Hello everyone!
Hopefully you are all doing really well. This is a long chapter but I really like it. It is another one from Edward's perspective, so please let me know what you think! I, as always, love your feedback and really appreciate it.
Much love,
xoxo
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"No, Edward. Go on" Jane encouraged, unnecessarily smoothing out the collar of his jacket one last time on the front steps of their house, "I will be more than fine".
"I know you will, but I still do not like leaving you alone in your condition".
"You will not be far away, and I can call for you if I need you. It is only a little morning sickness"
Edward would not have been so reluctant if Jane had not woken every day that week by racing out of their bed and being sick in the bucket which had been placed in the corner of their room for that exact purpose. Dealing with lasting nausea all morning, it was not until well after lunch she could even think of eating, and even then she could not be tempted to eat very much. It made Edward worry, but she told him she was thankful it was only a small discomfort in comparison to all she had experienced while pregnant with Henry.
Edward looked at her for a long moment before he finally nodded.
"Then I will go so I can return as soon as possible".
Jane kissed his cheek,
"Do be safe, Edward"
"I always am" he assured, and she smiled.
"Say goodbye to Henry for me. Tell him I'll miss him"
"I will as soon as he wakes"
He leaned in, pressing their lips together.
"I love you"
"I love you too"
With one affectionate stoke of her cheek he turned to mount his horse and then was off, smiling at the thought that Jane would stand on the steps, waving, until he was well out of sight.
. . .
The ride to Mr Stephens undoubtedly displayed a beautiful part of the country. The winter scene, however, made it impossible to picture what the ancient trees looked like covered in leaves and bloom, and this was when the earth looked its best. At present, frost and barren branches and ice in the river was all the eye could see. And the eye could see far, for not one hill, mountain, or valley disrupted the vast landscape stretching for miles and miles.
Edward had been dreading this visit for reasons beyond what he had disclosed to his wife, but he could not have told her why. Mr Stephens was not simply known as an indifferent and apathetic magistrate, but a rather cruel one. He had gained the magistrate position when he was quite young after the death of his father and uncle and the fame and power of such status had influenced his person profoundly. It had cemented the impression of superiority in his mind which had made him detestable throughout his entire life. Edward knew on one occasion, back when his father was still alive and the magistrate of their own county, that Mr Stephens was much criticised for his decision to separate a family who suffered the fate of having a thief of a father. The children had been put out onto the kindness of strangers and had all died as a result within one year of each other. The incident had sparked outrage, and as a youth Edward remembered being deeply affected by the news. Now, as a man, he worried a similar fate could befall families sent out to live in difficult situations while their indifferent owner watched his house being repaired. Had Edward told Jane as much, her caring heart would not be unaffected and she would have insisted on coming to help. He could not tell her what to do, but he also could not protect her in such a place in her condition, especially if they had Henry with them, so he was forced to omit some of the truth from her.
Soon enough Mr Stephens estate came into view. Edward had not been here often, certainly not in recent memory, but it was as imposing and unwelcoming as he remembered it to be. The house was a plain grey rectangular stone structure with a large wooden door on the side and windows lining the front facade in a symmetrical fashion. All character of the house, however, was in its original design and not in upkeep from the present owner. Branches which were once green and vigorous which climbed the side of the house were now tangled and grey, surely not capable of vigour even in summertime. The grounds were not well kept, nor were they overgrown to a point of charm, rather simply neglected. There was not one sign of activity or business, nor any sign of life at all. For such a large house it felt very destitute.
Edward dismounted his horse and approached the door. He knocked, but it did not open and he could hear no sign of activity on the other side. Stepping back he looked around, hearing the sound of voices before he could identify the place from where they came. Someone was calling out orders and a second later, following the sound of crunching gravel, several servants carrying smouldering pieces of blackened furniture came into view. One woman walked with much difficulty, struggling to hold onto the heavy dresser she was carrying with another man. Edward could see her arms shaking with the awkward weight of it and hurried over to pick up her end. She looked at him in surprise and thanked him as he lifted it out of her hands and walked it with the other servant to a large pile of ruined furniture which had been disregarded beside the barn.
As he straightened up and knocked the soot from his hands, Edward turned towards the woman.
"Good morning, madam. This is all wreckage from the fire, I assume?"
"Why yes, sir. We are only just clearing away the debris now. Anything that could be saved we already moved out yesterday".
