Chapter 1: That man!

'How shall I ever tell Aunt Shaw?' she whispered, after some time of delicious silence.

'Let me speak to her.'

'Oh, no! I owe it to her, — but what will she say?'

'I can guess. Her first exclamation will be, "That man!" '

'Hush!' said Margaret, 'or I shall try and show you your mother's indignant tones as she says. "That woman!" ' (Gaskell 425).

He laughed his low, hoarse laugh, and she her small, sweet giggle. He held her small, delicate hands in his as he got up:

'I suppose we should finish up these business arrangements, or you Aunt will wonder what we have been doing this whole time.'

'Yes, you are right. But I don't know how you expect me to handle business matters when my head and my heart are so full of something else,' she looked at him, her luminous eyes expressing that emotion which filled her body and soul.

'My feelings exactly,' said Mr Thornton, as he gazed intently back at her. His eyes expressed the emotions his words could not —that feeling of utter euphoria at being the subject of Margaret's loving gaze. A dark tinge rose in both their faces, but neither moved. After a minute or two they heard some muttering in the hallway, and the lovers reluctantly broke the spell that held them paralyzed. Margaret went to the door and opened it to find Edith, with Mr Lennox standing behind her.

'Mr Lennox!' Margaret said as the color drained from her face, but quickly returned when Mr Thornton took a few steps forward and shook hands with him.

'Mr Thornton, I am glad you are here. Pardon my tardiness; I had some business to attend to that could not be ignored. I hope Margaret was able to explain to you in detail what we had planned to do.'

'Ah, yes, — well, she tried, but, really she said she could not do this without your help. As experienced as I am in business, I did not know the particulars, which made it difficult to understand.'

'Henry, I suppose I can leave you now,' Edith said, rather despondently, 'Come, Margaret, I think the men can handle this without further interference from us.'

'Miss Hale can stay if she wishes,' Mr Thornton said more to Margaret than to Edith. 'Rather, I think it necessary for her to stay, as it is, she is my landlord.'

Edith was a bit put out at this reply from Mr Thornton. She had hoped that Henry would be the one to wish for Margaret to stay, not this manufacturer with the pretenses of a gentleman. Choosing to ignore Mr Thornton's reply, she looked to Mr Lennox as if expecting him to say something.

'Mr Thornton is right. Miss Hale must stay,' said Mr Lennox in an annoyed tone. He was annoyed with Edith for insisting so much that he make an offer to Margaret, even after he had explained to her that Miss Hale would not have him. He had been extremely vexed when Edith had sent a messenger to inquire after him and insist that he keep his appointment. She had not wanted Margaret to be left alone to talk to that manufacturer — it was irrelevant that Margaret was his landlord.

'Very well then, I will have the help bring up tea,' Edith pouted as she showed herself out of the room. Margaret closed the door behind Edith.

'Let us return then, to the matters at hand,' Margaret said as she bestowed a smile on Mr Thornton. He returned the gesture as the three of them took seats at the desk. Mr Lennox saw this exchange, and his face became flushed with fury. He quickly began explaining the proposition in depth to Mr Thornton, trying to finish as soon as possible so that he could get out of Margaret's presence, no matter how charming it was.

Halfway between the meeting, the tea was brought up, and Margaret took over serving it. She poured Mr Lennox his cup first, placing it next to him, as his hands were busy with the documents that he was explaining. She then poured Mr Thornton his, and as she handed it to him, his fingers brushed hers and they exchanged a longing glance.

Before they knew it, an entire hour had elapsed, and Mr Thornton signed the agreement with Margaret. Mr Lennox stood up to take his leave:

'I hope you are satisfied with the outcome of this agreement, Mr Thornton. I am sure Marlborough Mills will soon be up and functioning better than ever. I must now take my leave — Mr Thornton, Miss Hale,' Mr Lennox shook hands with him and simply nodded to Margaret. She felt this slight, and felt a tinge of guilt that when he would hear the news of her engagement to none other than her tenant, Mr John Thornton, she would surely lose Mr Lennox's friendship.

'Margaret, dear, I think it is now time that we make our engagement known to your Aunt Shaw,' Mr Thornton said, taking her hand in assurance.

'Yes. I think I would feel more comfortable speaking to her alone first. Although, I have told her that it is I that is in charge of my life, and nothing she says can sway me from my decision once I have made up my mind,' Margaret replied as they went down together.

'You are as headstrong as the day I met you! I believe that is what first attracted me to you. You didn't let anyone treat you wrongly, you gave your opinions so decidedly that at first, I didn't know how to react.'

'At another time, I will account you with the moment I first realized my true feelings for you, but let us not dwell in the past right now, I must find my aunt.'

Sure enough, her Aunt Shaw was sitting in the drawing-room with Edith. Edith's face was full of annoyance at finding Mr Thornton still there; she recovered fast enough, but not fast enough so that Margaret didn't register the change in emotion. Margaret knew of Edith's intention of having Mr Lennox marry her so that Margaret could settle close to her — she would have to speak with her personally to let her know of her engagement with John. Margaret blushed at the thought of referring to Mr Thornton by his first name; she would need time to get accustomed to her new privilege.

'Mr Thornton, how nice it is to find that you are still here. I must have you stay for dinner. I understand that it has been a long day. Captain Lennox and the other lieutenants are in the billiard room if you wish to join them,' Mrs Shaw said without any falseness at good manners. Margaret was grateful for her hospitality towards Mr Thornton, but then again, her aunt did not have any reason to dislike Mr Thornton, even if he was a manufacturer, right?

'If you insist, Mrs Shaw, I am much obliged to you. I will join the gentlemen then, excuse me,' Mr Thornton excused himself and gave Margaret one last look before leaving the drawing-room.

