London, United Kingdom
June 1852

After finalizing a plan of action with Thomas over the course of two days, James set to work in carrying out what he hoped would free him and Jane from the Pelhams forever. Initially, Jane was taken aback by the boldness of his endeavor, but the more he explained to her what it would accomplish, the more she understood that he truly had found a way to lead them to undeniable victory, even if it was a little different than she initially imagined. In the end though, she didn't care how James went about it; she was just glad to do something that would truly drive her grandparents away.

The only problem was, in driving them away, Jane would have to meet with her grandmother alone one last time to ensure that she and Henry were still in the dark regarding James's intentions. The element of surprise was essential to his success, so it was imperative that Jane be careful with her words. Furthermore, it was James's hope that after Jane's meeting with her grandmother, the Pelhams would be confident enough in his incompetence to proceed with their negotiations, meaning that his own meeting with them would soon follow. Perhaps if all went according to plan, the whole thing would be over and done with by the week's end.

Nearly three weeks had passed since James's initial presentation of his business intentions to Jane, and now it was time for her to light the fire meant to devour him; that is, she would have to convince her grandparents that James was exactly where they wanted him to be. Only, the flames wouldn't get close to him. Jane's words would make sure of it.

Regina seemed thrilled to hear that Jane wanted to meet with her, an excitement Jane attributed to the expectation that she was at last complying to her wishes. Jane, however, was not thrilled. She feared her grandmother almost as much as she disliked her, and so the prospect of facing her again was not at all enticing. Part of her even wondered if crossing her grandparents at all was a good idea, but even then, she knew it didn't matter now. The deal was nearly done.

"You're sure you're alright to do this?" James asked Jane for the hundredth time, just as she was preparing to leave for her old home. He walked beside her through the grand foyer of their house, his hands sweaty and his eyes narrowed with worry. He had thought that it wouldn't be too much to ask for Jane to meet with her grandmother, but now that the day had arrived, he wasn't entirely sure it was worth it. There was no way the Pelhams knew what he was up to, and sending Jane to throw them further off his trail seemed entirely superfluous now. Even though Jane's performance would likely increase the chances of making Henry look stupid in their final confrontation, James now realized that it wasn't worth it if it meant putting Jane at risk in any capacity; he had already done more than enough to do that on his own.

Jane, however, didn't see how meeting with her grandmother was much of a risk. She was nervous, but that was only because she had been trained to be when it came to interacting with her family. They weren't to be trusted to do what was best for her, though now, Jane wasn't so sure that mattered anymore. She knew who they were, and as long as she kept their true intentions in mind, Jane was sure that she would make it out on the other side without too much conflict.

"Yes, I'll be fine," Jane answered, glancing sideways at him and thinking it odd that he should be so concerned for her.

In truth, his actions since she confronted him puzzled her, now more than ever. He was out of the house a great deal more than usual, but whenever he did happen to be home, he spoke to her almost as if he were afraid of physically injuring her by words alone. In stark contrast to his abrasive and sometimes apathetic attitude before, James was now overly cautious in every interaction they shared, just as he was now. It annoyed her to some degree, but Jane knew better than to complain; an overcompensation for his past behavior was far more preferable to the alternative.

"It's just tea," she reminded him, hoping that he would drop it and just let her get the afternoon over with. "I won't be there more than an hour."

"But––"

"I can't just not show up," Jane said, interrupting him. "If I don't, she'll just turn up here, and that would be a much longer engagement than if I was the one visiting her."

Jane judged by James's frustrated expression that he hadn't thought of that, nor could he protest. Jane was absolutely right, and even he could admit that risking Regina's presence in their home was not at all worth it. As far as he was concerned, she would never step foot under their roof again.

"Okay," he conceded with a huff, "but just please be careful. I know she used to be hostile towards you, and I don't want––"

Jane couldn't help but scoff and cut him off again, "She's not going to hit me, if that's what you're thinking." When James didn't say anything to either confirm or deny her guess at what he was going to say, Jane added, "I don't know why she would anyway; I'm going to be telling her everything she wants to hear."

