The next morning was a chaotic one.

Henry began crying around 5:00, and Jane and Edward had an argument about who would take care of him.

"Edward your meeting is first thing, let me"

"No, it is already five, I will need to wake up not too far from now anyways"

"And I will have to feed him, which you cannot help with. Get back into bed"

So, Jane remained with her fussing and unhappy son for the remainder of the morning, rocking him and bouncing him in her arms. Ms Miller would not be by on this particular day, for some of her children had fallen ill, and she was taking care of them. Jane thought of walking down to the house later to wish the children well, and perhaps to bring them some herbs from the kitchens, but she quickly remembered that while the children were sick, she could not bring little Henry near them, for he was still so fragile as an infant and bound to take ill himself. So, she asked a servant from the kitchen to bring them instead, which she agreed to happily. Jane knew this particular young girl in the kitchen loved walks, and would appreciate the time away from the hot and busy kitchens.

When Edward was dressed and ready, he entered the nursery in search of his son.

"Where is my little boy?" he asked, moving towards Jane and lifting Henry into his arms. "Hello Henry. I could not go off this morning without saying hello to you"

Jane smiled, placing her head on her husbands shoulder and tickling their sons belly.

There was a knock on the door and Edward called for the person to enter. John stood in the door, his back hunched, looking far more tired and old than Jane had ever noticed him to be. His skin was like paper, and his complexion was dull and looked unhealthy. She was taken aback by the look of him for a moment. He did not even appear so the day before, how could he be so changed overnight?

"Sir, Mr Eshton is arriving now"

"Thank you John, I shall be down directly".

When the door had closed behind the bowing servant again, Jane turned on her husband.

"Dammit, there is never enough time. How much I wish I could stay in here with the two of you"

But Jane's eyes had lingered on the spot where John had just vanished.

"I know. I've noticed too. The time for him to retire comfortably on our estate has come. I will speak to him tonight"

Jane nodded, emotion welling in her chest. Edward kissed the top of her head, rubbing her back affectionately before kissing Henry's cheek, bouncing him lovingly in his arms.

"I will see you both soon" he promised, "I love you"

"I love you"

. . . . . .

The guests came all at once in a flurry of activity downstairs. Jane felt it would be rude, and it would not serve her husbands case, to not make an appearance of some kind. So she descended the stairs a little after the dignitaries had arrived and found them all mingling in the foyer, speaking of general topics and in light conversations. To Jane's delight she saw Anne stepping in through the entrance, smiling up at her.

"Hello Jane" she said lowly, after moving through the crowd of black coats and white collars, "Mr Eshton suggested I come with him today as I would be alone for the day. I hope I am not an inconvenience, or that you have other company".

"No, of course not. I was planning on spending the afternoon with Henry"

"Of course you were. Where is the little darling?"

"He is up in his nursery with Jenny. You may go up if you like, I was just going to meet a few people as Ms Rochester before returning back upstairs"

"Then I shall see you shortly"

When Jane turned around she was suddenly aware of everyone's eyes on her as there was a hushed murmur among the talking of the crowd. She could not place why- she could not even imagine why. She was instantly insecure and wanted nothing more than to avert her eyes to the floor and vanish into the walls where no one's searching eyes could find her. Then suddenly a more familiar and friendly face emerged from the crowd, and Mr Eshton stood before her.

"Hello Ms Rochester, and how are you?"

"Very well Mr Eshton, thank you".

The more they talked quietly amongst themselves, the more the crowd pulled their gaze away from Jane and returned to their own conversations. Jane sighed and Mr Eshton tisked quietly.

"I'm sorry Jane. I know you hate the spotlight being shone on yourself"

"I only hate stares. Why were they staring? Have they never seen a woman before?"

"Oh I dare say the men in this room have seen a few women in their time. It is because you are not the type of wife these men have waiting at home. You are involved in your husbands affairs, you are young, just had a child, and have quite a reputation in the town for being educated"

Jane felt a dark flush come to her cheeks and fought desperately hard to combat it.

