New Year's Resolution

Part Two

A/N: Huge thank you to elwren75 who kindly agreed to beta for me - your input was much appreciated.

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Part Two

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'So, Margaret – how long have you two been seeing each other?'

Margaret chewed furiously and hastily swallowed her mouthful of salad. 'For eight months now,' she said, automatically catching John's eye. His mother's attention being focused on her, he risked giving her a cautious thumbs up. They had discussed all the details of their fictitious relationship in preparation for just such an interrogation.

Mrs. Thornton's brow furrowed and her eyes narrowed with something that looked suspiciously – and worryingly – like suspicion. 'But John,' she darted a glance at her son who suddenly looked rather uncomfortable, 'told me at Christmas that he was single.'

Margaret took a sip of water that was rather more like a gulp. 'Um...'

John ran a hand through his hair, before beginning to speak rather too quickly. 'Mum, we weren't sure how serious we were then – I didn't want to tell you and have you meet her only to have it all come to nothing.' He finished perfectly serenely and naturally, his initial confusion quickly subsiding.

The tension in Margaret's shoulders eased a little; she had to give it to the man – he was good. That was some mighty quick thinking. Then Mrs. Thornton's voice, more than a little sarcastic, cut into her thoughts.

'So instead you decided to introduce us a week before you're getting married.'

Both of them winced, but John recovered first, giving his mother a sheepish – and, Margaret had to admit – completely disarming grin. 'Yes?'

Although this reply – or rather the manner of it – somewhat mollified her, she was not yet finished. 'How did you two first meet?'

'At a New Year's Eve party,' Margaret said unthinkingly.

Mrs. Thornton's eyes were on her at once. 'I thought you said you had been dating for eight months?'

Margaret only just managed not to clap both hands over her mouth and John looked ready to start banging his head on the table. 'More than a year ago, now,' she clarified, recovering quickly. Time to use some of her newly acquired knowledge – she had not memorised John's life story for nothing. 'John's friend Nick exchanged numbers with my friend Edith, and I guess they were feeling shy or something, because they roped us into a double date, and, well... the rest is history, I suppose.'

Margaret was shocked at how easily and smoothly she was able to lie, and a little disturbed, but the expression on John's face almost made up for it: part relief, part surprise and a large part admiration.

Before she could even make a mental note to tell Edith that, if anyone asked, she had previously dated Nick Higgins, the interrogation continued. 'So, when was the engagement?'

Margaret resisted the urge to look around for the water torture apparatus that would no doubt make an appearance later that night. It was going to be a long evening.

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It was the morning of the wedding, and superstitious Mrs. Thornton had kept the couple apart all day, fearing bad luck. But Margaret needed to talk to John; the only way was to surreptitiously call him when Mrs. Thornton's back was turned.

Fortunately, he answered on the second ring. 'It's me,' she said, and was gratified when he recognised her voice.

'Margaret? Is anything wrong?' Even through the distortion caused by the bustle around him, she could hear the concern in his voice.

'Not exactly – well, sort of.' She bit her lip, and then sighed. 'Just... John, I was thinking – are we doing the right thing?'

There was a silence on the other end of the line. Then he spoke, a little too forcefully. 'Of course we are – why do you ask?'

'I'm not sure that we are,' she said, agitatedly pulling a loose thread out of her sleeve. 'It's not the right foundation for marriage. We made a mistake – so we should admit that we made a mistake, instead of hiding behind the altar!'

He sighed, and through the telephone it made a crackling sound. 'Margaret, the wedding is supposed to be in two hours.' He sounded frustrated. 'We've been over this before – it's not just to 'hide our mistake', as you call it.'

Her face flushed in anger. 'I never called our baby a mistake, John,' she said heatedly. 'Don't you dare put words in my mouth.'

For a few seconds there was silence on the other end of the line, and she got the impression that he was trying very hard not to lose his temper. 'Alright,' he said, his voice in a state of forced calm. 'What I mean is, you wanted the kid to grow up with both of us in its life, correct? And I didn't want my mum to find out what an idiot I've been.' Despite herself, she couldn't help softening slightly at his last words; she knew as well as he did that his had not been the only idiocy that night, but it was nice of him not to mention it. 'So,' John continued, 'marriage is the best way to achieve this. Just... don't think of it like a marriage – think of it as a... a business transaction. We continue this charade: my mum is happy, and you get what you want. It's a trade-off, and a win-win situation. Don't tell me you want to call it off now.'

All her anger returned full-force. She looked around her, but this not being her own room, there was nothing she could get away with breaking. 'Fine,' she said, her voice not entirely steady. She tried to take deep breaths, but she could not contain herself. 'Is everything a matter of numbers to you?' She waited for an answer, but apart from the sound of his breathing, there was silence.

She hung up.

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