A/N: Thanks for waiting! I had planned to write more, but some things came up.
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Chapter 4: That woman!
That night, when Margaret returned to her room, she began to pack. She was unsure of how long she would be in Milton. First there was the mill, and John's mother, and she would have to visit her mother's grave of course. Her mind was full of Milton thoughts when Dixon came in.
'May I assist you in anything, Miss,' Dixon spoke cautiously.
'Dixon, yes! I will need you to accompany me to Milton,' Margaret spoke absent-mindedly.
'"To Milton?"' Dixon asked incredulously, was the wedding to be so soon?
'Yes, yes. There is no time for questions. We leave tomorrow morning, on the earliest possible train. I will need you to buy us a ticket, there is no time to waste,' Margaret said, she wasn't sure what time Mr Thornton was to leave but she hoped that she wouldn't leave far behind him. She handed Dixon her purse and practically pushed her out the door.
'But Miss, what of my new post?' Dixon stopped. Margaret just looked at her. 'Last night, you spoke to me of a new post.'
'And did you take me seriously? I was upset, I need you Dixon,' Margaret said, realizing just how important Dixon was to her plans at the moment.
'Well, maybe I did. And I've made my mind to return to Helstone,' said Dixon without looking at Margaret.
'Very well then,' Margaret said as she regained her full posture. 'But as you are currently in my employment, I would like you to go down to the train station and get me my ticket to Milton. You may purchase you ticket to Helstone as a parting gift.'
'Yes, ma'am,' Dixon took her leave. By the time Dixon returned, Margaret was sound asleep. She finished packing Margaret's things before leaving her. Dixon would wake her in the morning like she had asked.
'Miss Hale, it's time,' Dixon nudged Margaret into consciousness. 'Your train leaves in an hour. I have breakfast set up for you downstairs and your bags are packed.'
'Thank you, Dixon,' Margaret got up quickly. The sun was not yet out, and she wanted to be gone as soon as possible so that her Aunt wouldn't have any time to object her going to Milton. She dressed and ate a quick breakfast while Dixon brought her bags down. Margaret scribbled one quick note to her Aunt before calling a coach to take her to the train station.
Mr Thornton sat at the train station waiting, for what, he did not know. Did he expect Margaret to come bid him farewell? They had parted last night just fine, she was a bit crestfallen, but that was to be expected, after all, they had not been engaged three days and he had to leave. As the train conductor announced that the train was leaving, he looked around one last time. He climbed onto the train, but at the last moment her couldn't do it. He returned to the station and took his seat once more. Why was it so hard for him to leave her? He was only going away for a little while; he would be back in no time. But her sad face just kept reappearing in his mind, and he couldn't move.
Resolutely, Mr Thornton got up from his seat and purchased another ticket for the next train to Milton. Margaret would be expecting him to go to Milton and resolve the business at the mill, as well as with his mother.
When the next train arrived at the station he went inside and took his seat. There was no more turning back.
'Dixon, quickly! The train will leave any minute now,' Margaret moved past Dixon, who was carrying Margaret's things, and stepped into the train to find an empty compartment. Dixon handed Miss Hale's things to the porter and he arranged them in the compartment.
'Well, Miss, it was nice serving you and your family these past years, but I suppose it is time for us to go our separate ways,' Dixon said, raising a handkerchief to wipe away the tears that had escaped her eyes.
'I am sorry that we couldn't get along any better, Dixon. Just know that I will miss you,' Margaret hugged Dixon; she would truly miss that old maid's impudent remarks.
'Good luck, Miss Hale, or should I say the future Mrs Thornton?' Dixon smiled and made her way off the train. As the train began to move, Dixon waved a last farewell to Margaret, and at that moment, Margaret knew that any discord between them was settled.
Margaret sat in a comfortable position, and thought of what Mr Thornton might say when she arrived in Milton unexpectedly. He would be surprised, surely, but she knew that in the end he would be happy to know that it was her love that would not allow her to be separated from him for too long. Before she knew it, she had drifted asleep, a smile gracing her face.
When the train pulled into the station at Milton, Mr Thornton had made up his mind to settle the business of the mill first. He would make his engagement known to his mother at a different time, but he would let her know that the mill was to reopen and make her wonder at that miracle. He quickly made his way to Marlborough Street; little did he know that Margaret had been on the same train as he.
Margaret awoke to the noise and bustle of the Milton train station, she was a little disoriented at first, but when she realized where she was she made her way out and into the street. She arranged for a porter to carry her things to a coach, she would have preferred to walk but she had too many things.
The first order of business on Margaret's mind was to settle a living for the time she would be in Milton as Miss Hale, Mrs John Thornton's living would be a different story. Instinctively she sought Crampton, how strange that she thought of that small suburb as home. She hoped that Mr Donkin had not managed to find a new tenant for it — she would like to spend some time there, for that was the living her parents had spent their last year in. Her wishes were fulfilled; she found the old Crampton living empty. Margaret managed to find Mr Donkin, who more than gratefully let her the house for a month, he had been unable to find a new tenant since she had vacated it last year—after all, there weren't many families in Milton who could afford the thirty pounds a-year that it cost. He found it strange, though, that she, the owner of much property in Milton, would need to find some place to live. She laughed; news of her inheritance had obviously spread.
After she dropped off her things in her temporary home, she went in search of the Higgins'. Margaret had it in her thoughts to ask Mary to be a temporary maid to her while she occupied Crampton.
