Chapter Text
Jane came down for breakfast in the kitchen with Adele, only to find Mrs. Fairfax bustling in from the main dining room. "Miss Jane, you've been requested at breakfast," she said, "Both Mr. Rochester and the Emperor inquired about your presence."
"I should change," Jane said quickly, having put on her normal grey dress for the day.
"There is no time, quickly now, Leah must get the breakfast out," Mrs. Fairfax continued. "I was going to announce it when your Doctor insisted another place be set." Jane rose, kissed Adele and told her to stay and eat with Sophie, and made her way to the lesser of the dining rooms where the formal breakfasts were served.
"Ah, Jane," The Doctor greeted, standing to help her into her chair between himself and The Emperor, who sat just next to Rochester. It was clear from a few glares from the fine gowned women that they did not approve of her place of honor amongst the young men in the room. "Thank you for joining us on such short notice."
"Thank you Doctor," Jane said as he pushed in her chair.
"As if I would miss the opportunity to dine with you," Edwin replied, "Besides, I should put my foot down about the traditional welcome."
"It would have been rude to demand a banquet in a place you were not known," Jane replied, a wry grin Rochester had never seen crossing her face. The dishes were brought out and conversation around the table continued.
"I was referring to the fire dance," Edwin replied, "and I know for a fact that our dear Doctor has everything you need to perform it, if our host would have no exceptions."
Jane laughed lightly, "Edwin it has been years. I couldn't possibly..."
"Do not let her fool you Rochester," Edwin smiled, "Our Jane was one of the best performers I've ever seen and she never forgets anything. One day of practice and she'll look just as she did when she was in practice."
"I have Adele to teach Edwin," Jane protested, "My responsibilities do not bow to your whims here Your Majesty."
"Yours might not but our dear host may cave," Edwin replied with an equally wry smile. “How about it Rochester? There is a traditional banquet and festival in which several traditional dances are performed when the Emperor travels. Jane has been trained in the traditional fire dances, I remember being a particular talent if she would be given a day to prepare she could perform after dinner. We can forego the feast, I find your dinners to be quite enjoyable.”
“We should make a night of it,” Blanche interjected, hoping to be part of the conversation again. “I would love to learn more of you culture your Majesty, we have hard so little of it.”
“It appears I must appease my guests,” Rochester replied, not happy to be going against Jane’s wishes but unable to turn down an Emperor staying at his house. “Is there anything I can do Ms. Eyre, except give you and Adele the day?”
“I can arrange outside seating and a performance area for Jane,” The Doctor replied, “And last for music. Jane, if you will accompany my after breakfast I can help you prepare.”
“Many thanks Doctor,” Jane replied.
“While they are away we must beg more information from our new guests,” Mrs. Ingram started. “Neither of you have told us much about yourselves or where you’ve come from. Doctor, are you married or are you a bachelor?”
The Doctor’s fork slipped on his plate with a screech and he looked very dark, Jane’s hand shot out and rested over his comfortingly. “It’s all right,” she said quietly before turning to Mrs. Ingram. “The Doctor is a widower Mrs. Ingram.”
“Oh, I’m so very sorry,” she said, going a little pale at having insulted the honored guest.
“You must have loved her very much,” one of the twins said sympathetically, “I am sorry for your loss.”
“It is still keenly felt,” The Doctor replied quietly. “Her name was River.”
“How astonishing that even across time and space, there are still forces at work that we do not understand,” Dr. Carter began. “There is so much we do not yet know, how two souls can be so linked.”
“Love is the greatest unknown power we have yet to quantify,” Doctor replied, his mood swinging back up to jovial in the next heartbeat. “I’ve thought about giving it a try, but it took millennia to calculate the resonance of a wooden door so I’m not sure how long it would take to calculate the power of love.” A light laugh went around the room, believing the Doctor was in jest. “Either way, Jane, after breakfast why don’t you and I run an errand and make sure we have what you need for tonight?”
“It appears I am outvoted,” Jane replied, taking another sip of her tea, “I will not need much Doctor, you may even have all of it with you.”
“Very good, I will get to watch you practice then,” The Doctor replied. “Since Edwin is tearing you away from your duties I think it is only right he should spend the day with your pupil. I think he could learn some of your history or whatever just as well as she can.” The room smiled and quickly went their separate ways.
Rochester saw several people working with the Doctor setting up some type of stage, easily in view of the library and after Rochester had approved the location. It was simple flat wooden panels, a few chairs for the small group, and closed barrels in four locations around the stage. He saw Jane out there, in a slim skirted dress twirling weighted ropes around in fancy circles, gently turning from one side to another.
