Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone!
I hope everyone had an amazing, peaceful break.
I was super busy over the break which is why posting was limited, but this is a long chapter so I hope it makes up for it. There is exciting stuff coming right around the corner. I am really excited.
I hope you enjoy this chapter. Much love!
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The carriage ride over to the Eshton's was a miserable one. The freezing cold and heavy rain caused the roads to be wet and uneven. At one point, Jane thought the carriage was truly stuck in the mud but with a few pulls the wheels were moving again. This happened continually for the rest of the ride, causing Edward to be annoyed and on edge, though he did not take it out on his wife. Instead he was quiet and busied himself with looking out of the rain soaked windows. The invitation to dinner had been for seven o'clock but the road conditions had been so bad that the Rochester's did not arrive until after seven thirty. When the carriage rolled to a stop in front of the door, Anne came running out wringing her hands in worry.
"They are here!" she called back to her husband who came out shortly behind her. Rochester stepped out of the carriage and helped Jane down, holding his jacket over her head.
"Watch your step, love" he said, lightly lifting her to the steps of the Eshton's to avoid the slush of mud at the foot of the carriage steps.
"Come in, come in" Eshton called, hurrying them inside, "My god what a night. How horrible it has become"
"I am so sorry we are late!" Jane said,
"Blasted roads are a nightmare" Rochester explained, shaking out his coat before stepping inside the door, "Nothing but loose mud"
"We assumed as much. It does not matter, we were just worried the carriage had overturned on the road" Eshton said, nodding to his butler to indicate dinner was ready.
"Oh yes, very worried. We were about to send some men out, but then we saw you approaching".
"Anne, have your guests arrived?" a woman's voice asked, the speaker sweeping out into the entrance of the house a moment later.
The woman who stood before the group was very beautiful indeed. She was similar to Anne in ways, but seemed to possess all of her features in an enhanced way. Her skin was white and smooth and her cheek was round with a light pink flush on them. Her large eyes were bright green with freckling of yellow which made them bright and beautiful. These were set behind heavy-lashed lids which blinked slowly in order to draw more attention to them. Her lips were small and a soft pink, and Jane had the impression she spoke with them very intentionally. Her hair was light blonde, almost white, and was worn down in a loose wave with braids wrapping around the back of her head. She possessed a strong yet somewhat unconvincing air of innocence and naivety which clashed with her evident self assurance. It was as if she was trying to create a reputation for herself that was contradictory to her very nature, and thus very difficult to believe. She advanced slowly, hands held before her and eyes bent upon the floor.
"Sylvia, this is my good friend Mr Edward Rochester and his wife, Jane".
"Hello" she said, nodding ever so slightly as she brought her hands up to her chest, batting her long eyelashes twice.
'How do you do?"
Mr Rochester bowed to her and straightened up again as she was still lowering her hands to her side. Anne looked annoyed as Sylvia walked lazily to Jane, smiling.
"Hello. My sister Anne has told me much about you, Jane. I am very interested in getting to know you better".
Her voice was soft and wispy with little to no substance. It perhaps would have been quite annoying had it not been so amusing.
"Dearest, where did you go?" another voice called, and once again a stranger stepped into the entrance of the house.
This man, apparently Sylvia's husband, was equally as striking as his wife but in a less flattering way. He was tall and slim with long limbs that seemed to drag behind him as he moved, making him look grossly inelegant. He walked with a gold cane which was too short for him, causing him to bend slightly to the side. He wore a waistcoat of bright purple under a navy tailcoat with a flashy gold pocket watch hanging noticeably from the jacket. Once he removed his obscenely large top hat, he revealed hair which looked black and wavy by nature, yet sweat caused it to stick to his forehead in an unfortunate manner. When he smiled, his large teeth filled most of his mouth in a cocky, uninspiring smile that was as flashy as it was off putting. As he reached them, Jane was shocked to see how young he actually was, and suddenly he was a little boy in his fathers clothing.
"Eshton, my dear man, who do we have here?" he asked, clapping his brother in law on the shoulder.
"This" said Sylvia, gliding once more in front of Edward, "This is Mr Rochester. And this-" she said, gliding back to Jane and indicating to her, in spite of her being the only person he did not now know," This is his wife, Jane".
