"N&S: John Thornton, Love Lessons", Ch. 43 (PG-13):  Baird Ogilvy Seeks to Win Back His Fiona, Part 2, April 02, 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, Jo Joyner for Fanny Thornton, Brendan Coyle for Nicholas Higgins, and 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, and Jeremy Northam as Dr. Miles Houghton, etc] [(1) story logo] 

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 and beyond.  As such there will be heartfelt moments of love and sensuality (S)--as well as other dramatic emotions, 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:  Baird Ogilvy travelled fromLondon to Milton on Wednesday, April 2, 1851--hoping to make amends with his love Fiona/Fanny Thornton.  His father, Dr. Cameron Ogilvy's advice to his son Baird was for Baird to talk to John Thornton first.  So Baird went to the Marlborough Mills administrative offices, where John proceeded to give him a tongue lashing for Baird humiliating his sister Fanny and causing her great pain.  However, John's ire also has partly to dowith his wife's delicate pregnancy and recent ill health.  After Baird convinces John of his sincerity in wanting to make Fanny happy again, John relents and will allow Baird to speak with his sister Fanny.

"N&S:  John Thornton, Love Lessons", Ch. 43 (PG-13):  Baird Ogilvy Seeks to Win Back His Fiona, Part 2

For an hour after Fanny had returned to her bed chamber after reading Baird's letters, she cried and cried and cried and cried--until she had no more tears to cry.  After another half hour passes of melancholy musings, Fanny is quite tired of being sad.  She feels that it does not help to dwell on what cannot be changed--what happened last Wednesday between she and Baird at the Charity Ball that precipitated their breakup. She can only look forward. Some might call Fanny's ability to redirect her energies a mark of her fickleness.  When in actuality, Fanny's resilience is the hallmark of a growing reserve of inner personal strength that she tries to marshall when she feels at her lowest ebb--like now.

So Fanny sits up and kindly decides to check-in on Margaret before joining her Mother Hannah at the Mill school.  Fanny both wants and needs a distraction from her thoughts about Baird.  After freshening up her face with some water--and trying to pinch her pale cheeks redder than her teary blood shot eyes--Fanny quietly slips out of her bed chamber.   As she walks down the hallway, she smooths the skirt of her non-hooped dress  that she had changed into--the better to interact and play with the little ones at the Mill School.

But upon reaching John's and Margaret's bed chamber, Fanny hears Dr. Miles Houghton conversing with Margaret and her ladies' maid present as a formality for decorum.  And not wanting to be pressed for an answer about Dr. Miles'  kind musical concert invitation--which Fanny is very much planning to decline at this point because she does not feel up to it--Fanny decides to check-in on Margaret later as she softly pads downstairs in her flat shoes.  Fanny opts for comfort over style in her foot wear when she is just around home these days.  At the foot of the stairs, Fanny notices that the hall table is set with a fresh small bouquet of pale pink roses and her face brightens--thinking that they are from Baird.  Well, he indirectly has something to do with them. But the maid Sarah informs Fanny that the flowers are from  Dr. Houghton to her. Fanny smiles wanly and thanks the maid for the information--trying not to convey her disappointment.

Then Fanny glides out of Thornton Manor and over to the Mill's School.  As she walks into the school room building, she does not notice that the overseer Williams across the mill yard and behind her, has let someone into the mill yard--Baird, who heads for John's office. 

With Fanny's arrival at the Mill School and Nursery, that spells Hannah to return to Thornton Manor to check on Margaret.  Hannah kisses her daughter's forehead, caresses her cheek, and smiles encouragingly to her before she leaves. Fanny spends the next twenty minutes or so reading to the three and four year olds, helping them count to ten--they will work on going to twenty next week--and their alphabet and such. 

