Beginning, Section II, Next Section

Chapter Eight

Posted on 2013-12-14

When Anne was outside, she saw Lady Russell walk towards the house. Although her godmother undoubtedly had other business and was not coming to find her, Anne wanted someone to like her after Mrs Croft had been so unexpectedly stern. She felt herself nearly crying. There was no one she could depend on to act predictably any more.

Lady Russell was so surprised that she had hesitated a second before comforting Anne, who was holding out her arms. This was quite unusual for both of them. "What is wrong? Why?"

"I do not know."

"Oh Anne!" Lady Russell squeezed her a little tighter.

Anne supposed she had last hugged Lady Russell after her mother died and perhaps not even then. She could not remember. It was so long ago, but she found she had desperately needed such close contact. She did not want to let go.

"It pains me to see you so unhappy, Anne," Lady Russell whispered. "Perhaps I have made mistakes, but I have always tried to make you happy. What is wrong now? Is there anything I could do?"

Anne wanted to find something else to cry about too, because she was no ready to lose this attention. She settled for a repetition when she could in all honesty not find anything life-threatening to complain about. She had merely been silly. "I do not know."

"What happened?"

She spoke reluctantly. "Mrs Croft gave me a sort of reprimand." She did not want to blame Mrs Croft, but she had to be honest about what had unsettled her.

This surprised Lady Russell. "Undeserved?"

"Not entirely; that is the worst."

"I cannot imagine you deserving a reprimand."

"She asked me a question and I did not answer it," Anne recalled. "And then I asked a very impertinent question. She had every right." Nobody could be blamed for not liking it. She did not know why she had asked it.

"Come with me," Lady Russell decided.

Anne tried to hold her back. "You are not going to speak to her about it, are you? Because really I --"

"No."

Lady Russell took her inside. Anne had no desire to see Mrs Croft again so soon, but they were shown into a room where Admiral and Mrs Croft were speaking earnestly in low voices. After greeting their visitors, the admiral took Anne's arm. "I have something to show you," he said jovially, as if he did not know what had transpired earlier.

She glady allowed herself to be taken to the greenhouse, where he showed her a plant.

"Pretty, is it not?" he asked, examining it from all sides.

"Rather,"Anne agreed, but she did not understand why he showed her a plant. They had never before spoken about plants and she had never known him to have any interest in potted plants. There were a few flowers, but nothing out of the ordinary.

Apparently the admiral had simply not been able to think of another excuse to get her out of the room. "Afraid of Sophy, were you?"

"Yes."

"There is no need. She is concerned about you."

"Concerned?" Not angry? Anne tried to review the conversation in that light.

"Someone gave Mrs Clay a thwack on the head," the admiral remarked as if such things happened every day.

She was surprised, having thought that only she and Captain Wentworth had bothered to think about the accident at all. Apparently two others knew what had happened too, for if the admiral knew, so did Mrs Croft. "Oh, you know."

"And," he lowed his voice, "I cannot bring myself to care."

She nodded, not shocked at all. "Because she was a temptress. I hope you did not ask Captain Wentworth to sort it out. Mrs Croft reprimanded me for asking that."

"Good grief," the admiral said in amusement. "One does not ask stupid young men to sort out temptresses. The dangers are too great."

"But he is not a stupid young man, is he?"

"A stupid not so young man, if you will."

"Oh." Anne felt like a stupid not so young woman.

"Always being at sea with no women around does that to a man. If one has not a wife to explain all the intricacies of women..."

"Intricacies? Admiral, I assure you I see very little difference between women and men."

"Well, do not tell him. You would take away half our fun."

Before dinner, Anne sat on her balcony again. She would soon have to get dressed, but Lady Russell sometimes took a little nap after they retired, giving Anne more than enough time to do as she pleased. Today she did not feel like reading, writing letters or rearranging her closets.

Her decision to sit outside was rewarded, for she could see the figure of Captain Wentworth approach. It was increasingly unsettling, for he came straight at the Lodge instead of simply taking an innocent walk through the park. She forgot about her tea and then he stopped under her balcony. She had to see what he came to do, because this was hardly the time for a visit. They ought to be dressing at the Hall as well.

"I have something to say," he said.

Anne waited, but he was not planning to say it there. He started climbing. She was very glad Lady Russell was on the other side of the house and so was the dining room. What would the servants think if they saw him climb past the window? And clearly he did not think he could fall. She had best not suggest the possibility either.

"I went to see Mr Ingleby, as you know," Captain Wentworth began after he had climbed up to the balcony and caught his breath. Gentlemen on the wrong side of thirty did not do these things so easily any more. "You think he is a boring old...er...bore."

Anne sat down. Evidently he had found something that indicated the contrary. She could not begin to imagine what it was. Mr Ingleby not a bore? It was hardly possible.

"Well, I too ask myself how he ever managed to get Mrs Ingleby to be interested in him, but that is irrelevant to our investigation. What is relevant is that Mr Ingleby knows a lot more than we thought --"

"We had not given any thought to what he might think," Anne cut in to regain some control over the situation.

"Because we did not think he might know anything, but he does and a lot of that is relevant as well."

"And he told you about it?"

"No, he did not."

She was confused. "Then how would you know?" And what had he come to tell her? It had to be of some importance, but he was not agitated, nor in a hurry.

"Ah," Captain Wentworth said with a smug, superior smile. "I am good at those things."

She would not argue that point with him. Very likely he would not let her win. Still, it puzzled her. "But it cannot have been too important, because you went to see him a few days ago and you are only telling me about it now."

"Ah, yes. I first had to ascertain whether you would be able to accept the news in a sensible manner. Or if it was even relevant enough to share with you in the first place. You see, most of what Mr Ingleby said is not fit for a lady's ears."

Anne could not believe it. "Mr Ingleby? He seems so dull!" She was now curious about the information that was not fit for a lady's ears and hoped Captain Wentworth would share it with her. He appeared to be willing.

"Oh, he is, terribly dull, but he has certain ideas about women that -- well, I know some women who would throw their teacups at his head. For example, he would think you too delicate to be sitting out on a balcony on a November day."

She gave him a defiant look. "I have a dressing gown, a blanket, gloves and a cup of tea."

"Yes, yes, so I see and it is not my place to argue with you. If you were locked out by accident, I should kick in the door, but now, no." Captain Wentworth perched himself on the ledge where Anne's cup of tea was standing. He did take care to place himself between her and the cup, in case she was going to throw it at some point.

"But you did not talk to him about me."

"No. But from what he said about the place and the role of women, and the needs of men, I concluded that I knew some women who would throw things at his head. Most of the conversation was actually about the needs of men. I told you I did not trust clergymen."

Anne understood very little and she certainly could not predict what he was going to tell her.

He took a deep breath. "I have reasons to suspect Sir Walter married somebody -- in Bath, or another place away from here."

She gasped. "Who?"

"Not Mrs Clay; that much I can say for certain. The first question is, who was this woman? The second question is, was the marriage consummated? Evidently Mr Ingleby thinks it was, because men have needs," he added in an emphatical whisper.

Anne clutched her hands to her chest and looked embarrassed. "Why would you want to know?"

The captain gave her a patient look. "It is all very mortifying and improper, I am sure, but if there was a wife, Sir William can only be sure of his title in several months. Do I need to explain why?"

She shook her head.

"Precisely. Because there may be an heir, born or unborn."

"But I know nothing of this. I was not told."

"No, the only people who know are the woman in question and Mr Ingleby. I am not sure Mrs Clay's death was connected to this marriage. I cannot see why someone would want to get rid of her if she knew about it. Unless..." he said with a thoughtful look, "she lied and said Sir Walter had actually married her and no one else knew. She would of course have been cunning enough to consummate the marriage and get herself with child. Sir William would then consider her a danger to his position."

Anne felt sick.

"If it was someone else, the question is: has she borne him a son?" he concluded. "Or is she going to?"

She wanted to laugh hysterically, but she had to keep her voice down. "This is too much for me."

"Yes," he said with something akin to sympathy. "I thought you would be able to take it, but I spoke too soon, I see."

"I want to throw myself into the pond."

Captain Wentworth raised his eyebrows. "Why? What would that solve?"

She raised trembling fingers to her temples. "It would get these images out of my head!"

"I will have you know that the pond is cold."

"I told you so. You did not seem to believe me at the time."

"Women do not suffer the cold as well as men."

"Ten years ago I would have challenged you to a water duel. Now, I let you keep your faulty opinions."

Captain Wentworth looked almost appreciative of a water duel. He struggled visibly with its attraction and pulled a straight and serious face. "I am sorry I had to speak of this. The story would not be complete without it. The consequences of his possibly having had a wife are too important."

Yes, she understood that and she tried to pull herself together. It was difficult when it involved her father. She would feel betrayed if it was all true. "How will we find out? We must find out that this is all a big fabrication."