"Hello" he said, speaking equally as slowly as his wife. He bowed deeply to Jane and took her hand, kissing it in what he must have assumed was a gentlemanly way. "What a pleasure it is to meet you".
Edward placed his hands on his wife's shoulder as Eshton added,
"Rochester, this is Barnaby Hexley, husband to Sylvia and my brother in law".
Rochester bowed courteously, but looked rather unimpressed with the pair.
"Well, supper is ready so shall we go in and eat?" Anne asked, leading the way with Jane at her side. There was loud and immediate chatter from the Hexleys as they entered the dining room. Anne rolled her eyes.
"Do you see what I mean?" she asked lowly, taking Jane's arm, "Sylvia was rather like me at one time. But now, I am not sure how to describe her. It is like she thinks of herself as some whimsical figure unaffected by the rest of the world- at least when she is around men. Alone she is rather different".
Jane smiled understandingly,
"Perhaps, but she seems harmless enough Anne. Many women act differently in front of men in order to gain their attention. She would not be the first".
"Yes, but is it wrong if such bothers me regardless?"
They rounded the corner into the dining room where Sylvia and Barnaby were waiting at the top of the table. When the ladies went to sit down, Barnaby awkwardly slid into the chair besides Jane, leaving Edward standing beside her.
"So Ms Rochester, where do you and your husband live?"
"Barnaby, I believe you have accidentally sat in Mr Rochester's seat"
"Oh, have I? My goodness, I have"
"It is fine" Edward said, moving around the table and sitting in between Anne and Sylvia. Eshton sent him an apologetic look, but he sat down without complaint.
"Go on, Ms Rochester"
"Oh, I am sorry. We- uh- live not far from here. On the other side of the country, boarding the south rather than the north"
Jane was distracted watching him pick up his napkin and snap it noisily in the air to open it so he could lay it across his lap.
"Oh, do you indeed? Is it a family house of your husbands?"
"No, it is not. We bought the home when we first married".
"Did you indeed? Now, how did that come about?"
"My husband's family home was destroyed in a fire"
"Now, isn't that simply so unfortunate? Yes indeed, I knew a couple in Bristol not so long ago who similarly lost their old family home in a fire. It was rather tragic- spread too quickly to be stopped, I'm afraid. How did it begin for you?"
"Barnaby? Ham?" Eshton asked, somewhat forcefully. Anne sent her husband a somewhat nervous look, but Edward looked at Jane easily, shrugging his amusement.
"So Mr Rochester, how is it that you meet your wife?" Sylvia asked, clearly burning to have asked this since sitting down at the table, "Our story- that is Barnaby's and I, is so unique, we love to hear others"
"How did you two meet then?" Rochester asked,
"Oh, no no, you first" Sylvia insisted,
Edward looked to his wife, inviting her to explain.
"I meet Edward in his house. I worked for him as his governess"
"Really!?" Barnaby asked, seeming genuinely shocked,
"How peculiar. You must tell us every last detail of how the affair came to be".
"Well, I was raised without parents, for they both died when I was very young. I went to a charitable school where I studied until I was eighteen, and then I advertised for a job outside of the school where I had been teaching for two years. The housekeeper of Edward's old home answered and I became governess to his ward, Adele".
"But, how did you actually begin know each other?" Sylvia asked, seeming somewhat confused
"I am sorry. I am not sure I know what you mean"
"Well, my governess quite hid in my house. She had to. My father would not have her having more influence over us than he thought was right. She stayed in our schoolroom and then in the servants quarters, and so it was very hard for anyone to know her, outside of us children. Someone may have believed she was a ghost she was so vacant"
"That is not entirely fair, Sylvia" Anne interjected, "Our governess was not well. She could not do with much excitement, for it was not good for her constitution".
"The point being, Anne, father did not invite her into his company very frequently"
"Well that was not an option for me" Mr Rochester said "I felt drawn to Jane from the minute I meet her. She brought something to me that I had been missing for the whole of my life. She was my friend instantly, a confidant and a support of which I had never known. And then she became more- much more to me".
"And I suppose with no family to care, it was easier to marry her as your servant" Barnaby offered, not necessarily wishing to seem rude but appearing very much in that way.