James's eyes softened slightly, as did his tightly drawn mouth, but the heaviness of his brow betrayed him by expressing his doubt.

"If you're sure..."

"Yes, I am," Jane said shortly. "I don't understand why you're being so strange about this all of a sudden. Is something wrong that you're not telling me?"

His eyes widening in panic, James hurriedly shook his head and stepped in front of her to open the door. "No, not at all," he said, allowing her to pass in front of him, where the carriage was waiting. "I just–– I didn't want you to have to do something you didn't feel comfortable doing; that's all."

Upon hearing his words, Jane couldn't help but glance back at him, a teasing smile crossing her lips. Surely, he wasn't serious; he had never been that considerate before. But when he didn't show any signs of going back on his statement, Jane began to think that maybe he actually meant it. She just hoped the sentiment would apply to more than just this isolated incident; if that were the case, then maybe she really did risk the chance of becoming his friend.

Jane's shoulders dropped as she faced him, momentarily forcing herself to answer him without a biting tone. If he was genuinely acting out of concern for her, she wouldn't fault him for it, even if his concern was irrationally fueled. He was being decent, for once fulfilling his promises to be good to her, and she would not allow her own constant irritation with him to ruin it.

"I don't want to go," Jane said softly, looking into his icy blue eyes. "But I want this thing with them to be done more. And if meeting her today triggers the beginning of the end, then I'm eager to do it... I'll be fine; I promise."

For several moments, James stood still, searching Jane's face and considering her words, until at last, he broke the silence with a heavy sigh.

"Alright," he surrendered and held his hand out to her so that she could climb into the carriage. "You don't want to be late."

Grateful for his confidence in her, Jane relaxed slightly and allowed him to help her into the carriage. His hand lingered in hers for longer than Jane would have liked, but she told herself that it was because he wanted to make sure that she had gotten her bearings before letting go. With his newly protective behavior, such an action would make sense.

As Jane adjusted herself in her seat, James took a step back to watch her leave, looking a great deal as if he might say something more to keep her from going. However, he remained silent and pensive as the coach pulled away from the house, which was another new habit he seemed to have taken up since their agreement. He spent a great deal in thought and rarely ever voiced what he was thinking. Whether that be because of his now sober mind or fear of saying the wrong thing, Jane didn't know, but regardless, his generally quiet demeanor felt far from peaceful to her. Knowing him as she did, Jane typically knew what to expect from him, but when he was so stoic and unrevealing of his thoughts, she hardly knew what he was thinking at all. The uncertainty unnerved her.

It wasn't long before Jane arrived at her grandparents' London home for the first time since her wedding six months earlier. She hadn't expected to feel connected to the place given her relationship with its owners, but as it came into view, she recalled the many summers she had spent there and became somewhat conflicted about why she was there now. Growing up, she had made friends in that house, learned to read and play piano; she had played with her cousins there and spent many afternoons in the quaint little garden around the back, soaking up the summer sunlight and anticipating the next party she and her friends might attend. Despite all the harm that her grandparents had done to her, especially in the past year, this was a place of happy memories.

It was as the carriage pulled to a stop that Jane realized the gravity of what she was about to do; if she went through with setting up her grandparents as she and James had planned, this very well might have been the last time she visited that place. And despite her best efforts to feel otherwise, she couldn't help but feel that she was making a mistake, that she was wronging people to whom she should be loyal. They had raised her, after all, and given her an education, many, many beautiful things, and even on occasion, the praise and affection she so desired. Surely, that had to count for something?