"..And humble" Eshton continued, smiling kindly. "I think it confuses the men. It is so unlike what they have come to expect from their own wives".

"I should have followed Anne upstairs" Jane speculated, but Eshton laughed.

"Anne was already bombarded at the door on my behalf. I think she would have gone to sit on the roof if it meant avoiding such looks again. Oh, there is Lord Nelson, I must speak with him immediately. I shall see you soon, Jane".

At the moment Eshton departed Jane watched a man's eyes fall upon her as if he had been waiting for the second that Eshton would leave. He abandoned his conversation with a wig-wearing magistrate mid way through and moved to Jane swiftly. He was tall, robust and attractive for his age of perhaps mid fifties. His hair was white, but his face was young and seemed somewhat fresh, at least in intention.

"I am Lord Kingsley. You must be the young Ms Rochester"

Jane took note of the way he emphasised 'young' and remembered Eshton's predictions of why she had been such an object of interest. Afterall, Jane Rochester was the same as Jane Eyre- very far from a natural beauty.

"I am Ms Rochester indeed"

"Then tell me Ms Rochester, how did you do it?"

"I am sorry?"

"How did you do it? How did you make all this come into being?"

"Again, I must ask for clarification. I cannot imagine what you refer to"

"This! This gathering of people here today. I must say, the scale of it is rather exceptional for a local magistrate appointment".

"I am sorry your Grace, but you assume wrong. There is nothing I did today to make this happen"

"Then surely you must offer me some explanation for why we are here. Mr Rochester has never before expressed an interest in politics, and now that he is married he is the very epitome of a lawful man"

Jane felt angry. She did not like what this Lord Kingsley was implying, nor what he wanted to hear from her.

"My husband's interest in politics is not new, and nor is it inspired from any source that is beyond himself. At any rate, I believe that people change over time, that the timeline of one's interest does not matter more than the passion behind it"

"Do you indeed? I should very much like to hear what else you believe at a different time"

"I do not think that will be the case, Lord Kingsley. For what other occasion would we ever have to be in each others company again?"

Before he could reply there was a call made for the men to enter into the main room for the hearing. He was momentarily distracted by the order, but did not forget to answer Jane before moving with the crowd. His voice was low, and he smiled wickedly in such a way that incited fury within Jane.

"Perhaps you are too newly married to understand, Ms Rochester, that men and women create situations to be in each others company all the time. It is a matter of effort, not chance that two people are together".

Jane stepped firmly off the step where she perched to address him unreservedly.

"It is no wonder then that so much of the effort of men in England is wasted, if indeed it goes to such an unworthy goal. I am left with no surprise that men like my husband are needed so desperately in politics".

Lord Kingsley still looked surprised when he was escorted into the main room moments later. Jane grinned to herself as Edward appeared in the doors, smiling warmly at his wife as he moved to close them.

"Thank you darling" he said, lowly. And then he was gone.

. . .

Jane told Anne the story that she thought was amusing regarding Lord Kingsley, but Anne's reaction was different from what she expected of her typically good-humoured friend.

"Oh Jane, Lord Kingsley is perhaps the most infamous man in the courts of England. I am shocked he even had the courage to show himself here today. He got in some serious trouble not very long ago in the courts and was put on temporary hold from attending meetings".

"Then what gives him the right to come here?"

"Oh, local politics is not held to the same standard. He would not be exempt from physically coming, but he would face a great deal of shame in doing so"

"Well, I am not sure this man is even capable of experiencing shame"

"Too correct. Oh Jane I am sorry. No women should have to endure his company. If anyone deserved the title of pig, it would be him"

"I think I know the answer to what I am about to ask you, but what did he get in trouble for within the courts?"

Anne smiled ever so slightly,

"For being quite...intimate with the Chief Justice's wife"

"Ah, then I am not wrong".