"My family's presence or lack thereof was irrelevant to myself marrying Jane. I would have married her no matter the situation and I believe I can speak for her when I say that she would have done the same. Social customs matter very little, Mr Hexley if you know no happiness by them".
"Well, Mr Rochester, I can tell that such a model has worked for you. But do you not believe that social customs are in place for a reason? That society could not work without them? What would happen if every man in England did what you have done"
"I think the people of this country would be far more happy".
"I agree with Rochester" Eshton added, "I think very little of social customs are actually necessary to run this country. I think they are intended to keep the wealthy rich and to keep the poor working for them. I am not saying that this will change, or even needs to change, any time soon but I do believe it must be recognised in that way as the truth".
"You are new to money, Eshton-" Barnaby began, sure to bumble some horrid speech about new money but Edward cut in quickly.
"And yet, my family is not. Differing opinions are not often heard in this country, and I believe that is why it suffers".
Hexley went to say something but Eshton stopped him.
"I am afraid we are boring the women with our talk of politics"
"Only slightly" Anne said, "How boring your political meeting's must be, Mr Eshton".
But unfortunately, from the next turn of conversation, it would have been much better to continue talking about politics. Sylvia sat forward in her chair, sipping her soup slowly on her spoon. She glanced over at her husband, her eyes drooping lazily between half shut lids.
"Dearest, tell them how we meet. The story is so wonderful I think that the people here deserve to know".
Edward rolled his eyes, but only Jane caught this from the opposite side of the table. She sent him a knowing look which made him smile.
"No, you tell them. You always relay it so much better"
"No, I do not. You know that is not true my sweet pea"
Eshton cut his pork with unnecessary force as Anne drank her wine slowly, looking dully into the distance.
"I will not fight with these people in front of you. I had just broken off an engagement with a girl- sweet girl, but not a good match for me. She- uh, was too serious for a woman. It is not a good trait. She was also rather talent-less in her own way. Poor creature. She still is unmarried. Anyways, I digress. I was with this girl at a ball in Bath, invited by her family, and I saw Sylvia across the room and at that very moment decided I wanted to marry her instead of Maria- no I'm sorry, her name was Martha. No! Maria, it was Maria".
Edward turned his head in disbelief, not bothering to hide his amazement as Barnaby bumbled through his story. Eshton's forkful of food hung suspended in the air, his mouth opened in shock. Sylvia smiled at him, shaking her head.
"Barnaby, go on".
"I had spoken with Sylvia during the night, and she told me that she was not engaged, so I instructed her to meet me the next night at the ball and I would no longer be entangled in an engagement. I kept my promise, and during the carriage ride home I immediately cut things off with my fiance. The next night, when I went to the ball again, Sylvia was not there. I was so angry I cannot even tell you. I had broken off an engagement for a woman who I may never have seen again. But, in my heart, I had a feeling that she would reappear. I went back to the social gatherings for- well, only for another night and then she reappeared explaining that her aunt's carriage had needed repairing and she could not-"
"We married the next day" Sylvia added, looking unaccountably proud, "We just could not wait. I could not imagine being married to anyone else, not after being in Barnaby's presence. I, of course, also had suitors interested in my hand, but I know I was brought to that ball for a reason. And that reason was to meet my future husband".
"Marriage is so strange though, is it not? We spent the first month learning about each other. Our favourite colours, food, dances, those kinds of things that you cannot know before you truly are married to someone"
"Well, I mean, you could have always asked, could you not?" Eshton said, looking somewhat sceptical.
Barnaby laughed but said nothing, and an odd awkwardness fell over the group. For a few moments the only sound in the room was the clattering of cutlery until Eshton laid down his utensils.
"Jane, do tell us- how are Mary and the Franklins?"
"They are doing well! I received a letter from Diana only a few days ago informing me that Mr Franklin has been very busy with work and as a result Diana and Mary have had much time alone together"
"Why working so much?" Eshton asked,
"The militia left port a few weeks ago and they are bringing on new recruits for the Navy" Edward explained, "Franklin is currently in charge of these new recruits. I believe he is looking for a job which allows him to be more permanently at home rather than at sea"
"Understandably" Eshton said, "Sea life is terribly lonely, and terribly drawn out. He has had his young life to be out at sea, he has paid his dues, and now he is free to retire into a less demanding position".
