Second Chance (a North and South tale)

Chapter 19: Frederick Hale

Margaret

It has been several weeks since Bessy left the surface of the earth. I was still grieving, but talking to my father and Mr. Thornton helped me a lott. I was visiting the Higgins's as often as I was able to and watched out for Mary, who got even skinnier due to the lack of food.

I was with them when they burried her and this time I let my tears fall, I didnt feel ashamed for them anymore.

To my surprise, Mr. Thornton asked me when it would take place and he seriously regreted that he couldnt come. But it warmed my heart that he wanted to. Something changed him, most definately. Or he was always like that and I just didnt look at him close enough to see that.

I knew I was definetly warming up towards him, but now that didnt bother me anymore. I wasnt afraid of it anymore, I even wanted to get to know him better. And I must admitt, I started to admire him.

Everytime he visited us, he was very charming and brought fruit for my mother. I even noticed that he dressed up everytime he visited us, as if he was invited to the rich society of London. And he was a perfect gentleman. How I didnt notice that fact earlier, I really cant recall.

We talked a lot more than former. And by talk I mean talk like civilized people, not arguing about every y single topic. I even got more open to get to know more about the northern ways.

We also talked a lot about the workers adn their working conditions. He told me what he had done to improve their workplace and what plans he had for the future to improve. I told him a lot about their lives in the little cottages in the princeton district and how they suffered. He listened to everything I said to him and agreed with me on most terms. It was refreshing to talk to someone so openminded.

I had the urge to apologize for my former harsh words about the masters in Milton. I know as if it was yesterday how hurt he was and how he defendet himself that not every master is the same. I came to the conclusion that he was right and that he was completely different from the others. But I kept my mouth shut, he probably had already forgotten about my foolish comments when we just setled down in the new house.

But at the same time, while my relationship to Mr. Thornton grew fonder, my mother got worse. It tore my heart to see her so badly ill and lifeless. And although she was so ill, she was still so beautifull. It was unfair that she had to go. I wasnt ready to let her go, in fact I think I would never have been ready for something like that.

That was the situation we had been in when suddenly the doorbell rang at an very late hour. Dixon huffed something, about "Come an' visitin this hour." but I didnt hear her rattling because I was to occupied with my dying mother to take care of.

"I'll go and get the master." She finally announced.

"No Dixon, I'll go. Dont disturb him." I said in an authorical voice. I didnt want my father to be brought out of his study now.

So I went down the staircaise to the door with the poor light of one single candle in my hand. I opened up the door and there stood a dark figure whose face I couldnt see in the dimm light

"Is Mr. Hale in?" He asked. I immediately knew who he was. I was so surprised that he came.

"Frederick!!!!!" I whispered and quickly dragged him inside. He closed the door behind him hurriedly before he looked up to me again.

"Margaret!" He exclaimed and embraced her tight. All those years of misery when they havent seen each other forgotten for this short moment.

"Margaret who was that on the door?" He stopped his tracks when he saw his son.

"My boy!!! You've come home!!" He ran towards him and gathered us into his arms. Tears of joy cascaded down his face. We stayed like that fore a while when my father released me and embraced his long lost son even tighter. I couldnt help but cry. I was so happy that my parents were able to see him once more.

Father must have been right. I wrote to Frederick for him to come here so that mother might see him once more before she leaves us.

"Mother?" Frederick asked looking at both of us. Father lowered his face at the question.

"She is worse but she's still alive." I answered him.

"Can I see her now?" He pleaded from us. I gave my father a knowing look, she surely was asleep by now. But we would wake her up for such an important occasion.

"Come on, Dixon will bring your things away from here, out of sight. How was your journey. Have you been carefull?" My father threw one question after another at him.

He chuckled slightly. "If I wasnt carefull I wouldnt have made here, now would I?" He asked jockingly.

We went up to my the room my mother occupied and woke her up gently. Her joy in seeing her son was overwhealming. She looked more alive all of a sudden.

Frederick was crying, a mix of happiness to see his family at all and pain to see his mother so ill.

He told us of his life in Spain. What new position he took on in the last month. And that he found a woman he would dare to name as "the one". He told us of his future plans to marry her and settle down and expressed his sincere wish that we would one day be able to go to spain and meet her. He promised us that we would love her. And I really hoped so. He had to go through so much, I was very happy that he found his match.

Than it was our turn to tell him everything about our new life here in Milton. But father stoped his investigations about that topic. He didnt want to talk about that in front of his passing wife. He knew she hated the place and she would surely tell him dreadfull tales about the north and those unedjucated jerks here.

That wouldnt be good for her as she would be agitating for her and that would surely make Frederick argue with father afterwards about "Why the hell did you move here?"

After some time mother really needed her rest, all energy drown out of her. I too wanted to sleep so I left the men to talk privately in the parlor and went to rest for the night. It has been a long night.