"I shall need to talk to Ingleby again. He would not tell me everything, because of course being unmarried at my age means I am up to all kinds of immoral activities due to my needs and my not being susceptible to his religious talk did not help much to establish a bond between us. He would tell me something out of some feeling of superiority, but in order to hear everything I must agree with him. And I cannot. There, I have shocked you. Do not prove Mr Ingleby right. Take it like a man." He swung a leg over the balcony. "I must dress for dinner."

Anne did not know if she could do the same.

"Is anything the matter, Anne?" Lady Russell inquired. "You were late for dinner and you are so distracted."

Anne could hardly tell her that Captain Wentworth had climbed up to her balcony to converse with her. And about what! That was even more impossible to say. She could not even come up with a lie. She could only look utterly bemused.

"Is it still Mrs Croft?"

It was perhaps wisest to say it was. "A bit." If she forced herself to think about Mrs Croft right now, she would not even be lying. But it was difficult to get her mind away from her father's possible marriage -- and the consequences of that -- and challenging Captain Wentworth to a water duel.

"But I told you what she said to me."

"I know." And thankfully Mrs Croft had said nothing at all about Mrs Clay, but she had only described it as a question about my guests. Lady Russell seemed utterly devoid of curiosity, for which Anne could only be glad.

"Do not think about it any more. She really was not bothered."

Chapter Nine

Posted on 2013-12-22

After the incredible conversation on the balcony the day before, Anne could only hasten to Poseidon directly after breakfast. She had not agreed on a meeting with the captain, but hopefully he had more to share and he would stick to the same place and time they had used the previous time. It took half an hour during which she went over everything he had told her again numerous times, but then he casually strolled by.

"Madam," he said, bowing most politely, and he made as if to walk on.

"Wait!" Anne said desperately. "I thought you had come to talk to me."

He looked reluctant to admit it. "It must not appear that way. Let me walk another round to see if the coast is clear."

And how would that look? She clutched her book and looked at the pages unseeingly, impatient for the captain to check the surroundings. But then he squeezed himself through the hedge behind her, frightening her out of her wits.

She turned. "You need to tell me more about Mr Ingleby."

"Or about Mr Shepherd?" he asked with a significant grin. "Because I went to see him yesterday and he too had some interesting information."

Anne was intrigued. "What could he know? And why did you not tell me? Is it more important than Mr Ingleby's information?" Mr Shepherd had made it his business to know all about Sir Walter. Perhaps he knew more of this supposed marriage too.

"One thing at a time. I had to tell you about Mr Ingleby and you were not taking it as well as I had hoped, so I left the rest for later. First the simple things. Mr Shepherd pointed something out that we had overlooked. Her coat. Where was her coat? Would you really go out in only a nightgown?"

She considered that point. He was right. Anyone would wear a coat. It was rather cold in the morning and a nightgown was far too thin to be walking around in comfortably. Yesterday morning she had worn a coat and in spite of that it had been chilly.

"She might have left her coat in the house, but that points to a hurried exit, very hurried, but there was no fire and surely if someone had been chasing her she would have screamed for help. It is more likely that someone outside took her coat and hid it."

"The maid said she often left the house in the morning, because her shoes were often wet. Of course her coat would have been in the cloakroom and the maid would not know if she took that."

"Her effects were taken back to Mr Shepherd's house and the coat was not among them. Neither is it in our cloakroom," said Captain Wentworth. "It was not on the body and there were no stains on the nightgown. I asked." He paused. "It may sound callous and unfeeling of me to have asked all these questions, but while Mr Shepherd is grieving, he is also convinced that something is not quite in order. He is not a stupid man. He also said his daughter was not stupid; she would not have gone out unthinkingly without a coat."

"Did he accept the possibility that she went out at all?" It was of course possible for a loving parent to deny that his child would ever do such a thing. Anne would not think it odd.

"Er, yes. He did not quite approve, but he knew. He knew -- he did not know she went out, but he knew it was the sort of thing she was up to lately. She was carrying someone's child, he said, and he had urged her to get the responsible party to marry her before it was too late. But he did not know who it was, because she had not wanted to say."

Anne did not know what to think, much less what to reply. Carrying someone's child. Such things happened, she knew, but she was always a little shocked when she heard of them.

Whether Captain Wentworth had been shocked when he heard the news was impossible to tell now. He seemed unaffected. "But it is also possible that she had got with child by accident and she was trying to get someone else to marry her."

"By accident," she repeated. "I did not know it could happen by accident."

"Not usually, no, as far as I know," Wentworth agreed. He crossed his arms. "So, we have two new little mysteries here. First, who had got Mrs Clay with child and when? Second, is there any truth in Mr Ingleby's supposition that Sir Walter got married on the sly? It is easy to suggest the two are related."

"No!" Anne exclaimed. Mrs Clay had not been carrying her father's child. Not. Never. And neither had he married her.

"You think he would not."

"I know he would not. And where is the woman? She cannot be Mrs Clay."

"Mr Ingleby said she was not, but I do not think it either, because she would not keep it a secret and this other woman does."

"Marrying a baronet?" Anne felt strong enough to be sarcastic again. "But it is every girl's dream!" Baronets, at least, seemed to think so.

"What will you do if Sir William turns out to be a dangerous man?"

"It is not and has never been my dream to marry a baronet. But I do not see how anyone could want to keep it a secret! The woman has debts to pay!" If only for that reason she ought to make herself known if she had any decency at all.

"Yes, there is that. I can imagine the creditors have been giving Mr Shepherd some rest because he has just lost a daughter. I have not seen as many strange men at the Hall as a few days ago."

"Have they not been to the Hall any more?" Anne did not think that creditors who had mouths to feed at home would give the debtor any rest. They could not. It was more likely that someone paid them than that they had suddenly become considerate. She had understood that some had been waiting for a long time already.

"Not in the last few days."

"Perhaps your sister scared them away. She frightened me too."

"Sophia?" Captain Wentworth was genuinely amazed.

"She wanted to know what I was up to and she seemed to be rather angry when I said she might have hired you to get rid of Mrs Clay because she had appeared before the admiral in her shift."

"Really? And you thought I would comply? I would laugh! In her shift! Pull yourself together! Seriously! We see a lot worse in ports than women in shifts!" He appeared to find that rather funny.

Anne wondered if she could ask what those worse things were, but it was probably not something a woman should ask. Perhaps he would tell her if she waited long enough. Then she was not to blame.

Suddenly a small child came into view and Captain Wentworth ducked behind the statue, although that was not very effective in Anne's opinion. The child was followed by Mrs Croft holding an even smaller child by the hand. "Good morning, Anne," she said. "Meet Isabella and Christopher. They will be staying with me for a fortnight."

The captain emerged from behind the statue. "Where did you get them from, Sophia?"

She raised her eyebrows at him. "May I know why you were behind that thing?"

"It is Poseidon."

His sister did not seem to care. "It is a thing."

"Children like hiding games, do they not?"

"Do not be silly with me." Mrs Croft seemed perfectly pleased with her new little friends as she wiped a little nose.

"Where did you get them from?" her brother inquired. "Even I know these things do not happen overnight."

"They were brought here after breakfast. Can you not guess who they are?"

Anne could. "It is very good of you," she said quietly.

"But what are you two doing here?" asked Mrs Croft, looking from one to the other.

"I was reading," said Anne, as if she had no idea what Captain Wentworth had been doing. She patted her book.

"I was just passing by," said he. "I am on my way to Mr Ingleby."

"You, to a rector?" Mrs Croft nearly laughed. "Bettering your life, are you?"

He chose not to answer, but bowed and departed. Anne hoped he was really gone and not hiding behind the hedge again.

Mrs Croft sat down beside Anne, the youngest child in her lap. Anne thought it was the boy, but it was difficult to tell. She could only guess it was about two years old from the way it had walked.

"Mrs Shepherd had been struggling for a few days. I offered to take the children for a while. The admiral agreed."

"They like you already," Anne observed.

"They only want somebody to play with them," Mrs Croft said modestly. "It is the very least I could do. I feel so sorry for the little ones. They are orphans now."

She was glad Mrs Croft did not ask her anything about the investigation. She was not yet ready to call it a real one, nor to speak about her cooperation with Frederick -- Captain Wentworth, she corrected herself. While currently distracted by the children and inquiries about suitable nursery maids, Mrs Croft was sharp.

The children soon started to fuss because they wanted to walk and Anne was alone again.

It did not last long. Sir William came to disturb her just when she was about to walk off herself. "I often find you here," he said as if he was happy to see her. "Is this a favourite place of yours?"

"I often come here because there is a bench, but I also like the other benches. It depends on the time of the day and where the sun is and that sort of thing," she said vaguely. She needed to walk to think about everything -- Mrs Clay, the mysterious woman, the little Clay children. It was difficult to keep her mind on the conversation and on giving sensible answers.

