Milton Belle

Part 22

Thomas and Cecily were off to Paris for a Christmas honeymoon and they had a crowd of family and friends to wave them off at Outwood Station.
Cedric stole a glance at Hannah Thornton and could see for a just a second a look of longing flit through her eyes.
She was coming on nicely, he felt. The emotional armour she wore so doggedly beginning to slip more and more often.
Moments like this that showed her vulnerable softer side were ones to treasure. “ Penny for them My Dear Hannah “. He asked her softly, when the crowd of Thomas and Cecily's well wishers had dispersed.
Hannah sighed. She had always been able to fool the men in her life that she wasn't a slave to her emotions as so many women were. Her late husband, even John, when he'd needed her to be strong as he's worked to rescue them from the threat of poverty.
Cedric was another matter. His wise, warm brown eyes could unnerve her by appearing to look right into her soul. Lying to him had become harder as time went on.
Now she began to ask herself if she really wanted to lie to him. She liked his concern for her didn't feel she had to hide her own needs from him as she had with John. Her beloved, brave, hard working boy.
For so long he'd been her whole world and she his. Then Margaret had entered his heart and mind needing her to take a back seat.
Now here was Cedric gently and sweetly entering her thoughts and emotions and she felt herself opening like a flower in the sun.
“ I was just thinking that I never had a honeymoon. It's never bothered me before......I can't think why it's doing so now. “ She shook her head with a chuckle.

Cedric's large capable hand touched her arm and as it often seemed to do of late it sent a tingle right through her body. “ Romance Hannah. It's a fine beautiful, life enhancing thing. I get the idea that you have had precious little of it in your life. “
He looked at her in a questioning way as though daring her to deny it.
“ It's true”. Hannah admitted. “ It really didn't worry for sometime. I had John to care for and then after his Father died I had to be strong while John brought our fortunes back up.......It's only now I have time to consider that I've been lacking something...........”
Cedric looked her over and got his mind onto what he could do about this.

A week before Christmas and Cedric was dining at Marlborough Mill as he now did 4 nights out of 7 these days.
Along with the fruit he had a proposition. “ John. He asked. How would you feel about my taking your Mother away fro Christmas. If she is agreeable to it of course........” He answered John's next question before it was asked.
“ Naturally I shall be a perfect gentleman. We would be staying with some friends of mine in Yorkshire. So Hannah my dear. With your Son's permission will you join me for a cosy Rural Yorkshire Christmas ? Days of walking through the beautiful Dales and evenings of mulled wine by the fire. What do you say ?“

A smile spread across Hannah's face as her heart felt light and fluttery. “ Dear, dear Cedric. You are a marvel. If John were to say no then I'd be prepared to defy him.
Though I'm sure he'd be more than happy to have Margaret all to himself for the Festive Season. “
For the first time there was not a trace of bitterness in her tone. She had no need to envy Margaret her closeness with John. She, Hannah was embarking on what she could truly say was her first romance.
She had become Mrs Thornton in a very business like deal. There had been non of the unashamed and yes highly gratifying courtship she was getting from Cedric.

Margaret looked at John and then very subtly moved closer to Hannah and Cedric as if to show her partisan sympathies with them.
Of course, she admitted to herself it would be heavenly to have her first Christmas as Mrs John Thornton with just herself and her beloved husband.
But her generous soul had longed to see Hannah as happy as she was. Now here was this handsome charming gentleman offering joy to her on a silver plate and Margaret was glad to see that she was accepting the gift graciously.

John smiled at the 3 faces before him. “ And do you suppose I would be callous enough to refuse ? Take my Mother and give her a Happy Christmas Cedric. “

The day before Christmas Eve, John and Margaret waved Hannah and Cedric off from the Mill Yard. The Thornton's carriage taking them to the railway station. They would go to Harrogate and be collected from there by Cedric's friends.

The young couple embraced happily. “ I love Mother and Cedric's become a good friend, but I can't pretend that 10 days with just you and I here doesn't make me want to sing.”
This reminded him of Margaret and Miss Dixon's project that week. Every day at Lunch time they had brought children from their school into the canteen to sing 2 or 3 carols.
John had wanted to make sure he was there to hear then everyday. The faces of the children's parents were a picture to see when their little ones began to sing the lovely words....and melodies so full of love,joy and hope.
Christians awake salute the happy morn ! , Silent Night, Ding Dong merrily on High,
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Oh Come All Ye Faithful,
Once in Royal David's City, The First Noel, While Shepherd's Watched......, Angels from the Realms of Glory.
http://www.carols.org.uk/index.htm
Today there was another treat too. For the last couple of years a new tradition had been growing. The Queen and Prince Albert had been putting up a fir tree in their home and decorating it for Christmas.
John had wanted to have one in the Mill House and this year they took the plunge. Then he decided that there should also be one in the Canteen. Let the staff have the pleasure of one too.
There was a lovely carol about the decorated tree “ On Christmas Tree “ . The children sang it as John and Williams uncovered the magical looking display to a chorus of delighted gasps. Not to forget Margaret's approving glow for this adorable idea.
John had also been coming into the school too. Margaret and Miss Dixon had been reading the Christmas story and some more secular magical works too.
Twas the Night Before Christmas, A Christmas Carol Poem (by Coleridge),
http://www.carols.org.uk/Christmas_poem.htm
Hang up the Baby's Stocking, Christmas Bells (Tennyson). http://www.biblicalquality.com/Christmas4.html
The Fir tree ( A story by H. C. Anderson) http://www.carols.org.uk/the_fir_tree_by_hans_christian_anderson.htm

The children felt a little nervous at the sight of the Mill Master. But Mrs Thornton told them he wasn't anything like as fierce outside of the Mill with a smile, so they settled and even listened avidly while he read to them from Charles Dickens story A Christmas Carol http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Christmas_Carol

Margaret had suggested that she and John invite Nicholas and Bessie and Miss Dixon to have Christmas lunch with them.
“ we can still have lots of time alone.” She smiled “ but this is a time for sharing after all. John kissed her tenderly. Adoring her for her kindness and love for all.

Christmas Eve was a delight. The staff were out for the evening so after a high tea John and Margaret had the whole house to themselves.

They sat by the fire chatting and reading. Inevitably the talk took an erotic turn and they began to strip each other's clothes off, right there by the drawing room fire.
Hands, eyes and lips admired and venerated each other's flesh and voices crooned words of passion into one another's ears.............
They made love on the rug , easing the tension of lust they had just created. Then still kissing and touching they headed upstairs to bed.
TBC