Chapter 05- AUGUSTUS LATIMER AND HIS PLANS

HAMPSHIRE TIMES

HELSTONE MUTINEER ONE OF THE WANTED ACCUSED

OF THE BELFAST SHIP REBELLION

LONDON, NOV. 21, 1846—- HMS Belfast led by Captain Reid Hook, was captured by about forty maritime sailors, soldiers, and workers- revolt spread and led by Ex. lieutenant Frederick Hale, followed by several other mutineers…. The British Government declares punishment of the highest degree to those who led the uprising… Lieutenant Frederick Hale found out to be a resident of Helstone, Hampshire, son of rector Richard Hale… The names of the accused mutineers are as follows… A reward of 500 pounds to be awarded to anyone who claims to inform details of the whereabouts of the mutineers…

It was the fifth time Mrs. Thornton reread the parchment in the solitude of her room. Yet, it didn't help to quell the shock she received every time she went through it. A hundred questions sprang up to her mind, along with answers and possibilities.

This one parchment put the entire situation to a full stop. The Hales were harboring a terribly disturbing family secret- a son who was now wanted for mutiny. Needless to say, a prize for his head. But what did this paper have to do with Jane? No, it must have to do with that dead fiance of hers; hadn't she said that he was from the country, Mrs. Thornton recollected. And what's more, the man had died near Outwood station and also during that scandalous incident of Miss Hale found embracing a young gentleman…

To be frank, Mrs. Thornton didn't know what to do about all this anymore. But she let out a sigh of relief and realized that the man found with Miss Hale would be her brother. A part of her still chastised the woman for her naivety and blatant display of affection although it could be her own brother. Surely the woman didn't understand how her actions would be scrutinized by society. Yet, now that there was strong evidence, she could only find herself empathizing with Miss Hale for her strength and love for her family.

It reminded her of her own times when she was a young widow; how difficult it was to maintain her composure and pride when the entire town throttled her due to her husband's suicide. Had it not been her pride, strength and children, she would have perished long back.

The letter she had previously written was not yet delivered to Miss Hale. She still felt puzzled. She didn't know if she should tell John what she found, though she knew she must. Her son was quite wounded and hurt for he had seen Miss Hale in the station with his own eyes. But her heart told her to wait impatiently before treading to disclose the secret to her son. She needed to first assure that Miss Hale still didn't care for her son. Her motherly pride was still sore when she thought of how the proud woman tore her son's proposal to pieces. But circumstances have clearly changed immensely, and so has much time gone by. What if the girl's mind started to recognize John's feelings and ready to reciprocate? Miss Hale was not a fickle woman; she would neither fall for any man who would bestow smiles and pleasures, nor was she someone who wouldn't understand a person's feelings. She was the most empathetic and down-to-earth creature she had ever seen.

Now came the question of confronting Miss Hale about her family secret. Should she let her know about the parchment and ask if the contents were true? Or should she leave it at that and just have her company and hospitality? After an hour of thinking, she decided to be direct in her dealing, for she had promised Mrs. Hale that she would be a firm guide to her daughter and not a tender companion. She would be open and get the entire mystery confirmed from Miss Hale.

So Mrs. Thornton decided to send the invite the first thing in the next morning. If she got even a small hint of affections from Miss Hale towards her son, she would be at peace. Whereas if the woman still rejects her son, she will even then go ahead and tell the secret of the Hales to her son, so that at least he would be relieved to know that it was not her lover, but her brother.

"How you have stirred up this entire town and our lives, woman!", Mrs. Thornton muttered with an ironic grin before resigning to her bed.

The Latimers were a family involved in the field of banking and economics for generations. It was quite an easy success for the now Mr. Latimer to fetch his father's and father-in-law's position to create his life of wealth. He enjoyed playing with money, as he so often put it in words to people. He had the first degree associations and connections to call him worthy and intelligent when it comes to cash. He had the artful tact of convincing potential individuals to invest in bank loans and schemes. His only deed that he now invested his time and senses in was to secure a wealthy husband for his only daughter.

His daughter was not what she is today had he not put her into that Switzerland finishing school. She was quite ignorant and flighty, just like that friend of hers, (you know who!). Her education from the finishing school turned her into a furnished woman; well, he would have sued the school if she hadn't, for all the money he squandered into that school!

