A Life Together - A North and South Continuation

Chapter Forty One

Two weeks had passed since John's return home, and while Margaret was greatly relieved to have her husband back in his rightful place - both the mill and by her side - it would not be unreasonable to say he was driving her absolutely mad.

He hovered over her constantly, peering into the schoolroom as he passed to make sure she was all right. That was a sweet gesture, at least for the first few days. As it continued, Margaret began to feel as though she was being spied on.

He had stopped her going to the Princeton district several times, saying that it was not safe. She relented; there had been several cases of cholera reported lately, so perhaps he was just being cautious.

Then, he shouted at some boys for jostling past and nudging Margaret. She had just been about to open her mouth to do the same when her husband's overbearing boom rattled over her. She closed her eyes, praying to God to grant her some patience. Really, she had been walking rather slowly and they were only young.

From then, Margaret could hardly recall all the ways in which he had irritated her in the two weeks he had been back. It was endless, from stopping her carrying a pile of books to the study, to insisting she go to bed before everybody else. It made her feel incompetent and child-like - and she was neither.

Another problem was that he would not share her bed. Claiming that he would only disturb her and she needed uninterrupted rest, John had taken to sleeping in Fanny's old bedroom. At night, Margaret felt almost as alone as she had when he was away - though there was some comfort knowing he was only across the hallway, rather than the sea.

As she did every day, Margaret set the schoolroom straight after the session had ended, around an hour before the final whistle blew. Emma had offered to help, but Margaret always found doing these tasks alone allowed her mind to relax. It was remarkable what a mess children could create in just a few hours. Though they spent most of the time sitting down, at the end of each day the small school room always looked as if a heavy wind had blown through the room.

The room also seemed to have become home to pests. Margaret had seen a mouse the previous week, though Ebenezer had been summoned and no further rodents had been brave enough to show their faces. Spiders, however, seemed to creep into every corner, leaving large cobwebs in every nook and cranny. It was driving Margaret quite mad. As she stacked slates, she spotted a fresh one in the corner by the blackboard.

Muttering to herself, she dragged a chair over and picked up her broom. She swatted at the wispy strands, not quite close enough to bring it down. She leaned forward, one hand gripping the backboard as she balanced precariously on one foot.

"What the hell are you doing?" A voice startled her and she wobbled, frightened by the sudden harsh noise.

She turned, seeing John rushing towards her. He was carrying a parcel, which he hastily put down on one of the tables. Stepping forward, he grabbed hold of Margaret's elbow.

"There's a cobweb in the corner and I-"

"Get down. Christ, Margaret."

"I am fine." Margaret countered, frowning as she continued to reach for the cobweb with the broom. "I do this most days. It gets very dusty in here."

"You'll hurt yourself." John said, holding her steady even though she was not unsteady.

At least, she had not been until he had entered the room bellowing like a man unhinged.

"I certainly shall if you insist on creeping behind me and shouting at me like that!"

"I came to see if you were finished for the day as it is getting late, you can't be climbing on chairs in your condition!"