Thank you to everyone who left comments on the previous chapters :) All of it is very much appreciated!

Chapter 4

A little less than two months into their marriage, Margaret received a letter from Harley Street in London. The envelope contained two separate letters, the first one being from her aunt Shaw.

My dear niece,

I would be lying if I told you, that I was not surprised at receiving your last letter.

I had not been aware that you had any plans regarding marriage, and had hoped that, with me being your closest relation now, after the sad passing of your father, you would have consulted me before accepting any offer of this kind.

But your decision has been made, and I suppose there is no use in my fretting over it.

However, as your aunt, who has always had your best interests in mind, I feel the need to issue a word of warning.

Henry Lennox, who had been in contact with Mr. Adam Bell through a shared acquaintance, has made me aware of the fact that the man, who is now to be called your husband, was about to file for bankruptcy recently, after his factory had been struggling for months.

A marriage to you, so shortly after you inherited a presumably large sum from your father's friend (as Henry has informed me) will be viewed as one of convenience for him.

You seem convinced that true affection played a role in his decision to make you an offer, and, not knowing the exact circumstances, I will have to take your word for it.

I sincerely hope that he will prove himself to be a worthy husband, for it would not be the first time a woman has fallen for a man's deceitful scheme.

I cannot pretend that a marriage of this kind was what I had desired, as my personal wishes for you were directed towards another person, and I had hoped that you were to wed someone from our own circles.

I never understood why your father would take my sister and you to this smoky manufacturing town, so far away from any society our family has considered desirable.

It pains me that his death came at a most inconvenient time, while we were still out of the country. Otherwise, I would have taken you in at Harley Street immediately.

As things are, I can only hope that you will not grow to regret your decision and that this man is indeed as honourable as you claim, for I do wish you happiness.

Edith and Captain Lennox have decided to spend a few weeks in Scotland with his family and I will accompany them there. On the way, we are thinking of stopping by in Milton for a few days, as it is not too far out of our way. So, if your invitation still stands, we would be happy to accept it and you could expect us on the 27th of this month. Please do let me know by return of mail if this date would suit you.

Yours truly

Aunt Shaw

Margaret was not sure what she had expected to hear from her aunt. It was not that she was surprised at this reaction to her marrying John, but still, it left her disappointed, and the more she thought over the letter, the more she felt her anger increase.

Aunt Shaw did not know John, how dare she presume he had only married Margaret for the money? She had not given the situation with Marlborough Mills too much thought, but she had to admit that it would be easy to interpret the close succession of the mill failing and his proposal in such a way. Had not even Mrs. Eldon suggested as much after she had first learned of their betrothal?

Her aunt was certainly not the only person who had come to this sort of conclusion and while Margaret knew that it did not do to dwell on other people's opinions, she still felt a pang of irritation and annoyance.

With trembling hands, she tossed her aunt's letter aside and unfolded the second piece of paper she had found in the envelope. It was from Edith.

My dearest Margaret,

I cannot tell you how surprised we all were to receive your last letter!

To be married, Margaret, what exciting news!

And so wholly unexpected. I recall you mentioning Mr. Thornton in some of your letters, but never in any way that would have led me to expect this.

As you can well imagine, mother was anything but pleased at the connection with a man of his rank, and I was a little sad too, because I had so hoped that you would one day marry Henry and we could all live in a grand house together, the captain, I and Sholto with Henry, you and your children.

But I suppose that is not going to happen now.

However, my dearest cousin, please do not take my sadness at having to give up my wishful thinking as disapproval of your choice, because it is not meant in such a way at all.

In your letter, you do sound so very happy and the thought that you could marry for love thrills me. I am delighted for you, dear cousin, truly. Please, do tell me everything! Is he handsome? Is he kind? Mother mentioned briefly seeing him from afar at the Great Exhibition, but I must have missed him, for I do not remember. How did his proposal come about? And how do you fare as a married woman?

