by Luccia Gray
She pulled her arm through mine and squeezed. “Don’t worry, my love, I assure you it will be easier to manage Eyre Hall than a frigate in a storm or a mutinous crew,” she said, interrupting my gloomy thoughts.
I asked her if we would ever have a home of our own, like other couples.
“But this is my home, Michael. I built Eyre Hall myself, and now I will be building an extension for us. It will be our home. You are part of my life and my family. Does it not please you?”
“But John will inherit it all in nine years’ time.”
“Eyre Hall and the grounds will always be mine, but if you wish, we can live elsewhere. We have a long time to think about it. I will not make any decision you do not agree with, ever.”
She looked at me earnestly and then rested her head on my chest. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders and held her tightly, as if she were my beacon in a starless night sailing though a raging storm.
I placed my cloak over her shoulders. “Shall we go back? It’s getting chilly.”
She lifted her head to mine and pulled me closer. “Thank you, Lieutenant. Your cloak mesmerises me. Could you kiss me, please? As your betrothed.”
***
Part Three: The Devil’s Little Days
‘Such terrible things happen,’ I said. ‘Why? Why?’
‘You must not concern yourself with that mystery,’ said Sister Maria Augustine. ‘We do not know why the devil must have his little day. Not yet.’
She never smiled as much as the others, now she was not smiling at all. She looked sad.
She said, as if she was talking to herself, ‘Now go quietly back to bed. Think of calm, peaceful things and try to sleep. Soon I will give the signal. Soon it will be tomorrow morning.’
Conversation between Bertha Mason and Sister Maria Augustine before Bertha leaves the convent in Spanish Town to meet and marry Edward Rochester in Wide Sargasso Sea, by Jean Rhys.
Chapter XXI – The Rochester Siblings
“I’ve asked you to join me because I have important news for all of you, and it is so rarely that we are at home together, I thought it would be best to do so now, before you leave Eyre Hall and carry on with your lives.”
I looked at the three young people whom I considered my children and my responsibility. John, my dear son, had been for many years, while he was a child, the most important person in my life. Then, he grew up and left home, first to go to boarding school and then to college, and now he was no longer my little boy. I had tried to plan his life, but I realised that I must let him find his own way. He was to be his own master and make his own decisions.
Adele Varens had been under my care since I was first employed at Thornfield Hall, when she was ten years old. I had tried my best to curb her capricious and often superficial personality, and although she had been a supportive and pleasant companion for many years, she was now on her way to a new and independent life, away from Eyre Hall.
Finally, the stunning Annette Mason, who had been thrust on me recently. When she arrived, I had considered her a heavy burden, but she had become one of my greatest allies due to her mature character and understanding nature.
They were gathered around me in the drawing room by the hearth. The fire flickered on their serious faces; they were no doubt wondering about the reason for this unprecedented assembly.
“First there are some practical household matters I wish to discuss with you. Fortunately, our family is growing, and I want you all to have your own rooms when you return to Eyre Hall. I also intend to build a bathroom in each wing where there will be a permanent bathtub, and I will be installing washstands in the bedrooms.”
“How beautiful, Jane!” Adele jumped up from her seat. “I saw some beautiful bathrooms in Paris. How delightful to be able to have a bath every day. Our London house is having a bathroom installed, too.”
I smiled at Adele’s enthusiasm. “Adele and Mr. Greenwood must have a large double room to themselves. I think Mr. Greenwood is enjoying his stay in the Golden Room, so this will be adapted for you whenever you come and stay at Eyre Hall, which I hope will be often. Dante and Susan should also have a room, as they are now part of our extended family. It will be wonderful to have a child again at Eyre Hall. They will have the Green Room, which is ample enough to have a cot fitted for the baby. It pleases me greatly, and I hope that they will also visit often.”
“Dante is to marry Susan? Susan who was Adele’s maid?” asked John.
“Yes, John. Susan is with child and Dante is the proud father.”
“Wasn’t Mr. Greenwood negotiating Annette’s wedding to Dante with you only a few weeks ago, Mother?”
“Neither Mr. Greenwood nor I had any idea at the time of Susan’s condition, nor that they were in love.”
“So now you are a great believer in marriage for love instead of convenience, Mother?”
“Of course I am, especially when there is a child involved.”
My son turned to Adele. “Did you not all live in the same palace in Venice?”
“We did, but we were not aware. They were obviously very careful,” she replied.
John raised an eyebrow, as his father used to do when he was displeased. “Surely you mean not careful enough, don’t you?”
“What do you mean, John? Are you suggesting it was my fault?”
I stood between them. “Please do not quarrel. There is no point now, and in any case, it is done. A child will be born to loving parents, and that is a joyful occasion. Let us not spoil the wonderful event.”
“I do not understand why you would allocate them a permanent room at Eyre Hall, Mother.”
“Firstly, John, because it pleases me, and secondly because Dante is Mr. Greenwood’s only son, for the moment, and he is also Adele’s family now. The child they will have will be Adele’s grandchild through her marriage to Mr. Greenwood. Thirdly, they have honoured me with the responsibility of being the child’s Godmother.”
“Who is to be the lucky Godfather, Mother?”