Henry began to cry in Jane's arms and she rocked him, trying to soothe him.

"Oh darling, what is the matter? What is wrong?"

Anne smiled at them, sighing in an almost oddly nostalgic way.

"Has he been any better at sleeping through the night?"

"No, and Ms Miller does not suspect there will be a major change until he will be almost one"

"Goodness. That is a happy prospect to look forward to. And I assume then you are up half the night?"

"Indeed. I am up one half, Edward is up the other"

Anne looked genuinely surprised. She surveyed Jane, looking rather curious as if what she had said was meant to be a joke that she did not quite understand.

"Really? Edward gets up during the night to take care of Henry?"

"Of course. It is his son after all"

Anne chuckled, shaking her head.

"You two amaze me. You are simply wonderful as man and wife, perhaps because you are so nontraditional".

Jane moved the now fussing Henry to her shoulder and bounced him gently.

"I am sure we are still rather traditional, just perhaps not so traditional as others. But it does work for us. I do not think it would be fair for a wife to be the only one to care for the child".

"No indeed, but it is the job of the nurse, which of course you do not have".

Jane shook her head, looking to her friend thoughtfully.

"You must think me so strange, a new mother, new to this way of life, and trying to do it all without a nurse. I do have my reason, however"

Anne laughed, "I know indeed you do. It may be strange, but I think it perfectly wonderful. Everyone should live the lives the way they see fit, its just that not everyone has the courage to".

. . . . .

Anne stayed the whole of the afternoon. The day was long, and the meeting did not seem to break for any period of time. Eventually tired, and hungry, Anne resolved to go home without her husband.

"Oh no" Jane protested, "Please, stay for dinner. It will be no trouble, and I would enjoy your company. Besides, Henry has just fallen asleep, we shall be free to chat at length for a little while anyways".

A crooked smile landed on Anne's face as she answered,

"I would actually enjoy that immensely. We have a new chef, you see, and she is still learning the way around the kitchen. We have had some interesting meals"

"Indeed?" Jane asked, laughing, "Well I suppose everyone must learn at one place. She is lucky she has such a forgiving mistress"

"But of course!" Anne continued, "I would not blame for poor girl for a few burned puddings in a new setting. But I did promise to return for dinner to try what she had prepared for the day. I do not wish to be rude and not show up".

"Oh no, you are very right" Jane confirmed, nodding, "I am sure she is excited to show you what she has come up with".

But Anne rocked on her feet, looking undecided.

"I thought Mr Eshton would be finished by now. He ordered for the carriage to come at four, but indeed he must have sent a message to have it delayed-"

"Because he knew you would be welcome to our coach. The journey is short, and the horses have not ridden today".

Anne smiled knowingly, as if she knew there was not even a need to ask her friend for such- she could have simply taken the coach and Jane would have thought nothing of it.

"Thank you Jane. Will you pass on to Mr Eshton I have gone home?"

"Regretfully", smiled her friend.

. . .

As Jane stood on the front steps waving to Anne she felt a wave of reflection break over her. As the carriage wheels carried it off further into the settling day, Jane felt strangely alone.

It was an odd feeling that Jane experienced strikingly infrequently now. She had spent the majority of her life residing in a place where she was entirely alone. She had always been dependant on the fact that if all else was to leave her in the world, she could make her way on her own with her own skills and intellect. Now, however, with a husband and a child and wonderful friends, she doubted such a life could suit her again...or could it?

Was this life of hers not so much like a dream that if it all ended tomorrow she could have accepted it as such? She surely felt like an impostor in her own life still- having servants,fine clothes, endless books and practically anything she wanted all seemed at times like something that would end- that would have to end. And yet she woke every morning to the same reality, and she wondered if over time she would stop having that realisation every time her eyes opened in the morning.