“What do you think this dance will be?” Blanche asked, appearing at his shoulder. “His Highness seems very civilized but we know so little about him.” Blanche looked between Rochester and his unwavering gaze on the governess. “I guess this is the strangest thing for me, is how did the Doctor have cloths for Miss Eyre readily available? There is so much we don’t know about him and how he knows Miss Eyre, or why he has come. Very strange don’t you think? I may not know your governess as well as you do, but she doesn’t seem the fanciful type, and she did touch the Doctor’s hand very readily.”
“Miss Eyre was comforting an old friend on the death of his wife. I think we will see her dance tonight,” Rochester replied, turning and walking towards the staircase, “As for knowing His Majesty, I think I should visit my ward. Excuse me Miss Ingram.” Rochester picked up his book and started climbing his stairs to the study room Adele had been moved to when the house party started. He could hear Adele and The Emperor babbling away in French, it sounded as though his new guest spoke it as well as someone born in Paris.
“Ah, Rochester,” Edwin replied, turning from the globe he and Adele had been examining. “I was just telling Adele of an adventure The Doctor and I went on with Jane in the Eilenium Galaxy. Riveting I assure you.”
“He says that Miss Eyre had tea with the Galactic Superioion when they were young,” Adele said, “But surely Mis Eyre has not travelled far from England, she is so young!”
“Miss Eyre will tell us the truth of it,” Rochester replied. “If her companion will not do so for us.”
“Miss Eyre and I were very young and had very active brains I can tell you,” Edwin replied as Adele busied herself with a doll. “I am curious, Mr. Rochester, what your relationship is to her.”
“I am her employer,” Rochester replied. “In truth I have not known her very long, I have only returned from abroad very recently.”
“Recently is long enough for Jane to leave an impression if my memory serves me right,” Edwin continued; a fond, nostalgic smile on his face. “When I first met her, we were so young, years ago. She had no one, but she was so…amazing. I cannot describe it, but you’ll see some of it tonight when she dances. Everything you need to know about Jane, you’ll see it when she steps on that stage.”
“If I may,” Rochester asked, making sure Adele was entranced with the globe. “Why have you chosen to travel so far to see Miss Eyre?”
“This is a complicated question,” Edwin sighed, “And I’m back to see Jane, she is… very missed. Perhaps I could even convince her to travel with me once again.”
“Miss Eyre would leave us?” Adele asked, heartbreak on her little face.
“Oh, not for long little one,” Edwin replied, smiling broadly. “Besides, for you it would only seem like a day or a week, not so long right?” Adele looked at him with a glance, eyes shifting from their visitor and back to the globe. “Children are always so much smarter and so much more aware than we give them credit for. I wonder…there is no point traveling down roads not seen yet.”
“Monsieur Edwin,” Adele addressed, turning from the globe, “Tell me more about the Far East and their Great Wall. Does it really go for miles and miles?”
“Such a potential in there little one, a thirst for knowledge,” Edwin replied, smiling broadly, “We must fill some of it. Yes, China does have a great wall and it goes for miles and miles…” Rochester watched as Edwin took to the child over their own conversation, their class difference meant there was nothing he could do until the Emperor decided to return to the topic. He went toward the window after a few minutes and looked out over the garden; Jane was there practicing with two ropes twirling about from her hands. The look on her face was something he had only seen once before when she was examining him in front of the fire, that intense look of concentration, the one that meant she wasn’t focusing on anything else.
He wanted to have that look on him again, the Doctor was standing off to one side watching her fondly. The older man spoke to Jane, and she responded with a smile, but he could not tell what they were saying. A jealous rage took over his heart for a brief moment, like he hadn’t known since that night in Paris over a decade previous. As much as he didn't want to give Miss. Ingram the satisfaction, there was the question of how The Doctor had clothing and Jane’s performance equipment with him. How she had never mentioned him before, or the apparent wild tales of their travels? Rochester felt that green snake settle deep within his soul, just as the lion of his protectiveness for the young woman rearing to the front. These strange men should have no part of what was his. Jane was something to be treasured, to be protected from the world’s cruelties that had yet to touch her, not something to be thrust into the center of attention. These men seemed to want to do just that, to show her off as if she were theirs. It made Rochester’s blood boil as much as the Ingram's unkind words toward her had. He resolved to speak to Jane that night, after her performance, to find out the truth of it all.
