by Elaine Owen
Margaret gave them, and then proceeded to answer other questions regarding her birth date, her former residences, and the date of her marriage. As the questions continued and became more particular Margaret grew increasingly confused, and Thornton began to stir in agitation. Finally he broke into the conversation.
“Redmond, I do not know what this is about, but I believe this has gone on long enough. I thought you called us here to have some dealings with the lease on Marlborough Mills. My wife has nothing to hide, but it is apparent that something else is afoot. For Margaret’s protection I must insist on knowing why you are questioning her so!”
Redmond peered up at him from over the sheaf of papers in his hand. “We are almost finished. There are procedures I must follow, Mr. Thornton, in order to avoid any sort of confusion or problems later on. Will you bear with me?”
Thornton glanced at Margaret, who nodded her agreement even though she was still perplexed. He was more puzzled than ever but he sat back again in his chair. Redmond looked at Margaret. “One last question, madam. What is your relationship with Adam Bell?”
“Mr. Bell?” Margaret echoed, now truly bewildered. “Why, I have hardly any relationship with him. He is my father’s friend, or was, until my father’s recent passing.”
“You are not connected to him in any other way?”
Margaret cast about in her mind. “He is my godfather.” She looked at Thornton helplessly. He shook his head just enough to show that he, too, was trying to understand.
“Well then.” Redmond closed the little book where he had been taking notes and sat back in his chair. He looked at both of them solemnly. “That matches the information I have. I believe everything is in order.”
“What is in order?” Thornton demanded.
Redmond removed his spectacles and placed them on the desk in front of him. He gave a sigh. “It is my sad duty,” he intoned gravely, “to inform you of the passing of Adam Bell. He died at his home in town, from complications from a wasting disease.”
There was a shocked silence. Thornton looked at Margaret to see how she took the news. She made a soft sound of sympathy but gave no other outward sign of grief. In truth she had barely known the man. Her only sense of loss came from yet another link to her father being lost. Finally she asked, “When did this happen?”
“A week ago,” he responded neutrally.
Thornton shifted uneasily. “That still does not explain why you are asking my wife so many questions.”
“I am happy to explain.” Redmond fixed his gaze on Margaret. “Mr. Bell was a wealthy man. He owned not just Marlborough Mills but a number of other properties, both commercial concerns and private homes for let. He also had a sizable amount invested in the three percents. He was a careful and meticulous manager of funds, Mrs. Thornton – and he left them all to you.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Margaret was not sure she had heard correctly. “I beg your pardon; what did you say?”
“Mr. Bell made you his heir,” Redmond repeated solemnly. “I was present when he made up his will. He had no family of his own, nobody to inherit from him, so he decided to pass his wealth on to the daughter of his dearest friend, who also happened to be his goddaughter. All that he owned, everything that was in his name, is now yours.”
There was a stunned silence in the room. The clock on the mantle ticked steadily for several beats as Margaret and Thornton looked at each other, then looked back at Redmond. “That cannot be,” she finally said, weakly.
“I would not tell you so if it were not true.”
Margaret hardly knew what to ask. “How much – “ she began falteringly.
Redmond regarded her seriously. “You are quite the heiress. There are fifteen thousand pounds in the bank, for a start.”
Margaret heard herself gasp. “Fifteen thousand pounds?”
“Indeed. Then there are the various properties in and around Milton, as well as several in town. There is a list of them naturally, but it would be beyond my abilities to give you an accurate appraisal of their value. I can arrange for that to be done if you would like.”
“I do not know what to say.” Margaret’s head spun and she felt the room reel around her. She was grateful for Thornton’s steadying hand reaching out to her at that moment.
“Is Marlborough Mills one of the properties my wife now owns?” Thornton asked. “Did Bell sell it before he died?”
“No, he did not sell it, and it is not encumbered in any way. It is now your wife’s in its entirety. And yours too by default, naturally,” he added.
It was now Thornton’s turn to fall silent, to feel the world under him shift. The reality of their new situation was beginning to sink in. He and Margaret did not have to leave Marlborough Mills! The house and mill now belonged to them. There was still the loan on the equipment, of course, but at least they would not be homeless. He exhaled with relief as he felt an immense weight roll off his shoulders.
Margaret pulled her hand away from his and let her face sink into her palms. Thornton realized with horror that she was in tears. What could be troubling her now?
Redmond must have realized something was amiss, for he stood and addressed the couple sympathetically. “This is quite a surprise, I realize. You need some time to absorb the news. Take as long as you need. I will be in the next room when you are ready to hear more.”
When the door closed behind him, Thornton knelt next to his wife so that he could put an arm around her shoulders. She leaned into his shoulder, still covering her face with her hands. “My love, what is wrong?” he asked worriedly. “Why are you so upset?”
“I feel so mixed up inside,” Margaret answered, dabbing at her tears. “So relieved and grateful and sad and glad, all at the same time! Mr. Bell left me everything he had, yet I did not even know that he had passed!”