He did not seem to think he was interrupting her reading, because he installed himself rather comfortably beside her. "I shall go away pretty soon," he announced, pausing to give her the chance to voice a reaction.

Anne thought she was very likely not responding as he desired, but she could really not come up with anything better. "Has everything been sorted out?"

"Nearly everything," said he, looking quite expressively into her eyes. "There is more I would like to sort, but alas, that is not up to me."

Anne felt funny. She had the distinct impression that he was trying to say something to her. She could not reply anything.

"Do you not know of what I speak, Cousin?"

"No." Her voice trembled a little.

"It cannot have escaped your notice that I value and enjoy your company and I shall miss our conversations tremendously."

What was one to say to that? Anne could not bring herself to agree. Perhaps when she remained uncomprehending and not encouraging, he would give up. She had not conversed with him very much recently. Not since Mrs Clay's murder. "Well, those things happen," she said soothingly. "But being family I am sure we shall meet regularly."

He looked a little disappointed.

Anne wondered what Captain Wentworth was doing. He had said he was going to see Mr Ingleby. She was interested in the outcome of that conversation. Given that he had said any marriage would have taken place elsewhere, looking at the parish register would be useless, or she would have advised that. Or were those marriages also registered? She could not think of anyone ever looking at the records, so it might well remain a secret.

If no one wanted to reveal it, it must be purely a business contract. Money would have to be involved. Sir Walter had needed -- or felt he had needed -- a titled wife or one with money, if he married at all. Preferably a wife had both a title and a fortune, but Anne knew that beauties with a title and money had never yet been interested in marrying an older baronet. She did not imagine that had suddenly changed when her father was even worse off.

Which wealthy woman would sacrifice herself for Sir Walter's sake, however? No stranger would do it. It would have to be someone who knew Sir Walter and who was desirous of helping him in secret. Anne could think of only person and that was one who had always had the opportunity and never taken it: Lady Russell.

She stopped walking.

Anne could not imagine Lady Russell not telling her about something as important as this. It could not be. Lady Russell had been anxious about her father's debts and particularly anxious about the effects on his daughters, but she had never to Anne's knowledge even considered helping out financially, let alone marrying him.

Mr Ingleby had probably thought that Lady Russell ought and then assumed that she had, without being certain. Half the village had at some point in time thought that she would, after all. The rector would be no exception. There, it was nothing but supposition. She was relieved to have found the answer so soon.

And none of this could have anything to do with the death of Mrs Clay.

What would she do with a coat if she was the killer, she asked herself. It was an old coat of Elizabeth's and thus not easily given away to a local woman. People would ask questions if they saw someone with such a expensive thing. Elizabeth was not known to be generous with her discarded clothing, even if she had plenty. She would certainly not have given it to a farmer's wife. Mary took a lot of it.

If she had been in this position herself, she would likely burn or bury the coat. Anne roamed through the park for a while, as if she would suddenly come upon the hidden coat. There were plenty of places to hide a coat for a few days, although the gardeners would eventually find it.

And there were plenty of places where people could meet unobserved. In Poseidon's corner, naturally, but also in Athena's. Both had stone benches. She went to Athena for a change and sat down. Captain Wentworth's finding a footprint by the pond had made her attentive to the soil and she looked down. There were footprints here too. Not from running or walking people, for the ground to Athena's left did not lead anywhere except into the hedge.

Anne took care not to disturb the prints and peered around Athena's statue to see if by any chance the coat was hidden behind it. But then she realised what she was standing on -- a row of rocks the size of a fist that lined the empty flowerbed.

She stared at them for a few minutes.

Rocks. They had been looking for rocks by the pond, but here were some. Perhaps the episode with the rock -- Anne could not bring herself to describe it more clearly than that -- had not taken place by the pond at all. Was it necessary? Or could it have been here?

She sat back down on the bench and imagined Mrs Clay here with someone, who had then picked up a rock out of anger. Then he would have had the choice between leaving her there and having it clearly be a murder, or taking her to the pond and making it look like an accident. Evidently he had chosen the latter.

The rock might still be there, but she had little desire to look for it herself. She would leave that to Captain Wentworth. She was sure she would draw too much attention to herself if she found a rock with blood on it. It was best to tell him about it and let him check discreetly. She had no idea what the perpetrator might do if he feared that someone was on his trail.

Chapter Ten

Posted on 2013-12-29

She had to find Frederick -- Captain Wentworth -- and tell him about the rock, but he had gone to see Mr Ingleby again and she could not think of any excuse to call on the man. There might be something she could speak to Mrs Ingleby about, however, and if she was lucky the captain was still there. She started to walk in that direction.

But then again, Mrs Croft had spoken to her in the meantime and so had Sir William, and then she had walked through the park. She had not checked the time, but at least fifteen minutes must have passed, probably closer to thirty. Captain Wentworth might no longer be with Mr Ingleby, assuming they were still not the best of friends. Any conversation of theirs would have been short. She would be too late.

Also, Ingleby might have been out. He did occasionally visit people or run errands, Anne supposed. She stopped while she was wondering what to do. Eventually she walked on.

Arriving at the rectory, she could not come up with a single excuse to call on Mrs Ingleby. She did not really like Mrs Ingleby, she decided, who was quite dull, and not longer being connected to the Hall, she could not go and make simple inquiries about villagers. Well, she could, but she could not think of anyone to make inquiries about today. Her mind was completely taken up by other things. She failed to direct her thoughts in other directions.

She walked on. Waiting outside would be useless if he was probably already gone.

It was a good decision, for after having walked for ten minutes, ahead in the distance she saw a figure she recognised.

"I need you to look at something," Anne said breathlessly as soon as he was within hearing. After she had spoken she wondered if she ought to have asked him, perhaps. She sounded so demanding now.

He did not immediately ask what, but greeted her stiffly. It puzzled her. Perhaps she had indeed sounded too demanding. But then he spoke. "Someone might be watching," he explained. "They might wonder why you stopped hurrying when you found me, as if you were looking for me, which you could not be."

"Oh. Yes. I really should go that way," she pointed for the benefit of a hidden onlooker, "but it is so impolite, is it not? You do not know the area well and might be lost."

"Indeed. I have never before been here and walked here. What is that way, other than the village?"

"Farms, more villages."

"Rabbit holes?"

"Those too."

"I already half sprained my ankle stepping into a rabbit hole, so I had best not go that way. I think I might head back to Kellynch Hall. Perhaps, if it does not keep you from your errand, you could show me the shortest way."

"Well, you could climb over this gate here," Anne gestured at a wooden gate in the hedge to her left.

"This gate? What would Sir William think of that?" Wentworth said in a low voice. "You had best not come with me, but I wonder which one of us he would follow if you did not. This is quite a lonely lane. I am not sure what is best."

Anne was a little surprised at the captain not knowing what was best. Heretofore he had never had any trouble on that score. "I was not really going anywhere, but why do you mention Sir William?"

"He was some distance behind you."

"He spoke to me earlier. Perhaps he means to ask me again whether I am not terribly sad about his imminent departure." She frowned when she considered the possibility that he had been following her ever since their conversation. It was good that she had not called at the rectory after all and that she had stopped only briefly to look at the house.

"Oh, yes," said Captain Wentworth. "He told me. I did not mention this to you before, but I hope you would know better than to believe any sweet-talking he does."

Anne was silent for a few moments. "Does he speak about that, or about me, to you?"

He gave a little shrug. "He marks his territory. Drops a few hints here and there about the particular understanding he and you have. I did not perceive one, so I was not particularly concerned, but if he is following you, he must be sensing that the heavier cannons are required."

"But that is horrible!" She had coloured as she spoke and the mention of cannons really clinched it. "I do not like to be spoken of."

He shrugged as if he did not feel he was to blame and wisely changed the subject. "I spoke to Mr Ingleby. He does not like showing his whole hand any more than Sir William does."

"Because it is all supposition on his part," said Anne, who could not bring herself to think otherwise. She leant against the gate and looked into the meadow. She had to tell him what she had concluded and dismissed. Yes, anything was better than speaking about herself.

Captain Wentworth climbed over it. He had glanced back to where he had last seen Sir William, but he had seen nothing. It did not mean the man was not spying on them. Still, it would take him another minute or two to get here. "That shed. Climb over and run to it."

"Run?" Anne was uncertain of his intentions, but she obeyed nevertheless. She guessed she should probably hide on its other side.

"Good," said the captain, joining her there. "Although this might make me look suspicious in his eyes, I doubt he will follow us hither."

"Does it not make me look suspicious?"

"No, for any disappearance of yours could only be at my instigation. In his opinion."

"Does he think we are on his trail?"

"Probably something else," he said vaguely, peering around the wooden shed. "He might think we crossed the meadow to that wood over there. It should be possible in a minute."