"I was sorry to hear of the incident. Was anyone injured?"
"No sir. Thank the Lord. It was a miracle, for it happened in the middle of the night while all were asleep".
"That is fortunate, indeed. I understand that Mr Stephens has been looking for temporary housing for his staff. Is anyone from the staff still living here?"
"I believe John sleeps in the barn" she responded slowly, "And there are a few servants who stay overnight to continue cleaning the downstairs, but that is all".
Edward furrowed his brow but before he had time to ask more questions an older male servant approached him and bowed. At this, the female servant rushed back to her assigned task.
"You are Mr Rochester?"
"I am"
"I am Mr Green, the butler. Will you follow me please"
"Thank you. I have my horse there if you would not mind sending a stable hand".
"Yes, a man is coming there now. This way, if you please"
Before long Edward was walking into the main hallway of Stephens' house. Large suits of armor and swords lined the darkly panelled walls as well as ceremonial plaques from battles fought who knew when by ancient members of his family. Edward half smiled in remembering how he had ripped such relics of family down from the wall at Thornfield and thrown them into the cellar. He had not thought to ask if they had survived the fire.
The stone floor accentuated the sound of the boots moving over it so that it echoed all the way down the long passage. And it was long, for Edward had to walk to the very end before he was shown a large set of mahogany doors.
"Mr Stephens is just through there", the old man indicated.
As Edward entered the dark room he noted instantly that the air was thick with a sickly and fragrant smoke, a mix of cigars and opium. He had recognised the smell from his travels abroad but he had never experienced the likes of such in England. It was a sickening, suffocating smell, but to those who smoked habitually it was always the case that they enjoyed being consumed by odours which were intolerable to others. The heavy haze hanging low mixed with the thick and dark curtains drawn over the windows made it almost impossible to see the room. It was not until Mr Rochester was standing directly in front of where Mr Stephens was sitting in a low chair that he could make out any part of him, yet he could see instantly that Stephens had aged since they had last spoken. He was tall and extremely thin, which was emphasised by his loosely fitting clothing. His body appeared almost concave when he stood up. His long grey hair had thinned significantly, yet he still had enough to pull back into a ponytail. His beard was full and bushy which emphasised his intense and alert brown eyes which were not capable of conveying trust or decency.
"Ah, Mr Rochester, how do you do?" he asked in his gravelly voice.
"I am well, thank you, though I was sorry to learn of your fire. How extensive was the damage?"
"Quite. Blasted servants left a candle burning. Thankfully it was confined to their living space and did not damage the upstairs of the house. You might as well take a seat".
He indicated a seat Edward had not noticed before, carefully observing the man across from him.
"And how is your family? I hear through talk in town that your wife is pregnant again. Congratulations".
"Yes, thank you. My family is all very well"
"So you still have a Ms Rochester then?" Stephens asked, leaning back and lighting a fresh cigar. The end of it burned bright orange for a moment, certainly the brightest thing in the room, before he tipped his head back and exhaled his smoke into the air. "Haven't managed to drive her away yet, have you?"
"Not yet" Edward confirmed, smiling only politely, "Though I know you cannot say as much".
Mr Stephens chucked a deep belly laugh, closing his eyes until the rumbles subsided.
"Life is better without wives" he said easily, waving his hand in the air "No more nagging. No more being told what to do. No more mindless bickering. This current period in my life is preferable to every other".
Edward grinned slightly, shaking his head.
"It seems as if your marriages have not been compatible ones".
"Whatever my marriages have been is meaningless to me now. I never think of them. I have my own things to tend to, including clearing up this fire business so that I can return to London. I have an old friend I am going to be visiting, and so you can see how this fire came at the worst possible time".
Edward was surprised at the selfishness of the man before him, but proceeded to question him on the situation.
"And where is it that you have placed your servants while the downstairs is being repaired?"
"Oh, various places. Local farms, some houses in town. One man, believe it or not, actually agreed to stay in the barn"
Edward opened his mouth, and closed it again quickly.
"Mr Stephens, if such has already been arranged why did you send for my help?"
He made some noise of distressed contemplation before shrugging and leaning back in his chair, this time downing the last of some wine left in a cup beside him.
"They are complaining that the walk here is too long each day, though they know very well I have nowhere else to put them".
"Well, is it?"
Mr Stephens considered for only a fraction of a second.
"The people living furthest away are perhaps only a 45 minute walk from the house"
Rochester felt his jaw tighten involuntarily.
