Not a Gentleman (North and South Fanfic)

Chapter Five: The Raven

John bounded up his home's wide stairs two at a time, medicine packets in one hand and invalid's cup in the other. He could not help his good mood. He'd had time to check on the remaining Irish replacement workers this morning, who were in good spirits, thanks to Williams. With them and the flood of workers likely to show up the next morning he would be back in full production before the week was out, which meant orders would not be terribly delayed.

As for his more immediate concerns, Mr. Lloyd had been more than willing to open up the apothecary when John caught him outside the church just as services let out, and it had taken very little time for him to measure out the salicylic acid or to grind the turmeric root with mortar and pestle. Right now Cook was preparing a poultice to Dr. Donaldson's instructions and John himself would make sure Margaret took the correct dosage of the fever-reducer.

He was glad he would have her in his house for another day. In fact, he could not believe his luck, mixed though it was. A fever certainly could not be said to be a good thing, but in truth he looked forward to spending an afternoon with Margaret, even it meant forgoing the sleep his body very much needed.

He knocked on the door frame, as the door to the green room was itself open, and was surprised to see that Margaret was not in bed. She was pacing the room, like a tigress in a too-small cage. By the time John crossed the room she had walked back and forth twice from the window to the march stand where a servant had arranged the bouquet of yellow roses. She paused, finally, to breathe in their fragrance, closing her eyes as she did so. Her expression calmed as she did so, and John was glad he had impressed on the flower vendor the importance of opening up shop on a Sunday.

"They are exquisite," she said, when he joined her. "I have never seen roses quite so lovely."

"They are not like those at Helstone, then? I was hoping they would remind you." John tried valiantly to hide his disappointment.

"Oh, no." Margaret smiled. "Those were quite wild. They quite covered the arbor, and volunteers even made their way into the hedgerow. They could not be contained! But these are elegant. Their shape is perfected and they have so many more petals. And I don't think I've ever seen a bouquet quite so large. I counted fifty blossoms."

The slightest tinge of pink crept into John's cheeks. "My mother usually does the purchasing of floral arrangements for the house. I apologize if it is a bit too much."

"Oh! Not at all. I did not mean to imply-" Margaret looked at her hands as she collected her thoughts, then looked back at John with grave eyes. "Once again, Mr. Thornton, you have made a kind gesture, and I have gone out of my way to offend. I seem to have a particular talent for doing so."

John smiled, and Margaret noted how the expression transformed his tired face. "We seem to be matched in that regard, Miss Hale."

"We do seem to go to great pains to misunderstand each other." Margaret bit her lip thoughtfully, then attempted to change the subject. "I have not thanked you properly for sitting up with me last night."

"I would not think I had any choice in the matter." John immediately regretted his words, as he saw Margaret stiffen as soon as they were out of his mouth. "What I mean to say is, I would not have chosen differently under any circumstances. You risked your life for me yesterday afternoon. I owe you a great deal."

"Mr. Thornton, I-"

"Yes?"

Margaret shied away from John's piercing gaze, and could not bring herself to say what she felt she must.

"It is nothing. I see you have brought the medicine Dr. Donaldson mentioned."

John set down the porcelain cup and tiny envelopes on the table next to the bed, and filled the cup half-full with water from the ewer that sat on a tray next to a tea service. He emptied a packet into the cup and stirred briskly until the white powder dissolved.