It may seem like a rather rigorous curriculum for the mill children, but with the well educated parson's daughter Margaret Thornton as the de facto head mistress of the school, the children have actual lessons in addition to play time.  When she arrives, Fanny switches the children to talking about colors.  Fanny has come to understand that though it might seem odd to many of her friends from more comfortable circumstances growing up, but children in poverty are often surrounded by a rather drab and colorless existence--with a limited color palette.   So the mill children literally need some color in their lives.  And understanding colors--especially with regard to the cotton fabric that Marlborough Mill makes and dyes, also has practical applications for the mill children as current or future workers of the mill. 

And as part of Hannah's clothing cooperative for their Mill Workers--wherein the women workers and spouses of Marlborough Mill come together to make clothes for themselves and their families using scraps from the bolts and notions like buttons and thread and such also provided by Marlborough Mills--the children at the Mill School also wear a sort of every day uniform of light blue dresses with white buttons for girls and light blue shirts and grey pants for the boys.   Undergarments are also made for the children and John Thornton purchased a small knitting machine with to make socks and leggings and such for warmth for their Mill workers and their children.  With these efforts and the housing initiative, John and Hannah and Margaret are trying to raise the standard of living for their Marlborouh Mill workers--and by extension, for their Mill's children.

Having already adorned their classroom with some colorful wall hangings and pictures, Fanny begins the color lesson with the three and four year olds in their corner of the large classroom--while the older children have their pencil and paper math lessons under the direction of a hired teacher.  Fanny loves these little ones. As Fanny always says, children are so dear.  And they brighten her spirits immeasurably since Fanny is not focusing on herself.

Fanny:  "Now children, we are going to see how many different colors we can spot in our classroom."

Lissa:   Raising her hand as she has been taught to do, little Lissa Dillard is excited and the cheerful smile on her face lights up her countenance [(2) right].   "Do we all get to play?"  Lissa asks sweetly.  For Fanny as the younger children's teacher in Margaret's stead, tries to make learning fun, and also to be inclusive of all of their little ones.

Fanny: "Yes, Lissa, Dear.  Now!   Let's everyone stand up, and walk over to the wall and point to a color.  Then I will ask each of you to tell us what that color is."

The children smile and stand up--happy to be receiving Miss Fanny's encouraging attention.  The children end up standing in a line along the wall and Fanny starts at one end and works her way down the line to each child.  The third child is a four year old boy.

Herbert: "This is brown."  He says, proudly pointing to the wood framing the chalk board.

Fanny: "So it is!  Well done!" Fanny always praises each child with a smile.  Can you name something else that you have seen that is brown?" She asks him sweetly. Fanny is taking to guiding the children in their lessons as if she were a natural teacher--because, in fact, she has become their teacher.

Herbert:   "The Mill Gate?" He asks while biting his lip nervouslyas he waits for Miss Fanny to tell him if he is correct.

Fanny: "Ooh!  Just so!"  She smiles.  "You are all so smart about colors!"  She enthuses sincerely.

Fanny continues with each child's color choice--blue, green, red, yellow, white, black.  And then Fanny comes to Lissa, who points to a painting with an arrangement of fruit, her finger on the orange.

Lissa: "This is almost red?" Lissa asks cutely.

Fanny: "That is a strange color, it is called orange--just like the fruit that you are pointing to."

Lissa:  "Ohhhhh!"  Lissa's voice becomes melodious, indicating her understanding. 

Although, Lissa has never seen an orange--let alone tasted one.  Apples are her main fruit that she has from time to time--or sometimes wild strawberries.  However, Lissa's new home in the Thornton Village has a community kitchen garden where they can grow their own food. So Lissa and the other children living there will have a more varied diet--which is better for their overall health.

Fanny: "There aren't many things that are orange.  That's a difficult color."  Fanny bites her lip.  But still, Fanny sweetly asks Lissa the question.  "Have you seen anything else that looks orange?" 

