Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone!

I am so sorry. Christmas was exceptionally busy for me this year and writing became very difficult. But I missed it so much! And am thrilled to be posting way more often in the upcoming days!

I hope you are all well, and you have an amazing new year. I am more thankful for you all than ever and I truly, truly appreciate every message I receive SO much. I cannot even tell you my excitement when I get an e-mail from one of you. Your encouragement means the world.

Wishing you all the very, very best.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Jane began explaining everything of what she understood of the situation, but as she spoke she could see that Diana's face had not softened, nor given the slightest indication that she was processing anything of what had been said. Jane understood instantly that her words were doing no good, and that to explain further would not convince her more.

Sighing, Jane reached across her lap to take Diana's hand. She seemed reluctant, pulling her face away in the opposite direction, but she did not move her hand.

"Diana, I know it is a lot to take it. I know it is quite shocking. But Mary is traumatised, and she is in need of your compassion and support above all else. We can sort the rest- do whatever needs to be done. But without your support as a sister, I think we shall fail miserably in whatever we try to do".

"Jane I-" Diana started, but she broke off, pulling her hand away slowly. Her face looked strained, torn between trying desperately to convince herself of something and looking terribly guilty for it.

"I love my sister, very much. I do not believe she would have done this of her own accord. I pity her very much indeed, and grieve deeply for all she has suffered. But I am a married woman now, a captain's wife. There are certain ideas of reputation I must maintain at all times. I could not embarrass my husband- not so early into our marriage. This scandal cannot break when I am still making my rounds to meet his family, it would be unbearable".

Jane was put off by Diana's cold and selfish words, but in an attempt to encourage her, she piped up quickly

"The scandal need not break at all. We can keep it very quiet-"

"For a little while, perhaps, but not always. These things always have a way of getting out, and I could not be associated with this situation when it does. Seeing as she is my sister, she must always be associated with me by nature"

"So you are saying that you are willing to sacrifice a sister for the sake of reputation? A sister that has done nothing wrong? That has only suffered at another hand?"

"No" she said quickly, but her brow quickly furrowed in thought "Not exactly. But I am also not willing to drag her scandal into my reputation. Not when my husband is so important and influential".

"And yet, if that is indeed what you believe, you would be willing for me and my family to ruin our own reputations in order to help her? What say you of my reputation? Or my husbands? So long as yours is not damaged I am assuming you believe it is all well".

"Jane, that is very different-"

"Frankly, I fail to see how".

At that moment, however, the door opened to reveal Mr Rochester and Captain Franklin, and the rest of Jane's thought fell from her lips. The Captain looked determined, but not upset, as he moved towards his wife. From Diana's attitude, Jane assumed he would be upset by the situation, even angry at it. But he was calm, and mature as he spoke.

"Have you talked with Mary yet?"

"No, not yet"

"Mr Rochester has just told me briefly of what he has just experienced with her".

"Yes indeed. Jane was just explaining some details"

"Then I should like to hear them, Mr Rochester did not have the time elaborate fully".

Seeing this as her opportunity to escape, Jane stood and made her way towards the door, calling back across her shoulder that she was going to go check on Henry without turning back for a response.

She was not a few feet outside the door when it closed behind her and Edward was at her side, sending her a knowing glance.

"Henry is fine with Mary for a few more minutes. I know that look."

Jane went to speak but stopped herself, putting her hands on her hips as she reconfigured her words to be less angry.

"I am shocked by Diana's coldness. Her response just then was shocking Edward, I did not even know how to react-"

"Come in here" he gestured understandingly, pointing towards his opened office door. Perhaps the hallway was not far enough away to conceal what she wished to say about her cousin. She was grateful for her husbands wisdom.

When the office door closed behind Jane with a reassuring click that promised privacy, she looked at her husband and shook her head. She began talking before Edward had asked anything.

"She seems to want no part of Mary in her life anymore. She is so consumed in her role as a new wife that she is refusing to see her own sister through the fear of losing an honourable reputation she has gained in her marriage"

"Do you blame her?"

"Edward, of course I do. I understand there is much newness in being a recently married woman, but I can imagine nothing that could tempt me into abandoning my sister"

"I only ask because I can see that Diana is far more insecure than you were when you married me. In marrying me, you married into a technically richer, more well-established, and older family than Diana has, and yet you never once thought of any of those things. Diana came from a relatively poor situation, and being less sure of herself clearly has made an impact on how she views herself as inferior within the marriage. She is probably defensive because she still does not feel like she deserves the life is now in".

Jane felt like snapping back some reply, realising that there was more truth to her husbands words then she wanted to believe, but he was right, and although Diana's actions were wrong they were not unjustified. She slumped back into a nearby chair and sighed.

"With that being said" Edward continued, "What she says and feels is not right".

Jane brought her hand to her mouth, her eyes burning with the threat of tears.

"It is just so odd to see, Edward. When I first meet Diana she would have done anything for her sister. I mean, look what she did for me, a complete stranger. I like the Captain very much, and indeed theirs has been a very good union. But Diana seems to have lost herself in marriage completely".

Rochester sat beside his wife, bringing her hand away from her mouth and to his lips instead. His warmth seemed to shatter the ice that had formed around her heart, and she felt calmer, and better than she had in days.

"I would wager that most people become lost in their marriage, and lose the person that they were before. I, for one, am exceptionally lucky and grateful to have a wife who has not only retained every ounce of her individuality that I fell madly in love with, but has grown with me, and made me a better man".

Jane looked at him seriously.

"Tell me something".

He smiled at her, "Anything".

