Summary:
Back at Marlborough Mill, Mr Thornton writes a note to Miss Hale
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Hannah Thornton watched her son, finely dressed, walk in and go straight to the decanter on the sideboard and pour himself a brandy.
"Only time I ever see you touch a drink, John, is when you get back from Hales'," she said drily.
He smiled a little; loosened his cravat with his free hand. "It's all right, Mother... nothing happened that would worry you, bad or good. Oh – " he felt in his pocket, brought out a small packet – "Miss Hale had baked a cake."
"Was there a weddin' ring in your piece, by any chance?" she asked sarcastically.
"Not that I noticed... " he raised his eyebrow at her and laid the cake on one side. It had got slightly squashed. He had better not offer it to Mother; he did not want her criticising it. It had been nice cake, and would have been so even if she had not made it; but she had, and he would not see it wasted.
"I didn't know that fine ladies amused themselves toiling in the kitchen."
"She meant to spare the maid extra work, I think."
"I notice you're well-turned out today. Was that really necessary for afternoon tea with an old parson? Are you courting that woman, John?" she asked directly. She had been fretting on this all day and reached the point where she would worry less if she knew the worst was true rather than carry on stewing in case it might be.
"I had tea with the Hales, Mother. I don't think you need order in the wedding favours just yet." The brandy was warming his throat and stomach like a lick of fire, unwinding him from the grip of sustained control. He had so wanted not to put a foot wrong with her. Had he?
"That's not an answer!" she looked away from him, exasperated.
"There really is nothing more to say. If ever that should change, you'll be the first to know. Of course." The tone of his voice invited no further questioning.
"You've never forgotten that she was seen out – "
"I'll hear no more on that, Mother. I know now who the young man was and there was no wrong in it. So that is an end to it."
He sounded unusually forbidding and the look he bent on her was cool. "I'll not ask you for your word, Mother," he added, "because now I've said as much, you will know there is no need to speak of it further."
Mrs Thornton turned away in frustration. She spoke quietly enough, however: "You should go back to your work, not sit here mooning over the Hale girl! I went there a while back, since you were so busy having tea. All seemed to be well, but you know they need lookin' over from time to time."
"I am going, Mother... but I've just remembered something I've to do first."
He had left before making any arrangement to see her again. He wondered if she would take that as a sign she had annoyed him, and would worry about it...she had been anxious at times this afternoon. He sat down at the writing desk and drew a piece of paper towards himself and dipped a nib in the inkwell. He felt his mother move like a gliding shadow to hover behind him; but he carried on, wrote his note without thinking it overmuch, and gave it to a servant to take to Crampton, before quickly changing clothes and making a sweeping entrance into his Mill, whereupon efficiency improved by 5 percent immediately.
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Margaret held in her hand the note which had arrived less than an hour after Mr Thornton had left. She felt nervous to read it: he had made no sign of any future plans to see her. Perhaps this was to tell her that her cake and change of attitude had not been enough; he wanted nothing to do with her after all? She thought things had gone quite well, at times; less well at others. There had been awkward moments. She was still fretting over telling him they 'brought out the worst in one another' !
She had almost persuaded herself it was definitely the case he was writing to tell her he did not want to see her again, and was stricken and silent, suddenly sick with nerves, when she gave herself a little shake and opened the note and read:
Miss Hale,
May I call on you tomorrow at around 5? If the weather is fine, I thought perhaps you might like to take a walk on the hill with me.
I was glad to take tea with you and Mr Hale today, and I especially thank you for the cake.
John Thornton
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Note: I split this chapter into two as the next part, when they go for their walk, is so long! so apologies for this being rather filler-ish, the second part of it, much more interesting, I'll post tomorrow