As Jane Eyre approached Ferndean, the current residence of her beloved Mr. Rochester, many thoughts and feelings ran through her entire being. The anticipation and excitement she felt outweighed her nervousness and regret by a margin. As she made her way closer, Jane’s body unconsciously tensed. She stepped out from behind a brush of bramble and tripped, face first. Flustered, Jane managed to get back to her feet and quickly scanned the area in front of her to gauge how close she must be from Ferndean. To her utter shock, a massive residence lay almost 800 yards from her! The house was large, handsome, and bordered by rolling hills. Jane took a deep breath and a smile crept onto her lips. How lovely this house was! ‘It fits very nicely into the beautiful surrounding nature’, Jane thought to herself, ‘To be mistress of this Ferndean; now that would be something.’

Once she had taken in the grandeur and beauty of the grounds, Jane quickly and excitedly made her way across the grounds towards the majestic front doors. Suddenly, the front door opened slightly and a man peeked out but then turned back inside after a short moment. Jane glimpsed dark hair and a strong profile and her heart began to flutter rapidly. ‘How will he react to me?” Jane thought. ‘Will her remember? Does he still love me?’ Unable to wait any longer, her brisk walk morphed into a galloping sprint.

Jane arrived at the front door, regained her composure, and firmly knocked on the gold doorknocker. A servant quickly opened the door, to whom Jane requested, “The master please; I wish to see him.” The woman nodded and led Jane into a vast, ornately decorated sitting room. “I’ll call him down, miss,” she replied. Jane was unable to sit. She restlessly moved about the room, planning what she would say to Rochester.

Then, Jane’s heart stopped. She discerned the same servant saying, “She’s in there, sir” and heard the door creak. Jane looked up and slowly turned to face the man she loved. Simultaneously, Jane loudly gasped and the man asked, “May I ask who you are?” Jane was shocked. This man was not Rochester! Where was she? What was she doing here? Jane felt faint. “Excuse me, miss, are you feeling alright?” the man asked. “On the contrary, no not at all!” Jane replied. “I thought I came upon the house of my – well – I just expected you to be someone else!” The man looked at her. For an instant, Jane found herself gazing at the man’s handsome face and dark eyes. She took a deep breath. “Thank you, sir, for I should be going. I need to find Ferndean House. I must leave.” His eyes seemed to bore deep into hers as he said, “Ferndean? I have never heard of such a place in this area.” Jane replied, “You surely must have. It is the residence of one Edward Rochester.” The man stopped moving. “Rochester?” he said. Jane felt her heart begin to drum. “He was driven out of town two years ago once it was revealed he had no money as he had squandered his inheritance away. He was set to marry an Italian heiress, but once her father got wind of his true nature he broke off the marriage. I heard he left town with a mistress and no regrets or ties.” All of a sudden, Jane saw black.

The next day, Jane awakened. It was all a dream, surely! She was off to find Rochester! Then, the strange man from the day before came in. “I’m sorry, miss, if what I said upset you. I have yet to even introduce myself! My name is Fitzwilliam Darcy, and this is my home, Pemberley. It can be quite lonely around here, especially when it is just myself and the servants.” Jane looked up at Darcy and she suddenly found herself forgetting about Rochester. Darcy’s mesmerizing eyes were impossible to look away from.
“My name, sir,” she replied, “Is Jane Eyre.”