"Stephens, It is the middle of winter. Even ten minutes walk is far too long. Surely you don't need to be told such"
"Nonsense. Ten minutes of exercise a day keeps a constitution healthy".
"Your servants work from the moment they enter your home to the minute they lay down at night. They are not in need of healthier constitutions. I am sure half of them do not even have suitable clothing for walking in winter".
"Some men are made hearty by nature and others are not" was Stephens' dismissive reply, "I cannot be held accountable for nature's plan. Had they not set the fire, none of this would be necessary in the first place".
Edward stared at him a long time- long enough that he was sure he would remain composed when he spoke.
"We owe much to those who work for us, Stephens. They are under our protection for basic necessities, and no matter how the fire began it is your responsibility to see to their comfort. If you cease to care for them they have no one who will advocate for them and no way of helping themselves".
This time when Stephens laid down his cup Edward could see he was annoyed- not able to disguise his frustration well. Edward was unphased.
"I have told you, it is only very bad timing with my plans to head to London. That is why I have asked for your help, but if you feel unfit or unwilling, other arrangements can be managed, I am sure".
There was a moment of silence between the two men.
"I will help you, Stephens, if I have the freedom to work out the arrangements on my own"
"That is fine" he replied easily, "I think that would be best. No sense in you coming to me to clarify every decision when I trust you will make the proper choices".
"And do you have a written list of all the servants, their families, and where they are currently staying?"
"No, but Green does. Speak with him and I am sure he will be able to give it to you, or at least produce a copy".
"Very well" Edward said, standing. "I will start now and come back to you with the new arrangements once all is settled"
"Good" he said, taking a long draw from a cigar, "Good show".
. . .
Edward spent the day speaking to different servants to learn of where they had been placed, for the information on the paper he was given was not entirely accurate. He found that two stable boys were sleeping in the barn and dealt with them first, moving them into a home with another servant family on the estate so that they did not freeze to death during the night. He then assisted several other servants who were staying on the estate in order to clean all of the debris from the downstairs fire. Though they had somewhat comfortable living situations in comparison to others, they were being overworked and responsible for a dangerous amount of physical labour. With these tasks more evenly distributed, and having done as much as he could for one day, Edward departed for home.
He had initially told Jane when he had left that morning that it might be easier for him to stay overnight in town so he could complete the work the following morning and be done with it. After seeing the immense amount of help the servants of Stephen's house still needed, however, Edward realised that staying in town overnight to start early the next day would be pointless. It would take days to find everyone new situations and even longer to have transportation arranged. He was not willing to be away from his family for that long when the ride back to his house was not a particularly long one.
As he rode through the brisk night, Edward could not help but pity the poor servants of Stephens' estate. They had not even seemed to realise just how mistreated they truly were, and took it almost as a privilege that they were given any sort of wage, let alone all the other things they should have been entitled to. The dirt and the grime of the places they had been pushed into was despicable. And then there had been the children. Edward's mind became fixed on one little girl whose face, hands, and clothes had been covered in dirt as she walked aimlessly beside her working mother. He could tell it had not been neglect or indifference on the mothers part, however, for when she looked down at her little girl and noticed the state she was in she had tried to wipe her face with the edge of her apron, but the fabric was not clean enough to take away any of the dirt. They had walked on, the little girl trailing beside her mother.
By the time Edward finally arrived home and dismounted his horse, chilled by the cold winter's night, it was too late for any servant to receive him. As a result, he tied up his horse in the stables and then entered his house through the servants entrance attached to the kitchen. Upon hearing the large wooden doors shut, however, one of the man servants came running into the hallway.
"Oh. It is only you, sir. I apologise. I was worried you may have been a robber"
"I'm sorry Robert, I know you did not expect me tonight and I thought the front door would be locked"
"That is quite alright sir. We locked it not five minutes ago. Shall I lock this one too then, sir?"
"I think so. We should not have any more visitors tonight. Goodnight"
"Goodnight sir"
. . .