She did not care to think about what that something else was that she could be doing here with Captain Wentworth. She had an inkling it would make her blush. "What of Mr Ingleby?"

"Peculiar man. Suppose it is Sir William and it might well be, because he has also been to see Mr Ingleby, or the reverse. They have spoken. Mr Ingleby, I suspect, likes to stir up a little trouble here and there. Sir William also needs to find out who the woman is who allegedly married Sir Walter, because he was not told either."

"The woman needs to have money, otherwise there is no point." Anne briefly considered again the possibility of her father marrying a titled lady, but quickly dismissed it. He would not have kept silent about it if he had.

"Why?"

"He...well, I concluded that he would have married two kinds of women: titled or rich ones. I cannot see a titled lady going along with such a scheme, because she would not have benefited."

"Could there not have been a titled woman who loved him?"

"Stranger things have happened, of course, but it does not sound likely to me. Therefore, if there is a wife, she needs to have money, because she does not have a title."

Captain Wentworth pondered this reasoning. "Would Sir William draw that conclusion too if he knew your father well?"

"I cannot say when he would. But he did so after getting rid of Mrs Clay? He did not see Mr Ingleby before then, I mean?" she asked. "Why get rid of Mrs Clay?"

"Well, I do not like defending anyone in this case, but I must say she was the most likely candidate for a wife at a first glance, having been so much in the company of your sister and father. Perhaps he was not yet thinking along the lines of money then. He did not know Sir Walter well and perhaps he knew very little of his debts? Neither of your sisters seemed to have known about them."

"That type of ignorance defies all logic."

"But if I am not mistaken there was hardly any contact between your family and his until Sir Walter died. Sir William did probably not know about the debts. The first thing he would have seen was Mrs Clay's dubious position in the family."

"But one does not kill until one is certain of there being a purpose to the killing."

"Yes, that is puzzling," the captain admitted. "However, we are looking at this from too rational a viewpoint. We may need to take a more irrational, impulsive, passionate approach. She may have lied to tease him. And we should not forget that Mr Shepherd said she was expecting. If Sir William also knew, he might not have inquired further."

"How could he know?" Anne wondered. "Unless she told him or he saw it. And he could still not be certain he would be replaced as baronet by that child."

"No, but he could fear he was."

"He seems too -- well, not impulsive or reckless enough for that," she said with a look of doubt. Sir William had always struck her as calculating and somewhat reserved, not in manners but in openness.

"Perhaps she was asking for money. You pay me and I will not tell anyone you are not really the new baronet yet?" he tried.

"Would he take the risk?"

"Would he take the risk of her having a boy and then producing a marriage certificate? It could have been a girl, but it would have been a large risk."

"It is also a large risk to murder someone for nothing."

"Yes, that is the rational viewpoint," said Captain Wentworth. "Can you think of any wealthy women who were acquainted with your father?"

"Yes, Lady Russell," Anne said immediately, knowing he would come up with this name by himself before long. She had best mention it straight away and have him agree to dismiss it. "But I have already considered this and it cannot be her. It is absolutely out of the question."

"By all accounts they were good friends," Wentworth said in a thoughtful tone.

"But she is my godmother. I cannot believe she would do such a thing."

"She would refuse to help your father? And, indirectly, her goddaughter?"

"She would help, but not the other things you have suggested!" Anne's face showed a mortified blush. "She and I drew up plans for retrenchment. That was her sort of help. She would not involve me in that, ask my opinion, and then behind my back marry my father so he could pay his debts with her money. Let alone all the other things."

Captain Wentworth was perceptive. "The possible child?"

She was aghast. "She is like a mother to me. Would you believe it of your mother?"

"Do you think I am related to my sister and brother?"

"Yes."

"Well, then I must believe it of my mother. Who has, by the way, been dead for too long for me to remember anything at all about her principles regarding penniless baronets. The only thing Lady Russell has against her is her age, perhaps. How old is she? Is she past forty-six?"

"I do not exactly know. Why forty-six?"

"My mother gave birth to me when she was forty-six. It was not very good for her health, but that is another matter. I am in perfect health, so a future little baronet could also be in perfect health. My mother proved that it was possible."

"I still do not know," Anne said doubtfully. "One does not ask a lady's age. My mother would have been..." She thought for a second. "Forty-eight. I assume that as her friend, Lady Russell would be around the same age, although I had a friend at school who was three years older."

"Ask her how old she is," he advised her. "It is very important to our inquiries."

Anne watched Captain Wentworth peer around the shed again. "I cannot ask her! What if she asks me why? I could hardly tell her that you suspect her of...of...unspeakable things."

He looked back briefly. "They are in fact good and advantageous things if they are true. There he goes," he said. "What a coincidence that he is taking exactly the same route, which is not a well-travelled way, is it? That gate is rather an obstruction. I cannot imagine people climbing over it often."

Anne could only shake her head and move when he gestured for her to do so. They were moving out of sight, she supposed. After a minute she remember that she had something to tell him. "I have something to show you at Athena's bench. There are rocks there."

"Rocks?" His interest was piqued immediately.

"I have not examined them yet. One might be the weapon."

"So then we would know how and where. We need to know who."

Anne agreed, but she did not see how they could progress any faster except by asking someone and having him admit he did it. And that was hardly going to happen.

"But we cannot go to Aphrodite's bench now."

"Athena's," she corrected. "But they are near each other."

"It would look suspicious if you came across me and we went straight to that rock. He is following you for a reason, I suppose, or is he thinking of proposing?"

She started. "Proposing?"

"Yes, does he suspect you of being on his trail or are you simply difficult to capture?"

"I am tempted to say the first," she said with a blush. "Although I do not know how or why he could think so. I have not spoken to him about the case at all. Have you?"

"No. He has only spoken of it as an accident and I did not change his mind. It is only our prowling around the park that could have made him curious."

Anne had sat down on a log and wondered what they could do. "Curiosity is a natural reaction. Very understandable. It does not prove his guilt."

"Unfortunately. And unfortunately we do not know where Sir William is now. He disappeared into the wood, but we need to wait a while before we can leave this place. He may yet come out."

Chapter Eleven

Posted on 2014-01-04

Being stuck here was dangerous. They might have to resort to repeating everything about the case they had said before to pass the time, or they might be forced to speak about something more personal. Anne searched desperately for a topic that was neither. "Your sister," she began, but then she wondered what about Mrs Croft she could say. Something about their conversation? Or about the children? Yes, the children would do, even if it was none of her business what happened to them.

"Yes?" Captain Wentworth was poking at the soles of his shoes with a twig. Apparently he could not think of anything better to do either, for there was little under his shoe that would not get back under it the moment he walked away again.

"What do you think of her taking in the children?"

He paused his poking to take a good look at her. "Would you ask that if you thought they were really coming for only a fortnight?"

"Well...I had not really thought about that yet."

"Oh yes, you had."

Anne coloured. "In some way, I suppose." She had thought it a good solution -- for the fortnight, at least, and she had wondered if Mrs Croft would be able to part with them afterwards. There had been something about Mrs Croft that had made her wonder.

"And you thought the same thing I was thinking."

"Possibly." She could not say if he did not tell her what that was.

"The time is right. I can see their stay being extended."

"Do you disapprove?" she asked. If he was planning to live with his sister for another while, such an addition to the family might affect him as well. And perhaps he did not think she should take in such a woman's children, but she rather thought he would think they could grow up to be something entirely different. If they joined the Navy, especially.

"No," he said slowly. "I expected there to be a child one way or another when they were settled. She always had children on board to look after. Some of the boys at sea are very young. I expected her to find someone here, or have one of her own, or however one comes by them. Anything to take the weight off me," he added with a slight smile.

Anne quietly marvelled at speaking about something nearly personal with him.

"Lady Russell," he said suddenly. "Why do you think she would not have married your father, other than that you would feel betrayed?"

Yes, she would feel betrayed. He had seen that right. Had she said so? She did not think she had and therefore it must have been his own idea. "I do not think she would take marriage so lightly. If she had really wanted to give her money away, she could have. There was no need to get married for it."

"It would have been easier for your father to have her fortune at his disposal rather than having to ask her for some money every time."

"Yes, but if she wanted to retain some control, she would not do it that way. He would only take her money and spend it. If someone simply offered him access to a new source of money he would not adapt his ways at all and it would only be a matter of time before that money was all gone as well." That was the sad truth and Lady Russell had known it. Anne was sure of that. Sir Walter would have spent it before it could have been used to settle his debts. Therefore Lady Russell would not have married him.

Captain Wentworth looked pensive. "That makes some sense."

It made every sense, Anne wanted to say, but she did not.

"Could there not be another motive for marrying? Perhaps she loved him?"

