The soul is dyed the color of its thoughts. Think only of those things that are in line with your principles and can bear the light of day. The content of your character is your choice. Day by day, what you do is who you become. Your integrity is your destiny - it is the light that guides your way."
—Heraclitus
Word spread quickly through the drawing rooms of Milton society about the accident at Marlborough Mills, and by Monday morning, Miss Hale was the topic of gossip once again.
Fanny did nothing to quell the rumors and wasted no time going to Marlborough Mills to get first-hand fodder for the gossip.
Mrs. Thornton received her daughter in the drawing room. Before she could ring for tea, Jane announced Mrs. Latimer, her daughter Anne, Mrs. Hamper, and her daughter Adele.
When all the ladies had a steaming cup of tea in their hand and an assortment of delicious biscuits on their plates, the conversation turned to Miss Hale and her presence in the Thornton household.
Mrs. Latimer asked, "We have heard, Mrs. Thornton, that Miss Hale was working in the mill all last week. Is that true? Is she in your son's employment?"
Hannah felt all eyes on her. "According to my son, she was helping her friend Mary Higgins in the canteen. Miss Hale is not a paid employee of the mill."
Mrs. Hamper continued the conversation, "The girl has no sense of propriety. And to think she is a parson's daughter! But of course, she is without a woman's guidance."
The other women nodded in agreement.
Hannah had not heard her son come to the house, and when the door to the drawing room opened, she was not expecting him.
"John, what a surprise to see you. Is everything all right?"
"Yes, Mother, I saw the carriages in the yard and thought I would come and have a cup of tea with all of you."
After kissing his sister's cheek, he sat down next to his mother and greeted the other ladies.
Fanny said, "Johnny, we were just discussing the accident on Saturday."
John knew the accident was not the subject of the conversation if he knew his sister at all, Miss Hale was.
"Yes, it is unfortunate to be sure, but Dr. Donaldson assures me that Miss Hale will make a full recovery. The building can be repaired, and I have men working on it as we speak."
"It is an interesting idea, your canteen, Mr. Thornton."
"Men who eat well, work well. It is simply good business, Mrs. Hamper."
Mrs. Latimer asked, "What is the nature of Miss Hale's injuries, Mr. Thornton? We heard that she had to be carried into the house."
John answered, "Yes, I carried her to the house and into my mother's care until Dr. Donaldson arrived. Miss Hale is a private person, and I do not think it appropriate for me to discuss the specifics of her injuries."
Ann Latimer smiled coyly at John, "Will Miss Hale be convalescing in your home long, Mr. Thornton?"
"She is welcomed here as long as needed for her to make a full recovery."
Miss Latimer and Miss Hamper looked at him with dismay.
Mrs. Hamper was most displeased with his response and asked, "But surely that is not necessary?"
"Her injuries are not life-threatening, but it will take at least six weeks for her to completely heal. Miss Hale was injured on mill property, and I consider it my responsibility to see that she is well-taken care of for as long as needed."
Mrs. Latimer exclaimed, "Six weeks! Surely you cannot expect your dear mother to look after Miss Hale for so many weeks."
John answered, "My mother will do her Christian duty by Miss Hale. Does the Lord not want us to take care of those who cannot take care of themselves, Mrs. Latimer? I believe our minister spoke on that very subject only a few weeks ago."
Mrs. Latimer looked to Hannah for support, but Hannah would say nothing to anger John. She knew his countenance well, and it was quite clear to her that he was most displeased by the conversation.
Adele Hamper bravely said, "I would think she would be far more comfortable at her own home, Mr. Thornton."
Hannah did not want anyone to question her son, nor the propriety of the situation. She needed to set things right.
"On her deathbed, Maria Hale asked me to look after her daughter should she ever need anything. I am fulfilling my promise to a dying woman. I assure you that everything is being done properly."
Fanny was not letting the matter drop. "Mother, why would Miss Hale remove to her own home when this house, with all our servants, is surely more to her liking."
In a calm voice that did not belie his anger, he spoke to his sister, "Fanny, please remember that Miss Hale is a guest in our home. You speak of her as if you know her well, as a friend."