“I feel the same way,” Thornton answered tenderly, stroking her hair. “I wish I had made more of an effort to contact him after our marriage, to find out how he was. I wrote to him once, but he did not write back. Perhaps he was too ill.”
“I cannot bear to think how alone he was, and you and I not even aware!” Thornton could think of nothing comforting to say, so he continued to hold her and waited for her to continue.
Margaret finally dropped her hands and squared her shoulders, lifting her chin proudly as she looked at him. “But at the same time, I am glad that I will bring something to our marriage after all.”
“Bring something to our marriage? What do you mean?”
“All this time I have felt like a poor relation, a burden on you and your family. I know you do not feel that way, but there are others who do. Milton society would always look down on me. But now I will never be accused of marrying you for your money!”
Thornton almost laughed. “Were it not for the timing, I might be accused of marrying you for yours! But what does it matter what Milton society thinks or says? Or anyone else? You and I know that we are in a marriage of love. The best thing you have brought to our marriage is yourself!”
Margaret nodded her appreciation but her eyes were troubled. “Do you really think it would be right to accept this money, John?”
“Why wouldn’t it be?”
“Mr. Bell was father’s friend, not mine. I scarcely knew him.”
“Yet he clearly intended it for you, not for anyone else. Did he know about Frederick?” Margaret nodded again. “You see? He could have left it to your brother, but he did not. He chose you. He must have had a particular reason. Imagine all the good you can do with it, all the charities you can support!”
Margaret smiled through her tears, sitting up a little straighter in her chair. “The first thing I will do is pay off the debts on your business. After that we can think about how to use the rest of it.”
“Wait.” Thornton drew back a little in order to look at his wife more clearly. “What is this you are saying? You want to use your inheritance to pay off my debts?”
“Of cours
e. Wouldn’t fifteen thousand pounds be enough to put your business back on a sound footing?”
“It would, but – “ Thornton was struck by Margaret’s innocence. Fifteen thousand pounds was enough to retire his debt several times and still have a sizable amount left over. For a moment he was tempted; then he shook his head. “I do not think that would be a proper use of your funds.”
“Why not? Don’t you want to save your business?” Margaret’s eyes were wide as she looked at her husband.
“My dearest, I do not think you understand. It is the man’s job to support his wife, not the other way around.”
Margaret frowned. “Under normal circumstances I might agree with you. But these are not normal circumstances!”
“Nevertheless, it would not be right for me to take funds from my wife in order to support my own failed enterprise,” he insisted. “Your inheritance and my business affairs ought to be two totally separate entities.”
“I do not understand. You would let your business founder rather than accept money from your own wife?” she demanded, hurt beginning to come through in her voice.
“Please, let us not quarrel,” he said. Worry lines formed on his forehead. “You must allow a man to have his pride. I cannot burden you with my own failure, especially so early in our marriage.”
“Surely you will admit that women have pride too!”
“It is different for a man!”
“Different how?” Margaret demanded.
Thornton opened his mouth to respond but realized he could not think of a way to answer this. “I do not want to be seen as taking advantage of my wife!”
“But I want to be able to contribute to our family in a meaningful way!” Margaret’s voice had changed from gentle to challenging. “John, if you do not take this money and save yourself from ruin I will – “ she hesitated, trying to think of a suitable threat. “I will not accept it for myself either,” she finished.
Thornton could scarcely believe his ears. “You will turn down your inheritance unless I do as you say? What purpose would that serve?”
“What purpose would it serve if you let your business fail?” Her eyes flashed as they always did when she knew she was right. “I am not trying to control you. I want to help you!”
Thornton turned away in order to control his rising temper. He and Margaret both had passionate natures, and too often in the past they had let their disagreements escalate without truly listening to each other. Yet in the end they usually discovered that they wanted the same thing. Were they falling into the same pattern again?
He forced himself to set his own feelings aside and try to see the situation from Margaret’s perspective. She had come to him poor and alone, completely dependent on his support, but now she had a chance to be seen as an equal in the Thornton family. She wanted to feel that she belonged, just as he had fought to be accepted as an equal among the masters when he became a mill owner. He could understand that desire.
But he also needed to preserve his own dignity. Accepting a handout from his wife, the person he had vowed to support and cherish for the rest of his life, would be unmanly. It went against all his training and upbringing, and he doubted he could make himself do it. Yet perhaps there was another way.
He stopped his pacing and turned back to Margaret.
“I am not prepared to accept charity, but I am open to a business arrangement.”
Confusion flashed across Margaret’s face but she did not speak. Thornton continued.
“I wonder if I might interest you in making a loan. As you know, my business has recently suffered a reversal and I need to find another investor.” He kept his face serious, adopting the sharp, inquiring look he used when entering a difficult negotiation.
Margaret took in his meaning at once and matched him, expression for expression. “I might be persuaded to invest with you,” she said with grave dignity, “but it depends on the terms. I understand that loaning funds to a distressed business carries some risk.”
