The speculation of 1851. It was hailed as a sure prospect, every cotton mill owner who invested was sure to succeed, but what it it failed? The city of Milton was soon to find out as some of the most prominent mills closed their doors leaving hundreds out of work. Within all this seeming calamity was Marlborough Mills and it's master; Mr. John Thornton. He was never one to engage in speculations, but this venture affected him none the less. Then there was Margaret Hale. She was from the south and never cared for his harsh northern ways, or so he thought; but she would always be the only women he would ever love. Now Marlborough Mills was struggling and thru a series of events Mr. Thornton found that his new land lord was none other than Margaret Hale of London. Could John and Margaret find their way back to each other and set matters right or were they always destined to be apart... This story is based on the novel by Elizabeth Gaskell, North and South, and the adaptation by the same name.

Based on the televised adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell's 'North & South'. When Margaret Hale moves from the South to a northern industrial town, her relationship with cotton mill owner John Thornton gets off to a shaky start but that changes over time, a little quicker in this short fanfic than in the actual story!

One day after her wedding, Margaret Thornton flees Milton and her husband. She regrets her hasty actions, but a series of mishaps and misunderstandings manage to keep the couple apart for seven years. When John Thornton decides to attend Mary Higgins' wedding and meets with Margaret once more, sparks fly and secrets are revealed.

When John and Margaret catch a fleeting glimpse of each other at a railway station in the Midlands after months apart, it gives John the impetus to travel to London in the hope of meeting Margaret again. When he impulsively proposes to her and is accepted, it seems that their happiness is complete. As they adjust to their new situation as an engaged couple, both of them find themselves having to deal with the doubts and opposition of others as well as having to resolve old issues and face new ones as they come to learn that falling in love is just the beginning. This story picks up at the point towards the end of the BBC adaptation when Margaret goes to visit the mill while John is in Helstone. It is based upon both the adaptation and the novel. PLEASE NOTE: The chapters of this story tend, as they go on, to become very long. I have considered making them shorter for posting on here, but have decided against it as I think they work well as they stand at the moment. Please also note that this story is still ongoing. I will complete it at some point, but cannot say when at the moment.

When she arrives with her parents in Milton after her father takes a job there, Margaret Hale, with the prospect of adapting to a new life ahead of her, catches sight of a man in the street that looks like a "perfect stranger". However, on an errand to speak to the family's landlord, Margaret finds this romantic image shattered when she finds that her perfect stranger is not so perfect after all. For John Thornton, both the Hales' landlord and proprietor of the Milton Hotel, this first encounter with Margaret has an equally profound impact when she catches him arguing with his brother-in-law. He knows that he must try and rectify her bad opinion of him - but first she has to agree to talk to him.

Based on the classic novel North & South by Elizabeth Gaskell, this modern story of John and Margaret takes them on a magical adventure filled with intrique, suspense, and romance. John Thornton spends all his waking hours working in the family business. In his leisure time, he hunts for antique books. When one literally falls on him, he is shocked to find the ancient looking text is written about him. Margaret Hale has no time for love. Having started a bakery with her best friend Tara, she needs to concentrate fully on that venture for now. But at her cousin's wedding reception, a stranger approaches and explains he is the man she will marry in three months time.