When he arrived at the Marlborough Mill, Mr Thornton went quietly inside. The mill-yard was strangely empty, but he was comforted to know that it would soon be filled with his workers eager to return to work, or so he hoped. Mr Thornton made his way inside his home, thinking of his mother's reaction when he would tell her that the mill was to reopen.
Mrs Hannah Thornton was sitting in the dining-room, her work in her hands, as she was wont to do so when her son was out on business and she couldn't observe him from her window. She was thinking of the mill, and her son, all his hard work had been put into the mill, and now it was closed. Not forever, no, John would find a way to open the mill again — she knew he would. Just then she heard the familiar footsteps of her son on the stairs. He was finally home, his business in London had taken longer than she expected, but he was home. She looked up as he entered the room, she noticed a glow of happiness in face that she had not seen since the departure of Miss Hale from Milton.
Mr Thornton smiled at his mother, went over to her and kissed her gray forehead. She looked up questioningly; his behavior had obviously startled her.
'Well, John?' his mother questioned him in her usual commanding manner. 'Is it settled, are we to vacate Marlborough Mills?'
'No, mother, in fact, Marlborough Mills should be functioning fully before the week ends, thanks to a generous investor,' Mr Thornton said, all this time smiling.
'How is this possible? John, what happened in London? I must know,' Mrs Thornton's questions were all in vain.
'I promise to tell you all those details when I return. First I must find my workers, mother. I will return shortly,' Mr Thornton said as he made his way out, leaving his mother in abject stupefaction.
Mr Thornton made his way to the house of Nicholas Higgins, he had made a strong ally in this man, and he was sure that Nicholas had the power to round up all the workers in no time. He arrived to find Nicholas at the table with one of the Boucher children on his lap, Nicholas was telling the young boy a story, and the young boy had a look of amazement on his face.
Mr Thornton made the news of the reopening of the mill known to Nicholas, whose face had an honest look of gratitude on it that his words could not express. Mr Thornton told Nicholas of his plan of putting him in charge of getting the men together so that they could return to work by the end of the week, Nicholas was honored to know that Mr Thornton had enough faith in him to give him such an important task to handle.
'And, if ye' don' mind me askin' master, I was wondering if ye' managed teh see a bit o' Miss Margaret while you were in London?' Nicholas asked, he was aware of what a delicate subject that was.
'Let's just say, that it's Miss Hale you should be thanking for your employment,' Mr Thornton smiled. At that moment, a knock was heard on the door. Mary opened the door to reveal Miss Hale, standing innocently in the dusky sunlight of Milton.
'Margaret!' Mr Thornton stood up in shock, but immediately recovering himself he said in a lower voice. 'What are you doing here? I thought I had left you in London.'
'Yes, well, I'm here now,' Margaret smiled at him as she made her way in and greeted Mary with a warm embrace. She shook Nicholas's hand, who was ecstatic to see her after so long.
'Miss Hale, I can't say how happy we are at seeing ye' again,' Nicholas said, he truly was happy. 'Mr Thornton said that I should be thankin' ye' for me job.'
'Ah yes, I have currently invested in the mill and I hope that Mr Thornton can give me a good interest,' Margaret smiled covertly at Mr Thornton. He caught the hint, and he knew to keep the news of their engagement from Nicholas for the time being.
'Well, I suppose I should be going now. Nicholas, I'm counting on you to give me an update on the status of the workers,' Mr Thornton said as he gathered his hat and prepared to leave. 'And, um, Miss Hale, may I inquire as to where you will be staying while you are in Milton?'
'Yes, of course, I'll be staying in Crampton. It sort of brings back memories of my time in Milton,' Margaret said as she looked around the small room, trying to conceal the tears, that were welling up in her eyes, from Mr Thornton.
'Of course,' Mr Thornton said as nonchalantly as possible. 'If you need me to discuss our previous arrangements, I will be at Marlborough Mills.'
Margaret nodded as Mr Thornton made his way past her, his fingers slightly brushing hers as he left.
Mr Thornton couldn't believe that Margaret had followed him all the way to Milton! And he had been concerned that she would not come to bid him farewell. He returned to Marlborough Street, prepared to encounter his mother's reaction when he told her of his engagement to Miss Hale.
His mother was waiting for him in the same spot that he had left her, except for now the look on her face had been replaced by a stony indifference that was betrayed as soon as her son came in. As soon as he entered, she bombarded him with a series of questions about the mill. Where had he gotten the money to reopen the mill? What had he done while in London? Would they be able to stay keep their home? What had their landlord said (she refused to mention Miss Hale's name)?
Mr Thornton was oblivious to his mother's questions; his thoughts were occupied with how he would his mother reconcile with his wonderful news. But he could only recall the words of hate she had spoken when Miss Hale had rejected him. Kneeling beside his mother, he took her hand and looked into her eyes. She was silent, unsure of what to expect but steeling herself for the worst.
'Mother, she loves me,' Mr Thornton spoke these words, but his eyes expressed all the happiness that his heart felt. Mrs Thornton remained silent; no words could express the rainbow of emotions that she now felt.
Mr Thornton continued, 'If you only knew how much her feelings for me have changed.'
'But she rejected you, how can this be?' Mrs Thornton tried her best to control the anger that was bubbling inside of her.
'We had our misunderstandings, but she has accepted me, mother. Miss Margaret Hale is to be my wife,' Mr Thornton said as he stood up and released her hand.
Mrs Thornton could not control herself any longer, 'That woman! What right does she have to accept your offer, after she had so insolently rejected you? No, I can't let you throw yourself away on her, she doesn't deserve you, John.'
Just then, a servant announced the arrival of Miss Margaret Hale. The color drained from Mrs Thornton's face.