A Life Together - A North and South Continuation

Chapter One

Margaret gazed out of the window, watching as the fields and towns flashed before her eyes. The train thundered its way towards Milton, whistling towards a fate she could scarcely believe.

She found herself alone with Mr Thornton, quite without a chaperone and quite without a care. She sat pressed against him, his arms wrapped around her waist. If Aunt Shaw, or indeed Mrs Thornton, could see them as they were now, there would be the most terrible scandal.

Alarmed by her realisation, she sat up straighter, shifting herself away from the man who held her so closely; what would her aunt have to say about all of this? When Henry returned to Harley Street without her, when he explained where she had gone...

"Do you think I have made a mistake?" Margaret asked, turning towards Mr Thornton. He raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised by her sudden outburst after so much of the journey had passed in contented silence. "Turning back and coming to Milton with you."

"You have regrets?" he asked cautiously, releasing her from his grip.

Instantly, his entire manner changed. The softness of his face vanished, his jaw tightening as his shoulders clenched. Did he think that she would run from him? It was not that she did not wish to be here, for that was not true at all. It was merely the manner in which they had gone about this that she questioned.

"Not as such. This isn't the proper way to do things. My aunt will think me a fallen woman, Henry-" Margaret began.

"I do not care what your aunt or Henry have to say, Margaret. If you have doubts about this, I will escort you back to London myself. I will not trap you, and I will certainly not taint your name with scandal. I thought you knew full well what I would ask you, when the time was right. I have asked you once before, of course. I would ask you again, but now I am not so certain you would say yes."

"I do not wish to return to London, John." Margaret insisted, a little hurt that he thought she would change her mind so quickly.

As quickly as it had appeared, the stern expression that had been etched on his face vanished. It was instead replaced by a smile so broad that the corner of his eyes crinkled. Margaret smiled in return, for she had never before seen him express such joy.

"You called me John."

"It is your name, is it not?"

"Yes, of course."

"I think it is acceptable for us to be on first name terms now. In private, at least." she hesitantly raised a hand to stroke his cheek. His eyes closed as he leaned into her caress. Gently, she ran her thumb over the stubbled skin. "I am just not sure what everyone will make of this. Your mother, for example. She does not have much regard for my character, she has made that quite plain."

"I spoke to Higgins." John said. "He was surprised that you had gone to London. He thought you would be in Spain. With..."

His words trailed off, as though he were unsure if he was allowed to speak. Margaret frowned, until understanding dawned on her. Nicholas must have told him; how he knew, Margaret did not know for sure - perhaps Mary had noticed more than Margaret gave her credit for.

"He told you about Fred."

"Fred, that's your brother's name?" John asked.

"Frederick, yes. Did Nicholas tell you of the circumstances in which he left England?"

What a relief it was to her, to know that he knew of Frederick's existence at last. She wondered if it was strange to him to know that there was something so important in Margaret's life that he knew nothing about. Margaret hoped that her father, God rest him, would not be angry that the secret had been shared. She was sure he would not be; the respect he had held for Mr Thornton was undeniable, their friendship one of the few things that had brightened his spirits in the final months of his life.