Roses and Lace

Chapter 14

John wasted no time in getting operations at the mill back underway. He was up before dawn the next morning and down to the streets of Princeton to call upon Nicholas Higgins and rustle up a small crew of workers to clean and check the machines. Many had gone on to other work, but there were more than enough to do the preliminary jobs, and John could assure them that he expected to hire many more hands in the near future.

The men showed no outward delight at coming to work in the factory again - and who would? But they nodded shortly in the stoic, northern fashion. They understood need and they understood work and they understood Thornton to be an honest and sensible master.

Higgins himself of course had a glint in his eye when John Thornton told him that the mill would reopen and inquired if he would be available to come back as a hand.

"I am a man of leisure at the moment, Mr. Thornton. I can work as soon as you need me."

"Tomorrow will do, Higgins. The machines must all be put through their paces, and as I have already arranged for supplies to be delivered, I believe we may be able to start production within a week."

"As the usual wage, I assume, master."

"At the usual wage."

"And will ye be opening the commissary again?"

"As soon as we are up to full production and fully staffed."

"...And, master, did ye have a chance to call upon Miss Margaret?"

"I did have the pleasure to call upon Miss Hale."

"And did ye find her well?"

"Indeed. Quite well." John avoided Higgins' wry, questioning smirk as he rose from the man's table and donned his hat. He tried to keep his own expression stern and businesslike, with limited success. "I believe she is looking forward to her return to Milton."

"And will congratulations be in order, then, Mr. Thornton?"

He couldn't help but meet Higgins' eyes at that, and he couldn't stop his own grin in answer to Higgins' knowing look. "They will, indeed."

Higgins smiled outright at that and actually slapped Thornton on the back as he opened the door. "Well done, man."

It was well into the afternoon, and John was at his desk engaged in seemingly endless correspondence with potential suppliers and buyers when he heard a quick, light step approaching his door.

"John Gregory Thornton!"

Fanny, of all people, burst into his office brandishing a paper of some sort. "First Watson tells me that he has heard you are reopening Marlborough Mills, and then within an hour I receive a letter from a Mrs. Beatrice Shaw of Harley Street, London, thank you very much, inviting me to attend your wedding! In three weeks! To Miss Margaret Hale!" She punctuated each word by waving the letter in question with increasing ferocity. "When did you even return to Milton? Why do you never tell me anything in person?"

John regarded his sister with a slight frown. He did not appreciate her bursting into his office and berating him, but in fact there was some merit to her complaint.

"The wedding is in three and a half weeks," he corrected. "I had every intention of telling you about the engagement in person, Fanny. In fact I planned to call on you briefly this evening. It is true that I am reopening Marlborough Mills, and naturally I am quite occupied in doing so. I knew that Mrs. Shaw would be inviting you to the wedding, but I did not imagine she would write to you so soon."

Fanny merely gaped at him. "Who is this Mrs. Shaw?"

"Margaret's aunt. She's the one who came to collect her from Milton, and Margaret has been living with her and her other relations in London ever since."

"You are engaged to Margaret Hale!"

"Yes, Fanny, that is typically the condition preceding a wedding."

"And so soon! Of course she must write to me soon, John! Three weeks is hardly time to prepare for a wedding in London! I shall have nothing to wear!" As usual, Fanny's energetic outrage increased in proportion to John's stoic calm, or perhaps it was the other way around.

"But I don't understand it, John! Margaret Hale is an heiress!" She suddenly brought her voice down to a low, urgent whisper. "She wouldn't have you when you were wealthy and she was poor. Why would she marry you now?"

The pure and utter confusion of the women closest to him at the idea that someone might want to be with him for anything but mercenary reasons was beginning to weigh on John. But before he could even open his mouth to make some reply, Fanny was off again.

"And such haste in the wedding! Unless..." And here Fanny blinked rapidly and stared at him in something like horror and pity, and spoke in that low, hushed tone again. "She isn't in some sort of... trouble, John? And you are protecting her honor?"

