A/N: What?! Two chapters in one day? What is this madness? Anyways, we're getting closer. So close I'm sure you can taste it. Please review and as always enjoy!
I Dare Not Hope: Chapter 14
Margaret had left the funeral alone. After she received the well wishes from people she barely knew in solemn silence, she walked back to Crampton. She had told Dixon to go on ahead to prepare tea and a fire. Dixon reluctantly left her mistresses side but she recognized the stern expression that she had forgotten would appear on the Mrs. Hale's brow when she was determined. So she went.
As Margaret walked along the cold bustling streets her mind was on one thing: they were not there.
She had expected at least Mr. Thornton to show up at his tutor's funeral, even though they had broken off any appointments once Mr. Hale became ill, she still would have thought he had cared for her father. But she supposed he didn't want to see either of them with their last meeting.
At least a month had gone by since that day and her father's health had greatly declined, until he had no strength left. Margaret was at least thankful that she could tell her father that Fred was safely back in Spain with Edith. That must have been what he was holding on to, news that his son was safe. Margaret tried to feel thankful that her brother and cousin were out of harm's way, but with the passing of her father, she felt quite alone now.
Still, neither Mr. Thornton nor Mr. Bell had made an appearance. Especially since Fanny Thornton and Mrs. Thornton had shown, she wondered what he was doing this day to keep him from a friend's funeral. It made her quite uneasy. For at least proprieties sake and to keep up appearances, she thought it suspicious that they would not show their last respects, if there were any on there part.
As Margaret arrived to Crampton she shut the door securely behind her and took off her black coat and bonnet. She stopped herself for a moment from going through the motions of calling out to her father that she was home. The empty weight in her chest made her most recent loss feel more acutely in this moment.
Margaret spent the rest of the afternoon reading over more books that Christopher had let her check out from the library. Margaret was thankful that he did not question her keen curiosity into the occult. Margaret became fascinated with the information and how it almost exactly matched that of the events in Milton. As little as she knew of demons and evil spirits she found herself more aware of her surroundings and the feeling that there was a spell cast over the town and its people. Margaret didn't know how to explain it to herself, much less to her skittish maid.
Dixon was worried for her mistress. She had seen the books that Margaret was reading and worried that she would drive herself to insanity with the recent loss of her father. She knew no good would come from reading such nonsense and such tales of evil. She crossed herself every time she thought of the young Miss Hale dabbling into these matters. What was she trying to learn? And what was she hoping to achieve? It reminded Dixon of so many years ago when the young Miss Beresford had such curiosities, but that was long ago and she left that all behind when she married Mr. Hale.
Dixon had brought in Margaret's tea and was distressed that she didn't seem to notice there was a whole world around her. Dixon was becoming fearful that the young miss was amercing herself in these books to escape the reality of the situation she was in and her father's death. If Dixon only knew how aware Margaret was as to what was happening around her, she would have been rightfully more scared and fearful at what was really happening around them.
Margaret wasn't sure how much time had passed but when Bessie Higgins arrived at Crampton that night, Margaret was honestly surprised.
"Bessie?" Margaret frowned as she saw her friend standing in the doorway of the sitting room.
"How are you, Margaret?" Bessie asked, not moving from the door way.
Margaret was going to reply that she was well. But she wasn't. Deep down they both knew that would be a lie. Margaret tried to blink away the tear that threatened to fall, but the trembling of her chin alerted Bessie to go to her friend. She wrapped her arms around Margaret.
"Oh Margaret, I'm so sorry." Bessie held her friend as she kneeled on the floor next to Margaret's chair.
"I have no one now, Bessie. I am utterly alone in this place." Margaret trembled as she let her friend hold her from falling in a heap.
"You may feel so, but you have friends amongst you." Bessie reassured her.
"I'm not so sure how many of those friends I have left, save for you of course. Thank you for coming to see me." Margaret didn't realize until now how much she needed to confide in someone. With Fanny being the sister of her possible enemy and Dixon with her superstitious mind, Bessie was the only one she could turn to.
"I'm sorry I wasn't at the funeral, I wasn't feeling well this morning. My father wanted to be there too, but he was busy with Thornton as usual."Bessie said with a shrug of her shoulders.
Margaret's interest piqued.
"What was he helping him with?"She asked, unashamed that she was prying.
Bessie gave Margaret an unsure look as if to say what's it to you?
"I only ask because Mr. Thornton was not there either."Margaret assured her.
Bessie seemed to accept this and told Margaret, "He was assisting Mr. Thornton and Mr. Bell for Bell's departure."
"Departure? Where is he going?" Something in Margaret panicked.
"Really Margaret, my father doesn't tell me everything. How I am to know?" Bessie said annoyed.
"Bessie, I need to know where Mr. Bell is going. If I don't, someone very dear to me may be in danger." Margaret clapped her hands together to keep from shaking.
