North & South (A Fanfiction)

Chapter: 2

I return home, a little more than eager to see if Ms. Teller is alright yet. If she has awoken at all. I walk through the front door, setting aside my coat and hat on the hooks, walking straight into the sitting room where my mother sits sewing.

"She's not up there." she says as I make my way towards the stairs.

"What?"

"She is not up in that room."

"Then where is she?" I ask her. "Has she left already? In such a weak state."

"No, she has not left. But by my estimate she is thinking of leaving already. It's best to leave her alone, to see to is that she stays calm and collected before she leaves. I think tomorrow is more fit for her to leave, if it does not snow again." she says.

"Alright." I answer. "But where is she?"

"She is on the porch, resting John. I believe she is asleep." she tells me. She stands up, setting her cloth aside and turn around. "I should send Ella to get her up to her room. But by my own estimate you are planning to move her yourself."

"I can carry her, I can be quiet." I answer.

"Alright then, be gentle, quiet and  don't remove the blanket."

"Yes mother." I walk slowly towards the porch doors and open them slowly. It's a beautiful day outside, the weather is warming up now and things look to be melting a little. I look back at my mother and she's smiling. I don't actually know if I should move her back inside because of how peaceful she looks. She's been here for almost a year and yet this is the most peaceful state I have seen her in since she arrived here. When I find myself looking at her for far too long I walk back inside, passing my mother as I walk into the upstairs room where she has been living for a little bit. I take another blanket and bring it back outside to Ms. Teller. She's still sleeping soundly when I walk outside. I lay the blanket over her, gently, hoping that she'll stay warm but no over heat. I go back inside to my mother, she is watching her quietly.

"You know, I worry about that girl." she says after a long moment.

"Why?"

"She is too wild, too free." she says. I smile at this. "She has too much freedom that she still acts like a child."

"She is only free spirited, there is nothing wrong with that."

"Yes but one day something could happen, and when it does, it will not be as amusing as you feel it is now." my mother makes a stern face and then sits down. I stop smiling, barley comprehending what she means and yet I understand almost everything. I look back up at Ms. Teller and Ella comes down the stairs. She walks out towards the porch and checks on Ms. Teller, feeling her forehead lightly without waking her up. She then comes back inside.

"Her fever almost seems to be gone." she says.

"That's an improvement, she sounds as if she will be leaving soon anyway." my mother says. "But we'll keep her hear until she is ready." she turns to me. "Don't you have a mill to look after? What about the workers?"

"They've all gone home, their shifts have ended and everyone has left." I answer.

Ella leaves the room, upon hearing a knock at the door. When she comes back she looks a little troubled.

"This man told me that he was the to Ms. Teller." she says. A man appears out of the shadows of the hall. He is balding but it suits him well. Unlike most of the men around here that I have seen.

"I am Harrison Teller." he announces. My mother stands smiling and walks over to.

"A pleasure Mr. Teller." she says. "I do apologize that we couldn't have met on a more friendlier manor."