＊＊
A few days later at Margaret's house, Dixon heard a visitor knocking at the front door and answered it. John Thornton stood there, taking off his hat. She said with a lack of expression on her face.
"I'm afraid Miss Hale isn't here... haven't you seen her at your mill, sir?"
"I'd like to talk to you today, Miss Dixon," he said.
"What?"
She looked at him suspiciously.
He got straight to the point:
"Do you have any intention of living in Milton with her?"
"What?" she said again, her face looked more and more puzzled.
"Me?"
He nodded and said to the old maid:
"I'll get you a room."
It was unbelievable that such a mill owner would make an offer like this to a servant.
"I would be happy if you decided to live in Marlborough. I'm here to make it clear that I welcome you."
She said in a small voice, "Oh".
"It is for Margaret's sake. Yes, it's true, but also... I'm sorry that you, who knew Mr. and Mrs. Hale so well, are leaving. Margaret told me that you had spent more than twenty years with Mr. Hale and even more with Mrs. Hale. I hope you could share your memories of them with me..."
She said nothing.
He looked down and blinked, thinking that he had forced his feelings one-sidedly.
"Take your time."
He put on his silk hat and said, "Now, good day."
She made a small bow.
＊＊
Margaret was writing a letter in the drawing room in the evening.
"Miss Margaret."
She turned her gaze way from the paper when her name was called.
Dixon, holding her hand in front of her apron, stood there.
"May I... May I live with you at the Thorntons?" she asked.
Margaret's eyes widened in surprise.
"Dixon... Yes, of course but... you need to go back to London, don't you?"
She gently asker her servant, "Do you want to?"
"I..." said Dixon, mumbling.
"I have some things to teach your children someday:
'Your grandmother was the most beautiful woman in the world. Your mother was the bravest, most daring woman in the world named Miss Hale.' "
Tears welled up in Margaret's eyes, hearing Dixon.
" ' And your grandfather and father couldn't finish their conversations whenever they've started. They'd keep pouring more tea, over and over.' "
"Oh, Dixon."
Margaret was smiling while crying.
Dixon smiled, making her round face rounder and rounder.