Thankfully, his daughter was not gone unnoticed by several young gentlemen from his own field as well as from the masters. He was quite proud as a father as his daughter's naive nature had already secured several men's interests. If not anywhere else, Milton's people were quite fixed in life's patterns- and one such pattern was to secure a good partner, good in terms of wealth and position. Except for one man.

John Thornton, owner of Marlborough Mills.

This man was quite unlike any he had ever come across in his life. John Thornton was a fixed nail that wouldn't fall off the wall without drawing blood from one's fingers. But he knew the Thornton family's weakest point very well.

Speculation.

Gambling.

Once upon a time, Augustus Latimer and George Thornton were quite the paradigm of friendship in the entire town. What's more, he was George Thornton's banker as well. All was going well, when Augustus had finally met Hannah Berkeley, quite the local beauty of then Milton. She had caught his eye as well as everyone's from her return from Thetford, where she studied in a finishing school. But his affections were not even confessed to the woman when all of a sudden, his best friend's engagement was announced. What put him to shock was the fact that George Thornton was about to be wed to Hannah. Augustus was clearly angered when he also got to know that it was a love match.

It didn't take him much time to consider his best friend as his own enemy. While George Thornton remained unaware of his friend's wounded feelings, Augustus Latimer was already plotting the friend turned foe's downfall. Truth be told, it was he because of whom the mill master's father lost almost every penny and ended up dodging a bullet to the head.

Now that was achieved some fifteen years ago, his abhorrence was still not languished. It kept burning within him, more so to see his friend's lad rise to glory as the renowned master of Marlborough Mills. He went to dreadful limits to convince the now Mr. Thornton to invest in schemes and such to bring him down to knees like his father, but John Thornton was quite fixed in his ways and philosophy.

That's when he recognized his daughter's interests inclining towards the handsome mill master. He was about to distract his daughter's attentions from Mr. Thornton, but then gave in to his daughter's wishes. Since the art of tact was a skill of the Latimers, it was the father who then advised the young daughter to befriend Miss Thornton, to get closer to the Thornton family. Mr. Latimer decided to complete his revenge once and for all, by making his enemy's son as his son-in-law.

But just as he expected, Mr. Thornton remained like the same fixed nail. His ploys to turn his client's attention towards his daughter kept bouncing back to him. He knew that Thornton was not like other young men, who enjoyed flirtatious sensual pursuits. His attentions were gained by his mill, and thus, Mr. Latimer patiently resolved to move by Thornton's way- by advising him with matters of loans and banking so that he could simultaneously fulfill his plans.

What's more, ever since the Hales had come to Milton, his chances of succession in making his daughter a Thornton woman was getting nullified. He was quite enraged to witness the master slowly inclining towards Miss Hale. What enraged him more was the look of genteel love in the man's eyes whenever his eyes caught Miss Hale. As Mr. Latimer was not anonymous to that feeling long back in his life, he was quite determined to secure him away from the Hales. His fierce determination in making the Thorntons his family was also enhanced by the constant teasing and bickering of other masters in the club. Whenever Thornton was absent, they mocked and guffawed about the mill master's ignorance towards women, but how Miss Hale seems to have captured his senses.

Why couldn't it be his daughter? This question bothered him several times. But the answer was quite plain- Mr. Thornton knew poverty well and was not one to incline towards wealth and status. It would be tough to put an idea into his head, unless it conceived on its own in his brain.

Miss Hale was quite beautiful, anyone with eyes would proclaim that. But so was his lovely daughter Ann! All that Miss Hale was only retained to her beauty; beauty to compensate for the lack of brains, what with her gallivanting the town like a stray cat and her charitable deeds to the downtrodden. Not to mention her recent scandal of having been seen in the arms of a man in the railway station. How can such an unsteady woman with such stubborn manners make a good wife? But Ann came up with beauty, innocence, naivety, honor, propriety, and most importantly a great deal of wealth. She will make a good compliant wife, only she should become the wife of Thornton if at all he ever gets married.

Nevertheless, now that Mr. Watson has come up with a new promising scheme, Mr. Latimer was fixed to make his plans a reality. He was aware of how risky Thornton's business was at the moment. His mill was trudging on a thin line, and taking risks with money at such a time will put Thornton to a precarious position, and the Latimers to an enjoyable one.

Yes, speculation will bring Mr. Thornton to his downfall just like his father. Then, Mr. Latimer's timely intervention with a proposal of marriage to his daughter will be the only way Thornton could save his position in society, not to mention the immense dowry he was ready to bestow on him for his only daughter.