North and South (Mr. Thornton/Miss Hale)
Helstone wasn't what he expected. Despite Margaret's insistence that it was a most remarkable place--indeed, the only place of real worth in all of England--he had remained skeptical of its charms. He'd imagined neatly groomed garden beds devoid of life, not this enchanting profusion of blooms, roots and rich earth. He imagined Margaret here, her straight back relaxing in the shade of the hedgerow...
No. He mustn't think of her. Visiting Helstone signified nothing. It was not for her that had he plucked a small yellow blossom and, embarrassed by his own sentimentality, tucked it into his pocket.