Chapter Fourteen: Marlborough Mills and John Thornton

Truth. John had to face his truth, and it was painful. Despite all he had done to save his mill, he could not. Orders were down due to an unseasonably cool summer, and the price of cotton had risen. He had made the best business decisions he could make, but Marlborough Mills would close its doors in three weeks.

His heart ached. The implications of his failure reached to the deepest recesses of his heart.

John had received a letter from Margaret only a few days ago. There were indications that her grief was abating some. One of the things he loved most about Margaret was her fiery spirit. In her letter, she had admonished him to never doubt her character again. He would not, he could not. He was no longer in the position to offer for her, and now he would no longer be a rival for her hand. Henry Lennox had every advantage. The thought of Margaret married to someone else shattered his heart.

It was late, and he needed to go home. His mother knew the mill was in danger, but she did not know how dire the situation was, and he would need to tell her.

John took the chair next to his mother. "Mother, the mill will need to close in three weeks. I cannot save it, and what money I have in my savings account needs to be used to start over again. Even if I used it, it would not buy me enough time to save the mill."

Hannah was distressed to see her son so downtrodden. Despite his valiant efforts to save his mill, it was not to be so. She railed against the unfairness of it all! Her noble son being brought low by this failure was not to be born.

"Mother, we will need to sort our belongings and sell most of it. You will go to live with Fanny and Watson, at least while I find work."

Hannah exclaimed, "I will stay with you, Son! I will not leave you."

John insisted, "Mother, you will not argue with me on this. You will go to Fanny's and live in comfort. I will be able to find work, I am sure of it, but it will be easier for me to be alone. We will not know where to choose lodgings until I have work, Mother. I can stay at the boarding house in the meantime. It will conserve our finances.

Hannah saw the soundness of his reasoning, but her world was John and the thought of living apart from him was disconcerting.

John had dinner with his mother, then retired to his room to be alone with his thoughts. He was mentally and physically exhausted, and John allowed himself to feel the pain of his failure. Yes, he cared about his workers, but more than that, he cared about Margaret. They had become much closer over the last few months, despite the distance between them in miles. He was sure she was coming to love him. He had been so busy trying to save his mill that he had not replied to her last letter, and now, he would have to write a very different reply.

He sat down at his desk and wrote to Adam Bell. He would not get the letter for at least two weeks, but John would write a separate letter to Bell's solicitor so that he could begin to look for a new tenant for the mill and the house.

Mr. Bell,

I regret to inform you that I will be closing the mill in three weeks' time. I need to terminate the lease to the property. I will send a separate letter to your solicitor to apprise him of the situation. I believe both Hampers and Watson may want to take on the lease to expand their mills. Both made a great deal of money on Watson's speculation scheme.

I will write to Miss Hale about my situation. She deserves to hear it from me. As I cannot provide for her and any children we may have, I will not be able to offer for her hand. It grieves me far more than losing the mill does, but Lennox can offer her a better life than me. All I can do is wish her every happiness.

My mother and I will vacate the house immediately after we close the mill.

Sincerely, John Thornton

John folded and addressed the letter. He stood up and went to pour himself a drink. The next letter would be to his beloved Margaret. He felt a wave of pain so strong that it took his breath away. With determination, he took his quill in hand and began to write.

Dearest Margaret,

My mill has failed, and I no longer am in the position of offering for your hand. I cannot support you in the manner you deserve.

Please forgive me and know that I want you to move on. Lennox can give a good life, and I wish you every happiness.

John Thornton

John sealed the letter. He addressed it and put it with the other letters to be posted tomorrow morning.

He was numb. If Margaret had married him when he offered for her after the riot, she would be brought low with him now. He was glad that she was in Spain, living with her brother, and not shackled to the failure of the man he was.

The pain of his situation was unbearable. He ached for all he had lost. He ached for what would never be, and his heart ached because he had done all that he could, and still, he had lost everything.