A few minutes later Edward entered him room as quietly as possible, careful not to alarm his wife who would not be expecting him home either. He took great care in latching the door quietly so that it would not make its characteristically loud clicking sound as it shut, but his mind was still preoccupied with all he had seen that day. When he turned around, however, his gloomy thoughts were cut through as he was struck by the peace and serenity of his room. The fire was beginning to die out in the grate but it was still crackling enough to cast a low orange light around the room, making everything look warm and inviting. His eyes fell upon the bed where Jane was laying, her chest rising and falling rhythmically as she slept with their son enclosed by her arms. One of his little hands was laying on the mattress, the other on her chest. Looking upon his family and the peaceful scene they inspired, Edward felt a pang of guilt in the pit of his stomach.
Whether it was luck, or fate, or divine providence which had allowed them to be together, the chances of him and his wife ever having met each other seemed so fragile and so unlikely- even as she lay before him with their child in her arms. The smallest difference in the course of their lives could have changed everything. What if she had received another offer of a governess post and had chosen that house instead? What if she had never advertised at all and decided to stay at Lowood school? What if he had not been forced to travel back to Thornfield when he had? The answer was simple. He knew what would have happened. Some other man would have discovered her- learned of her talents, intelligence, and grace and he would have loved her and married her. Yet what man, even if he loved her with all of the power of his being, could love her as much in 80 years as he could in a single day. Still, the reality was that Jane would have married someone, Henry never would have been born, and he would have been the same miserable, ashamed, broken man who wandered the globe looking for relief from his past. Though he had money, and the means to indulge his senses, he would have continued to be a shell of a man. It was unfair that in the wake of such a wasted and meaningless life he had been granted so much happiness when he was no different to any other unfostered or unlucky person.
The last embers of the fire were now burning out in the grate, so Edward walked over and replaced the logs, undressing as he waited for them to catch. It had been a long day and he was still cold from the ride home, so the thought of sleeping was more tempting then it had perhaps ever been in the whole of his life. After he was left in just his nightshirt and the grate now held a crackling, flicking flame, he moved over to the bed and lay down beside Jane. He moved the blankets gently to climb beneath them, but they were tangled around his wife and with her son so close to her she was hyper aware of everything. She stirred, and as soon as she felt something behind her, her eyes opened. She turned to look back at Edward who met her halfway, kissing her cheek.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I did not mean to wake you"
"Edward" she said in surprise, confused and sleepy as she rubbed her eyes, "I did not think you were coming home tonight".
"I know, but there is much more work to helping Stephens than I expected. There was no point in staying there overnight".
"Is everything alright?"
"It will be, eventually".
She relaxed back into her original position and Edward cozied into her, hearing her sigh in contentment as he wrapped his arms around her.
"What do you mean?" she asked after an extended pause, her voice thick with sleep.
Edward smiled to himself.
"Go back to sleep. I will tell you tomorrow".
She nodded and said nothing else, holding Henry closer to her as she slipped back into unconsciousness. Within moments, he was asleep too.
. . .
The next morning at breakfast Edward indeed informed Jane of everything that had happened the previous day. He described the damages from the fire, the less than ideal conditions the staff had been living in, and the horrible workload others had been forced to carry out. She had reprimanded him first for underplaying the character of Mr Stephens to her, but as he spoke, Jane was evidently affected. When he finished, she had many questions for him.
"Who are you seeing today, then?"
"Those who are living close to an hours walk away from the house. I will have to ride over and see if there is anyone I can talk to. Hopefully some members of their families will be there, for I suspect most of the men will be at work".
"And Mr Stephens did not consider that the majority of these people would be forced to walk during winter without proper clothing?"
"Apparently not, or he simply did not care".
Jane looked very thoughtful as she took another sip of her tea- distracted by her own thoughts. It was a long while before she came back to the present, and another moment before she spoke. When she looked at her husband he could see that her eyes were earnest and sincere.
"I was incredibly fortunate that when I advertised to be a governess that I did not end up in a similar situation. It was far more likely that I would have ended up in a home where I was cast aside and forgotten until I could be taken advantage of like so many servants are. I had to take the chance that Thornfield would be a decent place to live, for I did not know to what type of home I was travelling to and had no life experience to aid me in my decision. And yet I was exceptionally lucky- well, more than lucky to have met you".
Edward could not help the small smile which moved over him.
"You know, I thought the same thing when I came home last night to find you and Henry asleep in our bed. I thought of just how unlikely it is that we found eachother in the world, and then I reasoned with myself that it could not have been simply luck. I know that I was put into this world to be your husband".
"Mmm" Jane said, smiling her very sweetest smile, "And I to be your wife".
He leaned over and drew her close, kissing the top of her head before drawing back and stroking her cheek.