Little Lissa thinks for a moment. She looks around at the other children--none of them are wearing anything orange, that dye being expensive and not often used at Thornton Mills--and none of the children have reddish orange hair. Then the hallway door across the school room opens and two men enter quietly--with Fanny not seeing them since her back is turned. John and Baird stand there respectfully, not wanting to interrupt the children's lessons. Fanny is just about to give up on Lissa saying what else she has seen that is orange, when Lissa speaks up.

Lissa:  Pointing across the room to one of the two men [(3) right], LIssa smiles brightly.  "He is orange."

Fanny: "He?"  Fanny asks, and turns to see first her brother, and then Baird Ogilvy standing just inside the school room door--with his orange red hair his most striking feature.

Fanny freezes.  She remembers that Baird's letters said that he would come today.  But since it is almost four o'clock, Fanny had assumed that Baird had changed his mind and not come to Milton. Yet, here he is.  Baird and Fanny stare at each other across the room--each of them holding their breaths, but not realizing it.  Baird's face looks to be frowning a bit to Fanny and she wonders why her brother John brought Baird her if he is going to be mean to her again.  But Baird is not frowning in anger, he is frowning because of Fiona/Fanny's pale complexion and her frail looking body.  Baird thinks that his Fiona has obviously not slept, nor probably eaten much since he saw her last Wendesday--seven days ago.  He is correct.  And to Baird, Fiona looks like she is wasting away--and he knows that he is the cause of that.

Lissa: Tugging at Fanny's hand to get her attention, Fanny's gaze with Baird is broken as she looks down at Lissa.  "Miss Fanny, is that man's hair orange because he eats oranges?" 

It is a logical question for Lissa.  No one Lissa knows eats oranges, nor has orange hair.  Ergo, someone who eats oranges might have orange hair. 

Fanny: "What?" She asks looking down at Lissa.

John and Baird slowly walk the twenty feet around the classroom to the little ones' classroom area where Fanny and the children are having their lesson on colors.

Lissa:  Lissa points up at Baird now standing two feet away from them.  "Mister, Did you get orange hair from eating oranges?" She asks sweetly.

Now becoming aware of Baird's nearby presence, Fanny stands up and stiffens as she turns toward her brother John and Baird--pursing her lips together in nervousness.  Fanny does not know what Baird will do or say in front of the children.  In any event, she did not want their first meeting to be public like this.

Baird smiles cordially at Fiona, rather nervous and not wanting to do the wrong thing.  John observes Baird carefully, and John smiles encouragingly at Fanny.  Then Baird smiles warmly at the little girl. 

Baird: "I do na think so, little gerrril.  I mostly eat apples."

Lissa: "Oh!"  Then Lissa recognizes Baird as the man who came in and hugged Fanny on the day that Lissa went home from Thornton manner after her arm healed.  Lissa points to Baird again.  "I remember you now."

Fanny:  Not wanting her private life to become tittle tattle with the children--and thus, their parents--Fanny redirects Lissa's  thoughts.  "Lissa dear--and everyone--you know my brother, John Thornton who owns Marlborough Mills." 

John: John nods his head to the children and smiles cordially [(4) right] as he says in a warm deep voice.  "Hello, children."

The children are agog!   The great man himself!  Mr. Thornton!   He is in their school room!  Little three year old Greg walks toward Mr. Thornton and touches his coat sleeve without fear.

Greg: "Black."  Greg says proudly.  John gives Fanny a quizzical look.

Fanny:  "We're learning about colors, Johnny."  She shrugs her shoulders and John nods in understanding.

Baird:  "That is lovely, Fiona."  He sighs approvingly. 

But Fanny tenses up slightly at Baird calling her by his pet name for her--her true given name of Fiona, after her maternal grandmother.  Baird notices Fanny's hesitation and he also wants to speak to Fiona privately.

Fanny: "Thank you, Baird."  Fanny gives the polite response.  "Children, this is Mr. Baird Ogilvy--Dr. Ogilvy's son."  She says benignly by way of introduction--not mentioning that she has, or had, any association with him.

