“N&S: John Thornton, Love Lessons”, Ch. 64 (PG-13): A Promise, June 10, 2014 Gratiana Lovelace
(An original fan fiction copyrighted by Gratiana Lovelace; All rights reserved; Based on the Elizabeth Gaskell novel, North & South and its 2004 BBC adaptation; No copyright infringement intended)
[I will illustrate my story using my dream cast from the 2004 BBC production of “North & South” and other actors for additional characters: Richard Armitage for John Thornton, Daniela Denby-Ashe for Margaret Hale, Lesley Manville for Mrs. Maria Hale, Tim Pigott-Smith for Mr. Richard Hale, Sinead Cusack for Mrs. Hannah Thornton Ogilvy, Jo Joyner for Fiona/Fanny Thornton Ogilvy, Brendan Coyle for Nicholas Higgins, Graham McTavish as Dr. Cameron Ogilvy, Holliday Grainger for Angharad Ogilvy MacIntosh, Simon Woods for Baird Ogilvy, and Emma Ashton as Mrs. Dillard, John Light as Henry Lennox, Tim Faraday as Watson, Gillian Anderson at Carlotta Quint Watson, Jeremy Northam as Dr. Miles Houghton, Gerard Butler as Lord Jamie Ogilvy, and Juliette Lewis as Lady Thistle Ogilvy, etc.] [(1) story logo, top right]
Author’s Mature Content Note: “N&S: John Thornton, Love Lessons” is a story with mature themes of love and relationships set within a period drama of the 1850’s. As such there will be heartfelt moments of love and sensuality (S)--as well as other dramatic emotions (D), including some violence (V)--and I will rate those chapters accordingly. If you are unable or unwilling to attend a movie with the ratings that I provide, then please do not read that chapter. This is my disclaimer.
Author’s Recap from the previous chapter: Margaret Thornton had her baby, a daughter. But the birth had been a harrowing experience for she and her baby--and for John and the rest of the family.
“N&S: John Thornton, Love Lessons”, Ch. 64 (PG-13): A Promise
It had been a frightening, excruciatingly painful, and wearying labor and delivery for Margaret Thornton as she agonizingly brought forth their first child, their yet to be named daughter in the late afternoon this Saturday, June 21, 1851. The birth was an hour ago and Margaret has been cleaned up and made comfortable. Now as Hannah and Fiona and Angharad encouragingly fuss over Margaret’s first nursing of her newborn baby girl [(2) right] --with Angharad being a recent expert with her still six month old baby daughter and second child Amanda--John speaks with his stepfather and his wife Margaret’s physician, Cameron, in the Airlie Castle bed chamber hallway. John’s face is ashen and somber.
John: “Cameron, I had no idea that childbirth is such an ordeal! Margaret was in agony, and we could do little to help her. Is it always this painful for the mother?” John rubs his hands down the sides of his face as a self comforting measure. But he still feels sick to his stomach for what his wife had to endure to bring their child into this world.
Cameron: “Aye! Marrrgarrret had a difficult birrrth--morrre so than usual.” Cameron adds almost apologetically. He has attended many childbirths. And but for the incidence of three of the mothers having cesearean operations and dying, all of the mothers had had less pain and difficulty than Margaret. “Though some women are morrre delicate in giving birrrth, Margaret is young and strrrong and she should be able to bearrr more childrrren in the future--afterrr she has a rrrecovery perrriod of two yearrrs.”
John: “No! Absolutely not!” John shakes his head vehemently. “Margaret will never suffer through another child birth again!” He says with firm resolve.
Cameron: Cameron’s eyes squint[(3) right] at John’s reaction to the notion of future pregnancies. “But John, do ye na want a son to carrry on yourrr name?”
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"N&S: John Thornton, Love Lessons", by Gratiana Lovelace (2013-2014) (Done)
FanfictionJohn Thornton has an eager mind, starved for intellectual stimulation. But what John could not have foreseen was that just as his mind needs nourishment, so does his heart. Mr. Hale's proud, beautiful, kind, stubborn, and compassionate daughter Mi...
