Second Chance (a North and South tale)

Chapter 58: Coming after her

John

Even after I have watched hours long out through the window into the countryside, noticing small changes in the landscape, the fields became larger, the smoke viewer and yet I found nothing calming my mind.

I was trying to decide whether I had reason to be nervously excited or not. It was unbearably cruel, the time kept running, so did the train, but it was not fast enough for my taste. After thinking through several possibilities of approaching her, I decided for one and then for the other. At the end, it will hopefully just come to me when we finally face each other again.

Exiting the train, I had no other option than to let things play out naturally. I somehow have the feeling that I will see the answer in her clear eyes and act on it. I was mostly not afraid of not finding the right wording, but I was rather afraid of what I would find in her eyes, she always wore her heart openly in the expressions of her beautiful blue eyes.

The house of the Shaws was in one of the more prestigious parts of London, the impeccable white outside wall and the columns circling the entrance was sure to make you feel unworthy of entering. Swallowing my hesitation I went straight towards the door and knocked.

Several minutes of silence. The door tormenting me with its being closed and hiding the people living within, representing a wall between me and my future. I somehow had the strange feeling of being watched and instinctively looked up towards a window on my right. Quickly the person standing behind it disappeared without giving me a chance of recognizing anything. The curtain slumped back into place, making it impossible to see through anymore.

Caught off guard was I, when the front door suddenly opened up and a servant walked me into the building. Just about to tell who I am and with whom I should like to have a meeting with, the servant just took my hat and led me into the hallway.

"You are expected." The maid said turning towards me while showing me the door to her right. "I cannot be expected. I came unannounced."

The confusion on the face of the maid didn't help me with understanding the situation I got in.

"You are Mr. Thornton from Milton, aren't you Sir?"

"Yes, I am," I confirmed, confused as to how someone would know who I was merely by looking out the window.

„Than you are expected. Please enter, he is waiting."

„He?" The maid was not inclined to answer me any more questions as those seemed to build up by the minute. Who is expecting me in this foreign house, if it is not Margaret, is beyond being. There was none in this house I know but Margaret. Maybe the man who watched me from the window expected me, but still, he wouldn't know, would he?

There had only to be one knock, not more and the door opened up to reveal a man that I did not see until now, and yet he seemed to know exactly who I was and by the way he was looking me up and down, was probably already starting to guess what business I would have in this house and with whom.

"Mr. Thornton, pleased to make your acquaintance. Henry Lenox." Taking my hand and shaking it, both of us took the opportunity to observe each other and settle on our first impression of the person standing opposite stances.

Henry Lenox was a man of high build but not imposing. Blond hair and grey-blue eyes were his features, in an impeccable suit by the newest fashion I presume, the picture of a perfect Londoner Gentleman. He was the man I wasn't. Though polite, I had a strange feeling of insincerity and his facial expression resembled a mask, which only benefited the negative feeling I was building against this man.