The children are also in awe of Dr. Ogilvy, who has treated and made well many of them in the last six months since John brought him on medical retainer for his Mill workers.

Lissa: "Your Papa, unbroke my arm."  She holds up her left arm, now mended, to him.

Baird: "So he did."  He smiles warmly at the little girl--whom he now also remembers.  Baird desperately wants to talk with Fiona, but she is giving him no hints that she wants to talk to him.

John: "Fanny, I have to return to my office to attend to some business matters before dinner this evening.  Baird would like to speak to you--if that is what you wish."  John adds supportively.

Baird: "Yes, if I may?" He asks hopefuflly.

Fanny: Fanny purses her lips again--this time in annoyance [(5) right].  "We have a half hour more of lessons before the children's parents pick them up. I cannot leave until then."  She looks at him earnestly.  She cannot just abandon the children who are in her care.  Surely, he will understand that.

Baird: "Of course. May I wait in the corner until you are ready to leave, and then escort you to Thornton Manor?"

Fanny: "Alright.  But don't look at me.  You scowl so."  Fanny says frankly.

Baird:  "I will not disturb you." He puts his hands up, then walks over to the corner and sits on a stool, facing the corner.

John stifles a smile in amusement as Baird unknowingly sits in the punishment corner--where children sit to ponder over what they did wrong before trying to behave better next time.

John:  John kisses Fanny's cheek. "Are you alright?"  He asks her in a hushed voice laced with concern.

Fanny:  She nods.  "I am fine, Johnny.  I will finish school and then see what Baird has to say."

John: "Good.  I will see you at home in two hours for dinner."

Fanny nods and her brother John leaves. For the next half hour or so, Fanny continues her lessons with the children. Then she warmly greets the parents who pick their children up from the Mill School after their work day shift is done at half past four o'clock. 

***

Finally, it is just Fanny, Baird, and the older children's teacher left in the school room.

Baird:  Extending his elbow to Fiona, Baird offers. "Shall we walk to Thornton Manor?"

Fanny: "Yes thank you."  Fanny hesitates--and does not take Baird's arm.  "But I prefer to walk ... unassisted."  She looks at him benignly.  She is skittish around him and uncertain.

Baird: Lowering his arm, Baird acquiesces sadly. "Of course." Then he motions to the door.   "Shall we?"  Fanny nods.

The short walk to Thornton Manor is a brisk one.  Fanny resolutely holds her head high, her rigid posture belying the turbulent emotions within her threatening to undermine her confidence.  After settling into the large and beautifully appointed Thornton Manor Drawing Room, Fanny asks Maid Sarah for some tea. Then she sits in a chair--not upon the sette, where Baird might have the occasion to sit next to her.  He notices that. However, Baird sits on the sette, since it is the nearest space to her. They wait in silence for a few mintues while the tea is brought. Then Fanny pours--of course remembering how Baird likes his tea--with lemon and sugar, no cream.

Fanny sips her tea, looking into its green brown depths as if her future lay within to be revealed.  Baird takes a few sips of his tea--noticing that she made it just the way he likes it--and then puts his tea cup and saucer down upon the end table.  Baird thinks that he and Fiona have never gone this long with a silence between them.

Baird: "You read my letters?"

Fanny: She nods and breathes deepiy. "I did."  She does not elaborate and takes another sip of her tea.  Fanny is barely holding on to her composure as her breathing becomes more quick and shallow.

Baird:  "And your response is?"  Baird asks hopefully.

Fanny gently sets her tea cup on its saucer, but still holds the china and tea in her hands--intentionally preventing Baird from clasping her hands.

Fanny:  "I do not know."  Baird looks at her quizzically, but Fanny's head is bowed, not looking at him. "Your letter said that you wanted to apologize to me in person."

Baird: "And so, I do." Baird avers as he nods his head.

