A/N: Hope you enjoy the latest installment – please read and review!
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Chapter Seven – Matters of the Heart (and Business)
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They had all agreed that as such a small party it would be ridiculous to follow the ritual of the ladies repairing to the drawing room first and the gentlemen joining them later. Instead they had all gone together, and Mrs. Lennox directed a meaningful glance at her husband as they sat down.
Taking her cue, he sighed almost imperceptibly and began. 'Mr. Thornton, Mrs. Thornton; my wife and I came here to talk to you about a business proposition we have for you.' He glanced at his wife as he spoke and she smiled at him, placing a bracing hand on his arm.
Mr. Thornton listened silently, giving his full attention to Mr. Lennox.
Mr. Lennox continued. 'We have thought about and talked about this a great deal, and we have decided that we would like to offer to sell Marlborough Mills to you. Our business relationship has been both long-standing and rewarding, so my wife and I believe that as we would like to sell, it would only be right to offer it to you first.'
Although the words were coming out of Mr. Lennox's mouth, he was sure that it was all her idea. Mr. Thornton's eyes found hers. She gave him a brief smile before she withdrew some papers from Mr. Lennox's briefcase.
'Please look over these, Mr. Thornton,' she said, handing the papers over to him.
He took them, still unable to believe that events had taken this turn. Looking over them, he was startled at the price the Lennoxes had stipulated for the mill. 'This is ridiculous!' he exclaimed, and then before he could stop himself, he burst out, feeling strangely defensive, 'Marlborough Mills is worth much more than this!' Only after he said it did he realize how absurd his words sounded. 'I cannot take it from you for such a pittance,' he amended, his voice firm. He held the papers back out to Mrs. Lennox.
Elizabeth alone knew how much Mr. Thornton had wanted to own his enterprise and she alone knew how much it was costing him to turn down this offer. A part of her screamed for him to accept such a wonderful offer, but a larger part of her was very, very proud of him for his integrity in not wanting to cheat the Lennoxes, who appeared to be unfamiliar with the value of what they were throwing away. She silently placed a comforting hand on his arm so that he knew he had her full support in whatever course of action he chose.
'Mr. Thornton,' Mrs. Lennox said, gently pushing the papers back to him. 'We know of nobody more deserving of owning Marlborough Mills, and certainly nobody more capable of running it. We must insist that you agree to our conditions.'
Elizabeth saw her husband stop and think for a long moment before giving a small nod. She saw him smile softly as he said quietly, 'Very well then, Mrs. Lennox. Shall we resolve our deal in the Milton way?' He held out his hand for her to shake, and as she took it and pressed it in both of hers, Elizabeth observed that both of them had nostalgic, slightly wistful smiles on their faces.
When she had first met these old friends of her husband's from London, she had assumed that he was well-acquainted with Mr. Lennox, his landlord and owner of Marlborough Mills. Now, seeing with a pang the moment of understanding between her husband and Mrs. Lennox, she was not so certain. There was a past there, she was sure, and one that she was completely excluded from.
*
'Why to him, Margaret?' he demanded in frustration. 'Why are you always so concerned about him?'
Margaret regarded him coolly, unfazed by this outburst. 'Henry, I simply reminded you, that it would only be right to offer the mill to the man who has run it so capably all these years, and who has provided us with such a high return on the capital we invested in him.'
Henry stopped his agitated pacing and scrutinized her closely. 'That's not it, though, is it? If someone else was running Marlborough, you would still want me to offer it to Thornton.'
Margaret's colour rose, whether from anger or embarrassment she did not know. 'What are you implying, Henry?' she asked coldly. 'You might as well say it.'
For a moment, Henry looked as though he had thought better of whatever he had been about to say, but then it burst out before he could stop himself. 'You still care for him.'
Margaret bore this accusation with admirable composure, with no visible change in her features except for a suspicious brightness of the eyes. 'I once had feelings for him, yes. I told you that. But I also told you that I love you now.' Her voice revealed some of the hurt she felt now. 'Do you trust me so little that you feel the need for jealousy? Henry, I don't like your unnecessarily hostile attitude towards Mr. Thornton.'
Henry sighed and strode over to her and took her hand in his. 'I'm sorry, Margaret. I'm just petrified at the thought of losing you.'
Margaret squeezed his hand, smiling reassuringly. 'Henry, I am right here and I am not going to go anywhere.'
He returned her smile. 'Very well, Margaret. If it makes you happy, we'll go to Milton next week and I will talk to Mr. Thornton.'
Margaret secretly congratulated herself. This decision to sell to Mr. Thornton might not have been the most sensible to make, but she needed to do it. Their acquaintance had not ended on a positive note and she badly wanted to make amends. Now all she had to do was convince Henry to lower the price. She glanced at him and began to giggle at the thought of his reaction when she broached the subject.
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