"Who would that be?"Bessie asked with a short huff that could have been mistaken for a laugh.
"My brother."
"You never said you had a brother." By the look on Bessie's face, Margaret could tell that regardless of what she might say, Bessie would believe her.
"I wasn't allowed to say. But please believe me that if I do not find out Mr. Bell's plans he could be in grave danger."
"Margaret, you cannot expect me to betray my father and his confidence with Mr. Thornton. You'll have to do a better job in telling me the truth and trusting me as your friend." Bessie strode past Margaret to leave.
"No Bessie, please. I do trust you. Please I will tell you, it doesn't sound like we have very much time." Margaret pleaded.
"I'm listening." Bessie crossed her arms over her chest.
Margaret told Bessie only what was important. If she wanted details she could have them after she knew Fred and Edith were safe. "I do have a brother. He was in the Navy when he got into some trouble with the law. He has been hiding for these past years in Spain. The only other living person that knows about him other then my cousin and Dixon is Mr. Bell. I am sure that Mr. Bell is doing everything in his power to keep us apart. I don't know why but he knows Fred was recently in Milton. I think he suspects that we are on to him. Please, Bessie I have to know what his plans are."
"Margaret, whatever you think you are doing you know nothing of what kind of man Mr. Bell really is. He is evil."
"I know that Bessie. That is why I am trying to keep Fred out of this."
"I cannot understand you Margaret, do you really think you can stand against the likes of Mr. Bell?"
"I have to try, for years he has haunted me. I thought I could forget him. But since we have come to Milton he has reminded me that he is not so easily forgetful. Whatever he has planned for me, I will not let him get to Fred."
Bessie looked at Margaret as if seeing her for the first time. She could talk brave, that's for sure, but Bessie believed her when she said she would stand against Mr. Bell. She didn't know how far she would get, but she was going to make damned sure that she wasn't alone in this.
"I will find out for you Margaret. I will try my best for you and your brother."
"Thank you Bessie."Margaret sighed in relief.
"In the mean time, what are you going to do?"
"I have been preparing myself." Margaret gestured to the stacks of books on the table.
Bessie raised her eyebrow, "I bit of light reading I suppose will do anyone some good. But Margaret nothing will prepare you for this. Are you sure you know what is happening?"
"I know all about Mr. Bell." Margaret said surely.
"And Mr. Thornton? What of him?" Bessie and anyone else for that matter could plainly see the connection the Margaret and Thornton had. She worried that her friend would let her heart get in the way of what was important.
"Him as well." Margaret only hoped that her intuition was right about Mr. Thornton, that he was just as fearful of Mr. Bell as she was. They were both a pawn in his game. If he was under the power of Mr. Bell, could she still forgive him for his dealings with the Boucher's? Were there others that had fallen victim to Mr. Bell's commands? Had Thornton killed others for Mr. Bell?
Bessie started to leave but before she left the front door she turned to Margaret unsure of what she was trying to say, "I want you to know Margaret, that my father, he's not like them. He's just caught up in it is all. He would never hurt anyone."
"I know, Bessie." Margaret wondered if Bessie or her father knew how many fell to the demon's schemes and how many more victims they planned to take.
"I will be back before tomorrow, Margaret." Margaret watched as Bessie left. Now all she could do was to wait for her friend to return.
As Margaret waited she wrote a letter to Fred to warn him and Edith that Mr. Bell may be well on his way and to take precautions. She tried to waste time until Bessie returned. It was too late in the night to send off her letter. She would have to be patient until she heard more from Bessie. Dear, dear Bessie who seemed to be with Margaret in this unusual situation. She was grateful that there at least was someone else who knew what was going on.
The clock in the hall chimed away the hours…
3 o'clock…
5 o'clock…
7 o'clock…
Time passed, and soon the dawn broke over the horizon. But Margaret had not slept. Instead she paced back and forth in her father's study waiting for Bessie's return.
It shouldn't have taken this long. What if something happened to her?
Margaret's worry that she had sent her friend to her death, pushed her to go out and see that she was alright. Margaret didn't bother with her coat, still in her mourning attire she went to the Higgins's home to find it empty. Empty of both inhabitants and belongings. It was like no one had ever lived there, all traces of them gone. Instead of worry Margaret felt rage course through her. The only explanation was what drove her to Marlborough Mills.
She was tired of it all. Little by little Mr. Bell was taking her life away. Her family, her friends, her sanity were all in the palm of his hand. With as much knowledge that she had acquired about his kind, she found him frustratingly always two steps ahead of her. She would have no more.
She walked across the courtyard, through the busy workmen and their tasks to the Thornton's front door. She raised her fist and pounded on the door.
"Thornton, come out!"
She pounded on the door again until her hand pulsed with every beat of her heart.
"I know what you've done, come out now!"
