Missing Mr Thornton

CHAPTER 14: In Your Arms

Margaret felt physically sick, how could he do that to her? He had reverted to the cruel man he was when she first met and despised him. She felt her eyes moisten as she relived what had happened but she refused to let herself cry over him in front of all these guests, instead she sought out Lady Filchington as they were close acquaintances. Once she reached her hostess she informed her of a slight headache and asked if it were possible for her to lay down in a guest room for half an hour until it had passed. Lady Filchington being the kind woman that she was was glad to offer her a bed and said she would send up a maid with some form of pain relief for her to take to help. Margaret graciously thanked her and hurried up the stairs to the room she had described. She located the room easily, it was a spacious room occupied mainly by a ginormous ebony bed with a large fur throw over it. Lamps were lit around the room and there was a generous fire roaring in the grate. A large arched window at one end of the room looked out over the dark park beyond the walls of the Filchington manor. There was a small window seat beneath the large window which she walked over to and sat down on. She curled her legs up to her chest and began to sob quietly.

Mr Thornton caught sight of the small figure of Margaret leave Lady Filchington and scamper up the main stairs towards the bedrooms on the first floor from the opposite side of the ballroom. He carefully made his way across the room ignoring the laughing men and gossiping ladies as he solely focussed on the chalky pink skirts belonging to Margaret disappearing at the top of the stairs. He finally reached the bottom of the staircase after successfully making his way through the horde of bodies clad in silks and satins. He took the stairs two at a time and hurried across the landing stopping at the door at the end of the corridor. The remnants of his broken heart dropped to the ground as he heard her heart-wrenching sobs coming from within the closed door. He silently opened the door and he felt his whole body ache as he saw her crumpled up against the window hugging her legs tightly to her chest which was rising and falling as she sobbed. He wanted to run to her and hold her in his arms telling her everything would be all right but he knew he couldn't as he was the reason she was so miserable right now.

She hadn't even noticed him standing in the shadow of the door as she was so distraught. He stood there for a few moments before he couldn't take her harrowing cries anymore and rushed over to her stopping to kneel next to her. Margaret heard a person move next to her and she lifted her head up to see who the person was. Thornton saw the immediate look of pain and vulnerability in her eyes as she lifted her head to him but it quickly changed to a cold look hard as steel. He was taken aback by the sudden change in her expression but he still reached his hand out to touch her arm that lay limply by her side. "Don't. Touch. Me." Margaret whispered harshly through sobs that still emitted her throat. Mr Thornton always tried to mask his emotions and not let his guard down around people but her hard look and distant voice broke him. He felt his vision cloud and a tear trail down his cheek, "Margaret. I'm so sorry." His voice cracked and his face distorted into a mask of suffering and regret. "I was jealous of that man and you together and it made me angry. I wasn't thinking properly. I've never thought myself good enough for you, and I know you could do better than me, so when I saw you dancing happily with that man, your cousin, I felt crushed. I love you so much and I loathe myself for what i said to you and accused you of, thinking about it makes me feel sick to the core. I understand if you never want to speak to me again, I behaved in the least gentlemanly way possible and you had every right to slap me. Please forgive me. I did not know the meaning of love until I met you, you are my everything, without you I am an empty void. You complete me, I can't go on without you, please Margaret, I'd do anything for you, I adore every part of you, you are the light in my dark, you have stolen my heart and I don't want it back, it belongs to you, so please, forgive me?" He swallowed nervously, he had never properly expressed his feelings before and he just hoped he had managed to convince her of his unwavering love for her. He stole look up at her to see her reaction, her eyes were much softer but they still were masked behind pebbles of ice hiding her true emotions. Her sobbing had stopped for which he was grateful as he couldn't cope with the pain of listening to her shattered cries any longer, now her tears flowed silently down her face tracing a path across her soft, milky cheek. He reached his hand up to her face and wiped away the tears cascading from her eyes gently with his thumb. Then she stood up, Thornton immediately followed suit raising to his feet also. She cleared her throat then shakily said, "If you loved me you would not of spoken so heartlessly." Saying it aloud made it even more real for Margaret and resulted in her breaking down again, her cries of despair shattered Mr Thornton and he immediately closed the gap between their bodies and pulled her body to his. She immediately began to pound her small fists against the front of his chest. "I can't bear to hear you cry so, particularly since I am the reason for your distress. I do love you, I love you so much that it hurts me when you are hurting, your pain is my pain and your joy is my joy. I didn't know what I was saying and I promise it will never happen again my love." He held her as close as he could wanting to be as near her as possible, her weak fists pummelling his chest did nothing to the pain he was already feeling. Her sobs were muffled by his shirt which was now wet from her salty tears but he didn't care as long as she was in his arms. Slowly her hits became fewer and even weaker as she gave in, slowly she wrapped her arms around his strong back and hugged him loosely. He immediately responded by squeezing her tighter against his body before picking her up tenderly in his arms and carrying her in his arms to the bed where he cradled her in his arms kissing her head as he did so. She snuggled into his body her tears slowly stopping and her torturing sobs turning to raspy breaths. He smoothed down her hair brushing through her silky locks with his fingers and then they sat in silence, no words were needed, they just rejoiced in each others presence, Margaret knew she could never live without him and he had made it clear that he couldn't either. The little time they already spent away from each other was torture enough, she couldn't go more than a day without seeing him. She relished in being in his strong arms, her safe haven, she felt no harm could come to her as long as he held her. She lifted her head up from where it had been resting in the crook of his neck to look up into his face to find his dark eyes staring right back down at her. His eyes were filled with love and relief and she wondered how she had doubted his love for her, his face was so sincere, and she remembered his earnest confession of his feelings fore her. A smile crept onto her face and she tilted her face up slowly to his brushing her lips against his, he immediately responded and captured her lips in a slow emotion filled kiss that sent sparks flying through their bodies and made their hairs stand on end. He was so thankful that she had forgiven him, he didn't know what he would have done if she had refused to. He was determined to show her just how much he loved her from that point on and never treat her badly again, she was an angel, his angel, and she deserved to be constantly shown that. He held for a while longer before they both decided they had to leave and rejoin the ball downstairs. Thornton slowly got up and kissed her one last time a delicate and sweet kiss that made her weak at the knees before he left the room and she went into the adjacent bathroom to try to remove the red puffinesss around her face as much as possible.

Decided to put up another chapter - I know, shock horror! I had loads of free time the other day and went on a massive writing splurge and really wanted to put this chapter up so here it is dundundunnnn! Anywho... Enjoy! Please continue to vote and comment, also super excited as I almost have 2,000 reads!!!! YOU GUYS ARE THEEEEE BEST! Have a fantastic day - so sad summer is coming to an end ;( but anyway have a great day!

lots of love, 

Milton Girl

xxxx