“Susan’s brother, Michael.”
My son rolled his eyes. “Of course. I should have guessed.”
I wondered why he was so angry with all of us. “As I was saying, Annette must have her own room too. She will be using the Blue Room. The room Edward and Richard used will become the guest room. As you know, my cousins visit at least once a year with their husbands, and I like them to feel at home. John will keep his room for the moment, I will keep mine, and Nell will be using Adele’s room. That means we have run out of extra rooms for guests, so I will build an extension to Eyre Hall.”
“Why is the little imp, I mean Nell, sleeping upstairs?”
When my son had become so arrogant and uncaring. Why had I never noticed before?
“Because Nell’s mother and brother have decided to leave Eyre Hall, and this country. They are taking part in the Settlement Programme and will be leaving for Australia next week. She will be alone in England, and as you know, she has become my constant companion and a great comfort to me since you all left Eyre Hall. I would like her to live upstairs. Do you have any objections, John?”
He shrugged. “None. I was just curious. Tell me about the extension.”
“We need more guest rooms. With the new arrangements, we shall only have one, and we receive visits from both my cousins as well as Bishop Templar, and other occasional guests, such as Mr. Cooper, Mr. Briggs, Mr. Smythe, and Mr. Dickens, to name a few. I am sure you will marry, and so will Annette, in the not too distant future. You will both need larger rooms, and no doubt there will be children to fill the house with laughter.”
“How many rooms will the extension have?” asked John.
“One bathroom and four bedrooms. Would any of you like a room in the new wing? In any case, there is time to decide. It should be finished by next Christmas.”
“Where are the funds coming from?” John’s question surprised me because he had never shown any interest in the running of the estate or financial matters.
“The estate is too large for me to manage. I have sold parts of it to the Jacksons, and I will be selling more to them. They plan to build another mill, which will bring a great deal of work to the residents of the area. The plantation I bought with Mr. Mason in Jamaica is doing better than I expected. Sugar and rum imports are increasingly lucrative. According to Mr. Cooper and Mr. Smythe, our new lawyer, Annette is part owner now, as Mr. Mason and myself had signed a pre–marital settlement. Although the house and half of the plantation belongs to Annette, she has generously bequeathed the profits to the Rochester estate, which as you know is under my administration until you, John, are thirty. I hope to pass on to you an even greater estate, by then.” I smiled at my son.
“Eyre Hall and the grounds will always be my property, although I wish you all to consider it your home.”
“And what of your social work and novels, Mother?”
“The tenancy and the income from my novels is mostly maintaining the parish schools at Hay and Millcote, and the church, as well as Mr. Woods’ and the teacher’s salary and school equipment. I am also on the Board of Governors at Millcote Hospital, and donate regular large sums. My Uncle John, after whom you are named, imported wine from Madeira. The wine we are drinking now. I am also part owner of the business, which is a source of income for my social work. The extension and Eyre Hall expenses will be funded by our heads of cows and sheep. The Rochester Estate is prosperous, and it will continue to be so for many years to come. We will all be able to live comfortably, and I hope you will all feel at home in this great house, which I built the year you were born, John, with the money I inherited from my generous uncle, John Eyre.”
They were all silent, waiting expectantly for me to continue.
“You know I love you all dearly, but I am afraid I have not always been honest with you, and I believe the time has come to bring to your knowledge the truth of your relationship.
“I had thought it would be hurtful and unnecessary to do so, but I will not lie any longer. I have tried to shield you from the knowledge I am about to disclose, and you may be surprised, and even hurt. In any case, I hope you will understand that my intention in withholding the truth was your well–being, although it may now cause you distress.”
My son and Adele moved uncomfortably in their seats, while Annette clenched her hands on her lap and held her head high.
“I will begin at the beginning. Edward Rochester was his father’s youngest son. His older brother inherited the Rochester Estate, and Edward was sent to Jamaica to marry a rich heiress named Bertha Mason. Bertha was Richard’s stepsister, as his father had married Bertha’s mother, Antoinette. It was an unhappy, arranged marriage. Soon after his wedding, Edward’s father and brother died, so he returned to England to administer his estate. His wife accompanied him, but she was locked in the attic at Thornfield Hall, and her existence was concealed for fifteen years, due to a mental illness. During that time, Edward travelled freely as a bachelor in England and France spending his money liberally and taking on mistresses. One of them was called Céline Varens.”
I turned to Adele. “They had a daughter called Adele. She was his first–born. Adele’s mother was even more fickle than her father and left Paris to start a new life with an Italian lover, so your father, Edward Rochester, brought you back to Thornfield Hall, as his ward. You were nine at the time, almost ten, about Nell’s age.
“As you know, Adele, I was an orphan, working at Lowood, the same school where I had been educated myself, and I applied to be your governess. I met Edward Rochester and fell in love. He had tired of roaming, at least for a while, and fell in love, too.”
This time I turned to Annette. “While I was at Thornfield, Bertha, unknown to me, had a baby girl, who was given to her uncle, Richard, to take back with him to Jamaica. He called her Annette Mason. She was told her parents had died in an accident after her birth, so she believed she was Richard and Bertha’s niece, but Annette is Edward’s second daughter.”
