Ch. 25 (PG-13): Watson Gets More than He Bargained For

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"North & South:  John Thornton, Love Lessons", Ch. 25 (PG-13):  Watson Gets More than He Bargained For,  January 31, 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" and other actors for additional characters:   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, John Light as Henry Lennox, Tim Faraday as Watson, and Gillian Anderson at Carlotta Quint, 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:  What with Watson trying to blackmail John Thornton by bluffing about purchasing John's bank loan in hopes of making John force Fanny to marry him, it has been a busy Monday afternoon on January 20th for all concerned.  However, John would not be moved by Watson's blackmail.   And Watson stormed out of Thornton Manor vowing revenge.  However, Watson will find that today will be more his undoing, than John's undoing.  And Watson will finally be forced to keep his promises.


"North & South:  John Thornton, Love Lessons", Ch. 25 (PG-13):  Watson Gets More than he Bargained For

After Watson hurriedly left Thornton Manor in a vengeful huff on the early afternoon of Monday January 20th, 1851 after John Thornton rebuffed Watson's thinly veiled blackmail about him marrying Fanny or calling Thornton's loan--which Watson intimated that he already had procured from their shared banker Lattimer--Watson heads straight for Lattimer's bank office to finalize the loan transfer transaction.  But not finding Lattimer there as usual--the bank staff not being helpful as to Mr. Lattimer's whereabouts--Watson proceeds to go on what ends up being a very wild goose chase in search of Lattimer to all of his usual haunts.  Lattimer is not at the Financial Institution Council Association (FICA), nor at the cottage on the outskirts of town in the arms of his mistress, nor even at his home.  But that should be a clue, because none of the Lattimer family are at home either.   Where can that man be? 

Watson is frustrated, stressed, and physically exhausted--not a good thing for a man of Watson's age and girth.  So needing some soothing, coddling, and pampering, Watson decides to finally visit his mistress after a long absence.  Watson has situated his mistress in the nearby small town of Milton Woods--nestled in forested woods with a river running through it, and it is but five miles west of Milton.  And this visit will prove to be Watson's undoing--or perhaps the making of him. 

Watson had moved the widowed Carlotta Quint from London to Milton Woods after their 9 month old baby girl Clementina, nicknamed Tina, was born--to be able to provide for them and to see his mistress and his child on a regular weekly basis.  However Watson's visits had lessened over the last four months as his courting of Fanny Thornton had increased--and he has not been in contact with his mistress for two months. 

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