Margaret of Milton

by Elaine Owen

  She gathered her courage and spoke. "I might be tempted to accept your offer, Mr. Thornton, but I have a few reservations."

  His hand tightened on hers as it rested on his arm. "Name them."

  She took a deep breath. "First, I need to look after my two servants, Dixon and Mary. Breaking up our household means they will lose their jobs. I would not leave them without a position or any means to support themselves."

  Thornton nodded. "It is only proper that you would consider their needs. Dixon can become part of our household as your personal maid, if you think she would be suitable. As for Mary, I will find a position for her in the home of one of the other masters."

  "So neither will be left out on the street?"

  "Certainly not."

  Margaret sighed with relief. She had expected Thornton to dismiss her responsibility to her servants, not to have him offer such an easy solution. "Secondly, my charitable work is important to me. If we were to marry I must be assured you would not interfere with it."

  Thornton frowned. "How do you think I would interfere in your activities? What do you think I would do?"

  "You might use your authority as my husband to forbid me from visiting Princeton or the other poor districts of the town. You might not allow me to continue my friendship with Nicholas Higgins."

  Thornton stopped walking, forcing her to stop and face him. "I am not a tyrant, Miss Hale," he said sternly. "I do not pick and choose friends for my mother or my sister."

  "But what about me, as your wife?" she asked, being persistent. Thornton lived a very public life. He could not have a wife who appeared to be disloyal to him or to the Thornton business, Marlborough Mills.

  "You have my word. I will not keep you from your acquaintance with Nicholas Higgins or anyone else, as long as they are not actively working or speaking against my interests."

  "I understand." Margaret pursed her lips and looked down.

  “In fact,” Thornton added after a moment, “once your mourning period is over, I see no reason why you could not expand your charitable works. Your position as a Thornton could bring attention and support to entirely new causes.”

  Margaret’s eyes widened but she said nothing. Thornton was being more generous than she had hoped. After a pause she took his arm again and they resumed their steps. They were approaching Crampton now, and their pace slowed as they drew closer to the house. Thornton spoke again.

  "Have you any other conditions, Miss Hale?"

  "Just one. I want to be sure that we understand one another. You have said that this will be a marriage in name only."

  "That is true."

  "Is it your intention, then, to never have children of your own?"

  Thornton hesitated before responding, his voice grim. "I expect that Fanny and her husband will have children in the near future, and as far as I am concerned those children will be my heirs. I would not want children of my own under these circumstances."

  "What if you change your mind later?" As her husband he could demand whatever he wanted. She would be powerless against him.

  Thornton's voice became stern. "If you are asking if I will ever impose myself upon you, the answer is no. I am not that sort of man. If you think me capable of such an action, you should reject my proposal at once."

  Mortified, she realized she had offended him once again. Would she ever stop misjudging this man? Fortunately they had just reached the threshold of Crampton, and she could release his arm to beat a hasty retreat to the top of the stairs. From this safe distance she turned to look back at him, glad for the shadow cast over her face by the outline of the house. She and Thornton were now at the same height, and she could meet his gaze from an even footing.

  "Miss Hale, if we are to marry I have a condition of my own."

  "What is it?"

  His eyes bored into hers, unwavering. "You must promise me that you will always speak the truth, under all circumstances. Always."

  Margaret blinked, then opened her mouth to protest. She wanted to assert that she was always truthful, that she never lied, but realized she could not do so. There was no taking back the falsehood she had uttered regarding the night her brother left Milton. Thornton would probably never forget it, and due to his position as a magistrate, she would never be able to explain the circumstances to him. She could only hope that, given enough time, she might be able to reestablish her character in his eyes.

  "I will never deceive you, Mr. Thornton. You have my word," she said instead, as firmly as possible.

  His face relaxed. "And I will always be faithful to you. You have my word." Without waiting for a response, he reached inside his coat and removed a small box, a jewelry box, Margaret realized. He opened it and withdrew a small gold ring, plain except for a white stone she did not recognize.

  "May I say that we have an agreement?" Thornton asked. At Margaret's mute nod he took her left hand in his, hesitated, and then looked into her eyes. Margaret stood still for a long moment, their eyes locked together, then dropped her gaze to her hands as she slowly removed her left hand glove. Thornton exhaled slowly, gave her hand a small squeeze, and fitted the band onto her ring finger. They both stood motionless for a moment, watching as the pale stone shone in the light. Then Thornton leaned towards her.

  "Thank you, Miss Hale," he said. He kissed her on the cheek with the barest of touches, swift and perfunctory, as though sealing a business deal. "I will call on you tomorrow to finalize the arrangements."

  CHAPTER NINE

  When Thornton left Margaret he walked vaguely back in the direction of Marlborough Mills, scarcely aware of the people around him or of the neighborhoods he was passing through. He could hardly believe that Margaret had agreed to his unusual and thoroughly dispassionate proposal. Had she truly accepted him, or had he imagined it? A part of him thought that he must be dreaming, that he would wake any moment to find that Margaret was on her way to Spain to marry her unknown lover and that he would never see her again. But then he remembered the feel of her hand in his as he placed the ring on her finger. He recalled the warmth of her skin when he gave her that chaste kiss on her cheek, and felt a fierce, consuming joy sweep over him.

