Book Blurb: Sometimes described as the female Dickens, Elizabeth Gaskell's classic novel, North and South, dealt with issues of class, feminism, social reform and the plight of the working classes, entwining those themes seamlessly with a timeless romance between Margaret Hale and John Thornton. Northern Light is a continuation of that novel which sees John and Margaret embarking on their lives together whilst working to improve the lives of their work force.
With the threat of another strike, a series of bad mill accidents, a lethal fire and failed speculation, life in Milton is not easy for anyone and it won't be long before the mill masters and their workers clash once more, with devastating consequences.
Getting married and starting a family is difficult enough at the best of times but for John and Margaret, married life will present unique challenges and despite the reforms they are making, even they will not escape Milton's troubles unscathed.
Chapter One
John laughed at Margaret's teasing.
“Then let us run away,” John suggested with a
teasing smile. “We can be in Gretna Green by nightfall.”
“Oh, if only that were possible.” Margaret sounded
rueful.
John had only been jesting but Margaret's words held
more than a note of longing.
“Just say the word, Margaret, and it will be.”
Margaret smiled and cupped his face with her hand,
running her thumb over his cheek.
“I fear that is the coward's way out. No, people must
be told.”
“But there is nothing to say that they must be told
today.”
Margaret was about to argue when she realised that he
was right.
“Although,” she cautioned, “The longer we wait,
the longer it will be until we can be together.”
“Nonsense.” He smiled and Margaret's heart skipped a
beat, for truly his was the most handsome smile she had ever seen.
“If it is your wish, I shall return to Milton today and start
making the arrangements.”
Margaret frowned and John felt a brief sense of
foreboding. “You do want to return to Milton?” he asked.
“Yes, of course.” She removed her hand from his
cheek and took hold of his hand, squeezing it firmly. “Actually I
was just wondering how long it will be before I am allowed to
return.”
John felt his spirits soar once again at her words,
pleased that she was eager to return to him. He reached out to gently
push an escaped tendril of hair off her forehead and paused, for she
was looking at him with such adoration in her eyes that it took his
breath away for a moment. On impulse he leaned forward and kissed her
lips gently.
At first he thought that Margaret would not respond, and
why would she approve of such an indecent move? Not only was his
behaviour inappropriate but they would be inviting censure, for
someone could happen upon them at any moment. Margaret only hesitated
for a moment though and as he was about to pull away, she returned
the kiss.
John Thornton had not thought it possible to be any more
in love with Margaret Hale than he already was, but these last few
seconds had proved him wrong.
When he finally found the strength to pull away from
her, Margaret kept her eyes closed, not wanting the moment to end but
when she finally looked at him, she saw the love that he clearly felt
for her was written on his every feature. Indeed she had never seen
him looking so relaxed and happy. Truly, he looked as if an
unimaginable weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
“Margaret.” Her name sounded like a sweet caress on
his lips.
“John”, she said, cupping his face in both her
hands. “My John.”
Never had two words filled him with such pleasure
before. “My Margaret,” he replied, gratified to see how his
possessive words pleased her.
Drawing his face towards her, she kissed him again,
marvelling at how right it felt.
“You must return to Milton,” she said, when she
finally released him, lowering her hands demurely into her lap, where
they probably should have stayed.
“I don't want to leave you here alone. At least let me
stay until you have told your aunt.”
“No.” She shook her head. “I have waited long
enough for this and I am impatient to begin our life together. You
have waited even longer; do you not feel the same?”
“Aye.” John nodded, accepting her logic, though it
still pained him to leave her. “I will write every day,” he
promised.
“And I.”
John knew that he should probably leave now before the
temptation became unbearable, but he couldn't bring himself to walk
away. Once again he claimed another kiss from her, this one tinged
with sadness though, for they both knew it would be probably be many
days, though more likely weeks before they were reunited again.
“I'll miss you,” John said, resting his forehead
against hers.
“And I you,” she replied. “Now, you must go before
my will fails me and I make a dreadful scene as I beg you to stay.”
And as it was her request, he found that he was suddenly
able to stand and move away. He backed away to the door, unwilling to
lose sight of her a second before he had to. He paused at the door
and they stared at each other for a long while, then finally he
reached behind himself, opened the door and exited.
 |
| Richard Armitage as John Thornton (© BBC) |
He stood there for longer than was reasonable, staring
up at the house until finally reason made him turn away and head
towards the station. The sooner he got back to Milton, the sooner
they could begin their lives together.