She raised her hand again and stopped midair as the door swung open.
"Miss Hale, what do you think you are doing?" Mrs. Thornton asked with a rage that almost matched Margaret's, almost.
"Where is your son?" Margaret narrowed her eyes.
"Where he usually is at this time, Miss Hale," She answered calmly, "He is at work in his mill."
By now the hands had noticed Margaret and watched as she descended the stairs. They parted to let her through to the mill doors. No one dared stop her. Her fury matched the anger and rage of the mob that she not so long ago stopped from harming the one she sought after now.
Margaret opened the mill door without knocking, she was passed politeness now. She searched for him through misty eyes, she would not cry now, not when she needed to be strong. She saw him through the white fluff that danced through the air, the hum of the machines working the cotton filtered through the pounding of her blood as it rushed through her ears. No one noticed her entrance, he didn't notice her entrance. She moved closer as he walked down the aisle surveying his men. Proud, stern, hands behind his back, he walked proudly.
"Thornton!" She yelled across the noise of the machines, taking the attention of the workers from the looms onto her. Mr. Thornton saw her as she strode toward him, bits of white sticking to her hair as she walked through across the mill floor. She kept his gaze determinedly.
"Where are they?" She said only to him, but the harshness in her voice told Mr. Thornton that she would raise it if she felt she needed to.
He stood straighter before her, unwilling to let her show him up in front of his entire mill, "Where is who, Miss Hale?"
"You know damn well who. Bessie Higgins and her father. Or have you done away with them just like the Boucher's?" She nearly spat at him.
He grabbed her forcefully by her arm and all but dragged her across the mill to his office. Without a word she let him take her wherever he wanted. It wasn't like he could do anything to her, with his whole mill watching.
Once they were in his office and he slammed the door behind him he threw her in a chair in front of his desk.
"How dare you, Miss Hale…" He almost growled as he gripped the chair arms, trapping her, the white of his knuckles turning red with the force of his hold. Margaret thought he'd break the chair at the rate he was going.
"How dare I?" She laughed. "That's rich coming from a murderer."
He flinched as if she had struck him across the face, he let go of the chair to circle behind her. He ran his hand over his face.
"Where are they?" She persisted.
His silence was as good as a confession to her.
"Is there no end to Mr. Bell's command over you? Do you both plan on killing everyone I care about?!" She stayed seated in the chair, afraid that if she moved he would just put her back.
"You do not understand Miss Hale." He said with his back to her.
"Make me understand. Tell me what Mr. Bell wants from me so I can better fight him."
"No!" He turned and resumed his position with his hands on either side of her, keeping her in place so she had no choice but to look at him. "You will not stand against him, you cannot."
"Why not? I will protect myself if I must and I will destroy him if I can."
"You can't!" He bellowed.
She inched forward in her chair so he had no choice either but to look directly into her eyes.
"I will find a way." She said without blinking.
"Do you even know…" He started.
"That he is evil, a demon, not a mortal man? Yes, I know very well what he is. What are you Mr. Thornton?" She watched as his hold around her faltered and she could see behind his eyes, his façade crumbling. She felt a twinge of sorrow and sympathy for him.
She said in a softer tone, "Tell me you are not like him."
He looked at her again so neither of them would doubt that was said to each other today, in this room, "I cannot tell you that Miss Hale. It would be a lie."
She visibly sunk in the chair. She was hoping for some kind of chance that he could be saved from Mr. Bell and the evils that he was inflicting. She was wrong, but it wouldn't be the first time, or the last.
"What did you do with them?" She asked again.
"Do you think I would tell you, that I would betray Mr. Bell? If you truly know what Mr. Bell is, then you will know that no one goes against him and lives. So, I'm asking you, to please, stay away from him."
"No. I have to protect myself and those I love."
He knew since her father was dead, an event that greatly distressed him, that the only other person she would be speaking of, was Mr. Lennox.
"Mr. Bell has no intention of harming anyone, of that I can assure you Miss Hale."
"Where is Mr. Bell?"
"That is not your concern."He persisted. He didn't care if Mr. Bell had any idea to get rid of Lennox. He was sure that such news wouldn't be at all unpleasant to him.
Without her being able to stop herself Margaret burst into tears, half with rage and half with the fear that her brother would die because of her.
"Mr. Thornton please, he will kill my brother if you do not tell me!" She sobbed into her hands.
"Your brother?" Was this another lie? What of Lennox?
"Mr. Bell is the only other one that knows where he is. He means to keep us apart. I must find him and stop him!" She sat up and tried to push Mr. Thornton's arms away from her. But she might as well have tried to move a mountain, he would not falter. "Please, let me go to him!"
"I cannot let you go Miss Hale." He crouched in front of her, his face relaxing into what Margaret could see was confusion and sympathy.