Fanny lifts her head and gazes directly at Baird's eyes, waiting for him to apologize.  The moments tick by, but Baird says nothing.  He is too lost within Fanny's misty blue eyes.  Then he sees tears forming in those beautiful eyes that he loves so well. Fanny believes that Baird was insincere in his letter of apology since he will not apologize now, as he said he would. Fanny drops her gaze to hide her tears.  She sets her cup and saucer on the tray and stands quickly--her wanting to leave the room before she bursts into tears.

Fanny: "Farewell."  Fanny chokes out and bolts for the closed Drawing Room door.

But Baird is swifter than Fiona--him not being hindered by petticoats--and he holds his arm out and presses his hand against the door to keep it closed.

Baird: "No!  Ye must listen to me, Fiona!"  He pleads as he reaches out for her, but she twists away from him.

Fanny: Turning away from him, she whimpers.  "But you are not saying anything! If you do not love me anymore, then let me go." 

Baird:  "Fiona, I do love you!"  This is true, but Baird has yet to apologize. 

And Fanny will not attach herself to a man who despises her words and her actions.  Her life would be a misery--always feeling condemned and censured.

Fanny holds a fine linen handkerchief to her mouth to muffle her sobs as she moves away from the door, and away from Baird as she stands behind a large wing chair in one corner of the room.  She feels trapped and the large room's walls are closing in on her.  As Fanny's anxiety increases, she feels more unwell--flushed and short of breath.  Her breathing becomes ragged and quick, she cannot stop herself from worsening.  She is panicking and she will soon lose consciousness from lack of oxygen.   Baird notices Fanny's increasing pallor and walks toward her.

Fanny: Before Fanny closes her eyes in a faint, she says.  "Get Mama."  Then all goes dark. 

Baird lunges forward and catches Fiona before she crumples to the floor and hits her head on something.  Baird quickly lifts Fiona up into his arms and carries her into the main entrance foyer where several astonished maids are standing.  Fanny does not seem to be breathing.

Baird: "Wherrre is Mrrrs. Thorrrnton?"  Then he realizes his mistake.   "I mean, Mrrrs. Ogilvy."  He yells to the servants.

Hannah: Appearing at the top of the stairs, after hearingthe commotion below, Hannah looks at her daughter's lifeless form in alarm as she races down the stairs.  "What happened?"

Baird: "I do na know.  Fiona had trrrouble brrreathing, and then she fainted."

Hannah: "We must get her to her room and get her corset off of her now!"

Baird nods and he follows Hannah up the stairs and then into Fanny's room.  Baird gently places Fiona on her bed.

Baird:  "I don't want to leave herrr."   He says to Hannah.

Hannah: "Then turn away."  She says quickly as she rolls her daughters limp body to her side and quickly unbuttons the back of her dress and unlaces Fanny's corset. 

Baird looks away to protect Fanny's modesty from his gaze.  As her corset lacing gives way, they hear Fanny give a quick intake of breath, but it is still very faint.  Rolling Fanny onto her back, Hannah cups her hands around Fanny's mouth and breathes into her mouth in several short puffs--as she did when Fanny was a child and had these attacks.  Baird hears Fanny breathe and turns around.

Baird: "What arrre ye doing?"  He asks questioningly.

Seeing her daughter begin to breathe normally again, Hannah stops breathing into her--but she does not take her eyes off of her, lest Fanny falter.

Hannah: "Fanny would have these attacks when she was a child--mostly when we were so poor.  She would get upset and then not be able to breathe.  She almost died when she was six because we could not get her breathing again.  That was when I tried breathing for her."  Hannah clutches Fanny's right hand to her breast.

Baird looks at Hannah incredulously as he kneels down next to the other side of Fanny's bed and takes Fanny's left hand in his. 

Baird:  "How did ye know to do that?"  For Baird's father is a medical doctor and Baird has never heard of breathing for someone else.  Fanny's pallor is being replaced by some color and her breathing deepens.

