Chapter 6

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Margaret was idly wondering why there was an elephant on top of her. She opened her eyes to find that the master of Marlborough Mills was endearing in his sleep. His face was buried in her breasts, she noted with a blush. Since the sun was already shining through, they must have slept in. She ran her fingers through his hair and called out his name to rouse him.

He sleepily opened his eyes and then closed them again. He pulled the blanket up to cover his face. "John!" Margaret laughed, he seemed intent on going back to sleep "Don't you need to go to work?" She felt his hot breath as he shifted his face once again.

He playfully nibbled on her nipples making her moan. Her arms came around him as she encouraged his attentions. It was another hour before they left the bed.

John had taken the week off so that he could spend some time with his bride. They sat down for breakfast together, quietly talking about the day ahead. They were to host a dinner when his mother and sister returned. Margaret wanted to visit her father and Mr Bell. The cook wanted to go through the menu with her and the maids were awaiting orders. Even the butler was unsure about what he was meant to be doing.

Margaret had a lot of experience with running a household as her mother had passed when she was a young girl. She angled herself away from John and started to patiently go through all the tasks the servants needed to accomplish. John was amazed at how smoothly she dealt with everyone. Even his mother after so many years of experience could not run the household as smoothly as his new bride did.

Margaret excused herself with a kiss on John's cheek relaying that she would be done within an hour and they would leave for Crampton together. John picked a book and sat reading in the living room, engrossed within the pages. Turning a page, he looked up to find that the room looked brighter, happier and homier. There was a vase of fresh flowers from the garden on the centre table. The sweet aroma made him smile. His house had become home merely by her presence.

True to her word, she was ready to go within an hour, her hair done up neatly and a bright smile on her face. Hand in hand they walked to her pre-marital home.

Mr. Bell was sitting in the study with Mr Hale. They were both lost in nostalgia as old men often are, both of them reminiscing the adventures they had as young men. Upon their arrival, Dixon greeted Margaret with an embrace as though she hadn't seen her for years. She shot John a scathing look like he was the villain of a play.

She pulled Margaret up the stairs, leaving John to trail behind. He could hear parts of their conversation. "Are you alright miss? Did he hurt you?"

Margaret soothed the servant with a kind hand "I'm perfectly happy Dixon, Mr Thornton has been very gently and caring, he would never hurt me."

Dixon huffed and opened the door to the study, giving John one last withering glare. Both men stood up as they entered. Mr Hale pulling Margaret into a fierce hug whilst Mr Bell patted John on his back. Dixon brought in a try with tea, biscuits and cake. She poured tea for everyone and handed it out. Then she cut out a hefty piece of the cake and gave it to Margaret. Cutting off any arguments on Margaret's part with a firm nod. John received the thinnest slice. Mr Bell was hiding his chuckle at the disdain on Dixon's face as she served the mill master. Even his wife stifled a smile.

Everyone dug into their cake and conversation resumed. John was amazed that he could now sit next to Margaret and have no eyebrows raise. He could feel the warmth she was emitting and he so wanted to kiss her in that moment. Her hand grazed his and he shivered, completely unable to focus on the conversation.

The party had lunch together, before separating. John loaded all of Margaret's luggage into the carriage and they rode back home together. He could finally kiss her!

They were holding hands and she lay her head on his chest. He suddenly felt wetness seep through his shirt. Alarmed, he pulled back to look at her face. "My love, are you unhappy?" The insecurity reared its ugly head as he imagined her leaving him. He didn't believe in divorce and he would fight will all he had before he'd allow that to happen. But what it- before he could continue on that miserable road, Margaret gently kissed his lips, bringing him back.

"Dixon told me that father has been sick. A Doctor was called last night. His health... I worry he won't be with us for long." John felt disgusted at himself for feeling relieved. He held her closer as she sobbed, kissing the top of her head. He had been so driven in wanting Margaret as his bride that he hadn't given a single thought to how it would affect his friend and teacher.

"I am sorry darling, in my haste to make you my wife, I didn't think about how it would affect your father."

John felt bereft as she pulled away "This is not your fault Mr Thronton. He has been deteriorating since his descent from the church. He misses mother terribly, I'm afraid he would've given up on life if he didn't have me to worry about."

Suddenly, she turned to him "Promise me you won't ever become weak if something happens to me?" Her eyes were beseeching.

John gulped "I cannot promise you that my love, you are my only purpose for living. I realise now that I was nothing but a machine before we met. Without you, I'm afraid my grief would consume me."

Margaret was suddenly terrified, her love for him was just kindling, yet here he was professing an unbearable amount of love. She had seen how much it affected her father when her mother passed away. With Fred away from home, they only had each other for company. She suspected that this was the reason for his descent, he'd lost faith in God. She didn't want John to follow in her father's footsteps. She wanted to run away and escape from all the emotion and turmoil surrounding her. She turned away from him to look out the window, unseeing of the scenery passing by.

John felt a pinch in his heart as he saw his wife turn away from him. He was so happy to finally have a life partner that he couldn't help but share every thought and emotion with her. He craved intimacy.

They were both lost in thought as they arrived home. The mansion towering over them, they walked stiffly into the house. The butler, by Margaret's order, unloaded all the baggage. The entire household was in motion as Margaret glanced around, making sure that everything was set to her taste. For a moment, the melancholy lifted from his mood as he saw the complete transformation. The air that seemed heavy before was now sweet and gentle. The heavy curtains had been exchanged for light cotton ones which let the light filter through. The furniture had been moved around and the clutter that used to lie around was put away. His home felt grand.

A/N: I know I'm horrible at regular updates, and there may be a few errors in this, but I do hope you enjoyed it anyway. I'm going to try not to make this too sad. I just want to explore how their relationship would have been a little bit one sided if they'd been married earlier than in the book.

Margaret loves him at this point, but it isn't as strong as what John feels for her. Don't worry though she WILL love him like he deserved. It's just going to be a long winded road.