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

Ch. 66 (PG-13): Babies Yet to Come

“N&S: John Thornton, Love Lessons”, Ch. 66 (PG-13):  Babies Yet to Come,  June 21, 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 Ogilvy, Jo Joyner for Fiona/Fanny Thornton Ogilvy, 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, Jeremy Northam as Dr. Miles Houghton, Gerard Butler as Lord Jamie Ogilvy, and Juliette Lewis as Lady Thistle Ogilvy, etc.] [(1) story logo, top right]  

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.  As such there will be heartfelt moments of love and sensuality (S)--as well as other dramatic emotions (D), 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:  Ater Margaret and Johnn amed their newborn baby daughter Audrey Grace after receiving amusing suggestions from the children of the family.

“N&S: John Thornton, Love Lessons”, Ch. 66 (PG-13):  Babies Yet to Come

This June 21st Saturday evening’s dinner is a very quiet affair at Airlie Castle.  With John and Margaret Thornton secluded in their guest bed chamber with their newborn  baby daughter and the younger Ogilvy and MacIntosh children fed earlier and already abed in the Airlie Castle nursery for a cousin’s sleepover that also includes Lissa Dillard, it is just the remaining extended Ogilvy-MacIntosh family adults in attendance. There are Cameron and Hannah , Baird and Fiona,  Angharad and Alistair, Thistle and Jamie, and Davina and Angus. 

In fact, there are so many pregnant women at the table--in the persons of Hannah, Fiona, and Davina--that coupled with the birth of John’s and Margaret’s baby daughter this day, babies as a topic of after dinner conversation quite eclipses the Angus Scotland Highland Games team rankings thus far.  Almost.    

After dinner, the ladies are cloistered in the drawing room before the men join them.

Hannah: “In all the distress with Margaret’s and John’s baby being born today, I didn’t hear who won the husband calling contest at the Highland Games today?”  She asks, trying to tease the winner’s name out of her daughters and other family women--Fiona, Angharad, Davina and Thistle.

Fiona: “I’m sure it wasn’t me. I am not much of a husband caller, I’m afraid.”  She sheepishly shrugs her shoulders. For Fiona has spent the afternoon helping Margaret birth her baby.

Angharad: “It was Thistle! Herrr  combination of shrrrieking herrr husband’s name and purrrring seductively seemed to win overrr the judges.”  Angharad smiles impishly at her cousin.  Hannah swivels her head to gaze at Thistle.

Thistle:  “Way-el.”  Thistle smiles blushingly.  For all her bravado, she is still a lady, born and bred.

Davina: Waving her hand in a dismissive gesture and rolling her eyes bemusedly, Davina offers an explanation about her sister Thistle’s unladylike behavior. “Thistle has always had all the boys clamorrring for her hand--even when we were in our teens.