John had never felt defeated before in the way he did now. He sat in the darkness the whole night. He never slept that night. At his usual time, he washed and dressed, he took his letters, and posted them. He had breakfast with his mother, then he went to work at the mill. It would not do for anyone in Milton to know the truth yet. He had to keep up appearances for now. Orders had to be fulfilled and he was determined to maintain the standard of excellence that Marlborough Mills was known for.


Mr. Bell's health had improved slightly. His doctor in Cadiz said that he might live another year or so. It did his heart good to see Margaret happy again. Coming to Spain had been the right decision, and he was glad he had come. Frederick had made a good life for himself in Cadiz, and Bell was happy to see him settled and content with his life.

He had just settled in his chair in Frederick's study when Margaret brought the mail to him. She left to make him some tea, and he noticed the letter on top of the stack was from Marlborough Mills.

He was stunned to read the contents and alarmed that the mill was closing. From the date on the letter, Bell could see the mill would close in little more than a week. John would be out of work unless he could find a position at another mill.

The next letter in the stack was addressed to Margaret, and Bell knew that John would end things with Margaret because he could not provide for her. Bell decided to keep the letter from Margaret until he could think things through.

Margaret noticed when she brought his tea to him that he seemed pensive, "Mr. Bell, are you well?"

Adam patted his goddaughter's hand, "How could I be otherwise when I have your company?"

He felt a twinge of guilt. When Frederick came home for the noon meal, he planned to have a talk about the situation with John Thornton. Bell knew that Margaret was coming to love John, and Bell thought he might have a plan to save her from the heartbreak that letter from John would surely cause his dear girl.

Frederick came home a little earlier than usual. He needed to retrieve some files from his study, and he found Mr. Bell waiting for him. He knew that something was wrong from the look on Bell's face.

"Fred, I am keeping a letter from your sister that came for her this morning. It is from John Thornton. I also got one from him telling me the mill had failed. I am certain he broke things off with Margaret in his letter."

Fred agreed it was the right thing to do. "Bell, my father-in-law and I were just talking that we need someone to be a liaison between us and our shipping partners. We need someone who knows cotton. The cotton plantations in Andalusia are all producing well, and we need to expand our exports. Thornton would be the perfect man for the job."

Fred asked, "When does the mill close?"

"It will close in just over a week. The last shift will be on Saturday of next week. Thornton will hand out his final payroll at the end of the day."

Fred told Bell, "We have a shipment heading to England in two days. The ship is scheduled to arrive in England four days later. I can ask my brother-in-law, who oversees delivery to our buyers in London, to take the train to Milton once his business is concluded. If all goes to plan, he will get there by late Friday evening or early Saturday morning. He could deliver a letter from me offering Thornton a position with Barbour and Company. Thornton could live in the guest house here on the property until he could get settled into a place of his own."

"Yes, Fred, that sounds like a good plan, but you do not know John Thornton. His pride will not allow him to take you up on your offer. At least, not without a great deal of persuasion. Therefore, I am going to speak with him myself. I will not take no for an answer for Margaret's sake."

Bell continued, 'If he will not come back to Spain with me, then I will offer him a loan to keep the mill going. I have not told anyone of this yet, but I will transfer my properties in Milton to Margaret when I die. If they marry, then John and Margaret will own the mill because I will give them the deed to the mill as a wedding gift. Either way, John will have choices as to how to support a family, and Margaret will have the man of her choice as her husband.


Two days later, the plan was put into motion. Bell told Margaret he had business in both London and Milton and was going to take a trip to England but would be returning to Spain. Margaret gave him a letter for John and waved to him from the dock when the ship left for England.

Four days later, Adam stepped off the ship in London. He wished he had time to go to Oxford, but he did not. He had hired a carriage to take him to the train station. It was late afternoon, but he would be in Milton by 8:00 this evening.

