We can talk tomorrow. Right now, you need to sleep"
"You too, by the looks of your eyes" Jane said, moving her thumb gently over the tops of his cheeks, "You look so tired"
He nodded, "What can I say? I sleep better knowing you are beside me"
Jane pressed her lips to his one last time before wrapping her arms around his neck intimately. She sighed contentedly, feeling the lips that rested against her collarbone stretch into a soft smile.
"I love you" Jane whispered after a long pause, not opening up her eyes to see his response. He did not open his eyes either at her words, but sighed happily.
"Good God Jane, I love you endlessly"