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

Ch. 19: Some Return Home to Milton, Some Stay in London Part I

"N&S: John Thornton, Love Lessons",  Ch. 19:  Some Return Home to Milton, Some Stay in London Part I,   January 15, 2014 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 Pigott-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, Holliday Grainger for Angharad Ogilvy MacIntosh, Simon Woods for Baird Ogilvy, and Emma Ashton as Mrs. Dillard, 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:  While Mrs. Thornton began tending the Dillard family children in Milton on December 30th and set a wedding date with Dr. Cameron Ogilvy, her children were engaged in meeting and making new friends in London.  John, Margaret, and Fanny became acquainted with Dr. Ogilvy’s son Baird Ogilvy and daughter Angharad Ogilvy MacIntosh through a pleasant afternoon tea at the MacIntosh home.  And a new side of Fanny began emerging as she played with the children.  Though Fanny had never been to London before, she is taking to it like a duck to water.  In fact, John and Margaret feel that Fanny is enjoying London so much, it will be difficult for them to pry her away to return home to Milton after their visit concludes next week.  Howver, they have no idea that their assumption about Fanny’s recalcitrance will be tested so quickly.

Ch. 19:  Some Return Home to Milton, Some Stay in London Part I (end of first  week in January)

John and Margaret Thornton had enjoyed a lovely and festive family New Year’s Eve celebration ushering in 1851 at the Shaw-Lennox home in London--but for missing Mrs. Thornton who was not with them.  She spent her New Years’ Eve quietly with Dr. Ogilvy.  Then John receives his mother’s letter about the injured child at the mill on the morning of Thursday, January 2nd.  John feels that he must attend to these matters personally. So John and Margaret quickly pack and make plans to take the afternoon train to Milton to be home in time for dinner--cutting short their London visit a week earlier than expected. 

However, Fanny begs to stay in London.  And a begging Fanny is not a pretty sight:  woeful wailing in high pitched shrills; attempts to cry on cue that go awry into muffled hiccuping; and then when that doesn’t work, Fanny drops into a melancholic stony silence.  John has seen it all before and thinks that his sister Fanny would be a hit on the London stage.  However, Margaret is  less resistant to Fanny’s entreaties to remain behind in London.  And with Mrs. Shaw and Edith Shaw Lennox’s pleading Fanny’s case, John is outnumbered four hoop skirts to none, and he relents.  But then, Margaret thinks amusingly, doesn’t John always give in to Fanny?   For all of John’s protestations to the contrary, he is a loving and beneficent older brother to his little sister Fanny.  Besides, Margaret reasons, then her parents, the Hales, will have Fanny to travel back to Milton with them.  She has noted her father’s amusement with Fanny’s conversations.  And Mr. Hale is not the only person who finds Fanny amusing.  A certain red headed young Scotsman seems quite taken with Fanny.  Hmmmm.