Hannah: "A mother's instinct, perhaps."  A maid appears at the door, waiting for instructions.  "Please send a footman to bring my husband, Dr. Ogilvy, here at once.  Tell him that Fanny had a breathing attack.  He will know what that means." The maid nods and goes to attend to her task.

Baird: "Fatherrr knows?"  He asks with astonishment.

Hannah: She nods.  "Yes.  Cameron was Fanny's doctor when she was little and he first came to Milton fifteen years ago."

Baird: "I was away at Eton, then." He acknowledges.  Milton was never his home, nor for his sister Angharad either--because she was at finishing school.

Hannah:  "But this is the first time in a long while that she has had a breathing attack this bad."  Hannah frets.

Baird:  Kissing Fanny's hand and bending her elbow such that her palm caresses his face, Baird tears up. "And I nearrrly killed herrr with the tension between us.  Maybe I am not the right person for Fiona.  Mabye she is better off without me."  Baird forlornly looks away from both Fanny's sleeping form and from Hannah [(6) right].  

Hannah: "I do not believe that."  She states firmly.  "You and Fanny are at a difficult moment.  It happens.  You will work through it."

Baird: "How can you be so sure?"

Hannah: "Because I have watched you two together and you are good for each other."  That is high praise coming from Hannah Thornton Ogilvy.

Fanny:  "Hhhhh!"  Fanny sighs heavily as her regular breathing is returning her to consciousness. "Mmmmm."  She groans.

Baird:  Leaning forward and kissing Fanny's cheek and and brushing his hand across her forehead, he whispers. "My darling, you are going to be alright.  Rest.  Rest, Dearest.   I will not leave your side, until Papa comes and makes me leave.  And not even them."  Baird kisses Fanny's cheek again as tears fall down his own cheeks.  "You are my life!  I will strive to be worthy of you.  And I will never leave you ever again--not on a dance floor nor anywhere else."

Fanny's eyes flutter open, but stay half lidded.  She is still very weak from lack of oxygen, and her fingers and toes seem to be tingling--for when the body begins to shut down, it tries to protect the brain at all costs by lessening blood flow to the extremites.

Fanny: "Promise?"  She asks him weakly.

Baird: He smiles broadly.  "I promise."  Then he leans forward and tenderly kisses Fanny on her lips--it is a petal soft kiss, him not wanting to prevent her from breathing in any way--even while his hoped for mother-in-law Hannah looks on indulgently.

Hannah: She stands up. "I will go greet Cameron when he arrives and tell him that Fanny is feeling a little better." 

Hannah leaves Fanny and Baird alone in Fanny's bed chamber--but the door is wide open for form's sake.  However that does not deter Baird, and he stands, doffs his shoes and coat and slides onto the bed next to Fanny, cradling her in his arms.  He pulls the coverlet around her to keep her warm.

Fanny: "Hmmm."  She sighs.  Fanny knows that she should protest such familiarity toward her by Baird, but she doesn't have the strength--nor does she really want to.

Baird:   "Rest, my dearest darling Fiona, rest."  Baird soothes in a hushed voice. 

And Fanny closes her eyes again as she snuggles next to Baird--feeling safe and content.  Baird's worries for his Fiona's health have not abated as he watches her intently for signs of returning distress and breathing difficulties.  Baird continues to gently kiss his Fiona's forehead and to stroke her back until she falls asleep, exhausted from her ordeal. Eventually, Baird falls asleep as well--also exhausted from their ordeal.  Fanny's collapse is a more clear sign than any to Baird that he was in the wrong completely when they had their fight last week--when he was an oafish clod as his sister told him to his face.

Several minutes later, Dr. Cameron Ogilvy arrives at Thornton Manor and Hannah escorts him to Fanny's bed chamber.  And there they find Baird and Fanny--both sleeping, lying together on top of Fanny's bed, with a coverlet partially covering Fanny.  Hannah puts her finger to her lips in a shushing gesture to her husband.  Cameron nods.  And he goes to Fanny's right side and uses his stethoscope to listening to her heart and to her lungs via her exposed back where her corset lacings had been loosened.  Fanny is almost breathing normally again. 