Adam thought about what he would say to John. He could not fail to convince John to accept either Fred's offer for a job in Spain or his offer for a loan to run the mill. Bell feared if Margaret and John did not marry, then Margaret might never marry anyone. When she loved, it was with everything she had, and she loved John Thornton. He was her heart. The night before he left, Margaret had told him that she knew she loved John, not Henry. She still did not know the mill had failed, and hopefully, the letter Adam suspected John had sent her to break things off would never be read.

The train pulled into Outwood station in Milton, and Bell went to his usual hotel. He ordered a sandwich and tea to be brought to his room. While he waited for his food, he sent a note to John to expect him this evening.

When Mr. Bell arrived at the mill, all was quiet for the evening. He looked up to the mill office, and he saw John sitting at his desk.

When Bell got to the office, the door was open, and John was working on his ledgers.

Adam cleared his throat, but John did not look up. "Thornton?"

John stood up and extended his hand, " Mr. Bell, are you well?"

"Yes, John, I am quite well. I am enjoying being in Spain with my godchildren, and I am returning to live out the rest of my days with them. My doctors tell me that my life is nearing its end. I have not said anything to Fred and Margaret yet, so please keep my confidence. There has been enough grief already."

John was saddened to hear Mr. Bell's news. " Why are you here in Milton?"

Bell said, "I am here to prevent you from breaking Margaret's heart."

Thornton looked away, and he said, "There is nothing to be done. The mill has failed. I have nothing to offer her."

"You have your heart to offer her, Thornton."

Bell held up his hand when he saw that John was about to dismiss his words. "I need you to sit down and listen to what I have to say with an open mind."

John nodded, and Mr. Bell laid out his plan. He had one last detail to reveal.

"Thornton, when I read your letter, and I saw that you had written a letter to Margaret as well, I could guess what you had to say to her in that letter. I hid it from her, so she has not read the words that would have shattered her heart."

John asked, "Is she well?"

"Yes, but she is not as happy as she could be. She needs to be your wife and the mother of at least a half a dozen dark-haired boys and girls. Hopefully none of which will inherit that infamous scowl of yours."

John said nothing, just looked away.

Bell continued, "Do you have another position yet, Thornton?"

"No, I have made inquiries, but I have not secured anything yet. My mother is moving in with Fanny and Watson tomorrow until I can find work."

John stood and turned away from Mr. Bell to hide his emotions.

Mr. Bell took out the letters from his pocket. He placed the letter from Margaret on top of Frederick's.

John, I will leave you to read your letters. I am at the Crown Hotel for a two nights. You know where to find me when you are ready to discuss your future. You do have options, my boy.

"Thank you, Mr. Bell."

Adam Bell left the mill, but if he was a betting man, he would lay odds that he would see John within the hour.

Hands shaking, John opened the precious letter from the woman who meant everything to him.

My dearest John,

I wonder when I will see you again. It is harder than I could have ever imagined to be so far away from you.

I have had much time to think about my future. I read your journal on the voyage to Spain, and I wrote down my thoughts in my journal as well. You are the best of men, John, and I feel so lucky to have your love.

Come to Spain, John. Come and hold me close to your heart. Come to Spain and ask me again to be your wife. Come and sing to me everyday for the rest of our lives.

I love you, John Thornton.

Yours always, Margaret

Could life be any more cruel? He had won her heart, but he had nothing to offer her. He folded her letter and placed it in his pocket. She wanted to be his wife, but he could not be her husband.

The next letter was from her brother, Frederick.

Mr. Thornton,

Allow me to introduce myself. I am Margaret's brother, Frederick. I want to thank you for all you have done for my family. Margaret tells me you were like a son to my parents, and I can never repay your many kindnesses to them.

My father-in-law and I have a shipping firm, Barbour and Company. Two years ago, we invested in cotton plantations in Andalusia. We have more product that we can export, so we need someone to broker our product for us. You know cotton, Mr. Thornton, so I want to offer you a position with our company. We can work out the details when you arrive in Spain, but you will need to come as soon as you can.