But as her carriage neared the front of her old home, so too did Regina Pelham make her way outside. Like always, her hair, black as a raven's feathers, sat atop her head in a crown of braids that made Jane shudder with apprehension. With her golden eyes and her usual emerald green dress, Regina Pelham was the woman who had stolen away Jane's childhood by denying her the possibility of coming to know even just one of her parents. She was the reason Jane never knew her father until the last year, and there was nothing, not even years of happy memories, that could absolve that kind of transgression. The deed was done, and as far as Jane was concerned, she was done as well. After today, she would never again have to face her grandmother with the knowledge that they were somehow tied to one another; as long as she played her part, James would make sure of it.

Her uncertainty now entirely abolished from her mind, Jane went out of the carriage to meet her grandmother, knowing exactly what she must say and how she must act. It wouldn't be difficult either; she had been acting her entire life.

Jane greeted her grandmother politely, though she was careful to maintain her usual air of distance, for she knew if she was too eager to volunteer any information, Regina might begin to wonder what had changed. Jane would have to be sly and clever, and she couldn't afford a moment during which she was anything but.

"Have a seat," her grandmother prompted her once they were inside, gesturing to the chair across from the couch she had chosen to sit on. Jane obeyed as Regina began to pour the tea. "You take the tea without sugar still, I trust?"

"Yes," Jane answered, even though it was a lie. She only said that because growing up, Regina rarely let her have sweets for the sake of figure, and even though she was with child, Jane was sure Regina would still scold her if she admitted to taking sugar in her tea. Because to her, any sort of weight gain was considered unhealthy and even shameful, and given Jane's already existing distaste for her current physical appearance, she did not want to hear an earful from her grandmother about how her eating habits were so unacceptable.

"Oh, good," Regina answered, piercing Jane's hope to avoid the subject altogether. "Some women really let themselves go when they have children, and it shows."

Jane hummed in response, forcing a smile and a quiet thanks as she accepted the plain tea from her grandmother's cold hands. Although she had much to say in response to her grandmother's rude statement, Jane bit her tongue to keep from sparking a premature conflict between them. She had to laugh at herself though; it hadn't even been five minutes with the woman, and already, Jane had the affinity to strangle her. So what if she gained weight from having a child? It was better than starving to death as she nearly did to herself in the beginning; after all, having a healthy baby was Jane's number one priority, and if struggling with her weight achieved that, she would willingly sacrifice it any day.

"Well," Regina said, taking advantage of the lull in conversation to address the real reason Jane was even there at all. "How is James?"

Upon hearing her grandmother's words, Jane shook own personal grievances against Regina from her mind and reminded herself of the many things she had intended to say in her grandmother's presence, the first being in regard to her reason for coming there at all; however, it was not Jane's intention to volunteer her words freely. She would prompt her grandmother to goad her on.

"Oh, um, he's okay... I guess," Jane said uncertainly, taking a sip of her tea and lowering her eyes to feign nervousness. "I—I don't know. I haven't seen him much if I'm honest."

Jane didn't even have to look upon her face to feel her grandmother's aggravation radiating off of her; Regina Pelham was not a woman whose time ought to be wasted.

"Oh," Regina said, no doubt rolling her eyes at how foolish Jane sounded. "I thought he was why you wanted to speak with me."

Knowing that this was a good start, Jane teased her grandmother with just a little bit more, though she was intentional about holding back for at least a few moments. "I did... I mean, I do, but..." She trailed off, hoping to tempt Regina's ever-insatiable curiosity.

"But what?"

"I don't know, I just––" Jane stopped herself and shook her head as if to indicate that she couldn't possibly manage to share the information she had to give, because Jane very well knew that the longer she resisted, the more blindly Regina would latch onto her every word. In Regina's eyes, guarded information was precious information, and Jane had been clever enough to remember that lesson when she had learned it under Regina's own instruction.

"I wouldn't want him to think I had betrayed him," Jane said. "It feels... wrong."

With an amused scoff, Regina answered Jane with just about as much unreasonable confidence as ever. "You're not betraying him; you're helping him, and you're helping your real family. As silly as you can be sometimes, I know you see James for the liability he is; he can't be allowed to continue like this."