Oh, I do wish you will tell me everything. We are to go to Scotland very soon and I talked mother into paying you a visit. I simply must see you and talk to you about everything, and see your house, which, I am sure, is very different from Harley Street.

And you need to meet Sholto, at last! After the many letters I wrote to you about how happy he made me, I cannot wait for the two of you to get to know each other.

I have to close now, because he is calling for me. But, Margaret, I am so looking forward to seeing you very soon.

Yours truly

Edith

Just as Margaret had finished reading the letter, she was startled out of her thoughts by the sound of the door opening and raised her head to see John step in, after a long day at the mill. He shot her a bright smile and walked over to her, bending down to press a quick kiss to her lips.

"How are you, dearest? I have missed you." He was about to straighten himself up, when he caught the look on her face. "Margaret, what is the matter?", he asked, concerned. "You look a bit unsettled."

She patted the empty space on the settee and he took the hint and sat down beside her. Margaret turned to him and grasped his hand in hers, trying to quickly find the right words to prepare him for what she had to say.

"John, I have had a letter from my aunt Shaw in London. It is a reply to my announcement of our wedding." "Oh", was all he said and she could see by the look on his face, that he knew rather well what she was trying to tell him. "She is not pleased with our connection then", he stated matter-of-factly.

"Not exactly", Margaret sighed. "She has given me her blessing, although begrudgingly. But John-" She drew a shaky breath. "She has more or less accused you of marrying me for my inheritance! Can you believe it?", she snapped angrily. She could not tell whether this vexed him as much as it did her. He appeared rather collected on the outside, but his expression at this moment was unreadable to her.

She jumped up from the settee, dropping Edith's letter onto the side table and started pacing the room frantically. "Is this what everyone thinks, John? That you proposed to me for your own financial benefit?"

He gave a small sigh. "Dearest-" "No, I mean really, John? Do they think that about us?" She turned towards him, her face an image of mortification. "Margaret!" He got up and stepped close to her with an earnest expression, gently taking her hands in his. "Some of them might, but thre is nothing you or I can do about it." She raised her eyes to his and found nothing but tenderness in them. "But it is not true!" "Of course it is not, and we both know it."

"How can you be so calm?", she asked in astonishment. He shrugged. "I have gotten used to others looking down upon my station. I did not get to where I am today by dwelling on people's opinions." She pondered his words. "But – it's hurtful!" she stated weakly. "You are the best husband anyone could wish for! And you have gained your standing in society through hard work and determination. That is worth so much more than being born into a wealthy family."

He gave a sad little smile at this. "You did not always think so, dearest." She moaned. "Oh, don't remind me, please. I am ashamed of what I thought back then." "You did not know any better. And neither do they. Do you have any idea how many comments I have had to endure at the gentleman's club from other mill owners about my cleverly saving the mill with the right wife?"

She drew back, shocked. "They did not!" The look on his face was proof enough that he was speaking the truth. "What did you reply?" "That if they ever insulted my wife again, I would make sure they would regret it deeply." Even now, as he was only recounting what he had said, there was a dangerous undertone in his voice, and she could well imagine that, paired with one of those daunting looks he had perfected over the years, he could have made the strongest man feel ill at ease. She could scarcely imagine what it must have been like for him to be treated by others with such arrogance for years.

"John! You should have told me!", she exclaimed. He shook his head. "I did not want to upset you, Margaret. It's not the first time something like this has happened. I can manage."

She lifted her arms to wrap around him and leaned into him, finding comfort in his warmth. "You should not have to. I wish they would leave us alone!" "Hush", he whispered, gently stroking her hair. "Let us not speak of unpleasant things. It is almost time for dinner, and I cannot wait for it to be over, to take you up to bed and show you just how far my proposal was from being a business matter." Margaret could not help but chuckle, as she slapped his chest playfully. "Mr. Thornton, you are behaving improperly indeed." "And it is only going to get worse, as the evening progresses, I promise you" he laughed, pressing her to him.