It was the kind of late evening which forced reflection upon every thought and feeling. Even the setting sun pulled at Jane's heartstrings in a way it normally did not have the power to. She thought of the day when her son would look up into the sky and point to it, and ask why it glowed so orange and yellow in the dying sky rather than remain a beautiful blue, or a dreary grey. She was suddenly filled with excitement for all that was to come for Henry, and all that would be before him in a life he would get to live.

Jane reflected that she would have liked to stay forever on this step, watching the sky until it had dissolved into night, but already she was walking back to her room, barely hearing the noise from the main room or the sound of her own footsteps ascending the staircase. She felt indecisive- hungry but not. Tired but not. Wanting to read but also wanting to sit and do nothing. She stood still on the stop in the upstairs corridor, wondering what to do. Her resolve, which was to go to her bedroom and wait to eat until Edward returned, resulted in her sitting before the lit fire, looking into its glowing flames. She barely saw the flames however, her mind drifted from point to point, suspended only by her own introspective mood.

She was not long in kicking off her shoes, and loosening the back of her dress so she could be a little more comfortable. The feeling of relief was worth the awkward tangle of the corset back of the dress. When Jane had settled again before the fire she stretched and caught sight of a scar on her leg she had largely forgotten about. It was healed now, and only a person looking very closely could have noticed, but the way the light of the fire flickered across Jane's body she could see it rather clearly. It had been the result of the struggle which had ensued when she was attacked down by Mr Franklin all those months ago. He had forced her up against the tree in the yard where she had been waiting in the rain and the bark had torn a gash in her leg. Seeing it now did not stir up much emotion aside from understanding how lucky she had been compared to other women, women who perhaps even felt such from their husbands on a daily basis.

She did not care that the scar had marked her body- her body was full of marks now that she had not had before. Her legs and arms both carried marks from her having smashing a mirror over her head and being forced against a tree against her will. Dark stretch marks which had appeared on her body during pregnancy had now largely vanished, but the imprint was still there and she assumed would always be. Her body itself was marked from giving birth. And yet none of this mattered, not at all. Perhaps if she had a husband who cared more, or if she felt less like a women because of them, but she did not.

Jane stared blankly into the fire, remembering the first time she really, truly studied up her own body. Of course she had observed her own body changing as she matured into a woman, but she had assumed at that time that it would only ever be herself who saw it, so it had not mattered at any rate. On her wedding night, however, she was forced to imagine that someone else would have access to it as she did.

Jane's mind drifted further into imagining that night..the feelings had been so potent she could access the memory at any time like it had happened mere minutes ago...

. . .

After dinner, Edward had assured Jane that he would be in his room until she returned to him, having readied herself for bed. His words had caused a lump in her throat, though in answering him it could not be detected. She felt silly for her nerves, torn equally between feeling perfectly comfortable and feeling perfectly inadequate. He had been so calm and self-assured when he spoke to her and yet his words did nothing but cause torment within her.

Jane changed out of her dress at a deliberately normalised speed, not wanting to rush or take too long. She folded the dress on the edge of the bed that she had slept in for the past few nights, understanding that the previous night had been the last time she would sleep there alone. That thought had been comforting, for it was not the intimacy she feared, it was the unknown. She was positive her new husband would know things, perhaps even expect things of which she had no knowledge. Above all, she did not want to disappoint him.

Jane stood before the mirror of her bedroom naked as she had been many times before. But this time her observing eyes looked for only imperfections, or things which could possibly not be to the taste of a man. She was rather small, with no curves or striking features- and she certainly had no natural beauty to pride herself upon. She supposed her hair was nice, for it was now loose and hung in long curls down her back. Even in twirling a curl around her finger though, she felt insecure. She hurriedly slipped her nightgown over herself and looked back in the mirror to see her familiarly plain self looking back at her. Not knowing what else to do, and not wanting to prolong her nerves, she left her room and walked down the hallway, pausing before pushing opened the door of her husbands room without knocking.

