“N&S: John Thornton, Love Lessons”, Ch. 54 (PG-13): Where There is a “Mill”, There is a Way, May 05, 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, 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, Gillian Anderson at Carlotta Quint Watson, and Jeremy Northam as Dr. Miles Houghton, 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 from the previous chapter: Fiona and Baird’s loving wedding night and the next day precluded them joining their family for Sunday breakfast, or even church. However, the focus quickly shifted to the two youngest members of the wedding party--Flower Girls five year old Lady Blythe Ogilvy and four year old Lissa Dillard. They have become instant friends and soulmates during the few days they have known each other. And their realization that they must part when Blythe and her family returns to Scotland on the morrow, Monday afternoon, sent the two girls into such a tizzy of crying distress that overwhelmingly concerned their parents--and especially John and Margaret.
Ch. 54 (PG-13): Where There is a “Mill”, There is a Way
After a fitful family Sunday luncheon of upset little girls in the persons of five year old Lady Blythe Ogilvy and four year old Lissa Dillard, hosted by Hannah and Cameron at the Milton Mayfair Hotel--where Fiona and Baird still did not show up even though they were upstairs in their wedding suite, their presence was expressly requested, and required, at the final Sunday evening family dinner of the extended Thornton and Ogilvy families at John and Margaret’s home, Thornton Manor. There will be after dinner business discussions lead by John and Cameron among the men about the Thornton-Ogilvy Angus, Scotland Scottish Mills project--including Baird Ogilvy, Jamie Ogilvy, and Alistair MacIntosh.
Again, John and Margaret hosting the family gathering is intended to make it easier on Margaret with her not having to leave home in the evening. And extra cook helpers and serving staff were shared by Hannah and Cameron. As they await dinner--with Hannah and Cameron engagingthe children in play--the young adult parents and soon to be parents talk about the little girls situation.
The little girls in question--Blythe and Lissa--are sitting on a chair together by the fireplace, hugging each other and rocking back and forth as a self comforting mechanism. Lissa also clings to her favorite dolly Betsy that she has with her. But the prospect of their parting when Blythe and her family returns to Scotland is no comfort. It is both a tender and a poignantly distressing scene. To try to ease the girls’ parting, Lissa Dillard is invited for an overnight stay with Blythe in their Milton Mayfair Hotel suite of rooms for their last night together as new best friends.
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"N&S: John Thornton, Love Lessons", by Gratiana Lovelace (2013-2014) (Done)
FanfictionJohn Thornton has an eager mind, starved for intellectual stimulation. But what John could not have foreseen was that just as his mind needs nourishment, so does his heart. Mr. Hale's proud, beautiful, kind, stubborn, and compassionate daughter Mi...