As Regina spoke, Jane felt her blood beginning to heat with the many retorts she so dearly wished to make against her grandmother's irrational claims. She didn't know who her real family was at this point; however, she was absolutely certain that Regina was not among them. Every fiber in Jane's being seemed to be imploring her to voice how deeply she abhorred her so-called family, but she forced herself to swallow the cruel, yet entirely deserved words. Along with her inflamed sense of irritation, Jane also forced herself to swallow her pride, because she very well knew that this was not the time to defend herself against Regina's belittling opinion of her. Besides, she knew that if she were to push back against anything her grandmother had said, she would only be met with more insults. It was better to let them slide now and get to the meat of their conversation.

"I don't know," Jane said quietly, begging her snake of a relative to further bare her fangs; only then could Jane concede. After all, Regina would believe anything Jane said to her if she thought it was coming from fear of her. Jane had been that way as a child, so easily intimidated into revealing the truth, and Jane was sure that Regina thought nothing about her had changed. How wrong she was about that, and how sorely she would come to pay for it.

"Jane, this is for your benefit just as much as it is for ours," Regina entreated her with manipulative words, but Jane could see right through them. Her grandparents had only ever cared about themselves and their family's reputation, nothing more. "If he continues in his recklessness, with how much influence he has now, he'll bankrupt the company, and we'll both lose. The only way to keep that from happening is through this negotiation. We need majority control to save the future of our business, and he's the only one who can give it to us... Now please, think of your child, and do what needs to be done. It's the only way we can both be financially stable and continue providing for our families at the end of this."

If Jane didn't know so much about their shared organization as she did, she might have been inclined to believe her grandmother; however, Jane was well aware that everything her grandmother was saying was just a very well-crafted piece of rhetoric that was meant to engage her emotions far more than her rationality. Regina was a mother, and she knew that if she brought Jane's unborn child into this, Jane would be inclined to do whatever it took to ensure the best future for her family. Jane could see this, but still, there was that small voice seeping into her brain teasing her with "what if"s. What if her grandmother really was right? What if this was the only way that she could provide for her baby? Jane's heart clenched with fear as she considered these questions, but she steadied herself in the knowledge that James's plan was a good one. Her father had even said so, and that was enough to convince her that she really was doing the right thing.

And so with a quiet voice, Jane lifted her clear blue eyes, innocent yet seemingly ridden with a new sort of determination, and spoke softly, "If you're waiting for the time to engage him, it's now."

Regina's sculpted brow arched along with her interest in what Jane had to reveal. "Why do you say that?"

The lie Jane knew she had to tell surfaced in her mind as she hesitated to answer her grandmother, and for the first time, her hesitation was not intentional. This lie was so contrary to the truth that Jane almost didn't want to voice it aloud, if only for the sake of avoiding the reverse of every effort James had made in the last few weeks. Nonetheless, Jane knew such fears were irrational; James himself had encouraged her in this, and still, he had not shown any sign that he was falling into relapse. She had to do this, and she couldn't let her fear control her.

"I've never seen him so out of control," Jane said quietly, allowing herself to be filled with the anger she had felt when he really had been a drunken mess nearly every waking moment of the day. It was a familiar fury that she had since forced herself to stifle for the sake of trying to move on, and oh, did it feel good to exhibit even just a hint of the rage she felt he deserved. "He puts on a good show for my sake when we're in public, but when we're at home... sometimes I fear he's lost his mind."

Jane could see the swelling hope in her grandmother's golden eyes as she eagerly prompted her for more, "How so?"

"He doesn't drink so much in public anymore, but..." Jane drew in a sharp breath and shook her head, remembering the days when James would lie in bed all day, drunk into oblivion. It was then that she realized she was letting her emotions complicate her purpose; she had to be intentional with every word and every pause, lest she forget why she was really there at all. There was no time to get carried away with the past.