“That is true, but with greater risk comes greater reward. I can make sure you profit from the arrangement,” he answered, using his best persuasive tone.
“What terms do you propose? I have money currently in the bank earning three percent. To invest with you I would need to make more than that.”
“I can repay you at five and a half. That is a clear gain of two and a half percent, which you will not get from any bank.” He waited for her response.
She shook her head firmly. “I am not sure if that is true, and considering the risk I am taking, I must insist on a full six percent. Nothing less will do.”
He conceded with a shrug. “Then I suppose I have no choice.”
Margaret nodded. “And what security are you prepared to offer?” The corners of her mouth tipped up slightly.
Thornton had to admire her quick mind. She had learned a great deal about business matters since first coming to Milton. “I have no security,” he was forced to admit. He held his hands out helplessly before her. “You will have to decide whether to trust me based on your estimation of my character and nothing else.”
“John!” Margaret stood and threw her arms around his neck. “I was not serious about the security; I only wanted to tease you a little. I know you will always care for me. Take my money and keep the mill open. Repay me when you can.”
“I would be delighted to accept a loan under your conditions, madam!” Thornton exclaimed with relief, just before putting his lips on hers.
∞
When they called Redmond back into the room Margaret asked him to transfer an amount her husband would name into an account of his choosing. Thornton wrote down the details, and Redmond promised it would be done as soon as possible. Redmond asked if she had any further instructions for him, but Margaret shook her head.
“I think I have had enough business for one day,” she said, with a tired yet triumphant look. “I would like to go home and let my husband’s mother know what has happened. She must be wondering. Also, I would like to let the workers of Marlborough Mills know that their jobs are safe! They deserve to know as soon as possible.”
“Very good, ma’am,” Redmond answered. “When would you like to meet again to go over the details of your holdings? There will be papers to sign, naturally.”
After some discussion they agreed that Margaret and Thornton would return to the solicitor’s office in three days’ time. Thornton reached for Margaret’s coat, but Redmond had one further surprise.
“Before you go there is one other thing Bell asked me to do.” He opened a desk drawer to withdraw a small envelope, which he handed to Margaret. “Bell wrote this for you. He knew that the contents of his will would be unexpected and he wanted you to absorb the first impact, so to speak, before having you read what he had to say. Please read it at your leisure.”
“Thank you.” Margaret took the letter from him, put on her coat, and followed her husband outside. In the cab she weighed the letter in her hand, considering. It was an odd thing to receive a letter from someone who had already passed from life. She opened it and found a single page, written in a man’s thin, scrawling hand.
Margaret,
If you are reading this then I am gone and you are now a very wealthy woman. I realize it has probably been quite a shock for you. I am glad, as shocking people was always one of my most amusing diversions.
I do not want this money to be a burden to you, but a means of carrying out those charitable efforts of which you have always been so fond. It is a frightful amount to manage, I know, but Thornton will give you all the help you need. You will do more with it than I ever could.
I know you are probably wishing that you had written or visited me during my final illness, blaming yourself for neglecting your father’s eccentric old friend. Don’t. I was always a rather solitary man, preferring my books to the people around me. Solitude has been my great comfort in these past weeks and shall be, I am sure, until the very end.
Do not mo
urn for me, my dear. I would rather think of you smiling when you hear that Adam Bell is gone and has left everything he owned to you. You are young and have your whole life ahead of you. I am glad that you have someone with whom to share it. Give Thornton my best, and raise a toast once in a while to your old godfather
Adam Bell
“Oh, John!” Margaret exclaimed when she had finished reading. Her tears threatened to flow again but this time she resisted the impulse. Bell had asked her not to grieve and she would do her best to honor his last request. It was the least she could do.
Thornton saw the look on her face. Without comment he took the letter from her and read it. Then he put his arms around her. “Bell knew what he was about when he chose you!” he declared. “Nobody else could put his fortune to work the way you will! The world will be a better place after you carry out all your dreams of reform. He could not have done better than to leave all he had with my very own Margaret!”
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Thornton and Margaret decided to give the good news to Hannah before going on to the mill itself, knowing that her curiosity would keep her at the house until their return, wondering and watching. So it was that when they alighted from the hansom cab they went straight into the house and found Hannah in the parlor. After assuring her that all was well, Thornton told her of Bell’s death and the fact that Margaret was now the owner of Marlborough Mills.
Hannah was struck dumb for a moment. After a long pause she sat down slowly in the nearest chair, the better to absorb the remarkable news. “Does this mean,” she finally asked in wonder, “that you do not have to leave this house after all?”
“It means more than that, Hannah,” Margaret answered proudly. “It also means that John’s business is saved. I have invested enough to pay off the outstanding loan, and the mill will stay open. Nobody will lose their jobs.” For the moment, she decided, she would keep Bell’s directive between herself and John. There was enough already for Hannah to absorb.
