Not a Gentleman (North and South Fanfic)

Chapter Ten: The License

"I will send a servant from my house at first light to assist you. I assume a maid-of-all-work would be most useful, rather than an upstairs girl?"

Dixon turned around, her eyes narrowed. "Why would you do this for me?"

"Margaret needs you to take care of her mother. She will need to take care of her father, assuming he survives. That leaves no one to do the household chores."

"Thank you, Mr. Thornton."

"You will apologize to her."

"Of course I will. I don't need you to tell me that!" Dixon's face reddened immediately, and a work-roughened hand flew to her mouth. "I am sorry. I did not mean to say that. I owe you my respect. And you will have it. I promise."

"You are wanted upstairs, by Mr. Hale's side." John chose to ignore the outburst. If Margaret could do so for so many years, so could he. Clearly there was more to this woman than met the eye, although presently he could not see what these traits might be.

"Mama was sleeping," Margaret said, when she and Dr. Donaldson joined John in the parlor.

Dr. Donaldson nodded. "Your Dixon informed me that Mrs. Hale was not doing so well this afternoon. She gave her a dose of laudanum just before your father took ill."

"So she does not know?" Margaret asked, worry writ across her fine features.

"I am afraid not." The doctor opened his satchel and rummaged within it.

"What happened to Papa?"

"Your servant heard a thud and found him lying supine on the study floor. She helped him sit up, and he began to clutch his arm and complain of a weight on his chest."

"What is wrong with him? Dr. Donaldson-" Margaret grasped John's hand as she spoke, "is my father dying?"

"We will have to wait and see, Miss Hale. We will watch him carefully, won't we? Cases such as this are somewhat rare. Your father's symptoms are consistent with a disease called angina pectoris. It is a condition where the heart does not get enough blood."

"But he has not been bled recently. Papa has not been cut, or ill."

"No, Miss Hale," the doctor said with an indulgent smile, "I mean that his heart is not working efficiently. However, I must ask, has your father ever suffered from the gout?"

"The gout? Like Mr. Bell? No, he does not eat such a rich diet. He has never complained of gouty pains."

"There are some that think angina pectoris is due to the gout spreading to the heart. But if your father has never had the gout, this would not make much sense." The physician made a note in the small, leather-bound notebook John had seen before.

"What is the treatment?" John asked.

"He must rest, and regain his strength. I recommend brandy and hot water to improve the circulation, a snifter three times a day. You may have noticed the mustard plaster on Mr. Hale's chest. Those should continue to aid respiration, as well as massage of his limbs to help his blood flow." He wrote in his notebook as he spoke, then tore out the page and handed it to John. "But you should also know there is some evidence that this disease is exacerbated by excessive emotion. In fact, there are those that would say strong passions are the immediate cause of the loss of blood flow to the heart."

"You are saying that father's worry over Mama has caused his illness?"

The doctor nodded. "Possibly."

"But we cannot take away this worry. So how will we mitigate the illness, then?" Margaret's voice rose in agitation, and she began to twist the diamond and carnelian ring she wore on her third finger.