Paradox (The Thornfield Affair #2) by Amity Cross

Author:Amity Cross [Cross, Amity]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Amity Cross

13

The sun rose to a bleak morning.

Sitting on the window seat in my little room, I watched the grounds lighten, everything awash with dreary gray. Snow had fallen overnight while I’d cowered under my blankets, shivering with dread as well as cold, though it wasn’t enough to cover the ground completely. Frost clung to the grass, and clumps of snow had browned in puddles where it had been thick enough to linger.

It was a picture of depression, and it echoed my current disposition exactly. Sighing, I rubbed my tired eyes, the motion making them water. Perhaps I should cry, but I wasn’t sure I had the energy even for that. I’d felt too much in the proceeding months and was now entirely spent.

Checking the clock, I moved away from the window and pulled on my boots, tying the laces and fixing the side zipper. Then I laid out my coat and scarf, setting my gloves on top of my bag in preparation for my departure.

Sitting on the end of my bed, I brought my phone to life and used it to look up the train timetables. Seeing one was departing in twenty minutes, I cursed my misfortune. It wasn’t enough time to get to the station to meet it, not from as far away as Thornfield. If I went now, I’d be missed. Alice would mention my uncharacteristic absence to Edward, and when he came looking, he’d find me waiting for my escape.

The next train heading south toward London wasn’t for another three hours. Could I show my face and pretend for another hour and a half? I imagined I was an open book, my anguish clear on my features as words on a page. She intends to flee like a coward! Jane Doe is as she always was. Poor, little, plain, and obscure.

Who was Jane Eyre? I still felt like Jane Doe. The name Aunt Sarah had given me was naught but a starting point, and one I hadn’t followed or thought upon since returning to Thornfield.

Making a spontaneous decision, I settled on my imminent path from this place. I’d go to London via John Rivers’s studio, find some employment to get me by for the present, and then search for my family history. The rest would come in time.

Set with a new purpose, I lingered by my door, listening intently for ghosts playing games in the hallway beyond. My hand shook on the knob, hoping Edward was much too hung over to cause any trouble this morning. When I was satisfied nothing or no one stirred, I left my room.

I strolled downstairs, my ears straining for any sound indicating I was being followed or watched, but I heard nothing. Downstairs, I traversed through the kitchens, showing my face to the staff assembled for breakfast. Alice asked me to sit beside her, and Bessie offered me a plate of bacon and eggs, but I shook my head and told them I wasn’t hungry.

They watched me with an air of confusion as I disappeared through the gallery and went outside, but my duty had been done.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.