Taming Jane

Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

Jane’s heart picked up in pace as she blinked a few times, hoping that what she was seeing was a dream.

“Janey,” said a familiar voice. Jane looked to her right to see her mother beaming at her. “You’re awake, darling; we’ve been so worried about you!” Catherine bent down to kiss her on the forehead.

“Mama,” Jane whispered, surprised to hear that her voice was so hoarse. “What happened to me?” Her head hurt. It was pounding, as if someone was screaming inside her skull.

Catherine frowned. “You don’t remember?”

Jane shook her head, which only made the pain worse. As she did though, she noticed a well dressed man standing on the other side of her. He was very handsome for an older gentleman, but Jane was much too young to be having such thoughts about men. He was staring at her intently, as if he cared ever so much. “Who are you?” she asked him.

His face dropped as she said the words. “You don’t know who I am?” he gasped.

Jane frowned. “Should I? Where is this place, why aren’t we at home?” she demanded to know.

“Janey,” Catherine said softly. “You were horse riding with Emilia, Kitty and Sabine and you fell and hit your head, you’ve been asleep for a little while ... are you saying you don’t remember any of this?”        

The names were completely foreign to Jane. She had never met anyone with those names. What was her mother talking about? “Mama, who are those people?” she asked slowly.

Catherine’s eyes welled up. “Oh, Janey ... darling, how old do you think you are?”

“Seventeen,” Jane answered immediately.

Catherine’s eyes dropped to the floor. “Janey, you’re three and twenty. Emilia is Sebastian’s wife and one of your closest friends, Kitty is your eldest niece and Sabine is Lord Southerby’s daughter. You and Lord Southerby are friends, dear, a little more than friends, I believe.”

Jane’s eyes widened as she stared at Daniel. It was obvious to her that he was handsome, but there had to be some mistake. She was seventeen; he was far too old to be courting her. As soon as that thought crossed her mind she realised that everything she knew was wrong. She wasn’t seventeen. Her mother had to be right as she would never lie.

“You don’t know me at all?” Lord Southerby asked softly.

Jane shook her head vigorously. “No, I’m sorry,” she replied quickly. Her hand reached up to the right side of her head which was the source of the pain. Instead of feeling her hair she felt a soft material. “I really did hit my head, didn’t I?” she asked her mother.

Catherine nodded sadly. “You did, darling. You’re really three and twenty and you know Lord Southerby here very well.”