Sensing a new presence in the room, Baird awakens and sees his father, Dr. Cameron Ogilvy--still clad in his casual sweater [(7) right].   Baird winces because he knows that, technically,  he and Fiona are in a compromising position--them not being married, let alone officially engaged.  Cameron's eye brow raises as he locks eyes with his son.  Then Cameron motions for Baird to move away from Fanny. 

Baird:   Baird mouths his response so as not to waken Fanny.  "No."  Baird doesn't want to even move by shaking his head, if it might risk waking his Fiona.

Cameron: "Hhhh!" Cameron sighs and nods his head. Then he goes into the hallway to discuss the matter with his wife Hannah.

Hannah: "How is Fanny?"  She asks worriedly as she looks up into her husband's kind eyes.

Cameron: "She is brrreathing normally, herrr hearrrt rrrate is still a little high.  But it is going down in the two times that I tested it."

Hannah: Now thinking like Fanny's prim and proper mother again, Hannah asks. "Shouldn't we extricate Baird from Fanny's side?  We need to get her changed into a nightgown."  Hannah states practically.

Cameron: "Aye!  But let this crisis pass fully--then ye can do that.  Tonight, keep Fanny in her room for dinner--giving her only light foods such as clear consomme and some crackers, and tea.  Light fare."

Hannah: "Alright."  She winces. "But what about Baird?" She motions toward the bed, extremely glad that no servants are hovering about to see such scandalous behavior.

Cameron:  "I will deal with him." He states resolutely and Hannah nods gratefully.

To Hannah's way of thinking, Margaret throwing herself into John's arms when the mob was about to attack was one thing.  However, Fanny lying abed with a man who is not her husband is another matter altogether.  Hannah is not pleased--as the thin line of her mouth, the set to her jaw, and the glaring of her eyes attest to [(8) right].

Cameron strides back into Fanny's bed chamber and to her bedside opposite where his son lies next to her. Baird's eyes are upon his father as Baird cradles his Fiona in his arms.  Cameron holds up his index finger to Baird--as if to say, listen to me.  Baird nods.  Then Cameron guides the dozing Fanny to lie down upon her back and he fluffs up the pillows underneath her head. This change in position causes Fanny to waken more.

Fanny: "I feel so tired."  She says faintly without opening her eyes fully.  Baird hovers over her in her bed and gazes at her hopefully.

Cameron: "Fanny, Dear.  Ye have had a brrreathing episode and must rrrest.  Let yourrr Motherrr help ye into a nightgown wherrre you will be morrre comforrrtable."

Fanny: "Thank you."She nods wearily. The strain she has been under this past week--including not eating nor sleeping properly--has been too great for her.

Hannah walks back into Fanny's bed chamber.

Hannah: "If you gentlemen will excuse us, I will assist Fanny in changing."

With her mother's use of the word gentlemen, plural, Fanny turns to her left and finds Baird sitting upon her bed, with her.

Fanny:  She looks at him quizzically and asks him frankly.  "Has there been a ceremony that we took part in, but that I do not remember?"

Baird: And Baird quickly scrambles off the bed. "Oh!  I beg your parrrdon."  He blushes sheepishly.  "I hope ye arrre feeling betterrr."

Fanny: "I will."She nods half heartedly.

Hannah: "But she needs her rest.  Come back tomorrow morning, Baird.

Cameron:  Motioning to his son, he says commandingly. "Come Baird. Let us leave the ladies."

Baird nods, bows respectfully, then exits the room with his father.

In the hallway, after Fanny's bed chamber door is shut, Baird asks his father the question uppermost in his mind.

Baird: "Fatherrr, will Fiona be well again?"

Cameron:  "Aye.  But she needs her rest. Go to the hotel, then return in the morning.

