What You Wish For

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

The next few weeks proved to be a torment to both Carrie and Mr Thornton.

As though determined to prove himself over her, Mr Thornton spoke to her only when he had to and never looked at her unless absolutely necessary. Carrie did her work to the best of her ability and left, breathing a sigh of relief each day to leave his stifling presence behind her and yet even moments after she had left, looking forward to seeing him again the next day.

Mr Thornton took every opportunity to visit the house, showing Mrs Hale the utmost care and concern during his visits and often bringing her gifts of fresh fruit or flowers.

Again, he rarely spoke to Carrie or even looked at her while he was there but he seemed to go out of his way to be solicitous to Margaret.

It broke her heart.

As expected, poor Bessy Higgins died and Mr Higgins became a frequent visitor to the house as he talked with Mr Hale about his grief and many other matters.

Carrie's torment continued and some days she wondered if she was doing the right thing by staying in Milton, but without her own money she had little choice. She often spoke to her aunt when she was alone, though sadly her aunt could no longer offer her the wisdom that she had shown when she was alive.

Carrie was lying on her bed crying again, a frequent occurrence these days though she usually managed to do so in the privacy of her room, when Margaret came in unexpectedly one day and sighed. She sat down next to Carrie.

"Will you not tell me what troubles you so?" she asked. "Every day I see you looking more and more miserable and I only wish there was something I could do to help you."

"There is nothing anyone can do." Carrie said.

"How do you know unless you tell me?"

Carrie didn't reply.

"Is it your family?"

"I do miss them," she confessed. Lately she had often been getting their picture out of her purse and staring at it. Truth be told it wasn't so much them that she missed, but the familiar. Everything was different here, so backwards! Her only solace during her predicament had been Mr Thornton, and now even he seemed to hate her. "But it is not that." She swallowed and looked at Margaret. "There is someone I like very much but I cannot have him."

"He does not love you?" Margaret asked.

"No, I believe he does, but he is not mine to have."

"I'm sorry," Margaret put her arms around the other girls shoulder, assuming that the man she loved was betrothed to another. It wasn't uncommon for men to marry for money, forsaking the women they loved in the process.

"It's not your fault," Carrie said.

"Perhaps not, but you have been so good to my family and especially my mother, that it pains me to think of you being unhappy, no matter what the cause."

Carrie wiped her eyes and tried to smile.

"Thank you."

Margaret smiled back.

"I thought for a time that you might like Mr Thornton."

Carrie's eyes shot to Margaret's, as though she had been caught.

"It is Mr Thornton? But he is not engaged, is he?"

"No, not exactly. It's complicated."

"I'm sure, but... well does someone else have a prior claim on him?"