I watched my son glaring at Annette. “What?”
He narrowed his eyes, fisted his hands at his sides, and turned to me. I continued. “Shortly after, Edward proposed to me and I accepted. On our wedding day, Richard Mason interrupted the ceremony to inform us that the groom was already married to his sister for whom he had received a plentiful dowry. I escaped from Thornfield Hall that night – although Edward wanted me to stay, I refused. I found a job as a teacher in Morton, where I met, quite by chance, my cousins, Mary and Diana. A year later, I heard of Bertha’s death and returned to Edward. We married and we had a son, John Eyre Rochester, here before you, Edward’s third child and first and only son.”
“This is preposterous, Mother!”
“I have not finished yet. Please sit down and listen.”
I waited for him to do so before continuing. “I wanted more children, but unfortunately, I had several miscarriages, and a stillborn child, which you no doubt remember, Adele. Well, while your father was on his deathbed, he confessed that the child was born alive and snatched from my side because he wanted no more children. She was taken to London, and I am still looking for her, with Michael’s help. She is a ten–year–old little girl who thinks she is an orphan, and I miss her every day.”
My son jumped up again and stared at me fiercely. “Have you any proof of all these penny dreadful stories you have just told us?”
“You have my word.”
“My father always denied fathering any other children. I was his only son. He told me I was his only son!”
“He never acknowledged being Adele’s father publicly. However, he endowed her with a dowry, a home and care. He told her that her mother had died and treated her as his ward. Why do you think he would do that?”
He leaned over my shoulder, grasping the back of the couch. “Because he was a good man.”
I turned to face him. “Do good men lock their wives in attics and deny their existence for over a decade?”
He hit the couch with his fist. “He looked after her. She was a mad woman!”
I stood up to face him. “And Annette’s birth?”
He strode towards me. “I don’t believe Annette is Bertha’s daughter. Who can prove it?”
“Richard, Dr. Carter, and your father.”
He shook his finger at Annette “You knew all long?”
“John, I do not know who my father is.” She walked towards him, arms outstretched, but he retreated, shaking his head.
I approached John, too. “Edward denied being her father, and although he was prone to lying profusely, I believe him. Nevertheless, he was responsible for Bertha’s well–being, and when she became pregnant and had the child, he was legally married to her mother. Annette cannot prove it, but her real name should be Annette Mason Rochester.”
“You are my sister and you knew it!” He glared at her. “I can’t believe it!”
She held her hands out to him. “John, I never believed Edward Rochester was my father.”
He looked at her hands and shook his head. “But you thought he could be!”
She spoke softly moving her hands towards his. “There’s a possibility, but it’s unlikely.”
He pushed her hands away. “You have almost provoked me to commit incest! You are truly a witch!”
“Forgive me, John. I should have told you, but…”
He put his hand to his forehead and turned away from her. “Your mother was married to my father when you were born, and you did not think to let me know!”
I stood behind him and rested my hand on his shoulder. “It was not entirely Annette’s fault. Richard and I were also responsible for keeping the secret from you. I didn’t want you to know because I didn’t want you to discover your father’s wrong doings and despise him.”
He swung round to face me. “And who can prove the child theft? Did you ever see the dead baby, Mother?
“I did not.”
“And you, Adele?”
She shook her head.
“They told me that she was a girl, and I heard her cry. They said she died shortly after birth, but I never saw her. She was buried a few days later. It is true that Jane almost lost her mind; she was convinced the baby was alive for months.” She stared at me sadly. “She is obviously still convinced.”
“I do not believe any of it! It is sacrilegious. If my father were alive, you would not dare bear false witness against him.”
Adele touched my arm. “Jane, I had no idea. I always thought it was strange that I did not see the baby. Still, I find it difficult to believe Monsieur would do such a thing. Could we have the grave exhumed? It is the only way to find out the truth.”
“I will speak to Mr. Woods at once,” said John. “This madness must cease. What has happened to you since Father died, Mother?”
“Your father was not a faithful husband. His illness was syphilis, which was directly related to his constant disloyalty and unfaithful conduct.”
“You are a liar! He died of consumption. I have seen the death certificate.”
“I cannot force you to believe anything I have said, but please reflect on it, John. I know it is hard to imagine your father in a different light. It was hard for me, too. I found out about most of these treacherous acts while he was on his deathbed. I tried to keep it all from you, but there are too many lies. We need to face the truth and move on.”
We looked at each other in silence. I sat on the couch and Adele and Annette did so beside me.
“May I leave, Mother, or is there anything else?”
“Yes, there is one more thing.” I inhaled, drawing strength to tell my son my plans for the future. “Michael has proposed and I have accepted. We will be married next Christmas at Eyre Hall.”
John’s chest was heaving as he approached me. “You are madder than Bertha Mason, madam. You cannot marry a servant who is young enough to be your son. You will be the laughing stock of the county. You cannot do this to the Rochester estate. I will speak to Mr. Briggs. There must be a way to stop you ruining my father’s name and legacy. I suppose the new wing is for you and your lover. Mother, look at yourself! You are behaving disgracefully!”