"N&S: John Thornton, Love Lessons", by Gratiana Lovelace (2013-2014) (Done)

Ch. 22: Mrs. Shaw's Farewell Dinner Soiree Finds Fanny with Competing Suitors

"North & South:  John Thornton, Love Lessons", Ch. 22:  Mrs. Shaw's Farewell Dinner Soiree Finds Fanny with Competing Suitors,   January 23, 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, Emma Ashton as Mrs. Dillard, and John Light as Henry Lennox,  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 Hannah and Cameron have enjoyed the last two weeks in Milton--without having to moderate their schedules to suit Hannah's daughter and John's sister, Fanny.  Whereas Fanny has become better acquainted with Dr. Ogilvy's son, Baird Ogilvy, through luncheons, teas, and museum outings.  However, the time is near for Fanny and Mr. & Mrs. Hale to return to Milton.  So their hostess, Margaret's Aunt Shaw--her mother Mrs. Hale's sister--plans to host a farewell dinner soiree for them.  However, the dinner will have some unexpected outcomes.

 "North & South:  John Thornton, Love Lessons", Ch. 22:  Mrs. Shaw's Farewell Dinner Soiree finds Fanny with Competing Suitors

Mrs. Shaw's dinner soiree at the close of the next week arrives swiftly.  The household is aflutter on Thursday, January 16th as Mrs. Shaw gives a farewell social dinner for the Hales and Miss Fanny Thornton who will leave for Milton the following Monday.  Mrs. Shaw feels that the evening will do her sister Maria good to have some of London society come to her.   And truth be told, Fanny is agog to see whom among the famous personages that Mrs. Shaw invited will be in attendance.  For London engagements are all about being at the best party--so guests and hostesses tend to jockey for position.

It turns out that a minor MP (Member of Parliament), a Mr. Smythe Skeffington, is the political component for the evening.  Mrs. Shaw feels that no soiree is complete without someone  in government in attendance--however far from actual power and influence they might be.   But it is the up and coming authoress Mrs. Elizabeth Gaskell [(2) right]   who attends Mrs. Shaw's dinner soiree that catches Fanny's attention. Mrs. Gaskell has recently begun serializing her story Cranford [(3)]  in a magazine by no less personage than Charles Dickens as her editor--with her story planning to be published in book form later.  Cranford is a charming rambling tale about small town life and the people in it--spinsters, young lovers, old gossips, and such.  So for an early effort Cranford is not bad at all.  

And the Cranford story is well within Fanny's realm of what she considers enjoyable literature.  For Fanny, reading enjoyment hinges upon a story having whimsical or humorous characters and riveting but easy to follow plots.    And since Fanny has graduated from reading penny dreadfuls [(4)]  and moved onto what might be considered more literary tales by Jane Austen and others, Fanny is delighted that Mrs. Gaskell is at the dinner.  Therefore, Mrs. Gaskell is the prize guest of the evening.  Though, Fanny will discover that there is also another prize being sought this night.