Baird: "Aye, Fatherrr."

Baird walks dejectedly to his father's medical practice to collect his travel bags, and then on to Milton Mayfair Hotel where he secures a room  for the night.  He has a light supper, then wavers about going to bed early.  It has been a tumultuous day.  He had thought to apologize to his Fiona and to make amends--hubris thinking that all could be accomplished in a single day.  Instead, he nearly kills her.  Not a good beginning for a reconciliation.  And Baird hits his forehead with the heel of his palm in thinking himself a dunderhead for not at least saying goodnight to Fanny.  So Baird dons his hat and coat and takes a hackney coach ride back to Marlbourough Mills--where an uncertain parlor maid leaves him waiting in the parlor to see if Fanny will see him yet again this night.

And Fanny resting in bed--not knowing that Baird had left and now returned--realizes that her emotions are too excitable about Baird, to the point of her not being able to breathe.  And Fanny seriously wonders about her attachment to Baird Ogilvy.  Is it wise to have such a tempestuous love?  Would not a more calm existence benefit her greatly, she wonders.  And then she thinks back to the lovely small bouquet of pink roses sent by Cameron's new medical partner, Dr. Miles Houghton.  And Fanny smiles for his kind thoughtfulness.

To be continued with Chapter 44

 "N&S:  JT Love Lessons", Ch. 43 References, April 02,  2014 Gratiana Lovelace (Post #541)

1)      "N&S:  John Thornton, Love Lessons" story logo:  Richard Armitageas John Thornton and Daniela Denby-Ashe in the 2004 BBC period drama North  & South, was found at  richardarmitagenet.com/images/gallery/nands/album/episode3/ns3-110.jpg ;  For more information about this wonderful 2004 BBC miniseries adaptation of Elizabeth's Gaskell's story North & South, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_&_South_%28TV_serial%29

2) Image representing Lissa Dillard  is an MS Office Clip Art,Jan0514 Gratiana Lovelace _ oval

3) Baird Ogilvy  image (masked background, sized) is Simon Woods as Charles Bingley in the 2005 film Pride and Prejudice found at   http://image.hotdog.hu/user/Angelinna/magazin/Pride-and-Prejudice-2005-pride-and-prejudice-2005-32212524-264-400.jpg

4) John Thornton is portrayed by Richard Armitage in the BBC's 2004 drama North & South  found at richardarmitagenet.com/images/gallery/nands/album/episode2/ns2-034.jpg

5) Fanny was portrayed  by Jo Joyner in the 2004 BBC drama North & South (22h45m45s28) Dec2813 Gratiana Lovelace Cap-crop-sized-plain-mask in the BBC's 2004 drama North & South  found at richardarmitagenet.com/images/gallery/nands/album/episode4/ns4-340.jpg

6) Baird Ogilvy  image (aspect, sized, drkn) is Simon Woods as Charles Bingley in the 2005 film Pride and Prejudice found at  fanpop.com http://images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/25000000/Mr-Bingley-pride-and-prejudice-men-25086484-200-200.jpg

7) Dr. Ogilvy  image is Graham McTavish in an interview with TORN's Greendragon found at http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2014/01/04/86069-graham-mctavish-talks-exclusively-to-theonering-net/

8) Hannah Thornton was portrayed by Sinead Cusack in North & South, 2004 , found at http://perioddrama.com/FilmScripts/North_and_South_2004/Cast/Hannah%20Thornton.jpg

Link to Ch. 43 Images for Wattpad: 

http://gratianads90.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/aansjohnthorntonlovelessonsfanficch43imagesapr0214gratianalovelace.jpg

Link to Ch. 43 with embedded illustrations on my blog: 

http://gratianads90.wordpress.com/2014/04/02/ns-john-thornton-love-lessons-ch-43-pg-13-baird-ogilvy-seeks-to-win-back-his-fiona-part-2-april-02-2014-gratiana-lovelace-post-541/