Pack Clouds Away
- The morning following the Shaws' dinner party, Edith Shaw finds Henry Lennox and asks him how things are going with Margaret. She keeps tiptoeing around the question of whether Henry is engaged to Margaret yet, but Henry tells her to mind her own business. Edith wants very badly for all of them to be family so they'll be together forever.
- For one reason or another (the narrator doesn't specify), Henry Lennox doesn't keep his appointment with Margaret that morning. Margaret does meet up with Mr. Thornton, however, to talk about his plans to sublet his house in Milton.
- Margaret spills her guts and tells John that she totally admires his new approach with his workers.
- She offers to loan him all the money he needs to pay his creditors and keep his business afloat. John realizes at this moment that Margaret is basically declaring her love for him, so he takes her in his arms.
- Margaret murmurs that she is not good enough for him. So much for all that pride she showed earlier in the book. Aside: so romantic. Swoon!
- Mr. Thornton then takes out some roses he picked on a visit to Helstone and gives them to Margaret. Aside: Swoon!
- The two of them agree to get married, although they know that Aunt Shaw and Mrs. Thornton will both have fits.
- Yeah, this ending is kind of tacked on and it kind of comes out of nowhere. But oh well, it still does a nice job of wrapping up all the personal growth Mr. Thornton and Margaret have experienced in this book. Thornton is now a more patient, compassionate man and Margaret is more humble and less judgmental.
- Oh yeah, and let's not forget that their marriage symbolizes a union of England's North (Thornton) and South (Margaret). See how we brought the title back in there?