Margaret stayed where she was for a few moments while
she regained her composure. She gathered up the legal documents
before her and took them with her to her room. She expected to be
stopped and questioned on the way but she made it to her bedroom
without encountering anyone. She went straight to the window, though
she knew John would be long gone by now. To her surprise, she was in
time to see him turn and leave. He had obviously found their parting
as difficult as she.
Margaret watched until he was out of sight and tried to
fight the longing she felt to go after him. She wanted nothing more
than to follow him home to Milton and as she considered the idea, she
realised that she looked forward to seeing Milton again.
She knew how impulsive her desire was but she also knew
that these next few weeks would be interminable as she waited for the
rest of her life to begin.
“So near and yet so far,” she whispered, pressing
her forehead to the cool glass.
She thought of going to speak with her aunt; she would
have to be told at some point so it may as well be sooner rather than
later, but she couldn't bring herself to taint the happiness she felt
with her aunt's almost certain disdain for her losing her heart to a
tradesman. She went to her writing desk, resolving to write to John
immediately but as she picked up the pen, another thought occurred to
her. With much haste she wrote a note and slipped it into an
envelope.
Though it had been less than an hour since he had left
Margaret, John's heart felt heavy from their separation. How cruel
life was that they should discover their feelings for one another
while living so very far apart.
He saw the train to Milton pull in and with a sigh, he
left the waiting room and stepped onto the platform, staying near the
edge until the departing passengers had exited the train. He walked
along the concourse until he found an empty carriage, for he found
that he was not in the mood for company but as he reached forward to
open the door, a lady's hand rested on his arm.
“Margaret! What are you doing here?” he asked,
confused that she should have followed him. His confusion deepened
when she handed him her bag.
 |
| John Thornton and Margaret Hale (© BBC) |
“I have come to join you,” she stated.
“You're coming home with me?”
“Yes.” She smiled.
“And what of your aunt?”
“I left her a note.”
“A note!”
“Yes, explaining that I have returned to Milton and
will write again as soon as I arrive.”
“Why didn't you speak to her?”
“Because I am happy, and she will surely try to steal
my pleasure from me.”
John couldn't find fault with that logic. “But what
will people say?”
“I am of age and I am self sufficient, so whilst I do
not like being the subject of gossip, I find that I can bear the idea
with equanimity. My heart is pure before God and that is what
matters.”
Realising that the train would be moving again very
soon, Margaret reached out to open the door and stepped into the
carriage, taking a seat by the window and looking to where John still
stood in the doorway. After a moment's hesitation, he stepped in and
closed the door behind himself; none too soon as the whistle sounded
to signify that the train was about to depart.
He stowed Margaret's bag in the rack above her head then
looked from her seat to the opposite one. He knew where he should sit
but when Margaret smiled at him, he ignored his better judgement and
sat beside her, stealing another kiss.
When they separated he smirked. “Do you have any idea
how many people you will have upset with this impulsive decision?”
“I do, but as long as you are not upset with me, I
find that I am not too concerned.”
“Margaret, how you continue to impress me with your
strong and free spirit.”
“I shall remind you of that one day, when we are
bickering like an old married couple.”
“As long as we are together long enough to be called
an old married couple, I shan't mind very much.”
The journey passed in a pleasurable haze as they held
hands, kissed and enjoyed the feeling of contentment that they both
had now that they had finally found each other, but as the train drew
closer to Milton, the relaxed atmosphere in their carriage began to
disperse as reality threatened to encroach on their magical time
together.
These last few hours had felt like a dream to them both
and in the privacy of their carriage, they had been free to show
their affection for one another, free from fear of censure.
As though he knew this might be one of the last kisses
they were able to share for quite some time, John cupped Margaret's
cheek with his hand and stared at her for a few moments as if
committing her face to his memory, before he leaned in and gently
kissed her.
When he pulled away, they both looked slightly forlorn.
“Will you come home with me?” he asked.
“There is nothing I would like more,” Margaret
smiled, “but I feel we both know that won't be possible until we
are married.”
John nodded, knowing that she could give no other
answer.
“I could leave until our wedding day,” he offered.
“At least then I would know you were taken care of.”
Margaret smiled sweetly at his consideration and reached
a hand up to cup his cheek, much as he had done earlier, brushing her
thumb over the slight stubble she found there.
“I fear that such an unusual arrangement would only
incite gossip. Besides, I know how deeply your mother cares for you,
I would not like to separate you from her prematurely. I think she
will need this time to adjust to our new situation. No, I shall stay
at a hotel for now and try and find more permanent lodgings
tomorrow.”
“As you wish.” John placed his hand over hers,
savouring her touch.