You can send your reply with Mr. Bell, or better yet, sail to Spain with him in a few days.

Regards, Frederick Marshall

John was stunned. Margaret's brother was offering him a way forward, and that future would include Margaret.

He decided to go over to the Crown tonight to speak with Bell.


A porter sent a note to Bell's room that Mr. Thornton was waiting for him downstairs. Bell had been expecting him. He knew that John would want more information about Fred's job offer.

Bell sent a note down with the porter to show John upstairs. The two men spoke at length, and he could see the eagerness in John to accept, but he still was hesitant.

"Thornton, close the mill tomorrow night, pack your bags, and sail to Spain with me in two days. We can live on the 8:00 am train to London, and then board the ship for Spain on Monday morning. By the end of the week, you will hold your darling girl in your arms."

John felt a spark of hope. This was his chance to make a new start. He wanted to take it; he needed to take it.

"Bell, I have little to offer her for comfort. It will take time for me to earn enough money to be able to support her and any children we may have. I have a bit of savings, but not much."

Bell had anticipated that John would have reservations. "I have another option for you, Thornton. I will lend you the money to get the mill up and running again. If that is what it will take for you to feel worthy of her hand, then I will have the papers drawn up. I will see if Latimer can meet me at the bank in the morning and get the ball rolling."

John shook his head no. "Thank you, and it is a generous offer, but I do not want to go through the threat of failure over and over again the next time the price of cotton goes up, or the workers strike, or any number of other things that affect business. With the talk of war in America, I do not see any hope that things will stabilize for the long term."

"Then John, for once in your life, take a leap of faith and follow your heart," Bell implored.

John stood up and extended his hand to Mr. Bell. "I will take that leap for faith for Margaret. I accept Frederick's offer."

"It is the right thing to do, and I am sure you will not regret it. Meet me at the station at 8:00 Sunday morning.

John went back to his office. He needed some time with his private thoughts before he went to the house and spoke with his mother.

John took out Margaret's letter and read it over and over. He had won her heart, at last. He would soon hold her close to his heart. She loved him. He got up and opened the safe and took her letters and the black velvet box out. Finally, the ring would find its rightful place on her finger. John put the letters and the ring in his coat pocket.

John blew out the candle on his desk and walked to the house. The only furniture left in the house was the beds and the dining room table and chairs. Everything else had been sold or was in storage in one of Watson's warehouses. He knew he would find his mother sewing in the dining room.

"Mother, I have something to tell you."

John took his mother's hands in both of his and told her his news. His plans would take him away from Milton and all he had ever known.

The tears welled up in Hannah's eyes, but she did not let them fall.

"John you are the most noble son any mother could ever have. I cannot bear that thought of you living so far away, but worse than that, I cannot bear the thought of you being so unhappy anymore."

"In Spain, you will have a good job, and most of all, you will have Margaret. I know now that you can never be happy without her. I have come to accept how dearly you love her, John. Your life is with her, and I wish you every happiness."

John felt closer to his mother in that moment than he had for a very long time. "I will miss you, Mother."

Mother and son sat in the dining room talking late into the night. There would not be another opportunity for them to have this time together. Tomorrow night, John would spend his last night in Milton with the Watsons and his mother.

Hannah Thornton stood beside her son when the whistle blew for the first shift ever worked at the mill with John as master, and she was there beside him for the last shift. He had been master of the mill for eight years, had made it into one of the most profitable mills in the country, and then, lost it all.

After the last workers had cleared the yard, and the wagon was loaded with their remaining possessions, John and Hannah left Marlborough Mills for the last time. John did not look back. He turned to his mother and said, "I am Master of Marlborough Mills no more."

On Sunday morning, John said goodbye to his family, and left to meet Bell at the station. He was ready to begin a new life with Margaret, and ready to leave the pain of the past behind.