"John?", she said suddenly, remembering something else. "Hm?" "There is one more thing I need to tell you." He was silent, waiting for her to continue. "My aunt Shaw – she is coming to visit us." He raised his head at that, to stare at her. "What? When?" "They are to come on the 27th, on their way up to Scotland." "They?" "My aunt, my cousin, her husband, and their little son."

"Oh, dear Lord", he muttered. "They will not like it here."

"Edith will probably bear it gracefully", Margaret pondered. "My aunt, however, will be rather hard to please. We will have to instruct the cook to come up with something exciting." He furrowed his brow with a huff. "This is our house, Margaret. She better make do with what we have to offer. I doubt that she will be happy, whichever lengths we go to."

At this moment, the bell rang for dinner. "Come." He took her hand and linked her arm to his to lead her into the dining room. "Let us not fret about it. We will find a way to survive this visit. As will your aunt."

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

In the late afternoon of the 27th the train from London drew to a halt at Outward station. Margaret stood on the platform, nervously clasping and unclasping her hands. A minute later, her aunt Shaw stepped down from a first class compartment, closely followed by Edith, who was carrying little Sholto and her husband, Captain Lennox. They had brought Sholto's governess and a maid, who would both take a hansom cab to the Mill, as the Thornton's carriage only had space for the family.

Edith was overjoyed to see her cousin and could not stop talking, while Margaret was welcoming little Sholto, and Captain Lennox stood nearby with an awkward smile on his face. Aunt Shaw let her eyes roam about the platform, her face an image of barely concealed disgust, as she took in her surroundings.

"Oh dear", she said when Edith finally drew a breath. "What sort of place has your father taken you to? I saw a little bit of it as we entered the city and I swear it looks no better than St. Giles."

Margaret, who had decided not to accommodate her aunt in that sort of conversation, quickly waved for a porter to take the luggage and forced a polite smile onto her face.

A few minutes later the carriage clattered its way down the main road through Crampton. Margaret caught a glimpse of her old home and felt a pang of sadness as they passed it. She sill missed the place, as it held so many fond memories of her parents, and the thought of never entering it again almost gave her physical pain. She briefly wondered who lived there now.

Both Edith and her aunt were looking out of the opposite window, as they were passing some soot-blackened brick buildings, Edith with an air of curious disbelief, aunt Shaw with the same look of horror Margaret's mother had worn upon their first arrival in Milton.

"Oh, it is but a stark contrast to London, I must say", Edith commented, slightly unsettled. "It can be a bit overwhelming at first", Margaret confessed. "But it grew on me the longer I was here." Her aunt gave a strange huff at her words.

The carriage turned left and passed through the green gates into the busy mill yard, passing some workers who were unloading bales of raw cotton, and eventually came to a halt in front of the mill house. "This is it?", her aunt asked with wide eyes.

They exited the carriage and Margaret led them up the wooden steps onto the landing and through the front door into the entrance hall, where Jane was already waiting for them. "You may want to freshen up first. Jane can show you to your rooms and we'll have your luggage brought up", Margaret stated. "Afterwards, we can have tea in the upstairs sitting room. I will call for my husband to join us. He is working today, but promised to make some time to meet you."

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

An hour later the Lennox's, aunt Shaw and Margaret had taken their seats in the sitting room. Margaret was bobbing little Sholto on her knees and Jane was just serving them tea and sponge cake, when the door opened and John stepped in. He cut quite a figure in his dark frock coat. Out of the corner of her eye Margaret saw Edith's eyes widen slightly at the sight of him, and she could not help but feel pride at how handsome he looked.

Captain Lennox rose from his seat courteously, and Margaret introduced them. As they sat down, aunt Shaw let her eyes linger on her niece's husband with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion. "I trust your journey was comfortable?", John asked politely. "I always find train journeys to be quite tiresome", aunt Shaw replied. "I think Sholto quite enjoyed the view", Edith chimed in, trying to lighten the mood. "And he has taken an instant liking to dear Margaret, it seems."