Edward sat in an armchair by the fire, looking blankly into it. He was quite relaxed, having discarded his jacket and unbuttoned his top button of his shirt. He had already removed his shoes and looked like he had dragged his hand through his hair to loosen it as well. His calm and easiness of being put Jane at ease, for his mind was not occupied with expectations, it seemed to be occupied with nothing at all. When he heard the door he looked up, waiting to hear the sound of his approaching wife.

Jane said nothing, but lowered herself onto his lap as she had done many times before, putting her arm around his shoulder. She was comfortable here, and felt at peace.

"Hello my love" he said, softly, putting his arm around her waist. Jane noticed how much more of his hand she could feel through the thin fabric of her nightdress, surely he must have noticed too. If he did, he did not embarrass her by acting like it.

"Hello" Jane replied, smiling, putting her head on his shoulder.

"You are tired" he said knowingly, "We can go straight to sleep my darling, if you like"

"No" Jane replied, "No. I have no desire to sleep".

He was taken aback at the quickness and honesty of her answer. It reinstated his faith in her desire to be intimate with him.

"Jane" he began slowly, "You know very well that I have wanted this for us for a very long time, in ways that you cannot even begin to understand just now. But I love you above everything else, and I want this to happen in the right way. If you are not ready, or wish to sleep, or want to stay up the whole night like this, I would be content to do all of those things".

Jane felt a little stab of guilt.

"Edward, can I be honest with you?"

"Of course"

"I wish to be with you, more than I trust myself to say. I want to give you everything I possibly can. I just do not know what to do"

His automatic and honest words managed to soothe the rapid beating of Jane's heart instantly.

"Trust me" he said lowly, his voice full of strength and masculine energy, "I only ask for your trust".

"You have my full trust. And my full heart" Jane assured him.

He pressed his mouth to hers in a slow and passionate kiss, holding her chin between his thumb and finger. He drew her in more deeply, and she pressed herself to him fully. He put his hand on the back of her neck and held her firmly to him. There was something different about his kiss, something more needing, and primitive. Jane allowed herself to be taken by him, overwhelmed by the feeling of his mouth on hers, making her head dizzy with desire.

When he pulled away Jane was left feeling disorientated, and like she was made of lead. Her small moan of frustration that escaped from her lips made her husband smile. He knew that if he took things slowly, if he could control himself, she would be mad with desire by the time he would take her her insecurities would melt away in the face of need. He stood up, lifting her gently from his arms onto the floor and walked her to the bed slowly by their interlocked fingers. She followed willingly, holding her husbands hand warmly between her own. Once that they stopped, he felt for her shoulders and ran his hand all the way down her arm to where the cuff of her nightgown ended.

"We are going to need to undress you for the next part" he said. Jane nodded, but as he could not see the action she spoke her confirmation instead.

"Lie back darling" he said, his tone half commanding, half gentle encouragement. She did as he asked and lay on her back before him. His hand reached for her leg and slowly began to drag the hem of the nightgown up until Jane felt the cool air hit her stomach, her breasts and finally her arms before it was lifted above her head. Edward discarded the item of clothing on the floor, not averting his attention from her.

There was nothing to hide now. She lay before him completely naked, completely exposed. But she felt strangely safe, and suddenly at ease with where she was. All her fear had manifested itself in her acknowledgement of how much she trusted the man before her.

Edward's hands set to examining her, painfully slowly. He grazed his fingers across her chest, down her arm, up her side and down her leg. Jane, out of no where, felt extremely frustrated. His touch was feather-light and agonising. She could not put into words what she was frustrated about, but she wanted more- wanted him to touch her more.

"Edward" she breathed, grabbing his arm.

"Hmm?"

She was suddenly embarrassed, she had not meant to practically beg him. She did not even know what she was asking for. He was only touching her, surely it took more than that...

But Edward seemed to know, for he smiled briefly and ran his fingers so devastatingly close to her core that she gasped audibly.

"I know, but I cannot give you that just yet".

Jane sighed in frustration as his thumb grazed over her nipple. She felt how sensitive she was, how much her body responded to his touch.