"Um, who are these people?" Barnaby asked,
"Diana Franklin and Mary Rivers are my cousins" Jane explained, "But since they have become close friends to the Eshton's too.
"And Mary has married this Franklin?"
"No, Diana married Captain Franklin. Her sister is still Mary Rivers"
"Rivers...Rivers...I knew a man by the name Rivers. His name was St John- very odd name indeed".
"St John is their brother and is also my cousin" Jane said,
Edward looked between Jane and Barnaby with some disbelief
"And how do you know St John?"
"We studied at Cambridge together"
"Then you studied ministry"
"I tried" he laughed, "But it was not suited for me. St John had a devotion to it I could not understand nor possess. Still, he was relatively popular and known mostly for his good looks. I am sure it is a shame they were wasted on his ministry work".
Anne grinned at Jane and Jane knew she was running over the story of St John's insincere but, to his mind, practical proposal to her friend and finding much amusement in it.
"Was he handsome?" Anne asked innocently, "We have never meet him, you see. I believe he is a missionary in..."
"India" Jane finished,
Eshton looked to his wife with a certain amount of confusion.
"Oh, he was. He was tall and had blonde hair with piercingly blue eyes. His personality did not match this, however, for he was hard and stern and there was no amusement to be found with him. He will have to find a very serious, unaffected wife. Has he found one yet?" he asked Jane.
Edward chuckled to himself under his breath as Jane shook her head,
"No, he has not".
. . . .
When dinner ended, the ladies and gentlemen separated- the men to drink and smoke and the women to have tea. Jane was thankful that once alone, Anne was far more assertive with her sister then she was willing to be in front of everyone else. When Jane was asked a question, Sylvia cut in to answer but was quickly stopped by Anne.
"Sylvia, you are being rude to our guest"
"But of course, I should like to know what your plans are" Jane said, looking to Sylvia.
"I am sorry, I am going with Mr Hexley to his mothers house. She is such a darling, and desperate to see us again. She only saw us very briefly after the wedding because she was also travelling at the time. We were actually going there once we leave here and we are going to stay until the holidays".
"That is a month away" Anne said, "That is quite a while for you to stay as house guests"
"Yes, but as I say she is a darling and excessively fond of us. What about you, Jane?"
"We are staying home for Christmas" she replied, realising she had not yet told Anne of the plan for everyone to come to their house to stay for the holidays but not wanting to mention it in front of Sylvia.
"Oh yes? No travel at all?"
"No, in truth my husband and I do not have any family to visit".
"Oh I see. I could never do it myself, things would become so excessively boring at home if I remained there all of the time".
Jane nodded politely, but she could not relate to the sentiment personally. Her home was, at least in her mind, the most wonderful place in the world.
"And what does your husband do for Christmas, then" Sylvia asked,
Jane was confused for a moment at the question, but before she could voice her confusion, Anne explained.
"Mr Rochester and his wife always remain together, they would not ever be separated but especially not on a holiday such as Christmas".
"Really!" Sylvia asked
"Well yes, we are married after all" Jane smiled, "I do not wish to be apart from him".
"But there are moments where women need space to be women, and men need space to be men. For example- when my husband smokes in the night, I do not bother him. I caution you as a friend, Jane, to be weary of spending too much time with your husband. You are newlyweds, yes? Then you still are in a sort of honeymoon phase of your union. You do not yet know how difficult it can become to be in each others presence all of the time. If your husband finds you too often in his presence, he will eventually grow tired of seeing your face, and of course your face should always be the thing he best likes to see- or at least the thing he is most proud of. Some mystery is a good thing in a union- not knowing every single detail of a persons life is a good thing. Sleeping apart, when you are not engaged in official business of marriage is helpful. Life is a very long ordeal when you are bound to be in one persons company forever".
"I see the value in your advice for certain marriage arrangements. If a couple was married more for convenience than for love, then certainly having time and space apart would be beneficial for both parties. Still, for others marriage is a partnership, and I am not sure that you could truly be partners if you were not willing to go freely to the other person when you needed them or wanted them".
"But the husband is the head of the household, Jane. No marriage is ever really a partnership with that being the case. If you were to displace your husbands position, he would likely resent you for it".