"Of course, I know her. Mother and I called on the Hales for tea once, and she was here for our annual dinner. Anne and I have seen her about town from time to time, and we have chatted with her."
Fanny continued, barely taking a breath, and addressing a rapt audience of the other ladies, "We are not close friends because we have so little in common. Why she is not even accomplished! She told me she does not play the piano, and even if she did, the little house they live in is too small to accommodate such a large instrument. Our staircase in this house is wider than their shabby drawing room in Crampton."
Keeping tight control over his temper, John addressed the ladies, "Miss Hale never said that she cannot play, only that she does not play well. I suspect she is too shy to play for others. It is not her way to be the center of attention."
Mrs. Latimer scoffed, "Well, she certainly was the center of attention the night of your annual dinner. She took the side of the workers instead of the masters.
And…as I recall, you set her straight, as well you should have. The nerve of that girl! She is an outsider in our community and should have never given her opinion."
The other ladies agreed.
Fanny reminded everyone that Miss Hale still took baskets to Princeton and wandered about Milton unchaperoned.
Mrs. Hamper added, "I would never allow Adele to associate with a girl with such disregard for propriety. Surely you agree with me, Mrs. Thornton."
"It is a matter of safety as well as propriety. Fanny was never allowed to traverse this town on her own, but Miss Hale was not raised as our girls were."
John addressed all the ladies, "Miss Hale is different from all of you, that is true. She comes from the South where their values are different. She is a woman of deep faith and taking those baskets to the less fortunate is in keeping with the tenets of her faith. While I am of the opinion her baskets do more harm than good, I admire her for being true to her beliefs."
Anne Latimer noticed the scowl on Mr. Thornton's handsome face, so she tried another tactic. "I feel sorry for her really, she has no friends in Milton and must live a very lonely life. She never will fit in here now that her reputation is beyond repair."
He continued, "Miss Latimer, I am sure as a stranger in our city, she would have loved to have your friendship, had you ever offered it. She is a lovely young woman who does not deserve to have her character questioned by anyone."
Hannah could see that the ladies were paying close attention to every word John said and possibly concluding that John had formed an attachment to Miss Hale. She could not think of how to change the course of the conversation without being obvious of her intention.
She refreshed everyone's cup of tea and offered more biscuits to everyone hoping the interruption would stop her son's defense of Miss Hale. But…he continued on.
"Just weeks ago, Miss Hale's mother passed away, and for months before Mrs. Hale left this world, Miss Hale was at her bedside, caring for her. She was a devoted daughter, and there were nights I am told that she never slept in her bed."
Fanny had heard enough of Margaret Hale's praises. "She was not constantly by her bedside, John. You make her sound like a saint! We saw her and her London family at the Great Exhibition."
Anne Latimer chimed in, "Yes, and she did not have the good manners to introduce us to her London family."
"Her mother requested her to go, Fanny, and Miss Latimer, as I recall, her London family had just arrived in the machinery section of The Great Exhibition as we were leaving."
"Your memory is clearly better than mine, Mr. Thornton." Miss Latimer continued, "I am sure I heard it said that she was seen at Outwood Station with a man, late at night. Yes, my maid heard it from her sister whose husband is a porter at the station."
John defended Margaret, "Miss Hale's mother had died the day before, and the man you saw her with was a relative who had come to pay his respects. In their grief for Mrs. Hale, they did not consider how things might appear. And, I must say, I am amazed that your maid's brother-in-law recognized Miss Hale as she is not well-known in Milton."
Mrs. Latimer and Mrs. Hamper were taking it all in, and glances were exchanged between the two women. Mr. Thornton seemed to have formed an attachment to Miss Hale.
Hannah did not miss the looks the ladies were exchanging.
Both matriarchs had their eye on John as a suitor for their own daughter. Mrs. Latimer had been certain that things were moving in the right direction with Mr. Thornton and her daughter since at Fanny's wedding; Anne had been seated next to Mr. Thornton and was his dinner companion. At dinner parties, they chatted with one another. It was, after all, a foregone conclusion among the mill master wives that Anne would become the next Mrs. Thornton.