"Well, whatever power put us together, I still think of it as my own personal miracle that you walked into my life. Well-" she stopped, grinning as she corrected herself, "-more like you fell into my life"
Her husband opened his mouth and closed it again quickly, biting back his initial reaction.
"Be very careful, Ms. Rochester. I am still not convinced that you did not plan the falling of my horse"
Jane reached for his hand and played with their interlocked fingers absentmindedly, ignoring his teasing accusation. She smiled to herself, and Edward demanded to know the reason.
"It just makes me feel so small that out of all of the people in this world, you are the one I love the most of all".
Edward chuckled once before pulling her forward by the collar of her nightgown and kissing her but she pushed him away quickly, shaking her head and bringing her hand to her mouth.
"Well, that kind of reaction does make a husband feel good".
Jane half laughed before closing her eyes, holding her stomach and suddenly looking sick.
"It is too early for you to kiss me while you are still eating".
"Then I suppose it is also too early for me to take you upstairs and-"
"Mmhm" Jane said flatly, cutting him off before he could continue, "Besides, you have places to go. I would not want to be a distraction to you".
"You are always a distraction to me" he clarified, taking one final bite of his toast before pushing away his plate. Jane chanced another sip of tea and found it to be comforting, so she finished the cup. In the silence she thought over what her husband had said before about finding living situations for those on the Stephens estate and another question came to her mind.
"You say that Mr Stephens has already put his servants in different locations, yet you stay on to help. That must mean you know of better places they can stay that Stephens did not"
"Well, not exactly. But I have not burned the same bridges he has. I have a much better chance of convincing certain people to allow the servants to stay within their accommodations then he did"
"And yet they are Mr Stephens' servants. Do you not think prejudice for their master will affect their chances of being moved into better situations?"
"Possibly, but I have to try. Things are too deplorable to leave them in the state they are right now".
Jane nodded and lifted up her teacup to her lips, forgetting that she had already finished the last bit.
"Here" Edward said, placing his cup filled with dark amber liquid into her hands.
"Thank you. I wish I could come to be of some help to you".
"I know you do, but not in your condition".
She nodded,
"At any rate, I have an important meeting with Jenny today. And Edward?" she asked, suddenly sounding serious, "We do need to discuss hiring a new butler for the house".
In truth, Edward had been putting off looking for a replacement for John ever since his death. It was an odd situation, for John and Leah had been the only servants taken from Thornfield Hall after the fire, so there was no natural successor to the position of Butler, especially because their current home was mostly made up of younger male servants or ones not able bodied enough to do the job. It was beginning to cause problems, however, for there was no one for the servants to express their complaints to without having to go directly to one of the Rochesters. Moreover, there was no one to keep the servants in line when there were minor disagreements from day to day. Thankfully there had been no major problems to deal with, but it was surely only a matter of time.
"I know" he finally said, "I promise we will talk about it when I am home"
"When you have everything finished with the Stephens estate" Jane corrected, "You can only do so much at one time".
"Speaking of-" Edward said, wiping the corner of his mouth with his napkin and rising from his seat, "I best be going".
He put both hands on the back of Jane's chair and kissed the top of her head. She tilted her head back to look at him and he kissed her forehead.
"Promise me you will eat when you can"
"I will. Have a good day".
"You too sweetheart. Tell Henry good morning from me when he wakes up"
"I will".
He hesitated a moment, not wanting to leave, but then kissed her cheek before departing.
. . . .
Quite some time later Edward turned the corner of an old fashioned cobbled road, glancing around for indications of the house he was looking for. This was a grim place, filled with immense poverty and despair. It had been well known that these houses contained mostly poor families from around the British Isles, and that the population had simply grown too quickly in the last few decades for the houses to accommodate them. Filth and grime were as much of a presence here as the people with debris filling the streets and disease filling homes. It was a ghastly sight and a terrible reality.
Turning another corner, he saw a row of small but uniform brick houses lining both sides of a narrow cobbled street. The houses were all connected to one another with only one window and door at ground level, and one upstairs window. Through these, clothes lines were hung between the houses covered in laundry and thin blankets frozen in the winter air. A mother with a scarf pulled closely around her face rushed her two children past, staring up at Mr Rochester as she did. A moment later several young children, perhaps five or six, chased each other down the street, splashing pooled water from the ground everywhere around them as they ran. Other younger looking children sat on the stone steps leading into the homes, elbows on their knees and hands cradling their faces.