"He's spiralling..." she said definitively. "He drinks himself to sleep most nights and is out of the house most of the day. I don't–– I don't know what he does, but I don't think it's anything productive. His lawyer said––"

Jane stopped herself, knowing that the moment she fell silent, the hungrier Regina would be for what she was denying her.

"His lawyer said what, Jane? Spit it out."

Jane silently praised herself for drawing out Regina's aggravation this way, but forced herself not to celebrate yet. She still had a few more lines to get through before her grandmother would be satisfied.

Purposefully holding back, Jane shook her head and retreated, saying, "I don't think I should––"

"Damn it, Jane," Regina barked, training her eyes on Jane just as when she was a child. Jane could see what Regina thought she was doing, and this time, she was grateful for it. Her habit of intimidation would bring about her downfall. "Quit being so difficult, and just tell me why you think we should approach James now."

Jane swallowed hard, bowing her head and reaching up to scratch her temple. Regina would be expecting this from her, seeing as how Jane never could look a person in the eyes when confessing the truth; Jane had figured out a long time ago that this was the way to fool Regina Pelham.

"Well," Jane began, forcing her voice to shake, "James's lawyer came by the other day because he hadn't paid him for his services..." Jane dared to look up. "I'm not entirely sure what happened, but from what I understand, James told him that he didn't need him anymore, and so didn't see the need for paying him for what he had already done for us... I, um, when I asked James about it, he wouldn't tell me anything. He said–– he said it wasn't my business."

Regina gasped quietly, her wicked smile beginning to creep its way across her cruel mouth, "You mean to say he fired his lawyer?"

"I don't know for sure..."

"You do know, girl. Tell me the truth; did he fire his lawyer?"

Momentarily stunned by her grandmother's foul tone with her, Jane hesitated, but then answered with a nod in the affirmative.

"And do you think he would sign something without reading it?"

"Maybe..." Jane shrugged, hiding the disgust she felt that her grandparents would intentionally try to cheat her in this way. "But if he thought that you had changed something in a contract of this much importance, I think even he would read it."

"That shouldn't be an issue," Regina hummed, that repulsive smile of hers finally coming to take its rightful place. Jane had to shudder upon seeing it, especially as it's cruel owner addressed her, "You've done a good thing in telling me all this, Jane. You will not regret it."

And Jane didn't think she would, because before she left for home that afternoon, Jane was given a letter that bore her grandfather's seal, which to her, might as well have been a call to war. This was it; this was the beginning of the end, and she was holding the first domino in her hand. All she had to do now was tip her hand and let the rest begin to tumble.

"Don't forget to give this to him, Jane," Regina told her patronizingly, as if she wasn't well-aware of the magnitude of what all was bound to pass between them. "It's very important."

"I will," Jane promised, smiling faintly then climbing into her coach. She was about to sigh a breath of relief when her grandmother's cold, ring-clad hand stopped the carriage door from closing, her all-knowing smile peering proudly up at Jane for what Jane hoped would be the last time.

"And Jane," Regina added wryly. "Don't let him come to us without a few drinks in him alright? We have him right where we want him, but you can never be too sure."

Jane noted the unwavering confidence of her grandmother's voice and would ordinarily be intimidated or even frightened by it, but this time, her grandmother's confidence only served to inflate her own. Her grandparents were right where Jane wanted them, and as she pulled away from her old childhood home, she didn't feel anything but anticipation to tell James about how her grandmother had received her lies. Because if the letter in her hand said what she thought it did, then Jane knew that the weeks to come would provide dramatic change for them both, and just this once, the change couldn't be more welcome.

•••

Happy Mother's Day to you all! I hope y'all are doing well amidst this quarantine and that everyone is being safe :) My state is starting to open up again so I'm working, which is good but exhausting. Been doing a lot of writing on this story and Insider, so hopefully I'll have some more chapters for you soon!

Also, what's your quarantine hobby been? I'm trying to pick up the guitar lol but I'm not so good

Thank you all for reading!
-kate💖