This is my first time writing and I hope that I have done good enough, I would ask kindly if anyone should think for me to carry on, I hope you enjoy.
Chapter One.
Fanny Thornton was a selfish woman for many reasons known only to her, she had never been able to be herself, except for when she had finally met someone she thought was the most likeable woman she had ever been able to make an acquaintance with, but for reasons unknown to her, Fanny's mother disliked this woman with all her being, every moment she could she would give some derogatory remark about her friend, never giving the woman any praise for all the hard work and kindness that she unselfishly spread around to those she met, yes, she did have airs and graces but this was due to growing up in London where they have certain rules on behaviour in which she was struggling to let go whilst in Milton, the woman was just who she was, Fanny had classed her as a friend long ago and missed her terribly. Miss Hale had gone away many months before after being forced to leave by her aunt because her final parent had passed away, leaving her all alone in Milton, her aunt had detested Milton the moment she stepped foot in it and could not get Miss Hale away quick enough, demanding she return to London with her immediately, Miss hale not being of age could not state that she did not want to leave, but if truth be known Fanny did not know wether Miss Hale wanted to stay or go, either way she was heartbroken that the one person she did like as a genuine friend had now gone and left, they did keep in touch but Miss Hale's normally regular correspondence were becoming few and far between, Fanny had began to worry for her friend but after a while put it down to the fact that she was obviously moving on, leaving all the pain and heartbreak she had gone through here behind her.
Miss Hale's best friend Bessie a mill worker had died to illness from working in the mills, then her mother had passed away not long later through bad health and finally her father had passed on, people believe he lost the will to carry on after his wife had passed away believing that he wanted to return to her. Miss Hale had gone through so much pain and loss ever since living here, it was no wonder her letters were infrequent and Fanny could not blame her for this, if Fanny could get out Milton and live better or happier then she would but she was now tied to Mr Watson, she knew what she was doing when she agreed to marry the man, but since the wedding it is like she does not even exist in his eyes, but then again Fanny was very much used to this, as she had grown up invisible in her childhood home as well, so nothing had changed, Watson only wanted her for the bedroom and to have a porcelain doll on his arm when going out, it was humiliating but she made her own bed so she would lie in it. It was only after her friend had left that she realised what mistakes she had actually made and the selfishness she had come to realise that she had. It was at that moment that she had tried to better herself and be more like her friend, she started to talk to the workers (something her husband was deeply against, but she carried on). She went round handing out food parcels to those in need and became the ear of so many who wanted and needed to talk, she often had messages sent to her childhood home, which she visited daily, her mother becoming seriously displeased with the way she was apparently behaving, but this, Fanny ignored due to the fact that nothing Fanny ever did pleased her mother. John her elder brother had noticed the difference and started to give her affectionate smiles and the odd squeeze of the hand, he had often helped her when he saw her trying to sneak out of the house with food parcels, snatching their mother's attention away so she would not notice what she was up to. Fanny knew her brother would help and agree with what she was trying to do, he had fallen in love with the woman that had befriended his sister and John was just as upset as she when Miss Hale had to leave, he had become very despondent and quiet since she has been gone, rarely eating, losing weight, always sad and extremely lonely without her, but Fanny could always make him smile when he saw her sneaking off to do her little thing.
Fanny's opinion of her mother had always been she only had one child and this had been John and nothing but nothing would make her show her affection to Fanny, so Fanny did her usual she would act out and play to everyone's emotions, on occasion she would agree with her mother about Miss Hale, just so her mother might talk to her more but it was to no avail, she would just mumble something under her breath and ignore her, any visits Fanny made to the house were to visit John and also to get food to take to the ones who needed it, other than that she rarely saw her mother or her husband. Deep down she hoped that her friend would be proud of her. Proud at the knowledge of carrying on what she had to leave behind when she left, and proud that she had changed her selfish ways.
On one of her many daily visits Fanny went to the Higgins house to see how all were faring, they had taken on the Boucher children after both parents had ended there own life within days of each other, Fanny had been very proficient in her visits once Miss Hale had gone, they had become close once Nicholas Higgins realised that Fanny did not have ulterior motives to her visiting, there was only two left of the Higgins family, Nicholas Higgins and his daughter Mary, They had done very well with raising the Boucher children and Fanny was always pleased to see them, but today seemed different, the children were all out with Mary and only Nicholas was home, looking unhappy and not his normal jovial self, knocking gently as she entered, Fanny closed the door and sat at the table opposite Nicholas.
'Good afternoon Nicholas"
Nicholas lifted his head looking towards Fanny.
"Afternoon Miss Thornton" picking up his drink and taking a slow sip from the cup but not saying anything.
"Is anything wrong?, you seem awfully quiet today, is it something I can help you with?" hoping this might cheer him if not a little, Nicholas had always thought Fanny amusing, but not in a cruel way, only in kindness.
"There is but one thing you can do miss, and that is get your brother to go and get Miss Margaret from those bloody relatives of hers, they are slowly killing her in mind and spirit, it would be only the master that can bring her back to reason, she is losing her mind I tell you"
Fanny was at a complete loss at to what Nicholas was speaking of and it hurt her deeply that he only thought John could help, but then most men thought women were not much use for anything and in one respect she supposed this to be true as not many women can take on a whole family, well except for Miss hale she had taken on all the Thornton's, laughing to herself at the memory of Miss Hale taking on her mother, but she quickly pushed away the thought before she made a fool of herself, turning her attention back to Nicholas, he explained what he believed was happening at the home of the Shaw's and what Miss Margaret (as Nicholas called her) was telling his only daughter in her correspondence. The knowledge was as heartbreaking as the day Miss Hale had left.