"Then tell me where he is or where is going so I can warn Fred!" She grabbed both of his arms to lean closer to him. For a brief moment she thought he smelled of flowers, the kind grown in Helstone.
"He didn't tell me." He wished he knew, he would have told her if he knew where his master was.
Margaret hung her head in defeat. How was she to stop him from hurting what was left of her family? He was everywhere while she was stuck in one place, not able to help those who needed her now. Fred, Edith, and Bessie, she had let them down.
"Margaret, you must leave Milton. While you have a chance and Mr. Bell is gone, you have a chance to run." He said frantically as time was against them. He didn't think about the consequences of what would happen when Mr. Bell came back to find Margaret gone. He had left her under Thornton's watch, he knew he was being tested, and he would fail miserably.
"I will not leave my brother alone in this." She said through muffled tears.
Mr. Thornton didn't know what to do, for the second time in his life he felt trapped once again because of Mr. Bell he was at his mercy, and now Margaret was too.
"Then stay with me. I will look after you. I will help you and your brother, protect you from Mr. Bell."
"Why?" Margaret asked. If he was in such danger as he said he was, why would he risk himself?
"I told you once Margaret that I loved you. Did you doubt me?" He furrowed his brows, remembering that day. How many times had he tried to forget it?
She shook her head.
"I know that I have no hope that you would feel the same, but I promise…" He was stopped.
The hands that were on his arms came to his face, Margaret held him in front of her as she looked deeper into him. With one thumb she caressed the line on one side of his mouth. She stared intently at his lips as if contemplating something. Mr. Thornton shuddered as he gulped for air, the parting of his lips deciding for Margaret what she would do. She slid closer to him, her knees between his bent legs. She closed her eyes as she guided his face towards her.
It was mere seconds that this passed but to both Margaret and Mr. Thornton it felt like everything that had happened, from Margaret's arrival into Milton and everything in between, his sorrows, jealousy and doubt of Margaret's feelings had led up to this point. The distance between their lips was closed as they tasted each other for the first time. At first it was the fainted of touches, chaste and simple. But one taste and that was all it took.
Margaret's arms were around his shoulders without any persuading from him, and his hands seemed to be everywhere, never in one place for more than a few seconds. He drank her like a man searching for water in the desert. His hand brought her lips closer to him as he cradled the back of her head, running his fingers through her auburn hair. Margaret gasped as she searched for more, more of his kisses, his touch, more of him.
Their lips sought out more from each other, their movements becoming desperate as they clamored to be closer. Mr. Thornton reluctantly pulled from her. Margaret fell forward at the emptiness she felt, his warmth gone from her. They fought for breathe as he led her from her seated position bringing her up to him so their bodies could touch. Margaret could see the look in his eyes as that of an animal's, feral with hunger, and she was the prey. She was all too willing to give into him.
Before they could continue their tasting of each other, Margaret pulled back as realization hit her. She was still in danger in his presence. He was a murderer and he said he like Mr. Bell, but she wouldn't believe that he was the same kind of man. Yes, they loved each other, but they could never give into one another while he was still under the control of Mr. Bell and she was still in danger of him.
"Margaret, what is it?" He asked still holding her close to him as a panted with need of her lips on his again.
"I must go." She ripped herself from his embrace, a little too harshly she realized, and she sought to assure him that she did not regret this. "I need to make sure my brother is safe."
"I will do what I can to help you." Mr. Thornton told her.
"Please, let me know when Bell returns. I have a letter to send to my brother, just in case. I just hope I am not too late." Margaret opened his office door, letting a much needed chill enter the room.
"Margaret, wait!" Mr. Thornton called to her. Margaret turned to find herself staring up at him again, his closeness a comfort to her.
"I must tell you, this one thing you must know. I didn't kill Boucher, or Bessie and Nicholas." He sighed like a great weight was lifted from him.
"Then why did you let me believe that you had?" She was mortified that she had believed his heinous lies. Of course she knew all along he was innocent!
"That day, that day you seemed to want to believe it so badly that I thought if I told you, you would deny it anyways. When you seemed to be so easily persuaded, I knew that you must despise me. I knew then I didn't deserve your love. I let you believe the lie."He admitted to her finally.
"I never believed you, at least not with this. Where are they then?"
"They are safe for now. I hid them from Bell. He believes they are taken care of and I'd like to keep it that way. My only regret is that I cannot do the same for you and your brother."
Neither knew what to say to each other. A mutual understanding of feelings had transpired between them but both knew it was too dangerous to voice anything, not until all was settled and they were all safe from Mr. Bell.
Margaret reluctantly left Mr. Thornton to mail her letter to Fred and to wait impatiently for news of Mr. Bell. Margaret was relieved that the Boucher's, Bessie and Higgins were safe.
As Margaret left the mill yard, she realized she had someone else to trust and confide in, the man she loved.