It takes us two hours to go the last six miles, but we get to Thornfield Hall in chapter 11.

Jane arrives and is welcomed with a lovely generosity by Mrs. Fairfax, the woman with whom Jane

corresponded about the position. Mrs. Fairfax undoes the ribbons of Jane's bonnet,

because she figures that Jane's fingers must be stiff from the cold. Jane is bold over by the kindness

and a little concerned that her new boss is so familiar given their differences in position.

Jane is given a small, homey room to sleep in. She's so tired from her journey and all of the deep

anxiety of setting on a new life that she falls deep asleep quickly. In the morning, everything

about her new home is a little elegant but not over the top, and Jane is pretty darn delighted with

the place. Jane hears about her student, who is not Mrs. Fairfax's daughter, as Jane suspected,

because Mrs. Fairfax is not mistress of the house, but is in fact the housekeeper. Ah, so she

wasn't being overly familiar. Even better, it turns out that the house belongs to a Mr. Rochester.

In fact, all of the land nearby belongs to Mr. Rochester. Mrs. Fairfax doesn't understand how Jane

did not know this. Isn't Mr. Rochester just a well-known fact of life to everyone?

In the house, in addition to Mrs. Fairfax, we meet Adele, Mr. Rochester's ward, Sophie,

her nurse, Leah, a maid, Grace Poole, another maid, and John, the carriage driver.

These people live their lives around a center that is not there. Mr. Rochester, the owner of the

house, is gone for whole seasons at a time without showing his face. But everyone acts like his return

could happen at any moment because he likes it when he arrives and the house is ready for him.

Mrs. Fairfax takes us on a detailed tour of the house. There is a third floor and an attic with

old furniture and disuse that Jane finds a little creepy. And while up there, she hears some people

laughing. Sad, haunted laughs. Jane asks Mrs. Fairfax who it is. Those maids Grace Poole and maybe

Leah Mrs. Fairfax tells us. Jane gets to know and begins to teach Adele. Adele is sweet,

...