"Tell me that I am angry with Diana now, but will not be for long. Tell me that she is only angry right now, and confused, and as a result has said things she does not mean. Tell me she will come around and this terrible situation can be made better".

He nodded, looking into her face.

"I am sure of it".

"Alright" she said softly, pressing her forehead to her husbands. "Then I will be patient and less angry than I have been".

She felt his familiar and comfortable lips find hers, and then the kiss had ended far too quickly. His hand cupped her face as he kissed her forehead.

"I love you" she said, softly.

"Jane help me" he pleaded, causing her face to break into a smile. "Help me. All these people are back in our house again. I am not a good social man anymore. I am tired of it all. I just want my family. Let them stay, but let us go, somewhere far away. Oh God almighty"

"No, no" Jane said laughing, tugging on his jacket collar, "I need your help. I cannot do it alone".

"If I had the bags packed in ten minutes, would you be at the door waiting for me?"

Jane shook her head, sighing into a laugh. "I think I very well would be".

. . .

When Jane left the office with Edward she found that Diana and the Captain were still sitting in the study, talking lowly very close together. But when Diana saw Jane was going to retrieve Henry she stood and said she would accompany her upstairs in order to see Mary.

The meeting of the sisters was awkward, and so oddly formal. Mary attempted very sadly to try and tell her sister what had happened to her while serving as governess to her awful family, but it was no good. Diana's poorly acted acceptance of the situation, with the additional inability to look Mary in the eye was not convincing at all. Diana very suddenly shifted the conversation to the fussing baby in Mary's arms, and then she talked about the conditions of the roads on the journey over, as if it was a matter equally as important as what Mary had just attempted to say. Unable to stand it any longer, Jane took Henry from Mary's arms and smiled at her.

"Diana, let us allow Mary to rest. She has been looking after my fussing son for far too long now, and it is enough to tire anyone out excessively"

Jane tried to sound as genuine and kind as she truly felt. Whether this worked or not she did not know. Mary looked very dejected and drained by her sisters rather cold and dismissive attitude. Jane was positive that Mary wanted to share more with Diana than she felt comfortable doing, and her fear that she would be judged had surely solidified during their encounter. Jane had tried to send Mary a reassuring glance as she closed the door, but Mary was glancing out of the window, her head turned away, and missed it.

Outside of the room, Diana made a bigger deal of meeting Henry for the first time, acting overly positive and overly sympathetic to how Jane must have felt as a new mother. Jane was uncomfortable that Diana now showed an interest in her son after having used him as an excuse to avoid talking with Mary about her pregnancy only minutes ago. When Diana offered to take him for a little while Jane politely refused, explaining that she and her husband would like some time with him before dinner, for they had not seen him for some of the afternoon. She accepted this without appearing to think much of it and walked off to find the Captain. Jane watched her until she vanished around the corner of the long hallway, mulling over in her mind whether or not Diana felt the way she acted or was just scared. She prayed it was the second option.

Dinner was a quiet and once again unnatural affair. The Captain was clearly unaware of the tension that had been established in the house throughout the day, or if he was aware of it he did not act so, for he talked of every mundane thing under the sun from estate flowers to the wonderful state of the roads leading up to the house. Jane passed polite answers, but was in no mood to elaborate on her responses. She did not think the Captain spoke in such a way in order to seem insensitive or passive, but the fact that he did not understand the severity of the situation was enough to frustrate Jane even further. When he began talking of racing horses being sold in town to Mr Rochester, who Jane noted bore the conversation unnaturally well for someone who had zero interest in horses, the need to speak subsided and Jane finished her dinner in silence. The guests retired early from having a long day of travel, and so thankfully there were no after dinner activities. When Jane went to check on Mary she found her asleep, and so she returned to her room, fully ready for bed.

Edward was already lying in bed playing with his son who was laid beside him, his arm serving as a protective wall around him. The sight of them together could have washed every negative thought from Jane's mind in an instant, and so she rushed to join them, undressing and redressing quickly before climbing into bed.

Edward, who had been smiling warmly at his son as he watched his tiny fingers curl around his finger, looked up at Jane.

"That dinner was-"

"I know. Terribly tense".

"Does the Captain not know of what Diana has been saying?"

"I do not know. But he acted as if he did not know, or does not care".

"Hm" said Edward thoughtfully, shaking his finger gently so that Henry gripped it harder. "Interesting. They spent a lot of time talking amongst themselves today. What else could they have been saying?"

"I know. I cannot imagine him not having any questions for her, nor her being dishonest with him. Still, his behaviour was strange".

"Well all I can say is thank goodness there was no after dinner activities. I do not think I could bare it. You forget Jane I am not a patient man, and my patience expired tonight during that conversation of racing horses"

"I know" Jane interjected quickly, "Thank you. You really did bare that conversation excessively well".

"Did I? Could you tell I was seething beneath?"

Jane smiled, "Only because I know you so well".

He chuckled as Jane softly kissed the top of Henry's head where his soft mound of hair always rested messily.

"All of this has taken me away from you far too much" Jane said to Henry, kissing him once more, "I cannot imagine anything more unfair. Any moment I am not with you is a moment wasted".

Edward relaxed back on the bed and looked up at Jane, "You are very right. Tomorrow will not be like this. I cannot stand seeing you upset, and I know you are only upset that you, Diana and Mary are not on equal speaking terms as you always are. Perhaps Diana will just need to sleep on it, and the shock of it all will have worn off by tomorrow morning".

"I hope so" Jane said, laying back too so that her head rested on the soft pillow. "I hope so very much. If not, I will speak with her more frankly than I have even today. This must end, and if it does not naturally, I will put an end to it myself".

"Do you think you will have to?"

"I guess we shall see".