As two more young boys ran past him, Edward stopped them.
"Excuse me, but would you tell me which house the Morris' live in?"
"That one there" one of the boys said in a thick accent, pointing to the second to last home along the line.
Edward nodded to him,
"Thank you"
"Are you a copper?" he asked suddenly, looking the man before him up and down. His friend appeared worried.
"No" Edward assured him, "I am not. I am just here to speak to the family who lives there".
The little boy looked at his friend before they ran on, so Edward approached the house and knocked, waiting for an answer.
It was only a second later the door swung opened, revealing a woman in an apron holding one child in her arms and keeping another one close at her side. She could not have been very old, yet her face was harsh and aged. When she saw Mr Rochester she was understandably confused.
"Yes?" she asked abruptly,
Edward removed his hat and bowed to her.
"Hello. You are Ms Morris?"
"I am"
"My name is Edward Rochester. You currently have a family staying with you who work at the Windmire Estate?"
The woman hesitated but then nodded,
"Well I wished to talk to you for a moment about that situation. May I come in?"
"My husband is not home" she said flatly, "He deals with all the business here".
"Yes, I thought that might be the case" he continued, "But I am sure your husband will be working until late, and I am afraid I will not be able to come back once he is home and this issue is pressing. I assure you that I only wish to help".
Edward was not sure the woman would have said yes had the cold winter wind not been blowing into the house, but in a huff which could be seen on the wind she nodded and stepped back to let him through.
Edward stepped into the main room of the house which doubled as a kitchen and a sitting room. It was small and jammed packed, with objects hanging from the ceiling and along the walls. Odd pieces of furniture were also arranged awkwardly in the room, many of which were too large for the small space. It was incredibly dirty, every surface appearing to be covered in grime and dirt. The air was a mix of pungent odours, smoke and chemicals and fire and something which smelled as if it was rotting. Directly next to the fireplace was a wooden bench with a high back which could sit perhaps three people and it was here that Ms Morris indicated for him to sit.
"Thank you" he said, sitting down.
Ms Morris sat across from him in a low wooden chair, her baby still in her arms and the other little boy standing at her side. From this angle, and with her face illuminated by the fire, Edward could see that the poor woman was gaunt and emaciated. Her hair was short and curly, falling around her face in a way which most would consider disorderly. Her eyes were a dark brown, but they were empty and yet unsettled. Her lips were thin and flat, the harsh lines surrounding them indicating stress. Currently, they were stiff and pulled tightly in a long line of unease.
"I thank you for your time, Ms Morris. I promise you I will not stay long. I was sent here to relocate the Randal family closer to the estate which they currently work for".
Ms. Morris shifted her feet, looking down at them as she did so.
"How many are currently residing with you?"
"Of the Randals?" she asked, confused.
Edward nodded.
"There is Mr Randal, Ms Randal, and their four children. They sleep off the kitchen- over there"
She pointed to a dark corner of the room where a small door could barely be made out in the shadows. He nodded again at her,
"And is there anyone from the family currently at home?"
"Everyone but the father, I suspect".
"May I speak to them?-"
Suddenly Ms Morris looked very concerned, knitting and unkitting her hands together as she glanced nervously into the fire.
"You are not Mr Stephens" she said curtly, "What business of yours is it to come and take them away?"
"It really is none of my business, ma'am. I am neither family nor friend to him. I have only been employed to help reorganise his estate in the wake of the fire. As I am sure you understand, currently it is a very long walk- too long in the winter. It would simply be more convenient to have the family closer to the estate".
"They are fine here" she continued, "They have been taken care of. There is no reason to remove them from this house".
And then understanding dawned upon him.
Edward lowered his voice as he spoke, noticing that several young girls had appeared along the stairs which led upstairs.
"Of course, Ms Morris, you will still be paid the full amount you were promised for housing the family. How much were you told you would be given?"
"A pound, until the house is ready".
Edward stopped, shocked and revolted at the stinginess of Mr Stephens who had offered nothing more than mere tuppence for weeks, perhaps months, of food and lodgings. It was an insult, but these people were so poor and so desperate that they were forced to take any amount of money they were offered, no matter how small. It was unforgivable.
"Were you promised any extra money for food and provisions?"
"It was a pound for all, sir".
Edward nodded slowly before reaching into his waistcoat pocket and pulling out a ten pound note.