"You know" Edward began, kissing her neck, "One day, you will be able to tell me exactly what you want from me".

But Jane did not answer, she was too busy biting back a exclamation of joy as his mouth closed around her breast. She tried watching momentarily, but threw her head back against the pillow instead, pleasure rushing through her whole body to the tips of her fingers and does. As his tongue flicked her nipple she cried out, despite her desperate attempt to be quiet.

He looked up unseeingly at his wife, feeling for her arms and pulling them away from her mouth.

"If I cannot see what you look like, I want to hear you" he said, warmly. And then, in a lower and deeper tone, he whispered in her ear. "You are so beautiful".

He pressed his lips to hers again, and Jane felt how much she wanted to press her body to his. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he too made a noise of satisfaction as she deepened the kiss. But he broke the kiss to resume his previous task, except this time he took the other breast in his mouth and teased her others nipple. Jane felt something tightening in her stomach- a pressure she had never felt before. Her back arched and she pushed more of herself into his mouth. He grinned against her skin, pulling back to kiss her stomach sensually.

Like his hands had done before, he now studied her body with his mouth. He planted kisses all down her arm, across her chest, and stomach. As he kissed up her leg she thought he was kissing impossibly high, keeping her away from what she wanted. But it couldn't be...could it?

"Part your legs a little for me darling" he said. Again she obeyed him and felt him duck his head between them. Surely he wouldn't?

But in an instant her own question was answered, he would. She felt his run his tongue along her and she moaned helplessly, trying to catch her breath. She felt light as air, and happier than she had perhaps felt in her whole life. The tightness that had subsided slightly in her stomach returned instantly and intensified ten fold. She slammed her hand into the headboard, trying to steady herself against the tumult of feeling building between her legs. And then his tongue slipped inside of her and she cried out his name in desperation.

Jane's own cries were drowned out by wave upon wave of pleasure shooting through her body like lightening. She heard the pounding in her chest rush past her ears as her eyes shut tightly. She pulled helplessly at Edward's curls, but she was too weak, even though her body felt lighter than it ever had. And slowly she listened and waited for her heart to slow, for her senses to return, for her head to clear of the fog of absolute bliss that had descended over it.

Edward had somehow moved up beside her, running his thumb around her parted, heaving lips.

Jane touched his face lightly before dropping her head onto the pillow again, feeling her chest rise and fall.

"I did not know humans were capable of feeling that" Jane muttered breathy.

Edward smiled, glowing with masculine pride.

"Not all humans are"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it can be a very different experience for people, depending on who they are with"

"Because some people are not very good lovers?"

Edward bit back a smile, feeling humbled by her lack of insight into what they had just shared.

"On a very surface level, yes. Some people are not good lovers. But, I think that is primarily because when you care about the person you are with, it is a very different experience. It cannot be surface, and cannot only be about your own desires, for you cannot silence the part of yourself that cares so deeply for another soul".

Jane looked at him, running her thumb along his jaw.

"How do you know that?" she asked,

"I have just learned it" he replied, softly.

Edward pressed his lips to Jane's once more, forcing his racing mind to be slow and gentle with her as he moved over her. She could not possibly know what they were capable of together- what he wanted them to share together, and he could not frighten her by blindly asking such of her. She needed to fall asleep that night at peace, and happy, not tormented by visions of him forcing himself upon her like an animal. He had no desire to do any such thing.

But she had been amazing. She had opened herself like a flower to him. Her trust and vulnerability spilled from every part of her, flooding him with confidence in himself and her. She had lay there, experiencing everything without fear or hesitation. She was beyond words.

Edward slipped his hand slowly between his wife's legs, no longer worried around frightening her by his touch. She gasped into the kiss slightly as his fingers slid effortlessly through sleek folds.

"Look at you" he said, "You are still so wet".

Jane blushed at the unembarrassed way he spoke of her,

"Is that wrong?" she asked, insecurely.

