How Far the World Will Bend

How Far the World Will Bend - Chapter 10

Chapter 10. Humpty Dumpty

The morning following the riot, Mrs. Thornton sat in the dining room mending a large tablecloth. In preparing the linen for her annual dinner, she had noted that a monogram was unraveling from the corner of the cloth, and was determined to pick out the stitches and replace them before packing the linen away for another year.

The light in the room was not good, so she moved her chair closer to the window to take advantage of the natural light. She had just begun to carefully snip at the knots on the underside of the cloth when her son entered the room, dressed as if to pay a call. With a mother's jealous eye, she noted at once that he was wearing his good black suit, and a dark red waistcoat and tie, not his usual attire for working in the mill. She saw in a glance that his face was soft and hopeful, and her heart sank in her chest as she realized what he was about.

"John," she exclaimed in a sharper tone than she usually used with him. "What are you doing here at this hour? Why are you not at the mill?"

He looked at her steadily. "I have a call to make in Crampton, Mother, and I believe you know what I am going to say."

She sighed heavily. "Yes, I do. What could you do otherwise?"

"What do you mean?" he asked quickly.

"John," she explained patiently. "The servants were watching from the windows yesterday. They saw her rush out onto the landing. They heard her tell the crowd to stop what they were doing. They saw her embrace you."

His heart beat rapidly, but he replied steadily, "She did not embrace me, mother, she was attempting to ward me off. I wanted her to return to the house."

She waved his comment away. "It makes no difference. She was deeply concerned for your life. A girl in love will act in such a way."

"In love!" Mr. Thornton exclaimed, and took a hurried step forward, as if thrilled with the thought. "I never thought that such a woman could be in love with me!"

Mrs. Thornton snorted, "Of course she is in love with you! I could almost think better of her in that she let her concern and love for you overcome her reticence!"

He turned from her, highly impatient to be off to Crampton. "I must go," he said distractedly, and did not see Mrs. Thornton's hand lifted to clasp his own. She heard the door below slam, and watched as a solitary tear fell upon the linen in her hands.

"He is no longer mine," she said in a quiet voice, and continued with her mending.

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While Mr. Thornton was explaining his errand to his mother, Meg was once more engrossed in the homey task of ironing. The smoke and dirt of Milton necessitated washing the curtains and household linens once a week. Mary had sent word earlier that she intended to remain at home for the day to tend to her sister, so the ironing fell to Meg. She did not mind; she had been relieved to hear that Bessy was feeling better, albeit weak after her turn of the day before. It was best that Mary stay at home and care for Bessy.

Meg had attempted to arrange her hair so that it fell over her temple in order to hide the bruise she had sustained from the blow of yesterday. She considered herself lucky once again that her mother and father were so absorbed in their own concerns that they were fairly unobservant when it came to her own. Only Dixon had noticed, and although Meg doubted the sharp-eyed servant believed her story of walking into a door, she held her tongue.

"Miss Meg," Dixon exclaimed in a voice of mounting excitement as she entered the kitchen, "you have a guest!"

Meg looked up from her ironing, a surprised expression on her face. "Who is calling at this hour of the morning?" she asked incredulously.