"They were friends. That is not enough." She clenched her fists and hoped they would be able to keep the conversation on Lady Russell. Or better yet, start talking about something else. She did not want him to start asking her what was enough for a marriage. They had once disagreed.

"That does not apply to everyone. Older people marry for more practical reasons, I should think."

"But she could have married him any time in the past ten years and she did not. Surely if there were any feelings they would have acted on them long before?"

"They might have, without being married."

"How? Oh." Of course. Perhaps it would have been more agreeable to speak about herself instead.

"But you will not allow for that possibility."

She shook her head firmly. "No and it makes no sense either." Or rather, she did not want it to.

"Suppose Lady Russell was accidentally got with child after several years of having good luck. It happens. They would have needed to resolve the situation then."

Anne did not talk as easily about these things as he did. The idea of never having known that her father might have had some understanding or arrangement with Lady Russell made her sick. It could not be true. It happened, as he said, but it happened elsewhere. Not at Kellynch and not to the Elliots.

"It happens," repeated Captain Wentworth almost cruelly. He seemed to feel nothing of her distress. "If they were meeting each other often en feelings took over..." But then something occurred to him and his expression changed. "Dangerous, indeed, such a long acquaintance."

"I would have known," Anne said, mainly to convince herself. But if they had been intent on keeping it a secret they might have done their best to hide it from her. She tried to remember if they had ever been alone together for a longer period of time, something to which she had never paid any attention.

"Why? They would not have told you if they were not married, because it would have been a secret. You can probably keep secrets, but one or both would have lost your respect if they had confided in you. Am I right?"

"Yes."

"So they would not have told you, unless they had married respectably."

"But you think they did not do that either. Secretly is not exactly respectably either."

"It is. I mean, it can be. But I do not think they would have told you in any case, because you would have advised Lady Russell against marrying. That is very clear."

"Yes, even though it is not my place to advise anyone."

"Perhaps she knew and yet she wanted to carry this through because..." He did not immediately know why.

"There was nothing in it for her."

"That is charity for you. You forget she may have known about the child. The second theory. The first was money, the second the child. If she suddenly had a child coming, she would have wanted to remain respectable by marrying Sir Walter."

Anne rested her head against the back of the shed and closed her eyes. So often people built theories and arguments on a basis that was not sound at all. The theories might sound logical but they were not. Surely he could see that? Perhaps he needed to be told in terms with which he was familiar.

"Do you want to jump into the pond again?"

"Yes." She opened her eyes when something struck her. "For someone who does not trust clergymen you have an awful lot of faith in his lies." The unsound foundation originated with Mr Ingleby. If they could go back to that and prove that it was unsound, all theories would fall apart.

"Oh." This silenced Captain Wentworth for a good while. "Yes. But it is an angle we really should investigate. Just in case it is the truth."

If it was really possible, they should look into it, but she did not think it was. "But you do not trust him, so why trust his story?"

"Do you trust him?"

"Not if he says things like this. Doubt him! This ship is slowly making water. It may look good, but it is going under inch by inch. There is a hole in it -- it is in fact nothing but hole! What does the admiral say?"

The sudden mention of the admiral confused him. "About?"

"Anything. I like him. He has refreshing ideas. I think he would agree with me."

"Certainly. He does seem to think of you as someone he might agree with," Captain Wentworth conceded carefully.

Anne raised her eyebrows questioningly, but she was not looking at him. Something in the corner of the field, where it sloped down out of sight to wa tering hole, had caught her eye, but it was not Sir William. It was a cow. "Does he now? He would agree that it would make no sense for Lady Russell to get married."

He thought about it. "If his wife were dead, he would not secretly cavort with another woman for more than ten years. Not even for more than ten days. If he found one he liked, he would marry her before ten days had passed. Of course he would not think Sir Walter did anything in secret at all, because he would not do anything in secret himself."

"He has seen worse in ports, you said. You make him out to be completely ignorant of what others do." She did not think that was just.

Captain Wentworth looked a little annoyed to be reminded of that. "But that has nothing to do with this. That had to do with women in shifts, not with women with designs on men."

"Just precisely how do women in ports dress?" Anne could no longer resist the question.

"That depends on how respectable they are and how cold it is. Quite a large number depend on sailors' business. They would not get that business if they were buttoned up to their necks."

"Oh." She looked ahead and pointed. "It is very ironic at this point in the conversation to suggest we try going into the shed unobtrusively, is it not?"

"Are you afraid of cows?"

"That, Captain, is not a cow."

"Why, if that thing is dangerous, did it not go after Sir William?" Captain Wentworth grumbled after they had crawled into the shed as unobtrusively as possible. It was dark there and it smelled, despite there not being a door.

"Some people have all the luck." Anne examined her hands. They were dirty now, but that was the least of her problems. It seemed to be only earth and grass, and all that could be washed off. It was not cow dung -- or bull dung -- which would smell, but she had a suspicion that some of that was around nearby.

He looked around the small space. "If it comes in here, we shall not have any."

"You could knock it over the head with that plank while I run away," Anne suggested. She looked around herself and saw there was no place to hide, except back out through the large crack in the wall they had used to come in. But that would take too long if the bull really came to stand in the doorway.

The captain gave a humourless laugh. "Why is that bull not locked up?"

"I suppose because they did not count on our coming here." Or because the weather had been mild so far.

"Why did you not say there was a bull in this field?"

"I did not know. They move them around. We can walk back to the gate. It may not notice."

"Or it may."

"Well," Anne decided after a few more minutes during which the bull had wandered closer very slowly. It seemed still more interested in grass than in exploring who had taken refuge in its shed. "We cannot stay here until the bull is moved to the stable. That may be days or weeks. It will come in here for the hay." She wriggled a little. "I should really like to reach a house soon. If we stay here much longer I also shall not be able to run."

"I shall turn around," Captain Wentworth offered when he guessed her meaning.

"I am afraid that will not be enough," Anne apologised. "I do not think I could..."

He sighed and peered out of the crack. "It is looking the other way. Hurry. I shall step out briefly. If I can get out to the other side unseen, we can try this later as well."

"Thank you," she murmured and waited until he had carefully stepped out and slid around the corner with his back pressed against the wall. She had kept an eye on the bull, but it had not noticed Captain Wentworth. She tried to go about her business as quickly and quietly as possible. Then she checked the bull, but it was still wandering aimlessly some distance from the shed with its backside turned towards her.

She decided to risk it and slipped out of the shed the way Captain Wentworth had done. Still the bull saw nothing, yet she breathed heavily when she reached the side of the shed. The gate in the hedge was only a short run away. "I am sorry," she said.

"It is nothing," he said with a shrug. "It was important to restore your ability to run. I do not know about English bulls, but Spanish bulls are deadly."

Anne eyed the gate again. "English bulls can also run very fast, I am told."

"They can certainly run very fast if they are provoked by sudden movement," said Captain Wentworth. "I do not think we should run. I do like this challenge, you know."

"I do not."

"Come, we shall win. We shall not be outwitted by a bull." He took her hand and gave it an encouraging squeeze. "The hedge is very near."

Anne looked at the hedge. It was. Nevertheless, the squeeze had rendered her unable to think. What did it matter that the hedge was near? There was no gate very near. Was she supposed to climb over a hedge?

"In that spot," he pointed. "You can crawl underneath."

"Underneath?" It was not the first place a lady would look, but now that she did, she noticed there was an opening of sorts, probably used by dogs or foxes. It would be an awful squeeze.

"You do want to get out of this meadow, do you?"

"Yes, yes. Could you go first and show me what you mean precisely?"

"What, and leave you here?" he asked incredulously. "No, you go first. You crawl there, slowly, and slide under the hedge on your stomach. Should the bull see you or come closer, I shall distract it. There is nothing to worry about."

Anne was not so sure. She set out in a slow crawl. It was not very easy wearing a coat and a gown, and with a bull nearby.

Chapter Twelve

Posted on 2014-01-11

When Anne was close to the hedge, there was a shout. Instead of looking up, she increased her pace as much as she could. She had not heard the heavy thumping of a bull running closer, after all. It could not be directly behind her and she was only a very short crawl away from the hedge. In two seconds she had reached it and flattened herself underneath, pulling down the lowest branch to hide herself from view. If she stayed very still it might lose interest. Then she looked back.

The bull had come in her direction and might have seen her, if someone or something had not distracted him. It was now running towards something on the other side of the shed. Frederick! Anne wanted to shout as well, but she doubted the bull would listen. She was terrified. She backed away under the hedge onto the lane and ran to the gate. Behind it she would be safe, she thought, and she would be able to see what was going on. She htoped Captain Wentworth had gone into the shed. He was not stupid, but he was a little bit reckless.

She took off her coat and waved it when the stupid-looking bull came into view. It appeared to be looking for Frederick, but he had disappeared. Anne hoped so, at least. He could also be lying unconscious or dead behind the shed, although she had not heard any cries.