“Do you...” Margaret was unsure how to word her
fear.
Knowing she had something grave to ask, he took her hand
from his face and clasped it between both of his.
“Yes?”
“Do you think she will accept me?” she asked
hesitantly.
“How could she not?” he asked.
“I have done little to incite her warm feelings.
Indeed, considering how dreadfully I have behaved towards you, I am
still shocked that you feel anything other than disdain for me.”
“Mother has only ever wanted what is best for me, and
your gesture of faith in me will be more than enough to convince her
of your deep feeling. She may find it difficult at first but I'm
certain that she will come to love you as I do.”
Margaret couldn't help the sly smile that crept onto her
lips.
“Not exactly as you do, I hope.”
John laughed. He had been aware of Margaret's courage,
integrity, sharp wit and strong mind but until now he had been
unaware of her sense of humour. Now that she was showing this new
side of herself to him, he found it a very pleasing addition to her
character.
For her part, until now Margaret had never realised how
little John smiled or laughed. She had seen quite a few examples of
both since this morning and she found him all the more attractive for
it.
“Will you allow me to escort you to the hotel, at
least?” John asked when his laughter faded.
“I would like nothing more.”
“And would you join mother and me for dinner this
evening?”
“I probably shouldn't; I will have much to do this
evening. I must first write to my aunt and cousin to explain properly
what has happened, then I must write to Dixon and arrange for my
things to be sent to me.”
John nodded and looked out of the window. By his
reckoning they had perhaps only ten minutes before they arrived in
Milton.
“And you are sure about this?” he asked, turning
back to her. “You would trust me with your investment.”
“I can think of few people I would trust more.”
“But there are some?” he asked.
Margaret looked up, fearing she had offended him but she
was relieved when she saw the smile on his lips. He was teasing her.
She glanced out of the window then down at their joined
hands.
“I cannot believe that we will soon be separated,
unable to show the affection we have enjoyed these past few hours.”
“We will soon be free to show our love,” he assured
her. “We shall be wed at the very first opportunity.”
“I fear that will not come soon enough for my tastes,”
she confessed.
“It will be difficult,” he agreed. “But the
promise of what is to come will help us both endure.”
“Yes.” She smiled.
“Have you given much thought to a wedding?” he
asked, knowing that Fannie's wedding had taken months to arrange
because of her extravagant tastes.
“I would like something simple,” she said. “I do
not wish to attend any engagement balls or parties, though I am
certain we will have to endure some. I simply wish to declare my love
for you in front of God and our friends.”
His heart swelled with pride.
“Even given your new found wealth?” he asked, still
finding to hard to believe she didn't want something more
extravagant.
“Even then. I love you, John.” His name still
sounded strange on her lips but she enjoyed saying it and was getting
used to it. “I would much rather our resources were put towards our
life together than spent on expensive lace and exotic flowers.”
“People will say I am a gold digger,” he warned her.
“That I am simply marrying you to save my factory.”
“Yes,” she looked down, feeling guilty for the
slight it might place on his character. “But we know the truth and
that surely is all that counts.” She risked looking up into his
eyes, worried that he might be pained by the thought of the gossip
that would follow him.
“I do not much care for the idle speculation of
others,” he assured her. “I care only for you, and I thank you
for your faith in me. You don't know how much that means to me.”
“I have had complete faith in you for a while now, I
only wish I had been brave enough to tell you how I felt.”
“I might still have denied my feelings,” he said,
honestly. His words might be hurtful but they were truthful and he
wasn't in the habit of deceit. “I was so hurt, jealous even, I-”
“Yes,” Margaret cut him off, knowing full well of
what he spoke. “There is something I must share with you, about
that night at the railway station and why I lied.”
“Hush,” he said. “He was your brother, I know that
now. I am sorry that I ever doubted you.”
“You know?” She sounded surprised. “How?”
“Your old friend Higgins told me.
“But how did he-”
“His younger daughter, Mary, helped Dixon in the
kitchen while he was over and shared what she picked up with her
father. I don't know all the details because Higgins doesn't, but I
know enough to understand that you were protecting him.”
“I shall tell you everything,” she assured him. “I
know I can trust you to keep Frederick's secret.”
“Is that his name?”
“Yes,” she smiled as she thought of him. “He
joined the Navy after school but he had not been in the service long
when he was assigned to a new ship. His new captain was a tyrant, a
monster, beating those weaker than himself to within an inch of their
lives, including the children. Frederick and a few of the others felt
they had no choice but to revolt and they set the captain and those
loyal to him adrift in a row boat. The Navy called it a mutiny and
until Mother fell ill, he had not set foot in this county since. “
“That was very brave of him,” John observed.
