Second Chance (a North and South tale)

Chapter 5: Going through once more

John

"John!" I heard my name and was forced to turn around again. Why did fate keep doing this to me? I cursed under my breath for being such a coward. There was no escape now if I didn't want Richard to now that something happened between him and his only daughter. I presumed because he called me still in his friendly tone, that she hadn't told him about our little interaction if you would call it so. I was relieved but at once frightened again that my emotions would show on my face and betray me at once.

"Richard, good to see you. Miss Hale" I acknowledged her shortly until she did something strange. She, like on the dinner party, held out her hand for me to take. I was startled at first but then surprised again what a good actress she must be to even let a little polite smile on her face as she greeted him, surely for her fathers' sake. But I also noticed something different about her. She was calmer, even weaker than she had been this morning. Her face color was drawn out of her, pale like she has been on the day of the riot.

"How are you? I haven't seen you since the dinner party. I heard there has been some violence at your Mill yesterday, I hope there is not to much damage." Richard broke the tense silence that was between me and Margaret. I realized I was staring at her all the time her father spoke and looked away abruptly as I didn't want Richard to notice it.

"No there wasn't much" I started, thinking of a quick answer to satisfy him, not to let him know that he caught me off guard with that question. "I called for the soldiers in time so that they made them see a reason to go." I didn't want to agitate Margaret but I didn't know how I should prevent further questioning about the woman that got knocked out by the mob, as he was sure that Mr. Hale wasn't out of reach for street gossip.

"Reason? What kind of reason?" Margaret snapped at me, her facial expression just as furious as it has been yesterday. Why did she say the same as then? Did she really need to replay our argument? I was confused. Before I could find what to say to end the conversation there she continued.

"You could have tried to talk and pacify them, instead of setting the soldiers on them! Then they would have really seen a reason. Violence isn't a way out of arguments. You should have talked to them as if to human beings, they sure would have understood. They were surely driven mad with hunger, their children starving. They didn't know what they were doing!"

"They were enraged, they wouldn't have listened anyway. I would just have taken the risk of losing my life." It sounded a little selfish but I wanted this repetition to come to an end.

"How do you know if you didn't even try it?"

"How do you know I didn't try?" I stated, agitation ringing in my voice, although I tried to hide it. What was she doing? Is that some kind of a joke? A bad joke indeed if it was true. She acted as if she wasn't there at the time. Richard taped on her upper arm, trying to calm her down. Her face was confusion all over. I really didn't comprehend what happened right now. I noticed her breathing getting heavier and she leaned on her father even more than before. Something had happened that made her act so strange and different. Something happened, my anger gone know I desperately wanted to know.

"Pardon me, please. I think we will never agree on this subject." I said in a softer tone, trying to take the tension away even a bit. Richard gave me an apologetic look.

"John, will you join us for tea today? Maria is better and we would be grateful for your company." At first, I wanted to decline for Margaret's sake, but he gave me a pleading, yet friendly look that convinced me that I shouldn't decline another lesson with him.

"Yes, of course, thank you," I said and with one nod towards Margaret I turned and went home again, even more on my mind then it was before our meeting. The walk was supposed to clear my mind, but it seemed it turned out irritating and confusing.