The Great Exhibition of 1851 was in full swing in London and Edith Lennox, just returned from Corfu with her new husband, was all in a tizzy to see the spectacle. However, she insisted that her best friend and cousin, Margaret Hale, must join them.
Margaret had moved to Milton Northern with her parents and Edith had not seen her since her wedding. Although Margaret's mother was ill, Margaret agreed to come to London for a few days to see the Exhibition.
…..oOo…..
Margaret really didn't want to go to see the Great Exhibition in London. She was loath to leave her ailing mother and she had much on her mind. But it was her mother's desire that she should go, so go she would.
Her cousin-in-law, Captain Lennox came on Sunday to escort her back to London. The Captain was always a very amiable companion, however this day he was much more interested in reading his newspaper, which was a great relief to Margaret. She was, therefore, able to simply watch out the window and wander through her myriad of thoughts.
She thought of her ailing mother and her recently deceased friend Bessy. But mostly she thought of … him.
Ever since her first transcendent vision of him amongst the cotton 'snow,' John Thornton had turned her life upside down. Like no other man she has known, he actually listened to her ideas and opinions even though they differed from his own. This had resulted in many heated arguments between them and a challenging of each other to view things in a different way. However, every time they were in the same room and most especially whenever they had touched, accidentally or on purpose, there was some sort of magical electricity between them which surprised her every time.
Then there was the riot. In the past she had continually challenged his method of dealing with his 'hands,' as he called them, but on that particular day he actually took her words to heart and did something about it. Her challenge to him then was in very bad timing. He should not have gone out to face that wild mob. It was extremely dangerous and very naïve and irresponsible of her to urge him to go. She instantly felt her error and ran down to protect him. She had no qualms about throwing her arms around him. She did not hesitate. It felt so right. Did she have feelings for him even then?
She had agreed with Bessy that he was quite handsome. He was always very kind to her family and a good friend to her father. His rising like a phoenix from the ashes of his father's devastation proved that he was a fine upstanding and honorable man. She admitted that she did feel something for him but wanted to get to know him better.
After she was knocked unconscious by the stone, she was discomfited by overhearing the assumption that she was trying to trap Mr. Thornton and by the consequent societal requirement of him to save her reputation. Although she would have seriously considered him as a suitor at that time, she refused to begin under those circumstances. She knew he would come the next day to offer his hand and she resolved to refuse him but wished to encourage a possible courtship. Unfortunately, it all went so wrong. They each allowed their heated arguments of the past to get the better of them causing many wrong assumptions and misunderstandings. She unintentionally offended him and he left before she could make amends. And now it is too late. What she would give for an opportunity to show him how much she has changed!