“Or very foolish, though I confess, I do feel very
proud of him. We write but even after all this time, he is still in
grave danger should the Navy ever find him. He lived in South America
for a while but now lives in Spain, a town called Cadiz.” She
smiled wistfully. “We were very close as children and I only wish
that he could meet you.”
“Maybe, once the mill is up and running, we could take
a delayed honeymoon there.”
“Yes,” she smiled. “I believe I would like that
very much, though I wouldn't want to take you away from the mill if
you felt you couldn't leave it.”
“Mother is quite capable of managing it for a time in
my absence.”
“Well, let us see,” she said. “There are many
changes to come and I feel our attentions would be best focused
elsewhere, for a while at least.”
“How soon do you think we can be married?” he asked.
“I hope within the month. Now that I have found you, I
find I do not wish to wait a moment longer than necessary.” She
smiled. “And what of the mill, how long will it take for you to
resume operations?”
“Almost immediately,” he assured her. “The mill
closed without any debts left to settle and I still have some funds
in reserve, plus we are still owed money from a few filled orders. I
also have a few new orders in the pipeline that I may still be able
to bid for.”
“And what of ordering more cotton?”
“There is enough in the storage sheds to get things
started, though I will have to order more immediately if we are not
to face a shortage.”
“Good.” She smiled though it quickly faded as the
next thought occurred to her. “I fear it might be bad form to ask
Henry to continue as my financial advisor. Do you think Mr. Latimer
might be willing to undertake the transfer of funds for me? He was,
after all, Mr. Bell's banker.”
“I'm sure he would be delighted,” John assured her.
He didn't want to ask the next question, fearing her answer, but he
felt compelled to. “Margaret, I must ask you, was there ever
anything between you and Mr. Lennox?”
“No,” she assured him. “Though I must confess that
he did ask for my hand once, just before we left Helstone.”
“You refused him?” He felt a pang of jealousy as he
realised someone else had asked for her hand.
“Yes. I have never viewed him as anything more than a
friend.”
John swallowed, pleased to realise that although Lennox
had asked her, she had chosen him.
As the train began to slow he kissed her once more,
knowing that their time together was nearly over. She responded
fervently, realising, as he did, that propriety would keep them from
displaying any affection in public until they were married. As the
train slowed further they separated, and none too soon as the station
buildings appeared through the carriage window.
“We're here,” she said sadly as she looked out of
the window.
John didn't reply.
“These past hours have felt like a dream,” she
continued, unable to turn and look at him yet. “I can't help
thinking that reality will soon intrude and spoil things.”
“We will not let it,” John assured her. “Reality
must be faced but I don't believe someone as strong as you would ever
let a little thing like reality keep you from living your dreams.”
“No.” She turned to him and smiled. “Nor you, I
believe.”
“Never. You are mine now, Margaret, in all but name
and I intend to rectify that as soon as is humanly possible.”
With heavy hearts they exited the carriage and climbed
into a waiting hansom cab outside the station. John dropped her at
the Mitre Hotel and saw her to the reception desk. He wanted to
accompany her to her room and make sure that she was settled, but he
knew that would harm her reputation.
“Will you come to dinner tomorrow evening?” he asked
her.
 |
| Margaret Hale & John Thornton (© BBC) |
“I shall be glad to.” She smiled. “I will speak
with Mr. Latimer tomorrow and find out how quickly I can transfer the
funds to you.”
“Do you wish me to accompany you?”
“No, I'm sure the arrangements will be long winded and
tedious. Your time is better spent getting the mill running again.”
John took her hand and raised it to his lips, pressing a
dry kiss to the back of it.
“I will send a carriage for you at seven. Until
tomorrow.”
The thought of being parted from him was almost
unbearable and she wanted to throw her arms around him and demand
that he stay with her, but Margaret was not a fool and she knew they
had taken too many risks already. So instead, she smiled and bit her
lip to stop herself from saying something quite indecent as she
reluctantly stepped back.
“I look forward to it,” she said, truthfully.
John backed away, unwilling to lose sight of her a
moment sooner than absolutely necessary.
When he neared the entrance he hesitated, smiled, then
finally turned and took his leave of her.
Margaret took a few moments to compose herself before
turning to the reception desk.
__________________
To continue reading, Half Past is available is available in paperback and kindle formats
on Amazon UK and Amazon US
on Amazon UK and Amazon US
Review by C. Stewart on Amazon UK: A lovely read
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