Jane - Chapters 6 - 10:
In these chapters we really start to see the story line of this book come to life in the present day. We see Jane Moore's love begin to flourish for Mr. Rathburn and a deeper, more amiable, side of him come out as he engages her. At the forefront of this section, Jane and Mr. Rathburn have a heart-to-heart discussion, flirtatious encounter, and then grow closer as he takes her out to dinner with Madeline, and previously as he taught her to swim. He tells her all about his wives, Celine especially, his relationship with Maddy, and his affairs in the music industry. I was a bit surprised Nico Rathburn was comfortable enough to be so forthcoming and personal with her, considering he had only known her for about a week. However, hypothetically, I would imagine if his entire life was plastered all over tabloids and in the news, it would be pretty easy to become an open book with someone that lived under your roof. Soon after these encounters, Jane finds herself starting to like him, probably more than she even realized at that moment. She also asks herself the very same questions I, or any reader, would ask. "Why is he treating her differently than the other servants?" However, unlike Jane, I have the answers to this, because I have read Jane Eyre, and the stories remain simpatico. Yes, he is treating her differently, and it is because he considers her, and feels about her in a much different manner that he does the others. He likes her and enjoys the insights she brings, which other people in his life do not seem to avail him. Soon after these events, Nico Rathburn begins to ask Jane for her opinion on a lot of things. For example, he asks her opinion on the outfit he should wear on his album cover. He also takes more interest in her personal interests and in her care and well-being. He asks her to stay on the property and create her art there, for her own safety. While I do consider that it would be good for her own safety, I also believe he requested this, so that he could have her around more often and have her readily available to him. He begins to show her places on his property to do her artwork, and just as they are becoming close, he leaves. He goes off to do some concerts and have more business dealings. Jane is unsure of when he will return, similar to when Mr. Rochester leaves in the original story of Jane Eyre. As one might expect, precisely as happened in Jane Eyre, our present day Mr. Rochester (Nico Rathburn), returns and he, too, brings a group of people back with him. This time it is his bandmates and the women in their lives.
An unexpected (unless one has read Charlotte Bronte's predecessor novel) visitor tags along with this group. Her name is Bianca Ingram! Does that sound familiar to my blog readers? Bianca Ingram is Mr. Rathburn's photographer. She appears to be one for whom he has great affection. Jane sees her, and much like Jane Eyre did, acknowledges she will never look like her or be a love interest of Mr. Rathburn's. Yet, Mr. Rathburn continues to request Jane's presence at every event: dinners, rehearsals, even when everyone Is just simply hanging out. In all circumstances, Jane is required to be there. A band member, Dennis, begins to hit on Jane, and it makes her very uncomfortable, but Mr. Rathburn tells him not to try anything with her. This seems odd to me considering Bianca Ingram is right next to him. Curiously, some women in the group befriend Jane and take her to the bathroom to giver her "a makeover." Jane begins to reminisce about when her mother tried to do this for her, but rather admonished her appearance in the process and how Jane snapped back at her. [Jane Moore really suffers from deep insecurities!] When the women finish with Jane's makeup, they tell her that she is quite beautiful, and they want her to go see Mr. Rathburn. Jane is shy and refuses! She is far too nervous. She continuously reminds herself that he will never love her.
To Jane's surprise, Nico asks her opinion of Bianca Ingram as his girlfriend. I hate mind games, and I think this guy is playing with Jane's mind, or seeing her reaction to his questions about Bianca. He tells her that he cares about her opinion. He is not stupid, so he can obviously see that she likes him to some degree. Yet, he goes to her for dating advice and her opinion on his prospected girlfriend. Jane feels even more confident that Nico will never have a love interest in her. How could he? After all, Bianca is more fitting of someone with his lifestyle.
Jane later has her fortune told through a tarot card reading some of the women do, and the reading tells her that there is hope with Nico. She largely brushes it off as inconsequential, because she does not believe in fortune-telling. I wonder if this tarot card reading is meant to provide the reader with foreshadowing. Perhaps. We shall see!
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