"N&S: John Thornton, Love Lessons", Ch. 18 (PG): Mrs. Thornton’s First Monday with Lissa and the other Dillard Children, January 13, 2014 Gratiana Lovelace
(An original fan fiction copyrighted by Gratiana Lovelace; All rights reserved;
Based on the Elizabeth Gaskell novel, North & South and its
2004 BBC adaptation; No copyright infringement intended)
[I will illustrate my story using my dream cast from the 2004 BBC production of “North &
South": Richard Armitage for John Thornton, Daniela Denby-Ashe for Margaret Hale, Lesley Manville for Mrs. Maria Hale, Tim Pigott-Smith for Mr. Richard Hale, Sinead Cusack for Mrs. Hannah Thornton, Jo Joyner for Fanny Thornton, Brendan Coyle for Nicholas Higgins, and Graham McTavish as Dr. Cameron Ogilvy, Holliday Grainger for Angharad Ogilvy MacIntosh, Simon Woods for Baird Ogilvy, and Emma Ashton as Mrs. Dillard, etc] [(1) story logo]
Author’s Mature Content Note: “N&S: John Thornton, Love Lessons” is a story with mature themes of love and relationships set within a period drama of the 1850’s and beyond. As such there will be heartfelt moments of love and sensuality (S)--as well as other dramatic emotions, including some violence (V)--and I will rate those chapters accordingly. If you are unable or unwilling to attend a movie with the ratings that I provide, then please do not read that chapter. This is my disclaimer.
Author’s Recap of the Previous Chapter: John, Margaret, and Fanny visited Angharad Ogilvy MacIntosh’s home for tea in London. Her brother Baird Ogilvy was also present. Fanny enjoyed holding baby Amanda and little Andrew MacIntosh was a spitfire. But the somewhat outspoken Fanny--who rarely has a thought that she does not express--managed to charm the young Laird Baird Ogilvy and he asked and received permission from John to write to Fanny since his court case might not allow him much opportunity to see her again while she is in London as they are visiting Margaret’s Aunt Shaw and cousin Edith Lennox. And earlier, Hannah Thornton had begun to nurse the mill worker child, Lissa Dillard.
"N&S: John Thornton, Love Lessons", Ch. 18 (PG): Mrs. Thornton’s First Monday with Lissa the other Dillard Children
Monday, Dec. 30th, Hannah Thornton had arisen early at five o’clock to write and send a letter by post to her son John--visiting his wife’s relatives in London--regarding the incident at the mill where the four year old Lissa Dillard was purposely injured and sustained a broken arm by her loom weaver jerking a shuttle at her while Lissa was trying to catch the cotton fluff from underneath. She tells her son that she is nursing the child in their home and that she plans to have the overseer Williams sack the loom weaver. And Hannah also mentions a few of her reform ideas--with regard to worker breakfasts, moving up opening Margaret’s day nursery project, and working living conditions. Hannah hopes that John, Margaret, and Fanny will return to Milton swiftly so that they may begin these reforms. Hannah also realizes that they will need their workers’ willingness and cooperation.
Walking into the mill loom weaving area at half past five in the morning--dawn barely peeking above the horizon filled with mist--Hannah seeks out their Overseer Williams. Only a few mill workers are ambling about at present. The bulk of their workforce will arrive soon to begin their six o’clock morning to six o’clock evening shift.
Hannah: “Mr. Williams!” She calls to him with her hands clenched in front of her.
Williams is startled to see Mrs. Thornton in the mill this early since she usually arrives after the work day has started. Nicholas Higgins also perks up his head questioningly.
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"N&S: John Thornton, Love Lessons", by Gratiana Lovelace (2013-2014) (Done)
FanficJohn Thornton has an eager mind, starved for intellectual stimulation. But what John could not have foreseen was that just as his mind needs nourishment, so does his heart. Mr. Hale's proud, beautiful, kind, stubborn, and compassionate daughter Mi...
