Chapter 8: Unwelcomed News
John's letter inviting them to London for his impending wedding to Miss Hale was unwelcomed news to his mother. She was distressed that he would not be returning to Milton to spend some time with her before leaving for America. She treasured every moment she spent with her son, and now, she would be deprived of any more time with him before he left England.
Hannah's only son was getting married to a woman she hated, and she needed time to process the news. She was hurt that he had not asked her counsel on the matter. Surely, her son was not thinking clearly, or he would realize that Miss Hale was a most unsuitable match for him. Hannah needed a chance to speak to him, to make him see the folly of his choice. There were several Milton women who would be happy to marry him, and who were far better suited to life in their industrial city. She approved of these women, and that should carry weight with her son.
Mrs. Thornton said so, but Fanny responded, "Mother, the women you speak of as possible wives for him wanted to marry John for his money, not because of who he is. None of them know him, and I dare to say, neither do I. John keeps his feelings concealed, and he is so severe! Why any woman would want such a stick-in-the-mud is beyond me."
"Besides Mother, John is no longer a cotton master, and has lost all his money and his position in Milton society. He is not a good catch for any woman now. I always knew Miss Hale was after him, and now she has caught him. When the Hales lived in Milton, they were poor as church mice, so John's reduced circumstances will be of no matter to her."
Hannah scoffed, "My son will rise again, and he will need the right woman beside him. A Milton woman knows our ways. That southern lass knows nothing of our ways in Milton."
Fanny held up the letter again, and read aloud, "Margaret is everything to me, and without her, I cannot be happy."
Hannah told her to stop reading. It grated on her nerves for her noble son declaring himself so.
"Mother, Johnny truly loves Margaret. Of course, I would have preferred one of my friends to marry John, but he never showed even the slightest interest in any of them. It wasn't until Miss Hale moved to Milton that he ever showed an interest in any woman. She is quite lovely even though she dresses plainly, and they will have beautiful children together."
Hannah could not bear to hear Fanny prattle on so, nor could she bear to think of her son as a husband to Miss Hale, much less as a father to her children.
Fanny turned to her mother, "I wonder how this all came about? John was only to be in London a few days or so, but somehow, he saw Miss Hale. Do you suppose he called on her at the home of her relatives?"
Hannah had wondered the same thing, but until they spoke to John, they would not know.
Fanny decided to leave her mother alone with her thoughts.
"Mother, I am going upstairs to go through my gowns to take with me." I am only glad that I had some new ones made since I am gaining so much weight with this pregnancy. I wish I had time to have something new made for the wedding, but I will just have to wear something I already have."
Fanny's maid appeared and followed her mistress upstairs, leaving Hannah alone.
Hannah was glad when her daughter left the room. Her constant chattering wore on her nerves.
So, Miss Hale would be her daughter-in-law. That girl was unworthy! She had rejected John months ago, and now, he was good enough for her, Hannah thought bitterly. She still remembered his words when he came home from Crampton that day, "Nobody cares for me but you, Mother."
When John told her of the job in America, it broke her heart to think of him gone for a year. Now, with Margaret going with him, he would have little reason to come back to England. Maybe they would stay in America and not come back to Milton at all.
She wished with all her heart he was not marrying Margaret Hale, but there was little she could do about it until she could see him. They would not arrive in London until the day before the wedding, but perhaps she could persuade Watson to take them a day earlier. Surely John would listen to his mother and see that Miss Hale would be a most unsuitable wife, or at the very least, they needed to wait to marry until he returned from America.
Hannah sighed, frustrated that John was so far away and she could not talk to him.
His letter asked for them to see to his trunk, and as his mother, she could do that for him. She wrote a note to the boarding house and asked for his things to be packed and sent over to the Watson house tomorrow.
Hannah suddenly felt old and tired. John was her happiness and in less than a week, he would sail across the ocean to America, and she would not see him again for at least a year. Worse yet, he would not be sailing alone.
Hannah disdained any show of emotion in others, so she retired to her room for privacy and let her bitter tears fall.
Later that night at dinner, Hannah asked if they could go to London a day earlier than planned, and Watson denied her request. He could not leave the mill unattended an additional day, and he had planned to remain in London until Sunday. Fanny would want to shop in London and see the sights before her confinement began in a few weeks.
Watson had learned some news today at the Mill Master's Club, and he decided to share it with his wife and mother-in-law.
"Ladies, I learned something interesting at the club today. Hamper told me that Adam Bell has left all of his properties in Milton and his entire fortune to Miss Hale. He heard it from his banker, and he should know because he manages Bell's accounts here in Milton. Miss Hale is now an heiress, and a very wealthy one at that. She even owns Marlborough Mills and the mill house."
Both Hannah and Fanny gasped.
Fanny said, "It is too bad John did not know that before he lost the mill. If he had married Miss Hale earlier, he would not have lost the mill and he would now own it. He would not have had to take the job in America."
Watson said, "I do not think John would have taken her money, Fanny. He built his business on his own, without help from anyone, and his pride would not have allowed him to take Miss Hale's money."
Hannah interjected, "Her money is his upon their marriage. He would not have been taking her money once they were married, merely using what is his by law."
Watson shook his head in disbelief. How could it be that Hannah knew so little about her son's character?
"Hannah, he would have never seen it from that perspective. He will provide for Miss Hale on his own. He would not be the John Thornton I know if he did otherwise."
Fanny was now far more interested in Miss Hale.
"I wonder that she did not ask me to be her matron of honor now that we are to be sisters. After all, John asked you to stand with him."
Watson patted her hand, "You will have a chance to get to know one another better when they move back to Milton someday. You must help her navigate Milton society upon their return to England, my dear."
Fanny and Watson talked about the trip to London and all they were going to do while they were there. Besides the engagement dinner and the wedding, they planned on the three of them attending an opera and a concert as well.
Hannah wanted nothing more than to remain in Milton, but she would have to endure the trip. Nobody cared at all about what she wanted. She excused herself and retired to her room, unable to listen to any more talk about the trip to London.
It would seem that things were already beyond her control, and she would have to make the best of the situation, as hard as it may be. She had known that John had loved Miss Hale all of these months since she rejected him. Of course he was happy to be marrying the woman he loved. She should be happy for him, but she simply could not bring herself to feel anything other than despair over this marriage.