"My husband is the head of my household, but I also know he would not be satisfied if he thought I was holding back my opinions or thoughts for the sake of upholding his pride. He would be rather cross, actually".
"Jane, I do not wish to disagree with you. I only give you this advice because I wish for you to be happy. I do not wish for you to look back in two, three years time and wish you had the advice of a person who has been successfully married for quite some time now. Marriages change because people change, but what does not is the man's need to be in charge"
"Perhaps. But I think every marriage is different because each is based upon two unique individuals. With this being the case, I am not sure there is any one piece of advice that will always be true".
"Yes Sylvia, I am afraid you speak broadly" Anne said, "I envy Jane's relationship with her husband. It is opened, and honest and they are truly partners in terms of being husband and wife and being parents. I have borrowed some of what I have seen within my own marriage and have found myself very happy with the result".
"I am so glad to hear, but as I said, people change and I offer advice based on experience".
"Then Mr Hexley has changed over the course of your marriage?" Jane asked,
"Oh yes. It seems to be almost regularly with him that he seems a new person. We married out of love, and out of excitement for starting a life together. But one cannot expect that intensity of new love to last in the long term. He changed when we returned from our honeymoon- he became more quiet and reserved and demanded more time alone. I understood that, and I took to spending time alone too which was very beneficial for me in the end. My husband likes me to be on his arm in public, but at home he prefers his space. We are happiest when he calls me to his presence, and I can really be of use to him- not when I am hanging around waiting for his affection".
"Some individuals truly are suited to having their own private moments in a day. I am too" Jane said kindly, but Sylvia looked at her honestly with sadness showing for the first time on her face.
"Sometimes a day feels very long for me".
. . .
Some time later Mr Eshton, Mr Hexley and Mr Rochester reappeared in the entrance of the sitting room, Edward with his travelling cloak already on while holding Jane's cloak over his right arm. Seeing him standing there, Jane was struck not of the possibility of him changing, but by his consistency which was as set as the stars in the heavens or the sun rising in the morning. He glanced to his wife with pride, admiration, and love as Jane looked back at him feeling as if one hundred unsaid and private words passed between them in a room full of people.
"Oh no, it is not time to depart yet! It is early! Go off and have another drink" Sylvia insisted.
"I am afraid it is not early when you have a young child as these two do" Eshton said, indicating Jane and Rochester.
"He is right" Jane affirmed, standing to advance towards her husband, "We best be going"
Edward held opened her cloak and wrapped it around her as she stepped into it. Jane could feel the eyes of Sylvia piercing her intently as he did so.
"Yes, as pleasant as tonight has been, I am afraid we must be getting home" Rochester said "Our son is sure to be tired by now and in need of sleep"
"Surely your nurse will see to it"
"We have none" Jane replied, "It is only us".
Mr Huxley looked horrified and Sylvia looked annoyed, but what did this matter. Jane smiled at her friend as Anne approached, standing before herself and Edward- the rest of the group was occupied in parting conversation.
"Jane, Mr Rochester, thank you so much for coming tonight. You have made this dinner certainly less miserable than it would have been. You made it almost enjoyable".
"No, thank you for having us" Jane said, "It is always wonderful to see you".
She smiled,
"I was scared after tonight we might have scared you away permanently"
"No" Edward said, "However, next time Mr Hexley and his wife are staying with you, remember to leave their names out of our dinner invitations if you wish us to come".
Jane scolded her husband silently but Anne only laughed,
"I do not blame you for that in the slightest".
"Edward is being unfair. They were not so bad after a little while".
"Really? I found the opposite to be true. Thank goodness they leave in the morning, then we shall all have a break".
"Rochester" Hexley called, waving his hand, "Come over here and tell Sylvia that funny little story you told me earlier about that bloke from Newcastle you meet in Scotland before you leave. She will be very cross with me if you leave without telling it"
"Ah- yes, one moment" Edward said aloud before muttering under his breath "Before I have a funny little story about this bloke from London who thought Newcastle was near Plymouth. Excuse me".
Jane and Anne giggled to themselves as he advanced towards the others.