John looked over at Margaret who was still holding the little boy and for a moment their eyes met. Both, aunt Shaw and Edith noticed the look that passed between them and while Edith's smile instantly widened, the older woman's face became a bit pensive.

"So, you have always lived in Milton?", she asked John. "Yes, ma'am, I was born here." "And your family? They were merchants I suppose?" Margaret bit her lip. She had feared that this would turn into an interrogation and wished her aunt would stop, but knew it was to no avail.

"My father was a draper", John answered, bearing it gracefully. Aunt Shaw raised her eyebrows slightly. Sholto started babbling cheerfully, making both Margaret and Edith turn towards him.

"How did you get into cotton?", Captain Lennox asked, obviously quite interested. "It comes quite naturally here in Milton. It is an aspiring industry."

"I remember seeing the machines last year at the Great Exhibition, and I was quite intrigued by them", Ediths husband informed him. "Do you think it would be possible to have a look at them in action?" John readily agreed to show him the mill, and the next few minutes were passed in conversation about cotton, which reminded Margaret of the talks John had had with her father during their first time in the city.

She observed her aunt, whose eyes roamed about the room, briefly resting on the pictures on the wall and pieces of furniture here and there. "But it is rather noisy", she noted after a while, looking over to the window from where the distant rattling of the mill could be heard. It was clear she would not have anything nice to say, and Margaret sighed inwardly. "I thought so too at first", she replied firmly. "But I got used to it in a matter of a few weeks and now, it seems I hardly notice it anymore."

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"Margaret!", Edith exclaimed, beaming, as they sat on her bed in the guest room a little while later. "You had not told me he was so handsome! I could barely take my eyes off him. And the way he looked at you, oh my! You were not lying about his affection for you. I can't tell you how happy this makes me!"

Margaret had to smile at her cousin's enthusiasm. "I am glad you feel this way", she told her happily. "It is true, there is a great deal of mutual affection. There is love, Edith. It is true and it runs very deep. Deeper than I had ever thought I could feel for anyone."

Edith's face spread into a glorious smile. "Oh, that is so romantic! Do not fret over mother's disapproval, Margaret. It does not matter that he is a tradesman, as long as you are this happy." "He is a manufacturer", Margaret corrected, but Edith did not seem to listen.

She leaned closer to Margaret and dropped her voice, until it was barely above a whisper. "I know one does not speak of such things, but we have always been open with each other, and since we are both married women now, I feel I can ask you this: How do you feel about your wifely duties? None of us were there before your wedding to inform you about them."

Margaret immediately felt the heat rise to her cheeks. "Oh, do not worry, Edith, I was thoroughly enlightened by an older female friend I was staying with after my father's death. And as for the duties-" Her face felt like it was on fire and she had to drop her eyes, unable to hide a little smirk. "They don't feel like duties to me", she confessed. "In fact, I find them quite enjoyable."

Edith looked at her wide-eyed. "You do?", she asked with a smile. "I am certainly glad to hear it. So, your husband is a considerate man?" "Oh Edith, he is. He may look a bit stern on the outside sometimes, but he can be incredibly gentle. It took me a long time to see him for who he truly was, but once I did, I was lost."

Edith giggled excitedly. "Oh, dear cousin, can you imagine how wonderful it will be once you have children? You need to visit us in London then, so Sholto will have playmates, just the way you and I would play together when we were girls."

Margaret was silent for a moment, deep in thought. John and she had not spoken much about children yet, but, of course, with the frequency of their lovemaking, it was very possible that they could expect a child at any time.

She wondered what their children would look like? A little boy with John's face? A little girl who looked like her? A young human who would bear a part of both of them, a part of John growing inside her – now that she thought about it, Margaret could not imagine anything more wonderful.

She turned to Edith with a smile. "I think that might be the most splendid thing in the world."

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

NOTES: St. Giles, which aunt Shaw compares to Milton in this chapter, was a slum in Victorian London with terrible living conditions, much like the way Princeton is described in N&S.