Rochester did not see Jane again that evening, The Doctor appeared in the dining room and informed them the young woman would see them after the meal for entertainment. The dinner conversation was subdued from their unexpected guests. Both remaining very quiet about what would be happening in the traditional Imperial dance, they just shared some type of secret look and a smile. Rochester breathed deeply, remembering he couldn’t afford to insult someone so far above his station. Conversation lilted between his guests, then The Doctor stood.
“Now, if everyone would join us on the lawn,” he started, “I believe Miss Eyre is ready for us.” There were torches lit on the garden path, Rochester noticed them being extinguished behind them so the group was never in full light. The ladies chittered behind their fans, voices low to avoid detection. “If everyone could find a seat, the lights will need to be extinguished for the show.” The Doctor walked off into the darkness, Rochester knew it was towards the edge of the stage. Edwin, holding Adele’s hand, went to the center of the little grouping of chairs there and placed her on his left.
“Rochester, join me,” he demanded as the others took their places. Rochester nodded and took the chair to the right of The Emperor.
“What kind of dance is this?” Adele asked, “My mother has taught me several dances, but none of them were in the dark like this.”
“This is called a fire dance, and I can safely say that none here have seen a dance like this,” Edwin replied, a knowing smile on his face. Unknown attendants appeared and doused the torches, only lighting a few small torches at the perimeter of the stage.
“Ladies, Gentlemen,” The doctor said, appearing only partially lit after a moment in the quiet darkness. “I give you, Miss Jane Eyre.” The introduction was simple and then all they could see was a barely lit black form walking onto the stage, two glowing embers swaying with the person’s steps.
What happened next there were no words for, a tribal drum began to beat and the woman was clearly moving at the embers spun in the night, leaving trails of sparks in their wake. It wasn’t until they brushed the ground that Rochester truly got a look at what was happening. Adele gasped in surprise as awe with the rest of the group, the emperor was merely smiling. Jane was there, a close fitted pair of trousers and a shirt, both black as the night around them. The embers danced around her hands, as if by magic, then they would sent showers of sparks in different directions to light the night. They spun faster and faster, and Jane’s form became clearer against the falling embers.
“What witchcraft is this?” One of the ladies gasped as Jane sent towering pillars of sparks all around her. She was completely visible now as she was surrounded by the falling bits of fire.
“You will see,” the emperor said, “She is no magician, just a very gifted performer.” Jane’s embers twirled faster and faster, the patterns of sparks became more elaborate, dancing around each other and and fading into fantastical patterns.
“How exquisite,” Lord Eshton commented. The patterns continued to build, Jane made the sparks dance over each other like a waterfall, spinning to give them illusion they were falling by themselves. Then she gave a last set of complicated spins, the drums barely noticed for her dancing, towering sets of sparks were sent up again before the embers were finally put out. The field plunged into darkness as the stage lights were also extinguished.
Edwin and Adele were the first to clap, both calling out “Bravo” as the rest of the group joined in. Torches were bought in again and Jane was seen on stage, two ropes with something weighted hanging from the end in her hands. She smiled at Edwin, her breath coming in sharp pants, and bowed to the group.
“That was amazing,” one of the twins said, breathless, “Who knew Miss Eyre was capable of such…action?”
“It is unexpected,” her sister replied. Jane accepted a cloak from The Doctor and looked much more comfortable now that she was not only clad in the shirt and trousers.
“Thank you Jane,” Edwin said, taking her hand and kissing the back of it. “As enchanting as I remember.”
“Miss Eyre, Miss Eyre,” Adele cried, throwing her arms around the woman’s waist. “How beautiful your dance was.”
“Thank you Adele,” she said, smiling as she wrapped her arms around the girl in return.
“You see here, the spun metal is very thin, but sparks when it rubs up against each other,” Edwin said, holing aloft on of Jane’s instruments. “It is very difficult and requires precision for a performance, or else the sparks may ignite and hurt the performer. As you see, not witchcraft.”
“Miss Eyre will you teach me to dance like that?” Adele begged, “I was so very beautiful, I could hardly keep my seat.”
“It takes a lot of time to learn Adele,” Jane promised, “But if The Doctor is willing to gift us some of his supply, we can begin once the weather is less changeable.”
“Of course,” The Doctor nodded.
“Oh many, many thanks,” Adele said, twirling around and curtseying to the older man.
“She does you a credit Jane,” Edwin said, taking her hand for a moment before Jane ended their contact. Rochester felt that same creep of jealously from that afternoon. He wanted to end the party, to go back to just him and his Jane, but propriety deemed it necessary that he wait out the promised time before calling the party to an end. If asked at that moment, Rochester could not have banished his guests quickly enough.