Death of a Schoolgirl: The Jane Eyre Chronicles by Joanna Campbell Slan Read Free Book Online

that would withstand the rigors of travel and not show too much soil. As a final touch, I pinned on my pearl brooch, a token given to me by a beloved teacher, Maria Temple Nasmyth.
    Mindful of the changeable autumn weather, I also carried over my arm a soft wool shawl that my cousins Diana and Mary had woven for me. The blanket of brown, maroon, gold, and orange provided a tangible expression of their love.
    I twisted a golden key in the lock of the portmanteau, then pinned the key to the inside of my waistband.
    On my dresser rested a card that would be hammered to the trunk lid.
    M RS. J ANE E YRE R OCHESTER
    C/O C APTAIN A UGUSTUS B RAYTON
    #24 G ROSVENOR S QUARE
    L ONDON
    “You want a good bonnet,” said Mrs. Fairfax, lowering the trunk’s lid and nodding toward my well-worn chapeau.
    “I do not own a more fashionable bonnet. My old one must do.”
    “Jane, I know you prefer simplicity, but you now reflect on the Rochester name and fortune. Things are different in London. Appearances are everything! You won’t want to appear at Mrs. Brayton’s dinner table dressed too simply. Such a presentation might prove awkward. Why not take the Rochester diamonds with you? The pieces will add interest to your dresses and go a long way toward making up for any deficiencies of style.”
    “I suppose you are right.”
    After I had first agreed to marry Edward, he wanted to have his mother’s jewelry sent to us by courier from the bank in London, but I declined the offer. When described, the pieces sounded far too grand for me. Typically, I wore no jewelry except my gold wedding band, a recent gift from Edward, or the brooch from Miss Temple. That was enough for me.
    Shortly after Ned was born, however, Edward revisited the subject of the Rochester diamonds. “Please, Jane, do not disappoint me. Allow me to properly thank you for giving me a son.”
    The pieces had arrived a few days ago. Mrs. Fairfax had brought them to me as I sat rocking little Ned in the nursery. We opened the parcel together. The necklace, earrings, and circlet sparkled like dewdrops on the morning grass against the green velvet lining of the rosewood jewelry box. The sight of such opulence stunned me. “They are magnificent. Just as I remember them.” Mrs. Fairfax sighed.
    I handed Ned to Hester and held the necklace up to the sunlight to see the multitude of prisms dance around the room. The pieces might be excessive for my tastes, but I could still admire their beauty and craftsmanship.
    “Yes,” I said as I fought a lump in my throat. “They are dazzling.”
    But Edward cannot see them, so what use are they?
I thought.
    With my portmanteau packed and ready to go, I retrieved the jewels and pondered how best to carry them.
    “Why not put the jewels in your reticule?” Mrs. Fairfax handed me my purse. “That way they will stay close at hand.”
    Following her suggestion, I tucked the velvet bag with the diamonds into my reticule with my wallet.
    “I shall tell John to fetch your trunk.”
    I thanked her and turned to Hester, who was holding Ned on one hip.
    “Come here, little boy,” I said as I took my baby from the nursemaid’s arms. “My darling,” I cooed to him as I walked him around the nursery. He was nearly asleep, and I kissed him repeatedly before settling him down in his crib. “Save them up, little man. I shall be home before you know it, but I hope to deposit enough kisses that you won’t want for any until I return.”
    For as long as I dared, I stood beside his bed, gazing in wonder at my sleeping child and stroking the peach fuzz of his hair. A quivering bubble of spit rested on his rosebud lips, and I wiped it away with my linen handkerchief. “Good-bye, my darling. I promise I shall come home soon.”
    My breath caught and the room swam before my eyes. Had my mother whispered these selfsame words in my ear before she went to nurse my father? He had been the curate in a large manufacturing town and had caught typhus while