The Journey Home

Prologue August 1854

His hands trembled as he took the sealed letter offered to him by the stout ladies maid. She glared at him accusingly, as if the current predicament was all his fault. "The Master, Captain Lennox, is on his way to the train station to try and find Miss Hale," she had said as she lead him to the back parlor. "Mind you, Mistress Edith and her mother, have taken to their beds, both of them in fits over the whole business." She motioned towards the seating area of the room and waited for a word from the dark and powerful man, but there was no response. "So you see, Mr. Thornton, no one is in a right mind to receive you at the moment. You'll need to sit here and wait for Mr. Henry Lennox. Misses sent word for him over an hour ago, but he seems in no hurry to get here."

"I don't understand," he stammered, "I was suppose to meet Miss Hale and Mr Lennox here. Do you know what's happened?" He knew the question would not be answered and he began to panic at the thought that she had come to some harm. The old maid grunted, "Gone off. And without a chaperone. Mind you, but the late Mrs. Hale, God bless her, didn't raise Miss Margaret to behave so. There is something amiss, no doubt. Miss Margaret may as well come to a bad end because her reputation is ruined. My poor, poor mistress, turning in her grave as we speak." She turned to leave the room and muttered loud enough for him to hear "And now I'm left to pick up the pieces." She pulled the door shut with a slam. Above him he heard the muffed wails of of the house's young mistress. "How could she!" ".... left me all alone!" "... help with these children?"

He looked again at the feminine handwriting that spelled out his full name "Mr. John Thornton." A first, he thought to himself. She used his christian name. Mr. Thornton feared that the news inside would be more than he was prepared to receive. His chest tightened and his breath came with some difficulty. Dixon, the outspoken maid, had not provided any explanation that would give him the slightest of hope that Margaret was safe.

Mr. Thornton then turned the letter over, broke the seal and began to read:

Dear Mr. Thornton,

I apologize that I could not keep my appointment with you and Mr. Lennox today. I ask that you please meet with Mr. Lennox as to the details of a business arrangement that would benefit each of us, a written copy of which he will surely give to you. In short, I have some 18,057 pounds sitting unused in the bank, earning 2.5% interest. Mr. Lennox tells me that if you had ready funds available, you could re-open Marlborough Mills, and that you would surely redeem all that you have lost. I would like to invest in your mill, Mr. Thornton. Mr. Lennox says that I will earn a better return than what the bank is currently offering to me. To be sure, this is an arrangement that will benefit both parties and those of your workers. You spoke of a petition drawn up by Nicholas Higgins and others in support of any future endeavor that might require experienced hands. It warmed me to hear that Nicholas has favored you with his loyalties, quite a change since I left Milton. He is a good man, although a little coarse to be sure. You are like minded men, whom I admire and respect.

Mr. Thornton, I also write to unburden myself of a terrible wrong I have done to you. I owe you an explanation, and have for quite some time, as to other matters that occured while my family was staying in Milton. I believe Mr. Bell explained to you the circumstances of my brother's abrupt removal from England. What you do not know is that at the time of my mother's death, Fredrick came to Milton to see my mother one last time before she died. Oh, Mr. Thornton, I wish you could have witnessed how my brother's visit lifted my dear mother's spirits so close to her time. Frederick was the man you saw me with at the Outward Station that evening. I do not expect you to forgive me for my lies, but I hope that you can at least understand the motivation behind my actions.

Since that time, I have learned to understand you and regret that I could not share with you the trust that you so deserved. I can only say that once the first lie was spoken, it easily grew and grew as each hour passed. I know how this must have appeared to you and I do not fault you for thinking poorly of me, especially after the way I had treated you. I regret the superior indifference I was wont to inflict on you. I mistook all of Milton's ways as the wrong way simply because it was different from the customs of my home. I was so terribly wrong. You, of all people, who did all in your power to protect me in the matter with Fred, deserved better.