Becoming Jane

Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

Little J let nothing distract her as she sat her final examinations. She was completely focussed on doing the best that she could.

Harrison had told her that the examination papers were marked anonymously so there was no way any biases could affect her results which she thanked God for.

The information she needed to recall came somewhat naturally to her. She read a question and her quill just scrawled across the page with a fluid and correct answer.

When she completed her final exam she couldn’t believe that it was all over. Four years of study, four years of deception and four years of dreaming had all come down to this.

She completed her final question and pushed the examination away from her, letting Harrison, who was sitting in the corner reading, know she had finished. He had been completely and utterly professional throughout her examination period. One would never have known that they would be a courting pair once she had finished university. He behaved like a nonchalant examiner who had no other interest in her other than to observe her examination time.

A fortnight after the completion of examinations, results were mailed to the student’s houses, containing an invitation to the graduation ceremony, where the chancellor would formally hand them their degrees. Of course, Little J was not issued any such invitation, her degree came with her results.

It was June. School years ended for the summer and the London season had begun. But she did not care about the social side of the season, she cared about whether the passed or failed.

A knock on the door solidified her fate. It was the time when the mail would usually be delivered so Little J launched from her bedchamber and all but flew down the staircase to reach the door before a startled Mr Carter.

Practically pulling the door from its hinges, she saw a happy looking Harrison standing there. She immediately frowned. Not because she didn’t want to see him, but because she wished it was the mail being delivered.

“Do not look so disappointed, milady, I might take offense,” he said comically as he crossed the threshold into the entry foyer.

“Your coat, sir?” Mr Carter asked formally, looking a bit lost as he hadn’t been able to fulfil his usual duty at opening the door.

Harrison wasn’t wearing a coat as it was summer, but being a good sport, Harrison allowed Mr Carter to remove his jacket, leaving him in only his white shirt and waist coat.

It was then that Little J realised he was holding an envelope. It was a long envelope, the kind that she’d seen her father handle, the ones that contained important documents.

“Is that for me?” she asked excitedly.

Harrison played coy, holding up the envelope. “This?” he teased.

Little J rolled her eyes. “Please, let me have it,” she begged.