London, United Kingdom
May 1851

The train ride to London was long, though not as long as it would have been had the family travelled by carriage. Jane was exhausted but excited to be in London again. She was even more excited for the plans they had to visit the Great Exhibition at the Crystal Palace in a few days. Jane had always been fascinated with science and the wonders that other cultures had to offer, so naturally, Prince Albert's exhibition which provided an elaborate display of such things was the most exciting thing to happen maybe in her whole life.

The day arrived at last, and Jane could barely contain her excitement. She rose early that morning and eagerly awaited the arrival of her maid Alice to come and help her dress. After writing in her diary for nearly half an hour, the door opened and Jane was delighted to see Alice walk through it. Together, they chatted about the day's excitement as Jane donned her favorite dress. The light blue fabric did wonders for her eyes, making them shine like the clearest, bluest water in the Caribbean. Alice then took to Jane's hair, arranging it in the most delicate manner so that her long blond hair fell down her back in loose curls. With that, Jane felt ready for what she hoped would be the best day of her life.

Breakfast seemed to drag on as her grandmother pestered her with questions about how she was to act in public, but Jane didn't mind. She had grown up in her grandparents home and could not remember a time when she lived elsewhere, so naturally, she was used to her grandmother's oftentimes invasive and condescending questions. When she was younger, Jane responded to such questions with sarcasm and sometimes even anger, but after seventeen years, she learned that the easiest way to appease her grandmother was to simply answer her questions and nod with a smile. That was what Regina Pelham liked to see, and Jane had finally become clever enough to give it to her.

At long last, the time came to leave their London apartment and make their way to the Crystal Palace. Much to Jane's relief, the carriage ride was short, and as soon as the magnificent, shining structure appeared in view, she determined that even the longest journey would be worth it if this building were at the end of it. The structure was made entirely of glass with steel reinforcements, and as such, every single ray of sunlight reflected off its many surfaces to produce the most beautiful refraction of light Jane had ever seen.

Jane Pelham was not alone in this sentiment. People from all over Europe had come to see the Crystal Palace and all the many wonderful treasures it housed. As such, the many walkways and paths that circulated Hyde Park were filled with finely dressed foreigners and natives, all of whom were eager to see just how impressive Prince Albert's Exhibition was.

Jane's carriage was nearing the entrance of the palace, and she nearly had to convince herself not to jump out of it while it was still moving because of her anticipation. After what seemed like ages, Jane and her grandparents were finally released from the carriage. As she stepped out onto the gravel pathway, she couldn't help the feeling of awe and reverence that came over her. Such a place as this would surely be praised forever.

Jane followed close behind her grandparents as they climbed the steps to the front doors of the Crystal Palace, trying to take in every statue, every fountain, and every gleaming panel of glass. Beyond the great, glass doors lay the real treasures: pink diamonds, state of the art telescopes that could see the planets in more detail than ever before, and even a machine that could send messages called telegraphs through a wire. Everything inside was beyond Jane's wildest imagination, so much so that she had to remind herself several times not to show too much excitement. Her grandmother would not be pleased with her if she were acting like a child in such a public setting.

While Jane was inspecting the largest diamond ever found, her grandfather began conversing with some men that she had never seen before. None of them were very handsome at all, save one who seemed to possess enough attractive qualities to make up for his companions' physical failings. She tried to show no interest in them or their conversation, but to no avail. They were speaking rather loudly about a piece of literature that she adored, so, in hopes of maybe joining the conversation, she returned to her grandfather's side and waited silently for the invitation to speak. She knew it would come; it always did. Her grandfather adored her and her quick wit, but more than that, his friends could never help but admire the golden-haired young lady by his side.

"This, gentlemen, is my granddaughter Jane," Henry announced, his hand resting on her upper back, pushing her forward ever so slightly. The men seemed pleased to meet her and inquired whether she was enjoying herself at the exhibition.

Jane nodded in affirmation, trying desperately to conceal the full extent of her excitement, "Oh, yes. I find everything so fascinating. The telescope is especially impressive."

Pleased with her answer, one of the men grinned at her, "And Miss Jane, are you so enthusiastic in all your studies? What would you say are your feelings about, say, literature?"

Above all things, Jane loved astronomy and literature; thus, when asked this question by a man who seemed genuinely interested in her answer, she felt as if her status as a woman no longer mattered– if only for a brief moment. She contemplated for a moment before replying, in attempt to decide whether she should express her adoration for modern authors versus the classics. Given that the modern authors were more culturally relevant, she decided that they would be the focus this conversation.