"No" he answered quickly, "No it is perfectly right. That is you wanting me".

"Oh". She marvelled at her own body, how in tune it was with her mind.

"Your turn to undress me" Edward said, sounding strangely amused. Jane watched him as he lay down on the bed, his shirt loose and somehow now pulled from inside his pants. He knew she would be hesitant, even reserved in doing this to him. But he wanted to show her from the very start of their marriage that they were equals, in every way. He never wanted her to be shy about asking for what she needed when she had the ability to do so, and that started in this moment. He was hers as much as she was his.

Jane moved, gathering all of her courage, and straddled him, sitting on his stomach as she moved her hands to his buttons. He groaned slightly, biting his lip in mixed arousal and amusement.

"You are not making this easy for me, Jane"

"What do you mean?"

"Sitting on me as you are now. Your small and slight fingers tracing my buttons"

Jane had reached the final button and pushed back her husbands shirt, revealing his chest. She set immediately to touching him, to touching his strong solid muscles and the soft hair of his chest. There was something irresistibly intriguing about him.

"Hmm" she mused contentedly.

It was too much, a man could only wait so long.

"Lie back darling" he said, manoeuvring her down slowly onto the pillows once more as he stood to slip off his trousers. Jane watched him, knowing he could not see the way she observed him, and the body that was so unlike her own. Her initial response was to look away, but she did not want to look away. She would not be embarrassed, she would touch and feel him instead. His level of comfort with her was almost intoxicating in its attractiveness.

Jane felt more relaxed this time in her exposed pose. She craved her husband to touch her, to make her skin feel like flame again. Surely there was more to what they would do...there had to be if that part of hers "wanted him" and he stood before her in all his natural male stature.

He kissed all along her body again, but this time it was not teasing and agonising as it was before. It was soothing, it was fulfilling. Her body arched into his confidant mouth- he kissed her where she needed to be kissed. If he paused momentarily, her moans of frustration were short, and quickly answered. He wanted her to be fully relaxed, and fully at ease.

As he kissed her body, Jane examined his muscles flexing and relaxing naturally as he worked. She thought she could observe this body for days. She ran her hands along him innocently, exploratory, sending unintended desire pulsing through her husband. But she could not continue, for feeling started to build in her again, and her heart began to thump in her ears.

Edward suddenly drew back from her stomach and kissed her lips lovingly. Jane looked at him mounting himself before her and felt a slight pang of fear mixed with exhilaration.

"Jane, this may hurt you a little. There may even be a little blood, but such will only be for a moment. I wish I could do more to prevent it-"

"All is well" Jane assured him bravely, trying also to assure herself. "I trust you".

"Alright" he said lowly, "Then I will need your legs parted again darling, just like that".

He kissed her forehead protectively before entering her slowly in one long thrust.

He was painful at first, the feel of him inside her was tight and uncomfortable. And suddenly he seemed to break through some invisible layer inside of her which caused her to wince in pain.

"Stay with me, my love. It will not be so for much longer, I promise" he soothed, looking slightly pained.

But as he had promised the pain had only lasted a few moments longer. The sharp sensation was replaced with a feeling of absolute fullness. The feeling that had grown painfully strong in her stomach and moved up into her chest was rekindled, this time with the intense power of raw desire.

And then he moved, rocking inside of her ever so slowly at first. She gasped audibly, the moan that followed releasing her pent up anticipation in one glorious breath. He moved faster now, increasingly attentive to her sounds and the feeling of her beneath him. Jane grabbed the bed cloths and balled them in her fist, gasping desperately. She felt the familiar sensation threatening to overtake her before feeling smashed into her with the greatest force of anything she had ever felt. She wrapped her arms around his neck, trying to home onto some part of him as her world spun and her head lost all knowledge of where she was. And suddenly she felt the most wonderful thing. A warmth spread inside her that did not come from herself and as she looked at her husband's face she saw that it was contorted in immense happiness.