Margaret of Milton

by Elaine Owen

  “I asked if you thought the man might be innocent of the charges against him, and you said that was not your job to decide.”

  “But I would never betray my own wife’s brother!”

  “You said your job was to enforce the law without passion or prejudice, and without regard for personal cost.”

  “Oh, my love! I never thought the cost might include you!” He pulled her closer. “That is a price I would never agree to pay!”

  “I know that now,” Margaret answered. “But I didn’t then. And Frederick had asked me to keep his secret. Then a few days ago I received a letter from him in which he encouraged me to tell you about him. He said that secrets have a way of tearing couples apart. I wanted to tell you about him then, but I – ” She let her voice trail off.

  “My love, we have been at such odds,” Thornton said, finishing for her. “Our timing was all wrong. You were not ready to trust me, and then when you were, I was not able to trust you. But I would like to think those days are behind us now! We will have a good life, now that we are finally together.”

  “Even though you are losing the mill?” Margaret could not help asking.

  “I do not regret losing the mill as much as you might think.”

  “Why not?”

  The lamp flickered hard just then, using up the last of its oil, and Thornton reached past her to extinguish it. When he resumed his place at her side, he reached around her with both arms to bring her against his chest.

  “It was when I told you that the mill was closing that I finally realized your feelings for me had changed. I shall never forget the look on your face when you said you wanted to be with me, wherever I was. All was right in the world as long as my Margaret loved me! And when I kissed you for the first time, heaven itself smiled on me. In the future, whenever I remember that I was once a mill owner and a master, any pangs of remembrance will disappear as long as I can put my arms around you!”

  Margaret doubted this last statement very much. No matter how much Thornton loved her, his exuberance would not be enough to carry him through all the days of loss that lay ahead. There would be many moments of dejection and grief. Still, his words were sweet to her ears. She marveled at how much their relationship had changed in one day, from the stark despair of the morning to the sweet joy of the evening.

  They continued to speak quietly together, using this precious time to clear away the misunderstandings of the past and look forward to the hopes of the future. “Tell me about Frederick, my love,” said Thornton. “It is strange to discover that I have a brother I did not know about until now.”

  Margaret told him about Frederick, describing his cheerful disposition, his tendency to speak his mind, and his determination to go to sea when Margaret was still a little girl. “When he started on board the Russell he came under the command of a Captain Reid, who was notorious for his petty cruelties. Eventually the captain caused the death of one of the sailors. Frederick spoke out against him and there was a terrible mutiny. The captain was set adrift in a boat and left to die. By some miracle he was saved and after he was rescued he named Frederick as a traitor.”

  “Is there no hope of his name ever being cleared?”

  “It is not likely. Some of his fellow sailors were eventually captured and hung.”

  Margaret described how her parents had grieved for their lost son, how his name was never mentioned at home, and how her mother had finally asked to see Frederick one last time before she passed away.

  When she finished there was a thoughtful silence. Then, “I begin to understand your father better now. There was always a certain sadness to him that I could not quite understand, but now I know he must have missed his only son dreadfully. I am glad that I could help fill that gap a little for him, though I could never take your brother’s place.”

  “He missed both my mother and my brother terribly towards the end, I think.”

  “He would have. He was that sort of man, always thinking of his family first. I shall have much to do, trying to fill the hole he left in your heart.”

  Margaret wanted to correct her husband, to reassure him that he had already filled that place, but she noticed for the first time that his breathing had slowed and his words were coming with an effort. “I still have so many questions,” he murmured.

  “When was the last time you slept?” she asked.

  “I can’t remember. Yesterday, or the day before. I could not fall sleep earlier. I was too afraid.”

  “Afraid of what?”

  “That I would awaken and discover this was all a dream.” His arms tightened around her.

  “This is not a dream. We have found that we love each other, and we are together at last. Go to sleep now, and we can talk more in the morning.”

  His grip on her did not loosen. “Do you promise you will still be here in the morning? I will not wake up tomorrow and find that you are living in Spain?”

  Her heart swelled. “If you need my promise you may have it. I promise I will be here tomorrow when you wake up, and the day after that, and every day you can think of. I will never leave you.”

  He exhaled a sigh of relief just before he let sleep claim him. “I love you, Margaret.”

  “And I love you,” she answered, feeling herself drift off as well. “I will always be your Margaret of Milton.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  The sun was shining with unusual brightness around the curtains of Margaret’s room when she woke up the next morning. Thornton was still breathing deeply and evenly as she arose and tiptoed to the window, wondering at the muffled sounds of the carriages and footfalls outside. To her surprise she saw a blanket of snow swathing the courtyard below, covering all the dirt and grime normally on display outside the mill. The snow was not deep and Margaret could tell that the sun’s warmth would soon melt it, but the sight still gladdened her heart.

  “What is it, love?” Thornton stirred and sat up in bed. “Has something happened?”

  “We have the first snow of the season,” she answered, her voice lilting. “Come and see how beautiful it is!”

