A/N: This idea occurred to me when I was supposed to be doing homework. Of course, I knew what my priorities were… I rushed off to my computer to type it out straightaway. No, kidding. I did that after my homework was done. Anyway, I hope you enjoy – please read and review!

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A Twist of Fate

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Chapter One – Unexpected Changes

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It was early still, with only the first pink tinges appearing on the horizon, when John Thornton surveyed the sleeping form of his wife and smiled. It was almost a dozen years since they had married, but time had hardly aged her and she was still beautiful. Observing his watch, he reluctantly rose, lightly kissing his wife's cheek, feeling a small bubble of warmth well up in his chest as she smiled unconsciously in her slumber.

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He still remembered how they had met as vividly as if it had happened yesterday. He still remembered her still form, the slow trickle of deep red from her temple which had contrasted so starkly with her ashen face. He still remembered the panic he had felt, how she had felt in his arms as he had carried her inside, how he had frantically rushed for a doctor. How he had ventured to call upon her the next day, despite his mother's disapproval of his showing so much attention to the family newly moved to Milton. How he had gone there to ask after her, to find out how she was, and… he knew not what.

Hardly a day went by that he did not silently thank God for not taking her away from him before he had even had a chance to realize what she would mean to him.

Thoughts of how they had first met and their courtship were at the forefront of his mind due to a visit that was expected later that day; he was not sure why exactly they were passing through Milton, but he would probably find out today. Sighing, he pushed away his ledgers and put down his pen. He clearly was not going to get any more work done today, so he made up his mind to go back to the house to assist his wife prepare for their guests.

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'Who are our guests again?' she had asked the previous night, as she traced lazy circles on his chest.

He had been drifting to sleep a minute previously, but suddenly he became alert. Momentarily he stiffened before forcing his muscles to relax. 'Just some old friends of mine from London,' he said, as carelessly as he was able. 'You don't know them.'

'Oh,' she had said. 'I see.'

Before she could open her mouth to ask any more questions, he cut in, his voice rather more brusque than he had intended. 'It's late; you should get some sleep. We have a long day tomorrow.'

She had said nothing more, but the gentle movements of her finger on his chest stopped.

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She had been flitting about the house anxiously all morning, hoping that everything was in order for these special friends of her husband's. At present there was nothing more she could do and she settled in the drawing room to wait, getting some sewing done while she was waiting, a habit she had picked up from her late mother-in-law.

She smiled as she thought of Hannah Thornton; the woman had not taken kindly to her at first, seeing her as the woman who had come between her and her beloved son, but before she had died they had managed to become friends. In Hannah she had found the mother she had lost, and in her, Hannah had found a daughter she could actually be proud of.

She started at the sound of the door opening, looking up to see her husband enter the room, quite a few hours before he was expected. Her face lit up at the sight of him and as he returned her smile and kissed her on the cheek, she sighed.

Mother, how I wish you were here! I wish you could see how happy I am; I wish you could have known him, known what a wonderful man he is.

Then bringing her thoughts back to the present, she talked her husband through the menu for their guests' dinner that evening.

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That evening, everything was perfect for their guests. She was so curious to see these mysterious friends of her husband's that she did not notice the slight shadow that crossed his face as they entered nor his odd constrained manner in introducing them.

'Elizabeth, this is Mr. and Mrs. Lennox. Mr. Lennox, Mrs. Lennox; this is my wife, Elizabeth Thornton.'

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A/N: To be continued… dun dun duuunnn… Please review with any comments, criticisms, speculation, whatever!