  It would be a hard road, he knew. Margaret had accepted him because she had no other choice, not because she had developed feelings for him. She was still reeling from the loss of her father, and the unknown suitor in Spain also lurked in the background, demanding that Thornton acknowledge his existence. But Thornton refused to think about any of those things. Margaret would stay in Milton. They would live in the same house. She would be under his protection and care, and he could see her every day. Perhaps in time he could change her opinion of him, but for now, just being near her and knowing she was safe would be enough.

  The fly in the ointment would be his mother. If he could not convince her to support his plan, the marriage would have no chance of success.

  He wandered the streets of Milton for several hours, planning out what he would say to Hannah before the advancing day finally forced him to return to Marlborough Mills. He knew his mother would be merciless once she knew what he had done to protect Margaret, and he wanted to have his arguments firmly in place before he presented them to her.

  Dinner was cooking, and he could smell the scent of herbs and meat in the air when he opened the door of his home. Hannah was waiting for him as soon as he stepped over the threshold and into the entryway. He had not even had a chance to hand off his coat and hat to the maid before she accosted him.

  "Where have you been, John?" Her voice was suspicious.

  "I was at Mr. Hale's funeral." Thornton gave the maid his things and walked into the parlor, Hannah following close behind him.

  "That was hours ago."

  "After the funeral I escorted Margaret back to Crampton."

  She raised an eyebrow at his familiar use of her first name. "And after that?"

  "After that I went walking. I had a need to be by myself." He sat down on the settee across from the f
ire without another word and held out his hands to warm them.

  Hannah narrowed her eyes as she looked at her son, noticing how he avoided her gaze. She sensed, or perhaps guessed, that there was more to his lengthy absence than just a solitary walk. "Why did you walk Miss Hale home? You should avoid spending time with her, especially in a way that might make people think you are interested in her. You are supposed to be courting Anne Latimer!"

  "That is all over now," Thornton answered roughly. "Mother, I think you should sit down. There is something important I need to tell you."

  Hannah sat down gingerly next to her son, her face revealing that she already knew what he was about to say. Thornton drew a deep breath.

  "I am engaged to Margaret Hale. I proposed to her this morning and she accepted me." He braced himself for the storm.

  "John!" Hannah exclaimed. Thornton held up a hand.

  "Before you start, Mother, there is something you do not know. I did not tell you everything that happened outside the post office. While Mr. Hale lay dying he asked me to make him a solemn promise. He asked me to look after Margaret, and I gave him my word that I would."

  Hannah sucked in her breath but she made no other response. "After Mr. Hale passed I assumed Bell would come and take charge of Margaret. But that did not happen. Instead, I received this message yesterday morning." He withdrew Bell's letter from his pocket and handed it to his mother.

  Slowly Hannah unfolded the thin paper, holding it as if it might bite. When she had finished reading it her lips were pressed together in a thin line. Then she dropped the letter on the settee and stood. Thornton watched and waited as she walked to the opposite side of the room. Her back was to him but he could read her indignation in her folded arms and her agitated step. At length she turned around to face him.

  "I should have known this would happen. I should have realized you would be unable to overcome your infatuation with that woman."

  "Mother . . . "

  "Why would you go against my wishes this way? We agreed you would forget about Margaret Hale!"

  "I agreed to no such thing!" Thornton responded heatedly. "I agreed to court someone else, nothing more. But after receiving Bell's letter yesterday morning I knew what I had to do. Upon my honor, Mother, I had no choice."

  "Your honor? No choice? Stuff and nonsense!" Hannah paced quickly across the room again. "What about her young man in Spain?"

  "She said that he cannot come. I did not ask why she does not travel to him, or to be with her other family. I simply proposed to her again. This time she accepted me; I have no idea why."

  "Hmph!" Hannah snorted. "I can tell you why! She saw what she missed out on the first time, and means to take advantage of your sense of honor now that she is alone. It's obvious that you were only too happy to go along with her scheme. She has got her hooks into you well and truly this time!"

  "Mother." Thornton leaned forwards towards Hannah, resting his elbows on his knees, and she stopped pacing to look at him. "Try to have some sympathy. She has just lost her father, along with nearly everything else she holds dear. There is no one else for her to turn to. Marrying me is not her choice either, but she will make the best of it, just as we will." He paused, willing her to understand his next words. "This will be a marriage of convenience."

  She comprehended at once, her eyes widening. "I see."

  "Margaret has promised to help you run the house and to assume social duties as needed. I believe she will be a benefit to the family. You know she is intelligent and able to express herself clearly."

  "A little too clearly, if you ask me!"

  "In return she asks for little, just a roof over her head and a chance to continue her charitable work."

  Hannah nearly rolled her eyes. "She will not turn Marlborough Mills into a union hall, I hope?"

  Thornton smiled wryly. "No. She understands that her role as my wife will preclude her from close associations with anyone working against me."

  Hannah lowered her head and sighed, a sigh of resignation. Slowly she came to sit on the settee next to her son again. "Why did you not see fit to tell me about your promise to Mr. Hale before?"