"Then there has been a misunderstanding, madam. Mr Stephens intended for you to have ten pounds for all the trouble and extra supplies you have needed to comfortably house the family, not one. I must apologise on his behalf for the confusion".
She took the money from him and folded it in her pocket, looking back at him with her guard evidently lowered, the fear that she would lose the money they had been promised while her husband was now vanishing.
"The family is through there. You can go and speak to them if that's what you want to do".
Edward stood,
"Thank you".
He knocked on the door which Ms Morris had indicated on the other side of the small room and waited for a response, but a second later she pushed past him and forced opened the door herself. She tilted her head to indicate for him to step inside but did not wait for him to do so before she left, marching up over the stairs where several children were still waiting- for what he did not know.
A moment later Edward stepped into the room before him, a tiny one with one regular sized bed and one small iron bed crammed inside, leaving hardly any space to move, let alone for six people to live. The walls were black with dirt and grime, the blankets on the bed were thin and insufficient, and the mattresses was hardly more substantial than a sheet. Four young children were sitting on the large bed while their mother cleaned around them looking exhausted and sweaty, in spite of the lack of heat in the room. When he entered she straightened up, wiping her brow as she held her mop stationary.
"Ms Randal?"
"Yes?"
Her eyes were wide.
"Pardon my intrusion. My name is Edward Rochester. I am currently assisting Mr Stephens in arranging better living conditions for his staff while his house is undergoing repairs. I see how far away you are from the estate and I know that the walk is a long one, especially in winter. I can imagine it would be more convenient for you and your husband to be closer to the house"
She dropped her hand to her side, looking very surprised. Glancing at the children huddled together on the bed, however, she nodded quickly.
"My husband walks close to an hour every morning. He arrives home exhausted. There is no heat here neither in the night- my children are freezing".
Edward nodded.
"I know, and I am so sorry. You never should have been placed so far away from the house, and never placed into these conditions" he said, chancing a look at the children beside him and feeling a horrible twisting in his stomach. How pale they looked.
"Madam" he continued, causing a shocked look to cover her face in being addressed in such a way, "I can help you leave here in a matter of minutes, if such would suit you".
"Yes" she said quickly, "I only need to pack a few things and I will be ready to leave".
"Then I could perhaps assist you in bringing your children out into the waiting carriage? There are some blankets there as well as some food which may keep them occupied as you pack".
"Um" she hesitated, her eyes fixed on the few possessions in the room, "Yes...that would be fine".
"Come along then" Edward said, helping one of the smaller girls off of the bed and feeling her clinging close to her side, "Your mother will be along in a minute".
. . . . .
Arriving back home that night and undressing mechanically, vivid scenes from the day still haunted Edward. He could not unsee the children sitting in the carriage, shoveling down the food he had brought so quickly that he was forced to go and buy twice as much from a street vendor to satisfy their hunger. He could not unsee either the little children left sitting on the stairs inside the home, expressionless as they watched the Randals leaving. Edward had paid also for the street vendor to bring food to the Morris children, but the reality was that there were surely hundreds more children crammed into the row of houses who would have nothing and would continue hungry, and he could do nothing to fix it. And then he could not unsee the children's mother leaving the house with nothing but a few possessions which could fit in her hands. He also could not unsee the way she limped, the result of her wearing two different shoes with different heels, or her thin clothing blowing easily in the winter air. When they were finally secured in the carriage and headed for a room in a nearby inn, Edward mounted his horse and rode off to the next whole day had been filled with scenes of suffering and he had no outlet for all he felt. Had Stephens been home, Edward was not sure he could have kept himself from a fight. As it happened, however, Stephens had been out drinking with friends so Edward had departed for his own home filled with a feeling of hopelessness which had hardened into anger as he rode. Now, he stood before his bedroom fire, fussing with the knot in his cravat. He had been standing there for several long minutes, the knot becoming tighter as he tried in vain to undo it. Eventually he threw his hands down in frustration, surprising himself with the anger in his voice. A second later Jane was at his side, her fingers unfurling his hands balled into fists.
"Jane-" he half barked, not measuring his response before his voice came out testy and angry, but she was not deterred. She did not even acknowledge his tone as she reached up and began working on the knot at his neck. He looked into her easy, kind face before looking away again quickly, his lip tightening as he inhaled.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart".
"It's alright" she assured him, always more gracious then he deserved.
