John woke the next morning with Margaret's handkerchief still clutched in his hand. He had hardly let it out of his grasp while he prepared for bed the previous night. He was gratified to see it first thing upon opening his eyes, fulfilling its intent as a reminder that the wonderful events of yesterday were not all a dream.

He reached for his pocket watch on the bedside table to determine the time and realized it was late. He hadn't slept so well and so long since he knew not when. Unfortunately, he now had only an hour to prepare before he was supposed to meet Margaret at the Crystal Palace.

….oOo….

Margaret woke that morning with a lazy yawn, stretching her limbs as far as they would go. As she brought her hands back down she slid one under her pillow to find John's handkerchief which she had tucked away there under the auspices of bringing her pleasant dreams.

Last night her excitedly pattering heart had not let her fall asleep so easily but when she finally did drift off she slept remarkably well. She was engaged! Betrothed to John Thornton! She wanted to shout it from the rooftops but alas, she could not tell anyone until her father's consent had been secured. Well, maybe Edith…

Just that moment, as if conjured up by Margaret's thoughts, Edith came bursting into her room.

"Margaret!" said she, "Why are you not up yet? We need to leave in about an hour to meet your, uh – friends –," she winked, "at the Exhibition."

Margaret sat up in her bed. She said to her cousin, "You are right, Edith. Can you please ring the bell for the maid?"

"Not just yet dearest," Edith replied with a sly look and a tilt of her head, "first you must tell me what has transpired between you and the handsome Mr. Thornton last evening. And don't you dare try to tell me it is nothing. I noticed the two of you were not with us in the music room. I saw the looks you were exchanging with each other all evening. And both the captain and I recognized your little scheme to be alone with him in the library."

Margaret's face was now beet red. "Do you think we were so obvious to everyone?" she tentatively asked her cousin.

"Well, let's see," said Edith thoughtfully, "Mama certainly didn't notice or she would surely have said something to me. Henry and Miss Latimer only had eyes for each other. I don't know about Mr. Latimer but men of his age don't usually pay attention to such things and I imagine he would have been more concerned for his daughter's romantic pursuits than anyone else's. Finally Miss Thornton seems a bit too wrapped up in herself to take much notice of what goes on around her. No, I think you are lucky to have just the captain and myself in on your little secret. Which brings me back to my point - what exactly is your little secret?"

At this Edith flopped down on the bed next to Margaret and grabbed her hands. Upon doing so she found Margaret clutching a handkerchief. She snatched it from her. "Oh, now what is this?" she teasingly said, then spreading it out to see the embroidered initials, "J – T, I wonder who that could be?"

Margaret snatched it back with red cheeks and a broad smile on her face. "I can see that I will get no reprieve from you until I confess," she said. Margaret grabbed Edith's hands and eagerly told her, "Mr. Thornton and I are engaged!" then she added more soberly, "contingent upon my father's approval, of course."

"Oh, Congratulations!" exclaimed Edith, "That is exactly what the captain and I had suspected. Your father will consent, will he not?"

"Oh yes, I am certain of it," said Margaret, "Mr. Thornton is my father's favorite pupil. He may be a bit surprised since John and I have often verbally sparred whenever I am present during his lessons but I am sure he will be very well pleased."

"And my aunt?" asked Edith with eyebrows raised.

"Yes, well," stumbled Margaret, "Mr. Thornton is not exactly the rich London gentleman that my mother would have liked me to aspire to but he is one of the richest and most prominent men in Milton. He has been very kind to mama as well, often bringing her baskets of fruit during her illness." Upon reflection Margaret concluded, "Yes, I do believe she will be pleased as well."

"Well, I am just so happy for you Margaret," her cousin said, hugging her, "Now if we could just get Henry married as well."

"Maybe you and the captain can contrive some way to help him along that path today," Margaret suggested while ringing the bell, "In the meantime will you please scarper so that I can ready myself for our outing to the Exhibition?"

Edith stepped out the door as the maid was on her way in.