'Aunt, I would like to speak with you, if you please, privately,' Margaret whispered to her Aunt, for she did not wish Edith to know too soon of her engagement to Mr Thornton. Her Aunt looked at Margaret intently, the color rose in Margaret's face from the intense scrutiny of her Aunt's discerning stare.

'Are you well, Margaret? Wouldn't you like to lie down and rest a moment here, with Edith? Come, I insist, you have been in disagreeable company all day, and I am sure that you are in want of a good rest,' her Aunt motioned to Edith to make room for Margaret on the sofa, and Margaret reluctantly took a seat beside her cousin. 'Although Mr Thornton made a nice addition to Mrs Lennox's dinner party the other day, I don't know why you would prefer to be in his company more than necessary."

'Please, Aunt, I would rather you didn't make those comments. Mr Thornton is a gentleman, and I dare say, his company is very agreeable to me,' Margaret said, a little too passionately.

'Oh, Miss Hale, from the comments you make, I would begin to think that you prefer his company over Henry's,' Edith said, pouting and casting a glance at her mother. Margaret turned livid.

'I find both of their company agreeable; do not make any assumptions of whose company I prefer to keep. I think I have been in Mr Lennox's company more than enough; it is nice to meet some old acquaintances — for a change,' Margaret snapped at Edith. Edith sat there in disbelief — she had never heard Margaret speak to her like that, except of course, the other time that Margaret mentioned the coarseness in her manner. "Please Aunt, may I speak to you privately?'

'If you insist, dear, Edith, please leave us for a moment.'

'Humph!' Edith pouted as she gracefully made her way out of the room. Margaret was amazed that her cousin never forgot her way of holding herself as a lady, no matter how childish she was feeling.

'Now, what is it that you insist on speaking with me privately. Surely you do not plan to leave Harley Street and all those who love you so dearly!'

'Well, perhaps not at the moment, — but believe me when I say that it is in the near future.'

'Whatever can you mean? I insist that you tell me at once what you mean by this "near future" nonsense. I can't think of any possible inducement that would make you wish to leave us.'

'Oh Aunt! I will make my reasons for believing in this possibility known to you — but only if you promise to respect my decision. As I have told you before, I wish to take charge of my life, and not have to satisfy anyone but myself,' Margaret said, leaning towards her aunt and taking her hands.

'Relieve me of my anxiety, tell me at once what you are planning!'

'Aunt, Mr Thornton has made me an offer — and I have accepted!' Margaret said with sincerity in her eyes, that for a moment, Mrs Shaw did not know how to react. 'Aunt, please say something, speak.'

'That man!' Mrs Shaw gasped and let go of Margaret's hands. 'What right does he, a manufacturer, have to make you an offer? He, your tenant, who has lost everything and has nothing to give you!'

'Oh Aunt, if only you knew what kind of man he truly is — a gentleman in fact. I am almost ashamed to admit that once I thought of him the same way you do now — but all that prejudice has been removed; I can see that he is a respectable man worthy of any gentle lady's affection.'

'But Margaret, a Milton manufacturer! I thought you had more pride, thought better of yourself, than to lower your expectations and choose to marry a mill owner.'

'All of that would be irrelevant if you knew to what extent I respect and love him. Oh Aunt, I would like to have your blessing over this union, it would comfort me to know that I have your approval. I am going to marry Mr Thornton, I love John, and he loves me. It would be a shame to lose the love of an aunt who is like a mother to me,' Margaret's eyes filled with tears, she tried her best to hold them back, but one tear managed to escape and landed on her aunt's lap. Margaret looked down, ashamed that she let her emotions show, after all these years of self-control in front of her aunt. Margaret felt her aunt slowly bring up her arms and take her into a warm embrace, placing a motherly kiss on her forehead.

'Margaret, I am sorry that I have caused you all this pain. Please understand that I only wanted the best for you,' said Mrs Shaw as she took Margaret's face in her hands and looked at her. 'But if this is what you want, then I am no one to deter you from your hope of happiness.'

'Oh Aunt!' Margaret hugged her aunt, who hugged her back with a love she had hitherto never expressed towards Margaret but had solely reserved for her own daughter.

'Now, if it will please you, I would like to speak to Mr Thornton, privately. He may have earned your affection, but he has yet to earn mine.'

'There is nothing that would please me more. Oh Aunt, I know that once you get to know him you will love him almost as much as I love him.'

'Not quite Margaret dear, I can see it in your eyes that you truly do love him — my respect for him will never reach the same level as yours. Now I must speak to him, — later you and I will have a tête-à-tête to discuss from where you will be married and who shall make your dress. And most important of all, when this happy event will take place.'

'Yes, I shall call him directly.'

'Nonsense girl, I shall have a servant summons Mr Thornton. Meanwhile, you go to the kitchen and have them make something special, for tonight we will have your engagement party. I am a bit put out that we shall not have all our friends over, for I am sure that they would have liked to be here to hear of the young Miss Hale finally engaged, even if it is to a Northern gentleman. Or that we will not have the best dinner.'

'Oh don't worry Aunt, I am sure Mr Thornton will not mind a bit, rather, he would wish not to trouble you with his affairs.'

'Yes, but you are my only sister's only daughter, it is no trouble at all. Now get going girl, ask Edith to help you pick an outfit for tonight,' Mrs Shaw brushed Margaret away. As Margaret made her way to Edith's room she managed to sneak a glance at Mr Thornton being led to the drawing-room where her aunt patiently waited. She whispered a prayer for John, praying that her aunt would find him the most agreeable gentleman worthy of her love. She would have to wait to hear from John of what would pass between him and her aunt.

Works Cited: Gaskell, Elizabeth. North and South. New York: Penguin Books, 1995.