  “I will look at it later when I go to the mill. You should come back to bed. It is a chilly morning.”

  “The snow might melt before you have a chance to see it.”

  “And you might catch a cold standing there by the window.” He patted her side of the mattress with a mischievous smile on his face.

  Margaret let the curtain fall from her hand as she looked back at him, blushing furiously. “Why do I think, Mr. Thornton, that you have another motive besides wanting to protect my health?”

  “You do not know that for sure,” he said with mock solemnity. His normally dark blue eyes were twinkling.

  “Dixon will be back before we know it. What will she think if she discovers us – “ she waved her hand vaguely around the room, “like this?”

  “She will think that her master and mistress are finally behaving like a happily married couple!”

  Without warning he lunged across the bed and caught her hand in his, pulling her off balance. Their laughter pealed out as she landed on the mattress next to him. Before she could escape Margaret found herself lying with her head on her pillow, Thornton’s face over hers as he framed her face in his hands. She closed her eyes for the anticipated kiss but it did not come. Instead she heard him whisper.

  “Do you remember when I told you that I had never loved before?”

  She nodded with her eyes closed, still waiting for his kiss.

  “I told you that I loved now, and would continue to love, but that you should not be afraid of too much expression on my part.”

  “I remember.”

  “I think you should prepare yourself for something quite different from now on, Margaret. I think you will find that I will express myself on every possible occasion!”

  ∞

  To Margaret’s relief she and Thornton were seated at the breakfast table and eating by the time Dixon returned from her night away.
They were deep in conversation about the mill when the servant entered the room, apologizing for her late arrival. “The snow’s made the streets that slippery, it has! Nearly fell three times on my way here!”

  “Are you all right, Dixon?” Margaret asked, concerned that she might have been injured.

  “Just my pride hurt, that’s all,” the faithful servant answered. “It’s times like these I wish we were still living in Helstone, where nary a flake of snow would fall all winter!”

  Margaret gave Thornton a special smile. “I think the snow makes Milton look rather pretty.”

  “If you say so, miss.” Dixon shook her head rather dubiously at this pronouncement. She lumbered past them into the kitchen, and if she saw the smile that Thornton directed back at Margaret, or noticed that their chairs at the table were closer to each other than they needed to be, she kept such observations to herself.

  Thornton waited until the door had closed behind Dixon before continuing the discussion she had interrupted. “The last shift will be a week from now. I already asked Higgins to notify the union so that they can start whatever relief operations may be needed, and I have reached out to the other mills to ask them to consider hiring as many of my workers as possible. Hopefully some of them will find employment.”

  “It sounds as though you have already worked out all the details.”

  “Not quite. I sent word to Bell’s attorney yesterday regarding giving up the lease on the mill, but it is too soon to hear anything back yet.” He reached out to cover her hand with his own as it lay on the table. “Margaret, I do not know how long we will be able to stay in this house. We should probably start looking for accommodations as soon as possible. Working out the details will take time.”

  “I can start looking today,” Margaret replied stoutly, earning a grateful look from her husband. He could not imagine any other woman taking the loss of his fortune as readily as she had. But his eyes clouded as he uttered his next words.

  “One of my greatest regrets in losing the mill is that I will not be able to give you the school you wanted.” At her look of confusion he clarified, “The day you and I went to see Nicholas Higgins, you said you would like to start a school for the workers in the mill. I told you I would do that for you if I possibly could.”

  “Oh!” She hadn’t realized that he had taken their conversation so seriously. “I did not hold your words as a promise.”

  “I meant them as such.”

  Margaret shook her head emphatically. “You should not have. You may have made a promise in your own mind, but circumstances beyond your control have intervened.”

  “I still mean to carry it out one day, if I possibly can,” Thornton said with determination. “It will take time, but someday, when I have had a chance to rebuild my fortune and become a master again, I will give you your school.”

  “Thank you, John.” Margaret could hardly speak, she was so touched by his words. He was still holding her hand as it lay on the table, and when he pulled her in for a kiss she leaned over to meet him.

  Just as their lips met, the door from the kitchen swung open and Hannah entered the room. The couple hastily drew away from each other, but there was no way to avoid the embarrassment of the moment. Margaret attempted to withdraw her hand from Thornton’s, but he held onto it firmly. “Good morning, Mother,” he said smoothly, with perhaps a trace of humor in his voice.

  “Good morning.” Hannah looked between them shrewdly as Margaret’s cheeks flamed. “I went to the mill first but they said you had not arrived. I am surprised to find you here, John. Aren’t you usually gone by now?”

  “I could say the same for you, Mother.” Thornton neatly avoided her question. “To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?”

  “The door was unlocked so I let myself in. I assume I am still welcome in my own home!”

  “Of course, Hannah!” Margaret managed to recover her dignity. “Please come and sit down. Would you like something to eat? I will bring in a setting for you.” She disappeared into the kitchen, her cheeks still flushed, as Hannah took her old seat at the table.

