Miss Jane's Undoing by Sophia Jiwani Page A

had never seen before, and that she couldn’t help feeling, mocked her.
    “I hope you will do us the honor of calling upon us soon.  I’m sure that Mother and  Father will be very pleased to see you and hear all your tales about Oxford.”
    “But of course,” said Tommy.  “I hope that you and your family have been well in my absence?”
    “Yes, thank you,” said Mary, elbowing Jane, who still looked at Tommy open-mouthed.  Jane adjusted her expression and drew herself up tall, making an attempt to look demure while still taking in every inch of Tommy’s new and improved appearance.  She couldn’t bring herself to say anything, but she smiled and proffered her hand, which Tommy took in his own.  When they touched, she felt her insides turn to liquid.  Tommy looked at her in such an intent manner, his blue eyes appraising and even appreciative, in the way that a man appreciates a woman and not merely a childhood friend!
    “We should be going,” said Mary.  “Mrs. Brown doesn’t feel well and we came to give her a pie and see how she was getting along.”
    “I will let you return to your charitable endeavor then,” said Tommy.  He bowed and moved away, his shoes clicking on the pavement.  With a jolt of surprise, Jane realized something that she had never suspected: Tommy was a handsome young man!

    ****

    All through their visit to Mrs. Brown, Jane felt impatient, holding in her excitement at seeing Tommy again, though the Lord knew why.  It was just Tommy, after all.  And yes, he’d  told her, in a fit of adolescent passion, that he loved her.  But that had been three years ago and she was sure he had moved on since then.  She’d also had several flirtations with young men in the neighborhood since he left for college.  None of them had been serious though— at least not on her side.  Her parents approved heartily of the vicar, who courted her, and she thought he was handsome, in a way.  But he seemed even more removed from her ideal of a romantic hero than Tommy  all those years ago.  He spoke so seriously that she had to use every ounce of self-control not to giggle.
    Her father, of course, wholeheartedly promoted the match; the vicar was exactly the kind of deserving young man he would choose for either of his daughters.  His fancy had settled on Jane, which was not surprising, considering that she was the prettier of the two sisters.  But Mr. Fielding thought Mary more suitable for a clergyman; she was less frivolous and more sensible than her younger sister.
    On a couple of occasions, the vicar seemed perilously close to proposing to her, but Jane  managed to evade him and the onerous task of saying no.   She wasn’t in love with him and she was determined that when she married, her affections would be engaged.  Her father disapproved of her attitude and didn’t hesitate to point out that there weren’t that many options for a young village miss like herself with no fortune.  She knew that he was right but she was only nineteen, after all.  She could afford to wait another year or two before being considered on the shelf.  And a lot could happen in a couple of years.
    “Well, what did you think?”  Mary asked Jane as they walked back home from Mrs. Brown’s house.
    “What?”  Jane asked, her head in the clouds.
    “Young Mr. Bailey.  Isn’t it wonderful how he turned into a mature young man?  When the two of you were children, I was afraid he would never settle down.  Yet here he is, looking like such a gentleman.  I hear he’s been offered the post of Secretary to a prominent Member of Parliament.  A political career can’t be far behind.”
    “I never thought Tommy would go into politics,” said Jane.  “He always said he wanted to become a sailor and roam about the world.”
    “That was when he was a child,” said Mary.  “He’s grown up now.”
    “He sure is,”  Jane agreed, a little chill around her heart.  She wasn’t sure if she was