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

Ch. 12: Merry Match Making Mirrrrth

"N&S: John Thornton, Love Lessons",  Ch. 12:  Merry Match Making Mirrrrth, December 26, 2013 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 Piggott-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, 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:  After the Mill incident ordeal, John and Margaret shared their love with each other for the first time as they pledged their love before god--just not before witnesses.  That came the following Saturday with a quietly elegant and loving wedding attended by close family and friends.  So John and Margaret began their lives as a married couple by snuggling together in their bed their first Sunday morning together.  All was just as it should be.  But John and Margaret are not the only romance brewing.

"N&S: John Thornton, Love Lessons", Ch. 12:  Merry  Match Making Mirrrrth

While Hannah Thornton was not pleased, she had acquiesced to John and Margaret inviting Dr. Cameron Ogilvy to their wedding.  She understood their reasoning--or so she thought--that the doctor had been so helpful to them after the Mill incident ordeal.  And of course, Hannah was grateful for Dr. Ogilvy's tender care of her daughter, Fanny.

But in the intervening seven weeks, John has taken Dr. Ogilvy on retainer as de facto physician for his Marlborough Mill workers--an unheard of concession to workers in their era, but John insists that having healthy workers means higher production--the good doctor seems to pop up at Thornton Manor for tea and dinners quite regularly.  And that unsettles Hannah Thornton.   And Hannah is unaware of Dr. Ogilvy's admiration of her since he has yet to tender to her an invitation to dine with him and then attend a concert.  So John and Margaret try to play matchmaker by inviting Dr. Ogilvy to Thornton Manor as often as they can without arousing suspicions.  They are so blissfully happy as newlyweds, and they want others to be happy as well.

And it was one thing for Hannah Thornton to acclimate to having Margaret come to live at Thornton Manor (more about that later)--with her husband, John Thornton, Hannah Thornton's son.  But it is altogether quite another thing for Hannah Thornton to have the weekly male presence of Dr. Ogilvy.  The only constant male she Hannah Thornton has known for the last sixteen years is her son, John.  And Dr. Ogilvy's Scottish ways wear on Hannah Thornton--his style of Scottish attire [(2) right]--plaid not being a pattern that Hannah Thornton has ever worn, though thankfully he wears trousers and not kilts--his deep Scottish voice that trills his r's incessantly, and the piercing twinkle in his eye when he looks at  her.  No, Dr. Ogilvy is far too unsettling for Mrs. Hannah Thornton.