Her hands worked on the knot for some time before she finally pulled the cravat free. He meant to thank her- he wanted to thank her, but he only managed to looked at her for a long moment. Her face moved from concern to something softer as she held his face in her hand. As her thumb stroked his cheek he enclosed her in a tight hug, swaying slightly on the spot.
"Mmmm" he said, feeling the comfort in that moment he had craved all day.
"Long day?"
Jane pulled back to look into his face,
"And a hard day"
It wasn't a question, for he knew that she could read in his face what he could not put into words. He nodded, pushing his hair back off his forehead.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"It was just hard, Jane" he said weakly, "There was so much poverty and so much suffering. The conditions those families were living in- it was unimaginable. And the children were starving. My God, the amount they ate when food was put in front of them".
Edward dropped into his armchair and Jane sat beside him, watching him intently.
"It is repeated often that it is unfair that some have so much and other so little, and of course so long as there are communities of people it will be true that some have more than others. That is the nature of humanity. But it is the extremity between rich and poor and the indifference of the rich which make the problem such a perpetual one. If the rich gave even the smallest fraction of their money to the poor it would make a difference, but individual acts do nothing. I gave some of the children food today, but what about tomorrow-?"
"Stop" Jane said gently, reaching for his hand and running her thumb over his knuckles. "You cannot take the weight of the world on your shoulders, Edward. You can try, and I know you would, but you will drown. As far as I am concerned, individual actions matter a great deal. You may have only fed those children for one day, and that isn't enough in the long term, but you did fed them. I am sure their mother does not feel that your actions today were meaningless. It was one night her children did not have to go to bed hungry"
He stared forward into the fire, unconvinced.
"You could not say these things, Jane, if you saw what I did. I know you would not have it in you to lay your head down at night and forget all you had seen".
"I am not asking you to forget them. I do not want you to forget them. Besides, I know that it isn't possible to simply forget the things which become lodged in our hearts and minds. But you know better than anyone that no amount of guilt has the power to change our circumstances. What matters is our actions, and you are generous and fair to the people who work for us to ensure that they have a good life. In what you have the power to control, you have never failed to make the right decisions and I love you for it".
There was so much truth in her voice, for she had the power of conveying her emotions unlike anyone he had ever met, that Edward could not help bringing her hand to his mouth and kissing it, holding it for a moment before lowering it onto his lap.
"Do you know, all I wanted today was you. All I wanted was to see your face, to hear your voice. I kept thinking that if only you were with me, you would have made everything right".
She looked touched but shook her head,
"No. You make everything alright. People look to you for your wisdom. They look to you when making a decision for you never waiver in your judgement. You have a moral compass which guides you in all you say and do. It is you who makes everything right, especially in my world".
He grazed her cheek with his thumb before drawing her in for a kiss. When they broke apart he rubbed her arm.
"Tell me about your day. How was Henry?"
"Oh, good" she said, her round cheek full of colour at the mention of her son, "We practiced his walking again today and I think he may be close to taking his first few steps on his own. He ate a lot for lunch on top of me feeding him beforehand and then slept a good part of the afternoon. That's why I've only gotten him down".
"Did you manage to eat anything?"
"Not much" she admitted, "But I ate enough. I feel well enough tonight".
"And you had a meeting today with Jenny. How was that?"
"We didn't have it. Jenny was called to deal with some things downstairs and I told her we could just meet another day".
Edward nodded and Jane sighed,
"How much longer will you be helping Mr Stephens?"
"I should finish tomorrow, I think"
"Good. I miss being able to lie in bed with you in the mornings" she said honestly, looking into his face, "Actually, I miss you all day long".
"I know" he agreed, the words more true then he could articulate, "So let us waste no more time tonight thinking of difficult things. Let us sleep".
He began walking towards the bed but Jane caught his arm.
"Thank you. Thank you for being the type of man our son can look up to one day. It is an incredible gift".
Flushed with instant love, Edward drew Jane to him slowly and kissed her deeply, her soft lips heaven against his. He put one hand at the back of her neck, holding her close, and the other in the small of her back. When the kiss broke he laid his forehead against hers, turning his head slightly to mutter words of love softly in her ear. She kissed his cheek once, blushing at his words, before climbing into bed.
Edward fell asleep with his arms around Jane, his cheek resting against her shoulder as she stroked his hair comfortingly. When he woke the next morning he realised they had not moved once the entire night.