"Anne, I could not say earlier for fear of Sylvia being upset, but I wished to invite you and Mr Eshton to stay at our house for Christmas"
"Oh! How wonderful! We accept. I can say without consulting my husband that we would be delighted"
"Good! I am glad to hear. I thought it may be good for Mary to leave Diana's house for a little while with young Daniel. A change of scenery may do her very well".
"And will Father Andrew be invited to this Christmas dinner?" Anne asked, looking serious.
"Edward asked the same thing. I know how immensely hard it has been on Mary to feel the loss of his love, but I think she should be at least exposed to him, because the reality is that it seems like he will be in her life when he visits and she must hold her head high and not feel ashamed"
"Oh no, I quite agree. Though it is hard, she must not feel less than around him".
Jane nodded,
"And I am sure it will help to see you again, Jane. You are like another sister to her, and you are such a bright and warm presence I am sure you shall do her much good"
"That is very kind, Anne. I do worry for her greatly. If being with her family and friends does one ounce of good, then it will all be worth it"
"But of course, and you know it will. Christmas is but a little over a month away now- this has made the season so much more exciting! In truth, we were just going to remain at home. We have no one to visit besides you near us, and even then I know you are busy with Henry and cannot always come to every party or every dinner".
"Anne, their carriage has come" Eshton called.
Anne and Jane exchanged goodbyes before Jane reunited with her husband and parted from the Hexleys. Though there was nothing tense or unnatural in the air, Jane certainly felt relieved to be leaving them. She was helped into the carriage by her husband, the door was closed behind them, and they were off for home.
There were several moments of silence that passed between the pair before Jane grinned at Edward, laughing to herself when he sighed.
"I am exhausted" he claimed, "Exhausted from containing all my anger towards the Hexleys"
"It was rather bad at times, I must admit"
"Bad? They were the worst dinner guests I have seen in the whole of my life".
"Do you truly mean that?"
"No- but they were not far off. Afterwards, when Barnaby was speaking to me and Eshton over drinks, he talked insistently of all the different women he could have had had he not been fortunate enough to be 'blessed' with Sylvia- not that I believed a word of it. The way he spoke of women as if they were disposable pieces of creation given to men by God to use as they like and then thrown to the side when their use had been carried out was degrading. It is the exact type of men's behaviour I detest most. He had not a shed of respect for his poor wife who seemed to idolise him at dinner".
"She does" Jane said, "She spent our time at tea advising me and Anne on marriage advice- how men need to know and feel that they are the head of the house otherwise they take revenge on their wife-"
Jane grinned at her husband,
"Are you planning a revenge on me?"
"No, of course not, for I am head of your household, Ms Rochester, that is why you bear my name".
"Mm, but you know very well that if I insisted on something or wanted something of you that you would have no more success in denying me than if a King asked it of you".
Edward smiled, biting his lip in an obliviously alluring way.
"All the same" he continued, looking at her knowingly, "What other marital advice did she give you? Any you plan on adopting?".
"Well, although I am sure you would be very happy if I spent my time waiting for you and only appearing in your line of vision when you wanted me for something, I do not plan on adopting that strain of behaviour any time soon"
"Jane, come over here" Edward said, lifting his arm. Jane moved across the carriage and sat beside him, curling up close to him as he lowered him arm around her. He pressed his lips to her temple and then kissed her jaw sensually before drawing back to kiss the top of her head.
"If you ever did that, I do not know what I would do. Without knowing your fierce independence I should feel like a part of myself had withered away and died".
Jane wrapped her cloak closer around herself and nodded her forehead against his shoulder.
"Edward?"
"Yes sweetheart"
"I love you".
He kissed her lips sweetly, holding the back of her head in his hand. He deepened the kiss with the subtlest indication of his tongue moving inside her mouth as Jane pulled on his tailcoat buttons. Drawing back, he pressed his lips to her forehead and lingered there for a moment.
"I need you home in bed instantly" he said under his breath so that even without the roar of the moving carriage wheels he could not have been heard, "Once Henry is seen to, of course".
Jane only smiled and laid her head on his shoulder, looking out the window as the moon hung high in the sky.
"You are such a father, it amuses me greatly"
"Well father or not, I will never not want you"
She looked up into his face and kissed his cheek sweetly.
"I know. And I have no plans of rejecting you any time soon".