Mrs. Hamper thought her daughter far more beautiful than the polished Anne Latimer and was equally sure that Adele would make the perfect wife for Mr. Thornton. Just two weeks ago, the Thorntons and Watsons were guests in their home and Mr. Thornton had escorted her darling Adele to the dining room.
Jane announced that Mr. Hale had arrived to see his daughter. John stood up but did not leave before giving his sister a hard look. He turned to the rest of his mother's guests and said, "Good day, ladies."
The last thing he heard as he was leaving the room was his sister saying, "That John is such a stick in the mud!"
Glad to escape the company of his mother's guests, he greeted Richard with a warm handshake and led him upstairs to Margaret's room. Dixon opened the door, and he was able to catch a brief glimpse of his love.
John's heart warmed at the sight of her, and a feeling of fierce protectiveness filled his entire being. Margaret Hale was ten times the woman than Miss Hamper or Miss Latimer would ever be.
Before leaving for the mill, he asked Jane to take tea to Miss Hale, her father, and Dixon. He left by the back door to avoid seeing any of the women in his drawing room.
About an hour later, John saw the carriages leave his yard except his sister's.
Fanny had no intention of leaving without seeing Miss Hale. "Mother, before I leave, I am going upstairs to call on Miss Hale. After John's admonishment that I did not know Miss Hale, I feel compelled to know her better."
"Fanny, Miss Hale's father is with her, so you may not intrude on their visit. Furthermore, I wish you would think before you speak. I am quite sure the ladies left here with more to gossip about than Miss Hale."
"Did I say anything that was untrue, Mother? Because if I did, please name it. You do not like her, nor do you approve of her. She is after John and always has been."
Hannah held up her hand to stop her daughter from continuing. "I do not believe she is after him, Fanny. She is merely a reckless girl at times. Her actions are not to entrap your brother into marriage; of that, I am sure."
"I am glad to hear it. I want Anne Latimer to be my sister."
Hannah reminded her daughter that John could choose a wife for himself, but she could hardly chastise Fanny because Hannah wanted her son to choose anyone other than the woman lying upstairs in their guest room. After this morning, she knew that John's admiration of Miss Hale was no longer a private matter.
Finally, Fanny left for home, and Hannah went to her room to rest. The events of the morning had left her with a pounding headache.
…ooOoo….
In his office, John was pacing the floor. The way the ladies spoke of Miss Hale was deeply upsetting to him. It hurt to hear an unkind word against her. He was most upset with his sister for her maliciousness. John swore she never met a bit of gossip she would not repeat or a coin she could not spend.
He lamented that his father had not had a hand in Fanny's upbringing. George had taught John a great deal about being a man of honor while he was still living. John owed his mother for the lessons of humility and honor after his father's death.
He remembered an old adage he heard once, "Children learn what they live, and live what they learn." Fanny had been spoiled and coddled to the point that she was intolerable to be around at times. Even though he was angry at her, he loved her dearly.
And…he himself had thought the worst of Miss Hale after the Outwood Station incident. In his torment, he could not think reasonably or rationally about what he had seen. In hindsight, regardless of what he had felt, he should have seen her safely home that night. It was the least he could have done for Margaret as a friend of her father.
He keenly felt the unfairness of the gossip that followed Miss Hale. It was vindictive and done without any thought at all to Miss Hale, a young lady these women only knew only as an acquaintance.
He took the handkerchief Margaret had made from his pocket and traced the stitches of the design and his initials.
John needed to think about what to do next to protect her.
The Thornton name and honor had long ago been restored. He knew this current round of gossip was because the matrons of Milton needed to find wealthy husbands for their daughters, and he was the youngest of the mill masters. Anyone with eyes could see that Miss Hale was exceedingly beautiful, and he was in no doubt that she was considered by the matrons as competition for his affections.
However, given that she was currently lying in a bed in his home, a hasty marriage would surely create a firestorm of gossip and only do further damage to her reputation. It would not matter that his mother guarded Miss Hale's virtue quite closely, the people of Milton would think the worst of both of them.
He wished circumstances were not as they were. He would do what he could to protect her, but without giving her his name, there was little he could do. The ladies of Milton did not care that their words were destroying Margaret's reputation and her father's ability to earn a living in Milton.
He resented them all.