  "There was no reason to do so. I knew how you would feel about it, and I had no idea that a promise to a dying man would include marrying his daughter."

  They were silent for a minute then, while Hannah contemplated this sudden development. The woman who had broken her son's heart was now to be his wife, but not in a way that would bring him any sense of completion or happiness. "I do not see how this arrangement will work, John. Marriage is forever. You must be very certain of what you are doing!”

  “I have heard of marriages of convenience before now, Mother. Two people agree to live together as friends and to fulfill social obligations as a married couple. The needs of each one are thus satisfied.”

  “But are you really willing to give up any idea of a family of your own?"

  Thornton evaded the question. "I know you do not care for Margaret, Mother, but I hope you will come to enjoy her company in time. She is certainly no Fanny!"

  "Thank heaven for that!" Hannah sighed heavily. She had spent the better part of a week dealing with Fanny's incessant demands for fabrics and foibles in preparation for her wedding. She was ready to be done with it already, and there were still weeks to go. "When do you expect the ceremony to be?"

  "We did not discuss that. But soon. It would not be right for her to continue living in Crampton with just two servants to safeguard her reputation."

  "Well then." Hannah paused to order her thoughts. "I will call on Margaret tomorrow and perhaps take her to look at dresses and other things she will need. If she is to be your wife she should be properly dressed, at least. And I will send our servants to assist with packing and disposing of whatever is in the house. I believe we could have the spare room here ready for her in a week."

  "A week is acceptable. But I want her in my room."

  "But you said – "

  "I will take the spare room, and she can move into mine," he said stubbornly. The master bedroom was the most comfortable room in the house, and had an excellent view of the street below and the mill besides. Margaret would probably appreciate being able to see out of doors whenever she wanted.

  "As you wish. Now, let me get a pen and paper and we will make a list of everything that must be done for you to get married. The timing is inconvenient, with Fanny's wedding in a month, but I can see your mind is made up. We will do what must be done." She rocked forward on the settee, ready to stand up.

  Thornton's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Are you saying that you will not oppose me in this?"

  "It is your life, John, not mine. If Margaret Hale is to live in this house, there are many adjustments that will need to be made. It is best if you and I both forget some of the things we have said in the past."

  Thornton leaned over to place a grateful kiss on her forehead. "Thank you, Mother. I am, after all, only taking your advice. I have found a woman I can respect and admire, and I hope that in time love will follow."

  Hannah shook her head. "It is a terrible risk you are taking, John," she could not help saying. She reached out to gently frame his face in her hands, a gesture she had used often when he was a little boy. The boy had gone and left the man in his place, and now the man's heart belonged to another woman. "What if I was wrong? What if love never follows?"

  "That is a chance I am willing to take."

  "Are you sure?"

  Thornton turned away from his mother and looked back at the fire, his face shadowed. Hannah waited but he made no response, and after a few moments she rose and left the room.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Thornton had told Margaret he would call the next day, but she was still more than a little surprised when Dixon came into the dining room while she was eating breakfast and announced his arrival. "Begging your pardon, Miss Margaret, but Mr. Thornton is asking to see you."

  "Mr. Thornton!" Margaret glanced at the clock, wonder
ing if she had overslept without knowing it.

  "Yes, and Mrs. Thornton is with him."

  "Oh dear." She looked at the clock again. Her eyes had not deceived her; it was far too early for polite social calls. "Please show them into the parlor. I will join them directly."

  "Yes, miss." Dixon left the room, curiosity and suspicion plain on her face. Margaret sighed as she wondered about the reason for the unexpected visitors. Had Mrs. Thornton convinced her son to rethink his engagement to a girl from the south? Were she and Mrs. Thornton destined for another unpleasant scene between them? The last time she had spoken with Mrs. Thornton was not long after her mother's death, when Mrs. Thornton had upbraided her for being careless with her reputation by being out with a gentleman after dark. Mrs. Thornton had said then that Margaret was not worthy of her son; her opinion had likely not changed in the months since.

  She gave Dixon a minute or two to bring the guests into the parlor; then she squared her shoulders, lifted her chin, and entered the room. There was no point in delay.

  Thornton stepped forward at once when he saw her. "Good morning, Miss Hale."

  "Good morning, Mr. Thornton." Margaret assessed him carefully. His manner was cool and dispassionate. He seemed distracted more than anything else.

  "I am sorry to come at such an early hour but my mother wanted to call on you as soon as I told her about our engagement." Margaret glanced warily at Hannah, who gave her a curt nod but said nothing. Thornton continued, "I myself have pressing business matters to attend to today and so I will let the two of you discuss the wedding plans. Mother has authority to make whatever arrangements are necessary on my side." With that he replaced his hat on his head and left before Margaret had a chance to respond.

  Margaret frowned and eyed Hannah uncertainly. Hannah had not offered any congratulations on their engagement, and she was fairly certain that Hannah's first reaction to her son's announcement had not been to rush to Crampton to make wedding arrangements on his behalf. But she was here now, with her mouth in its usual disapproving line. She was evidently waiting for Margaret to say something. It was best to be as cordial as possible under the circumstances.