Carrie surmised that Margaret must have asked for the details when she visited Mrs Thornton today, and looked over at Mrs Hale, who was indeed looking rather pale and listless these days. Mr Thornton stayed for tea and before long, the conversation turned to the strike. Margaret got into quite a heated discussion with Mr Thornton over his handling of his financial affairs. She wanted him to be more open with his workers, but Carrie could understand his reticence. In her time, most people were more likely to talk about their sex lives than their financial affairs. Of course in this case, Margaret was right and his only hope of stopping a strike was to be open and honest with his workforce. This discussion led on to his right to influence his workers lives, with Margaret feeling that it was his Christian duty as someone with power over them to tell them what to do away from work, and he arguing that his workers deserved their independence when they were on their own time. “You must have seen for yourself by now, how independent we Darkshire men are, Miss Hale.