Then it was John's turn to gape as he gradually realized her meaning. "Fanny... If you weren't a woman... and my sister..." He could hardly speak what was on his mind. If a man had suggested such a thing he would have been laid out on the floor at the mercy of John's fist. "How... dare..."

"Oh John! There is much that women must deal with that you do not know." She flashed her eyes at him harshly. "It is not always done willingly. Even among high born ladies who give themselves airs."

And then John simply stared at her with his mouth open. He suddenly thought of all the times as she was growing when he had been busy working and she had been out of his sight. He tried to think of any man in Milton who might ever have abused her acquaintance, wondering whom he was about to hunt down and kill. "Fanny... Has anyone ever... threatened you?"

Then she stared at him in shock. "Dear God, no! ...But one knows people. And hears of things." And then John could breathe again, though not nearly has comfortably as he had just minutes before.

Fanny was still watching him in concern and confusion. John tried to tamp down the rage that bellowed inside him at all she had suggested.

Finally he heaved a breath and looked straight at his sister. "Fanny. I tell you this because you are my sister, and I believe that you do care for me in your way." She made a face, which he ignored. "And because you will be Margaret's sister in a few weeks' time. ...And because, however repugnant I find it, I know that there is a rumor mill in Milton and I know that you, my sister, are often the engine of that mill."

"Honestly, John!" she interjected. "As if I shouldn't care for you! Even though you are the most obtuse brother in the world!"

John continued as though she had not interrupted. "I am sure you know that Margaret Hale has inherited Marlborough Mills from Mr. Bell. I went to see her agent in London to finalize our relinquishing the lease. There I met Miss Hale, and she offered me the money to reopen the mill. Not because we had any prior attachment but simply because... She has come to care for me."

John turned his gaze out out window. He didn't watch Fanny's countenance toward her big brother gradually softening. "I... I suppose it is no secret that I have always cared for her. I asked her to be my wife, and she accepted. We chose a brief engagement simply because... Neither of us has any desire to prolong it." He looked back at Fanny. "I would have brought her back with me to Milton immediately if I could have."

"Oh John... You make even a love match sound staid and reserved," she chided gently. "And I suppose the both of you have no desire for a properly luxurious wedding, even in London, of all places. You must think such frivolities beneath you. You'll probably bring the mill's account books on your honeymoon tour." She sighed. "Really, John, the two of you..." She looked at him in exasperation. "The more I think of it, you are rather perfectly matched."

John sighed. He finally rose from his desk and pulled his sister to him in a brief hug and kissed her golden curls. "If that's as close as I get to your blessing, Fan, I'll take it."

Fanny did do her part to feed the rumor mills of Milton, but the way she explained it in all the parlors she frequented was something like this:

"I would love to attend your party that week but I'm afraid I shall be in London to attend John's wedding. ..Oh yes, didn't you know? He's finally getting married to Margaret Hale! Well of course they've had an attachment to each other for the longest time, although I suppose they did keep very quiet about it. Both of them so reserved and so proud, you know." And then her audience would have to pretend that they did indeed know, as if this had been common knowledge.

Fanny would continue casually. "At first she felt she was not good enough for him, being but a poor clergyman's daughter. And then her parents' dying and her leaving Milton. And of course after that she inherited so many properties, but then John had his troubles with the mill, and you know he hates to accept help or advice from anyone." This with a small tinge of bitterness.

Then Fanny would sigh. "But finally he had no choice, there really being no need to split hairs over such money matters because of course all that is hers will be his anyway. He had to swallow his pride. It was that or delay the wedding indefinitely, and I don't think her people would have abided that much longer."

So it was that within three days of John Thornton's return the whole of Milton knew of his upcoming marriage to Margaret Hale. Hadn't there been some scandal about her...? But then people couldn't quite recall if it hadn't in fact been John Thornton she had been seen walking out with. Surely there had been talk of some wanton display of affection toward him on her part.

Thus any twitters of surprise or consternation that arose were quickly consumed in a sense that, actually, upon reflection, such a union had already been expected for some time and if anything was overdue.