Taming Jane

Chapter 16

Jane wanted that, and for a short moment she wondered if Sabine would ever love her unconditionally. “Daniel asked me to be Sabine’s new governess,” she commented casually, adopting Emilia’s position on the settee.

“Will you accept?” Emilia asked.

“I don’t know. Won’t it be pathetic to sit around pining for my employer?” Jane asked.

“A little,” Emilia replied. “I don’t know what to tell you Jane, or how to advise you. I would just leave this house and allow him to miss you. That’s kind of what happened with Sebastian and I. We were separated for a time ... and Lord knows I missed him enough for the both of us.”

Jane giggled and looked at Emilia. “I know, I remember,” she teased. “So you really think I should leave?”

Emilia nodded. “If it’s mean to be, it will be,” she promised. “Whether it be in ten weeks, ten months or ten years, it’ll happen for you.”

“How can you be so cryptic?” Jane groaned.

“I’m a wife of five years and I’ve given birth to five children, I’m allowed to be cryptic,” Emilia defended herself. “But I mean every word,” she sighed. Emilia suddenly furrowed her brows and sat up straight. “Has that door always been ajar?” she asked, pointing at the study door opposite them.

Jane’s back became rigid as she looked to the study door also. As Emilia had said the door was indeed ajar. “No, you closed it, I saw you,” she hissed as she leapt up from the seat. She pulled the door further apart and stuck her head out and looked around. She could have died when she saw Daniel’s tall stature disappearing up the hallway towards the staircase. A high pitched shriek escaped Jane’s mouth as she closed the door firmly shut.

“What, what!” Emilia gasped and ran over to her as quickly as she could.

“He heard! And why shouldn’t he? We’re in his study! Oh god! Take me home, I’ll get a horse from the stables and ride all the way home to mama. Oh, I can never face him again!” Jane cried in humiliation. If only she had kept her mouth shut.

Emilia muffled a giggle with her hand before disguising it as a cough. “How is this a bad thing?” she asked.

Jane’s eyes widened as she glared at Emilia. “How is this a good thing?” she hissed.      

“Well now he knows how you feel about him. You’ve given him the opportunity to think of you romantically. It’s perfect,” Emilia assured her.

Jane groaned and sat down on the floor. “Did you fall when you climbed out of the tub this morning?” Jane growled bitterly. “I need to leave this place; I will not be able to look him in the eye ever again. I’m perfectly content in being a spinster, just let me die in peace!” she exclaimed dramatically.

“Come now, Janey, it is not the end of the world,” Emilia tried to make her feel better.