  Thornton pushed his chair back from the table a little as he regarded his mother curiously. “Is everything all right, Mother? Has something happened?”

  Hannah looked knowingly at the doorway where Margaret had disappeared and then back at her son. “Something has happened here, obviously.”

  Thornton could not help the broad smile that broke out on his face. “She loves me, Mother.”

  “I know that. But did you finally realize this fact because I told you, or because she did?”

  “We finally found the courage to share our hearts with each other.”

  Hannah nodded. “Then I am satisfied. I think the two of you will be very happy together.”

  “But you did not come here this morning to inquire after my marital felicity.” Thornton drew her attention back to the question at hand. “Why are you here?”

  “I heard alarming news late yesterday and came to see if it is true. Has the mill failed?” she asked bluntly.

  At his mother’s words Thornton’s smile disappeared. He sighed heavily and leaned his forehead on his hands. “Yes, it is true. I apologize that you did not hear the news from me. I should have let you know myself, but I have been somewhat distracted these past few days.”

  Hannah’s face constricted with grief. “What happened, John?”

  “Nothing that hasn’t happened to many other masters.” Thornton repeated for her the information he had given Margaret two days earlier, describing the bankruptcy of one of his debtors and the demand for repayment of his loan. As he spoke Margaret came back into the room, taking care to place dishes and cutlery in front of Hannah before she resumed her place next to Thornton. “So you see it is all over. I have been unsuccessful in business and now I will have to start again.”

  “Isn’t there anything that can be done?” cried Hannah, with a vehemence that startled the other two. “It is wrong that my son should lose what he has worked for all his life, while others with far less character carry on as always!”

  “Nothing in the world is fair, Mother, but it is what we must accustom ourselves to. At least you will be with Fanny and Watson. Margaret and I will find ourselves set low for a while, but as long as I have her with me I think I can face anything!”

  Hannah caught the trusting look that passed between the couple as he spoke these words and heard the new tone in his voice, a sound much different than the tired, defeated tones she had feared. Her expression softened. “I am glad that you will not have to bear your burden alone. No, Margaret, do not blush and turn away. It is nothing to be ashamed of.”

  “I am not ashamed,” Margaret said stoutly, lifting her chin. “I am proud to be John’s wife and to support him the way he has supported me.”

  Thornton glanced at the clock on the wall. “I am going to be late if I do not leave soon. Mother, is that all you came for, to hear the news of the mill?”

  “No, there is more.” Hannah opened a reticule and produced a letter. “John, this came for you yesterday. Jane went to the post office to get our mail and heard about the mill along the way. The silly girl was so flustered that she asked for the Thornton mail without specifying that she meant for Mrs. Hannah Thornton, not Master Thornton. At any rate here it is.”

  Thornton frowned as he read the return address. “Odd. This is from Redmond, Bell’s solicitor here in Milton. I wrote to him yesterday about the lease on the mill but he could not have received it before sending me this.” He opened it and read the contents silently, then looked up at Margaret, his frown deepening. “He wants us to call on him at our earliest opportunity.”

  “Us?” Hannah repeated sharply. “You mean he wants to see you, surely.”

  “No, the message is quite clear. He says specifically that I am to come with my wife, the former Margaret Hale, now Margaret Thornton.”

  “Why does he want me?” Margaret asked, confused. “I have nothing t
o do with the lease on the mill.”

  Thornton shook his head as he continued to study the letter. “I cannot account for it either. Perhaps Bell wants him to see you and give him a report on your welfare.”

  Thornton was sufficiently curious about the summons that he wanted to call on Redmond immediately. Margaret agreed, so the two of them finished breakfast quickly and prepared themselves for an outing. An hour later they took a hansom to the other side of town, where the solicitors and their buildings dominated the streets. They were ushered into the presence of Mr. Redmond, a stout, aging gentleman who sported a thick pair of spectacles.

  “Thornton, it is a pleasure to see you again,” Redmond said when they had been announced into his office. “And if my intelligence from Bell was correct, I also need to congratulate you on your recent marriage.”

  Thornton performed his role with notable pride. “You have the honor of addressing my wife, Mrs. Margaret Thornton.”

  “The former Margaret Hale?” Redmond questioned, peering at her over his glasses.

  “The same,” Margaret answered, shaking his hand. “I am pleased to make your acquaintance.”

  Redmond asked them to be seated and waited until they had settled into their chairs before beginning the conversation. “It was good of you to come so quickly in answer to my letter. In order to begin, I need to ask you, Mrs. Thornton, to confirm certain details.”

  Margaret raised questioning eyebrows at her husband, who frowned at the solicitor. “Why do you wish to speak with my wife, Mr. Redmond?”

  “That will become clear presently. First, Mrs. Thornton, can you please confirm your name and place of birth?”

  Margaret was still puzzled but she saw no reason not to answer. “My name is Margaret Hale Thornton, born in Helstone, in B-------shire.”

  Redmond used a gold quill pen to mark something on the paper in front of him. “Your parents’ names?”