Suddenly Captain Wentworth came around the other corner. He had probably been inside indeed and crawled out through the crack. The bull had lost him, but it was still enraged. Walking away was not advisable. Anne hoped he would not try. She waved at him with her coat to let him know where she was.

"What will you do if it crashes through the gate?" he shouted, clearly thinking her action was not a clever plan.

She had no idea. Could it crash through the gate? Were gates not meant to prevent that? What use was a gate if a bull could simply run it over? She looked at it fearfully.

The bull decided to go for Anne and with a shriek she ducked out of sight behind the hedge. That was hardly enough, she discovered, for the gate cracked. It did not yet break, so she ran back to where she had come out of the field. Captain Wentworth was just trying to crawl out, having seized the opportunity to run from the shed to the hedge. There was no space for both of them under the hedge, and hardly any space for him alone, so she glanced back in terror, but there was no bull in the lane. It was still in the field.

"Quick! It is coming after you now. Your legs, hurry!" Anne urged. She broke some branches so he had more room and she pulled at his arms.

Finally Captain Wentworth lay in the lane and the bull attacked the hedge behind him.

"Can it break through?" Anne wondered anxiously. In that case she should not keep standing here, but she would need to find another place to hide. Behind a thick tree, perhaps? There was one on the other side of the lane.

"Let us not wait to find out," he said, scrambling to his feet. He seized Anne by the hand and hurried down the lane, away from the gate.

After some distance the hedge ended and a stone wall continued. It looked to be enclosing a different field. Anne climbed onto the wall. She needed some rest. They had hurried in spite of not seeing the bull follow them and she was out of breath. "Where is the bull?" she asked.

"It has not come after us." Captain Wentworth was reassured enough to give his dishevelled appearance a critical glance.

Anne studied her coat as well. It was dirty, but it was still in one piece. She was not so sure about her gown. Being a more delicate fabric, that could well be torn. She noticed only then that he was limping. "Are you hurt?"

"Well, it did something to my foot. I cannot say what, because I did not stop to look." And he refused to look now too.

"Let me see," she said concernedly.

"I am not bleeding and I can run with it, so I shall live," he said with an indifferent shrug. "Thank you for distracting the bull so I could make my escape. It became quite alert once it had seen us, as if it had been longing for action for some time."

Anne said nothing. Not all of their former familiarity had been restored yet and his thanking her still unsettled her.

"Walk home. I shall follow you at a discreet distance," he said.

"Why can you not walk with me?" She looked at this other field with distrust. Who knew if there was not another bull nearby? Or the same one? She would feel a lot safer with Captain Wentworth. Now she would be expecting bulls everywhere.

"Because we both look as if we have been rolling in the hay."

"Together?"

"Well, there is little point in rolling in the hay alone, I should think. If we go separately, chances are people will see only one of us and they will not think of that."

"Surely," Anne tried with a dignified look, "nobody will think that of me?" She was Miss Elliot, formerly of Kellynch Hall. She did not engage in such activities.

"I cannot say, Madam," Captain Wentworth said, stiffly all of a sudden. "I do not know what you were up to these past eight years."

"I do not even know what people do in the hay!" she cried unhappily. "For all we know they might also have been escaping bulls -- or rats!"

He did not want to speak more about it and regretted his reference to the past. "Yes, perhaps. I shall follow you."

"Why does everyone want to follow me today?" Anne exclaimed. " Sir William, a bull, you. It really makes me uncomfortable."

"I am sorry, but I feel it is for your own safety. You may be in danger. Just like Lady Russell. Ingleby did not tell him the woman's name, but if he suspects it is Lady Russell --"

"We do not know if it is. Nor if Sir William is dangerous in any way."

"Of course he is only behaving suspiciously for no reason at all. And no, he does not know who the woman is, so he needs to find out. And that means Lady Russell is in danger. He will need to ask her, but he will reveal too much about himself if he does," Captain Wentworth said slowly, thinking it over. "I need to know if you married Sir Walter, because if you do, I must get rid of you. He cannot put it like that."

"So you think he will simply get rid of her? Even though it will only be to his advantage to do so if she is carrying Sir Walter's child."

"Yes."

"But she will not tell him, if she will not even tell me. And if it is not true she never will."

"And how would he ask? I must keep an eye on him," he decided. "And in the meantime you must ask Lady Russell if it is true."

"I cannot!" Anne exclaimed. "It is -- I cannot! One does not ask people such a thing."

"Then how do others find out about impending births?"

"They see it, but if you think a woman might simply be fat, you will not know for certain until after the birth."

"We may not have that long. When does one see?"

"I do not know. It depends, I suppose. But --" Something occurred to Anne. "Why should he only act now, after we found out? If he is dangerous he already knew who killed Mrs Clay; he did not have to spend so much time looking into that as we did. He has had some time already to devote entirely to this matter."

"Most people think a lot slower than I do. Not all; I would not go that far," Captain Wentworth said modestly. "But most."

Anne walked on alone. She did not know whether she felt comfortable with Captain Wentworth following her or not. One the one hand, it was safe. On the other hand, she simply did not like being followed. And walking through the wood with one or two people following her was even more unpleasant. Someone could be hiding behind every tree. This was not a path she often took; in fact, she hoped she remember to take the right turns, because she must have last been here five or more years ago.

She pondered Lady Russell's being in danger. She was only in danger if the villain was Sir William. If someone else had murdered Mrs Clay, he had no reason to be afraid of Lady Russell. Anne was still hoping it was someone else, naturally. It would have nothing to do with her family in that case, but it would be strictly something between Mrs Clay and that other person. No family would like the heir to go around murdering people.

Had the Elliots not been unfortunate enough? Anne thought with a sob. It was time for happiness and good fortune.

She could not help keeping an eye out for Sir William, but she did not see him. When she turned -- which she tried not to do but which she could not help doing -- she did not see Captain Wentworth either. What if he had given up following her because his foot hurt? Or he had run into Sir William? Or some villain would run into her now? Anne wanted to break into a run.

But she told herself it was not Sir William; it was someone else. Sir William was only looking for her to gauge her feelings. She was in control of those at least. She would not tell him anything she did not feel.

Arriving at the edge of the park, she first assumed she was safe, but then she remembered that Mrs Clay had met an untimely end in the park. If she avoided the labyrinth and other hiding places, she would feel safer, but walking across the open lawn might mean people saw her dirty coat. Although if she was running they might not stop her.

She ran.

At Kellynch Lodge she was safe and she did not care who saw her dirty clothes. She did not mind saying she had fled from a bull, but she kept Captain Wentworth out of the story. Lady Russell came to hear of it, naturally, and she came to Anne's room. Anne thought of what Captain Wentworth wanted her to ask, but she could not yet do it. First she had to reassure Lady Russell with regard to the bull.

"I hid in a shed," she said, "and then I crawled under a hedge."

"Crawled under a hedge?" Lady Russell looked horrified.

Anne took this as proof that her godmother would never roll in the hay. She felt more confident that she would not hear anything shocking if she did ask, but she did not have the courage yet to ask anything outright. She would have a day and a half until she could speak to Captain Wentworth again, she assumed, because tomorrow was Sunday, and that gave her some air.

"It was better than being trampled," she replied. "But the shed was quite smelly, so my gown might smell."

"What were you doing in that field?"

Anne decided she would keep Captain Wentworth out of the story for as long as she could. "I thought it was a quicker way home. I had not seen the bull. He was by the watering hole, I suppose."

"Oh dear. I am happy you came away unscathed. You are unhurt, are you not? The gown does not matter."

"Yes, I am unhurt."

"Good. You must have had quite a fright."

"Yes."

Anne did not know if she should wait until dinner to ask anything. Certainly, if she could come up with a question she should await the right moment to ask it. Dinner might not be suitable for all too unsettling questions; there were often servants around. When Lady Russell retired to dinner she had time to think.

At the dinner table, she waited for the servants to retire. "Did you never consider marrying my father?" she then asked.

Lady Russell looked surprised, but not shocked or angry. She lowered her fork thoughtfully. "Why are you thinking about that?"

"Well," Anne said with a blush. It seemed to be easy, but it could still become difficult. "It would have made everything different, would it not? I was simply wondering how it would have been today if you had."

"I never considered it. Not seriously. Your mother, of whom I was very fond and whose last wishes I would always honour, made me promise never to marry him."

That surprised Anne. "Why did she make you promise?"

"I am not sure I should tell you exactly."

"Please." If she was not told she would guess. She would rather know than guess incorrectly.

Lady Russell tried to eat a bit. Dinner would become cold if she did not.Then she spoke. "Your mother had come to feel your father and she were not perfectly suited. She did not want this for me, even if he would not hit me. She believed I could be of enough use, or influence if you will, living nearby."

