Oh man, Jane. She really just can't catch a break, can she?? Once her small amount of money runs out, she is booted from the carriage to the side of the road in a town called Whitcross, which is the most boring and underwhelming town known to man. As if that isn't miserable enough, she soon realizes that every single one of the (very few) belongings she brought with her was left in the carriage. I mean talk about unfortunate. Not having many other options, Jane spends her first night alone in the woods pondering life, nature, God, and missing Mr. Rochester!!!...but he's in the past, so we won't talk about that. While she continues her lonesome journey, fatigue sets in as she finds food, water, and shelter to be very scarce. Jane wanders into town and attempts to trade her gloves for food, but she is denied. I was feeling very sad for Jane while reading this. She just wanted to escape manipulation and stand up for herself, and this is what it results in?? She doesn't deserve this! As her hunger grows, she continues to beg for help but continuously gets shut down by the villagers. Unsure of any help or way out, Jane finds herself in the woods expecting to die very soon; however, a small light glares in the distance. We just have a feeling at this point thing are surely going to start turning up for Jane...I hope...she can't just die...right?? Phew. A house is there, the house of Mr. St John and his sisters, Diana and Mary! After observing the activity inside the house, Jane knocks. I am crossing my fingers at this point. I mean this poor girl can't take much more. Hannah, their servant, opens the door and initially turns Jane away. But at this point, Jane is unable to carry herself anywhere else and collapses at the door (Nooooo!!). Oh but wait, Mr. St John to the rescue! Jane's knight in shining armor! He invites her in and cares for her (with the help of Diana and Mary) for numerous days. Even though they slowly start to open up to each other, Jane is still very reluctant to share any specific details of her past. Through these conversations, Mr. St John agrees to charitably help Jane get back on her feet and his sisters advocate to keep her around. She is finally getting the assistance she needs and deserves. Although, I feel a little uneasy about some of the interactions between Mr. St John and Jane. He gives off mysterious and closed off vibes (Jane's favorite). That hits a little too close to home for some of us still recovering from Mr. Rochester. After hanging around the house for a while, Diana and Mary have to go to governess elsewhere, and there are speculations of Mr. St John leaving to become a missionary. While both Jane and Mr. St John are becoming restless in the house, he gives her a proposition of running a small school. Jane accepts because she needs a job! Jane questions whether or not this the quality of life she will always have, but she continues teaching because she doesn't have many more options. To end of the chapter, a new bombshell enters. Mrs. Oliver, the epitome of beauty and grace, strolls on in to the school. It is so apparent that she and Mr. St John are in love....but oh no, how does Jane feel about this? We can only assume Mr. St John to be another potential love interest. Will Jane be getting herself into another sticky situation again or something good for her? I guess we will just have to see for ourselves...but just remember that Mr. St John ISN'T susceptible to the weather.
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