"I like to think that I am dedicated to furthering my knowledge in every discipline; however, literature is undoubtedly one of my favorite arts to study. There are so many talented authors these days that I find I can't wait for time to read." Jane smiled confidently as she spoke, thus projecting an air of incomparable beauty about her. Her face was a pretty one, indeed, but it was her passion and her humility that made her seem even more beautiful than she already was.

One who took notice of this was the handsome young gentleman standing amongst them. He was there for a very specific purpose, and prior to meeting this girl, he felt very sure that he would be able to accomplish it. But now, as he stood there watching this young beauty speak about her favorite novels, he felt that his own infatuation with her might become somewhat of an issue. He knew the girl would be pleasing in character given then gentle nature of her father, but he never expected for her be this lovely in both appearance and attitude. Thus, shaken and a little star-struck, Harold Sinclair stood silently watching her, awaiting the right moment for him to make himself known to her.

This was proving to be especially difficult seeing as the man immediately to Harry's left had just introduced Jane to her favorite contemporary author, Mr. Charles Dickens. On the one hand, Harry was frustrated watching her praise the writer, simply because he wished to be the object of her praise; but on the other hand, he found himself fighting a smile as she spoke so eloquently in the presence of her literary idol.

Despite her supposed composure, Jane felt her insides trembling as the Charles Dickens addressed her by name and spoke to her about his unpublished work. All of the other people in the room seemed to disappear, and for the briefest of moments, she forgot who she was supposed to be. Had her grandmother been standing next to her, she surely would have scolded Jane for her enthusiasm, but at the moment, that was one thing she didn't have to worry about.

But all good things must come to an end, and they certainly did for Jane. Regina rejoined her family, and almost immediately, there was a visible change in the way Jane spoke and carried herself. There wasn't a person present who didn't notice how the otherwise outgoing girl retreated into herself in the presence of Regina Pelham. She glanced nervously at the older woman standing beside her, and the men in their company saw the girl's usual timidity return.

Mr. Dickens and his companions made their leave, but Harry remained behind. It was then that Henry took the opportunity to introduce Jane and his wife to the young man that would be staying with them for next few months.

"My dears, let me introduce you to Mr. Harold Sinclair. He will be joining us when we return to Newcastle in the fall," Henry announced, placing his hand on Harry's shoulder with a welcoming smile.

So this is the man that James Hale has a history with, Jane thought as she looked at him. I wonder what happened between them.

Harry bowed with a smile, "It's a pleasure to meet you both. I can't thank you enough, in advance, for your hospitality."

As he stood before her, Jane couldn't help but notice how truly beautiful this man was. His eyes were the color of the most exquisitely  polished jade, and when he smiled, it seemed to reach those dark eyes in the most enchanting way. With high cheekbones and a well-defined jaw, Harry's features were sharp and attractive. It was no wonder that the women passing by let their gaze linger long enough for him to notice. And though Jane had a hard time keeping her own eyes from staring, she too, noticed how Harry attracted the attention of those around him.

Jane and Regina both curtsied gracefully upon Harry's address to them, the younger of the two looking much like the elder's trained pet. Harry kissed Regina's hand and bowed as she extended it to him, greeting her very formally. As much as he would like to deny it, the striking woman with golden eyes intimidated him. The way she merely looked down on him as he kissed her hand appeared as if he were surrendering to her, and though it was nothing more than a salutation, he felt that in many ways, she had already begun to control him.

When Harry turned to Jane, it was as if he had received a breath of fresh air. Where her grandmother was proud and imposing, Jane was humble and dainty. Harry took in her features now that they stood so close. Her cheeks were full and pink, as were her lips, but more than those things, it was her eyes that captured his attention. They gleamed like sapphires in the light of day, and he could not help but admire them.

"It's lovely to make your acquaintance, madam," Harry spoke quietly as he bent to kiss the young girl's hand. She smiled shyly at him in return, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks.

It was as if the two were in their own little world for only a few moments, and neither could see the disapproving look that appeared on Regina's face. She saw the way the young people looked at each other, and she didn't like it one bit. Though she didn't know it yet, Jane was destined for another, and Regina could see right then and there that this Harold Sinclair would be a problem.

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I just love this time period so much lol my obsession with Queen Victoria is ridiculous

Thanks for reading and please vote if you can!
(I love reading y'all's comments btw!)
-kate🖤