Past and Present - A Modern Day Romance of North & South

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO - BLOSSOMING OF THE ROSE

The eager light seeping through the narrow gap in the curtains, like a long glowing finger of energy reaching out to her across the room, woke her early. As her bleary eyes flickered open, instinctively blinking as she made the transition from sleep to waking, she felt an unequivocal frisson echo through her as her brain registered the day.

Saturday.

It was here at last!

She turned on her side, contemplating the day ahead, her gaze darting automatically towards the wardrobe where her dress hung in patient readiness. In the morning light it shimmered with vivid radiance making her stomach somersault in anticipation of the evening to come. It had been so long since she’d had a chance to dress up for a formal occasion that she couldn’t wait for the day to be gone so that she could throw herself into the evening. The last time she’d had any opportunity of dressing up had been at her cousin, Edith’s wedding to Maxwell a couple of years ago in London. Not that she’d felt anything then like the excitement she was experiencing now.

She couldn’t wait. She could imagine how well the hotel would lend itself to such an evening, how evocative it would be of an era now long passed with everyone donned in period costume, echoing the celebrations of numerous Dinners before when the local mill owners had come to meet. Even the prospect of not knowing very many of the people who’d be attending didn’t hold the ability to concern her too much - nor did the fact that she would probably be watched like a hawk by Mrs Thornton for the duration of the entire evening.

She glanced at the clock ticking quietly on the cabinet beside her bed and saw that it was six-thirty. She would have to get up; she couldn’t lie here idly engaging in daydreams of what the evening would be like any longer. She was due at work in an hour and on this day of all days she knew that she couldn’t afford to be late. Her usual morning routine beckoned, its call becoming keener as she lingered a little longer. If she tarried any more she’d run out of time. She sighed as she reluctantly kicked back the duvet and swung her feet off the bed, pushing her dishevelled hair back from her face. The day would pass soon enough and at least work would help the hours to pass quicker than they would if she was at home.

She lifted her still torpid body from the bed to begin the process of getting ready for work, unable to resist sweeping her palm down the dress that awaited her and smiling with happy anticipation as she walked past it on the way out of the door.

Her parents were already up and dressed by the time she got downstairs to grab her usual mug of coffee and she saw her mother glance up at her as she came into the room.

“You’re a bit later than usual this morning, Margaret,” she said. “Did you oversleep?”

She wasn’t going to tell her mother that she’d been daydreaming. “My alarm didn’t go off.” Well, that was true - partly. It didn’t matter that she’d actually switched it off in the first place to stop its shrill, badgering call ringing through her head.

Her mother tut-tutted reprovingly. “You must have forgotten to set it last night.”

“Probably. Morning, dad.” She threw her father a broad smile of greeting before turning to the counter to make herself half a mug of coffee. She didn’t have time for anything more because she’d have to be out of the house in about ten minutes if she wanted to get to work on time.

“Would you like me to give you a lift to the hotel tonight, Margaret?” her father asked.

“It might be better than having to get a taxi.”

Margaret turned appreciatively to her father as she sipped her drink, leaning back against the kitchen counter. “That would be brilliant, dad, if you don’t mind.”