"Oh." Anne thought it over. Of course Lady Russell had been of use that way. "But what if he had threatened to marry someone wholly unsuitable? You could not have had the same influence if there had been a new Lady Elliot."

"Yes, we considered that. That would have been difficult, but there are other ways. I could have taken you in to live with me, as I have done now. Stepmothers do not always mind if their stepchildren leave. Besides, I was not meddling for my own sake; I was doing what I had been asked and it is always easier to give that up than to give up a character trait."

Anne thought quickly how she could slip all the other theories into the conversation without raising any suspicions. It was possible, of course, to give up and tell Captain Wentworth it had been too difficult, but she did not want to disappoint him. "I suppose that is true. But it could have prevented his debts."

"What could have?"

"Marrying him."

"It could? We did not speak of that. We spoke mostly of you and your sisters. Your father did not have debts at the time."

"Although I suppose having your fortune at his disposal would not help much to settle his debts."

"I do not know. I have never considered it," Lady Russell said with a frown. This was not something she could grasp in an instant. "I do not know if I could have prevented anything."

"So you did not ever think of marrying him?" Anne trusted she would be able to tell if her godmother was lying.

"I did not," she said with a slight emphasis.

Chapter Thirteen

Posted on 2014-01-18

Anne had not missed that emphasis. "Who did then?"

"He did once hint, but..." Lady Russell shrugged.

"Did my father want to marry you?"

"I think he had just suffered a disappointment -- some younger woman was not interested -- and I was available instead. It had occurred to him that by marrying again he could have a son, or perhaps someone had told him so. The idea was on his mind somehow. But then the young lady was not interested and he lost courage, so he approached me." Lady Russell took another bite to let Anne digest this information.

"But you said no?"

"I did not tell him your mother had made me promise not to marry him," she said with a slight smile. "He did think well of her, after all, and it would have been unkind of me to let him know that perhaps his wife had thought less well of him. But I could point out that my childlessness was not a point in my favour. I was very likely not going to give him any children at all."

"Because you could not?"

"I do not know. The fault may well have lain with Sir Henry. I have known people to have a child after several years, but they are rare. I paid close attention to such people at the time, but there were not many."

"Perhaps you were too old. I have heard it can still happen at forty-six," Anne mused.

Lady Russell dropped her knife, but since a servant was just coming in with the next course, she could only look utterly astonished. By the time the servant had left, however, she had apparently been able to sort her thoughts. "That is not an uplifting thought, Anne."

"It is not?" Anne had been observing her anxiously. The dropping of the knife had been alarming. She had perhaps offended.

"I do not remember exactly how old I was when Sir Walter suggested the idea, but I am guessing it was eight or nine years ago. If you thought I was fifty eight or nine years ago -- oh dear!"

"Well, I have no idea. It is not something one asks a lady," she mumbled with a mortified blush.

"Best guess and insult them," Lady Russell muttered.

"I am sorry."

"But where did you hear it can still happen at forty-six?"

"Someone I know told me."

"A married lady?"

As the person was neither married nor a lady, Anne grimaced. Should she lie? "It was someone whose mother was forty-six when she had a child, so that was proof."

"Oh. Well. Do eat a bit, Anne."

Anne obeyed, but she would rather talk more. So her mother had made Lady Russell promise not to marry Sir Walter and Lady Russell said she had therefore never even considered the idea herself. Not even to help him out financially. It sounded believable. But what if she had been carrying Sir Walter's child? Lady Russell said she had told Sir Walter she would likely not have any children, but that might well be an excuse to satisfy other people in order to cover up her own actions. She would have to think like Frederick here.

"Although," she began, "I am wondering, is it possible to get with child and then marry?"

"That is a very odd question."

"Is it possible?" Anne pressed.

"Yes, I am told it is the peasant way," Lady Russell said calmly.

"But someone in dire need of an heir...? Who cannot take the risk of his wife's being barren?"

"They do it too on occasion, I suppose, but they never tell me about it."

"How?"

Her godmother pressed her lips together and it was clear she would rather not answer. "You will know after you have married."

"But suppose someone wishes to make sure first that I am really able to have children?" That might be a good way to find out without making Lady Russell think she was asking about her.

"Then you will tell him you will not cooperate," Lady Russell said decisively. "It is no guarantee. The child may die; many do. The child may be a girl; many are. The child may be the only one you will ever have."

There was something in her voice that made Anne look more closely. "Did it happen to you?"

"It does not matter what happened to me, Anne," Lady Russell said in a gentle voice. "I am perfectly pleased with being a widow. I would not trade it for the world. Yet I should like to see you married. I believe it would suit you. But you should not marry too hastily and come to regret it, and you should not go along with scandalous schemes."

"Would you not even consider marrying again if you met a perfect man?"

"If it improved my life, I might consider it, but at present I cannot imagine how it would. And perfect men do not exist."

What did she know about Sir Henry Russell, really? Very little. Lady Russell hardly ever mentioned him. Since he was not buried here, she had no idea how old he had been, but she had always had the impression that he had been older than his wife. Added to that now was the impression that marriage to him had not been a very delightful experience, because there was no desire to see it repeated.

She could ask Lady Russell about this another time perhaps. Right now she had to think of the case. What had she discovered? Lady Russell had never married Sir Walter. There could therefore not be an unborn heir here. Still, Captain Wentworth would say that Sir William could not yet know, so that Lady Russell was still in danger. Perhaps someone could drop hints in his presence so he would look elsewhere. It should not be too difficult for Captain Wentworth to do. Perhaps before or after church tomorrow she could give him a sign.

"Why are you asking all these questions?" asked Lady Russell.

"Certain occasions make one wonder how it could have been today if it had all gone differently," Anne improvised.

"That is true. But I do hope that you are not holding me in part responsible for your father's debts because I did not marry him."

Anne was quick to assure her that she was not. Then she thought of something. "Did he also not marry someone else?" Although she was certain that if he had told Lady Russell about that, Lady Russell would have told her just now. Anyone would like to turn the attention away from herself.

Lady Russell looked as if that was as odd a question as all the preceding ones. "When? And whom?"

"Someone with money?" Anne agreed that it was an odd question indeed, but it could not be helped. She looked a little embarrassed, but she did not want to come back to Captain Wentworth empty-handed.

"Why would someone with money marry him?"

"I do not know that either."

"And where would she be now?"

"It makes no sense, I agree, for a Lady Elliot to be invisible at this moment, but I have to tell you that there are people who believe there is a new Lady Elliot." She hoped it was wise to reveal this information.

"Who?"

"I heard this from someone who heard it from someone else." And that sounded extremely trustworthy, she realised.

"There is someone saying there is a new Lady Elliot? Sir William's wife? He has a wife?"

"No, no, my father's wife. Widow. Someone is saying my father secretly married a woman before his death."

"That is ridiculous!" Lady Russell exclaimed.

"Yes, it is."Anne wondered if she should have started out with his information. "But you will understand why I am trying to find out whether it is true."

"And who is the source of this gossip?"

"I would rather not say, because I do not know what you would do and what would happen then," Anne said cautiously. "What with Mrs Clay dying an unnatural death, we ought to be careful."

"Unnatural death?"

"Yes." Anne hesitated before revealing another bit of information. "She was hit over the head before she went into the pond."

"How do you know?"

"Anyone would conclude the same if they looked into the matter. Those who officially looked into the matter actually did not. They decided it must be an accident and closed the case."

"What happened? Why are you thinking about all these strange things?"

"Would you not, if something did not make sense?" Anne defended herself. "It did not make sense to me."

"But who is spreading such gossip?"

"I cannot tell you. I need to decide first who had best confront this person."

Lady Russell looked utterly befuddled -- at Anne, at everything.

And they had completely forgotten to check for that rock, Anne remembered when she slowly climbed the stairs. She would have done so tomorrow if she had not been afraid of seeing blood on the rock. Blood from an innocent wound was different from blood on a murder weapon. She wondered if she could look at it calmly or if she would really scream.

Coming into her room, she nearly did, for seated by her window reading her book, was Captain Wentworth. He silenced her with a gesture and put down the book.

"What -- what are you doing here?" she asked in an agitated whisper.

"He has disappeared. Sir William," he said. "I have to make sure he is not coming here."

"Why would he come for me?"

"He would not, but your room is the only accessible one."

Anne blinked and hesitated. She forgot what she had come to do, which was go to bed, and she simply stood there. "He has disappeared?"

"Yes."

"Then how would you know he is not already here?"

"I do not." He stood up and checked the closet. "Nothing. And he is not under the bed. I have already been there. The maid came to bring a hot water bottle. Why, by the way?"

"So I do not get cold."

"You do not lock your balcony door," he observed.

"No." She wondered if he was going to say it was not very wise of her, but she had never had to reckon with someone coming in. "But it was not an invitation."

