Emma
Jane Fairfax
The accomplished newcomer
Miss Bates's elegant, reserved niece, admired for her musical talent. She carries a heavy secret and says little.
Jane Fairfax is the orphaned niece of Miss Bates and the granddaughter of old Mrs. Bates. She is elegant, extremely accomplished and a gifted musician. Her aunt cannot stop praising her, and Emma, who is a little jealous of her talents, finds her too cold and reserved to like easily.
Jane is proud and sensitive, and she is under great emotional strain. She says little because there is a great deal she cannot say. She tends to be misjudged for her silence, and she is a quiet match for Emma's confidence. Emma admires her manners and her playing, and feels a little inadequate beside her. Jane has no fortune of her own and a future that depends on others.
“Let us forget the past, dear Miss Woodhouse, and be friends forever.”
In the story
Contains spoilers.
When Jane comes to stay with her aunt and grandmother, a grand pianoforte arrives for her as an anonymous gift. Emma guesses that it came from a Mr. Dixon, but the real answer lies in Jane's secret. At the Coles' party, Jane plays and sings, while Frank joins her. Mr. Knightley notices the secret understanding between them, and Jane slips away from the picnic at Donwell Abbey in tears.
After Mrs. Churchill's death, the engagement is made known. Jane and Frank visit Hartfield, and she and Emma are reconciled. Jane says they should forget the past and be friends forever.
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