Captain Wentworth looked as if he needed no invitation in these very serious circumstances. "I went to his room and he was not there. A maid had seen him leave the house."

Anne did not know what to do. She could not simply go to sleep in his presence. "Are you going to stay here?" If he was planning to leave the room she might want to go with him.

"Yes. Once you think Lady Russell might be asleep and all servants have left the floor, I shall open the door so I can hear everything."

"How long do you think he would wait? He left the Hall some time ago, I assume." She did not know how long he had been in her room. Sir William, if he had left before Captain Wentworth, would have been outside all that time. She did not think he would remain there for hours. He would want to finish his business not too long after going outside.

"Half an hour, yes, so if nothing had happened two hours from now, nothing will."

"Nothing will," Anne muttered. Nobody could be sure he had left the Hall to come here. It was more logical for him simply to have gone for a walk. Others might not see the need for Captain Wentworth's caution. "What if someone finds you here?"

"My children will not be little Elliots," he said with a proud shake of the head.

Chapter Fourteen

Posted on 2014-01-24

Anne slowly went about her business as she pondered his comment. His children would not be little Elliots. Well, it was lovely that they agreed on this, for her children would not be little Elliots either. "Lady Russell and I talked about that earlier. She said not to go along with such schemes." Lady Russell would be pleased to hear he had nothing in mind.

This surprised Captain Wentworth. "How did she know I was coming?"

"She did not, but apparently she thinks someone might some day." Anne was glad she was not completely written off. The chances were very slim, however. "I was trying to disguise that I was really asking her if she would -- and thank goodness she would not!"

"Thank goodness? That blows a large hole in our theories," he complained. "We are not progressing much, are we?"

They could not progress much with that theory, because it was based on invention, not fact. Anne did not say it again, because she had said it before. He was too intelligent to need such repetition. In the way of conversation they had progressed a lot, however.

Anne advanced to a door leading to a side room and he followed her. "What is there?" he asked.

"Things I need to do before bed."

"He might be there," he pointed out. "I did not check that room. He might think Elliot or Elliot makes no difference."

"Well, it does to me," Anne said decidedly, but she stepped aside to let him pass. "Although, really, people should not decide these things for me. I am perfectly capable of deciding for myself." Other people always thought they knew best, of course. They saw beyond the moment. They would see the consequences. Still, it made her a little contrary, although that could be due to Captain Wentworth's need to protect her from Sir William. She was perfectly capable of rejecting suitors, although she had better not say that out loud to him.

"Check the room if you will and then please leave me for a minute or two. I promise most earnestly that I shall scream if anyone attacks me."

"I should hope you would first kick him where it hurts," the captain muttered savagely.

"Where is that?"

He indicated the general area. "You see, if you scream, you will not get immediate relief, but if you put him out of order, you may." This advice was delivered very seriously.

Anne listened to it very seriously as well, although she did not believe for a second there was anyone next door, or that someone there would attack her. It simply could not happen. Not Sir William and not Captain Wentworth. Suppose Sir William had come to attack Lady Russell, why should he harm her? It made no sense. He would run the risk of her making too much noise and thereby preventing him from ever getting close to Lady Russell.

Captain Wentworth was incredibly proper, apart from the fact that he was actually here, of course. But perhaps her perspective was completely skewed, given that he spoke of little Elliots and dealing out kicks to certain body parts. Anne decided he was more trustworthy than proper.

He checked the room and found it empty of intruders. Then he let her go in and waited.

She appeared again in a few minutes. "What should I do now? Go to sleep?" Or should she be a good hostess? What did a good hostess do? Offer him some water? He had already found a chair, so she would not have to offer that. "Should I wait up for two hours?" she asked. She did not usually go to bed immediately when she retired to her room, but she did not know if she could manage to stay awake for another two hours. That might just be a little too long.

"No, you can go to sleep if you like. I shall keep watch."

"I do not think I can. Would you like a blanket? There is an old one in the bottom of my closet."

He hesitated. "If I get too comfortable I may be less watchful."

In bed she thought how odd it was to have a man sitting beside her bed and to be absolutely certain that she was safe. It was really the opposite of what people always said. "Why do people always imply men are dangerous?" she whispered.

"Ironically they say the same about women."

"People would consider me dangerous?" Anne was astonished. She had never considered herself to be posing even the smallest risk to anyone.

"What about me?"

"Well, I can see that," she said seriously. "I do know some silly girls who would do everything you asked."

"But...if I did not ask them, nothing would happen. And why, by the way, is it a sign of silliness to do everything I ask? It might be perfectly sensible."

"Perhaps I mean silly girls who would not only do the sensible things you asked, but also the silly things."

"I do not ask silly things." Captain Wentworth sounded very confident. "But yes, girls who think I might ask silly things and who are convinced they would obey, they are very silly indeed. Are you thinking of any in particular that I am acquainted with as well?"

"It would not be fair."

"It would. I might consider them dangerous."

"There is a pair of sisters who come close," Anne said reluctantly.

He was surprised. "Really? I never thought them very silly. But if I asked them to jump into the pond, they would?"

Anne nodded. "They would." She hoped she was not being unkind, but she really could not see them say no.

"Is that sillier than volunteering to jump in, I wonder?"

He had a point there, she conceded. "Probably not."

"I shall have to think about it." He was silent for a minute. "Where is Lady Russell's room?"

"Almost right across."

He extinguished the candle and opened the door. Then he sat down again.

Anne doubted that he would be able to keep this up for two hours or even one. She equally doubted that she would be able to sleep. It was not that she was nervous because there would be an attack on Lady Russell, because she did not think it would take place. It was Captain Wentworth's presence. They had had such a pleasant exchange and she would like more, even if it was not wise to talk too much with the door open. "Perhaps we should switch places. I cannot sleep now."

"Perhaps later. Try it first."

Anne closed her eyes, but she opened them occasionally to see if she had missed anything. There was a faint light coming in through the open curtains. Captain Wentworth sat in the darkness, but she could hear him stir now and then.

She was woken some time later by a hand on her face.

"Are you awake?"

"Muh," she answered, or something very similar. She was a little confused that it was dark. In her dream it had been light.

"Muh?"

"Yes. Have two hours passed?" Anne realised she must have fallen asleep at some point, for she had been dreaming about something that could not have occurred.

"Yes, nothing happened." He sounded a little regretful.

"I am sorry you came here for nothing. What will you do now?"

Captain Wentworth seemed surprised she would ask. "Climb down and go home. I do not think he will come here now. I had best go to bed."

"If you see him tomorrow, you should let him know in some roundabout way that Lady Russell never married my father. He can then stop trying to find out if she did. If he was trying to find out at all." She was even less convinced of that now.

"Oh yes, you spoke to Lady Russell then?"

"I did. Apparently my mother made her promise never to marry my father."

"I am sorry I never had the chance to meet your mother. I take it Lady Russell stuck to that promise?"

"She did. I also think she would have kept an eye on whom he met for our sakes -- mine and my sisters' -- and would not any marriage have been preceded by a courtship of sorts? Or are wives advertised for in newspapers as well nowadays?"

"Baronet seeks beautiful and rich wife. Must be able to have sons."

She detected some mockery in his voice. "I doubt it, as amusing as it may be to you."

"I was amused because Sophia threatened to advertise in the newspaper. You and she have must have discussed this."

"What did she want to advertise?"

"Navy captain seeks wife, of course. She did not think I had enough requirements, so she wrote them all up in an advertisement. All two of them." He lowered his voice even more from the hushed tones in which they were already speaking. "But I lied to her. I merely gave her the requirements the admiral always says he had before he married -- and quite stupidly she did not even catch on."

"Did she really advertise?" Anne was impressed. She had not known Mrs Croft was so eager for her brother to marry.

"I should hope not, because I am not looking."

"But the admiral got himself a fine wife with so few requirements. They must yield results."

"He lied too."

"What did he ask for? Beautiful and rich?"

"He got what he asked, so I really do not understand anyone taking exception to my asking the same. But no, he did not ask for that -- and I have to say Sophia was far from being rich when she married."

But in that case Captain Croft had had enough money, or Sophia had not had any family who had worried about her living in poverty. Anne suddenly felt dejected.

"I had best go, or I shall get no sleep at all," said Captain Wentworth. "You must lock your balcony door."

Anne promised him she would, although she was not looking forward to getting out of bed. "Oh, and who should have a word with Mr Ingleby?"

"Surely you do not think that should be you?"

"I do not know what is best. But someone should."

In the morning she slept a little later than usual and she did not feel rested when she got up. Thankfully they had nowhere to go except church and she could rest afterwards when Lady Russell read something edifying.

She was glad to see Lady Russell was hale and hearty, and that no one had managed to slip into the house to harm her. Clearly Lady Russell had given their conversation of the day before some thought and she had not yet finished reflecting on it, but she did not want to speak about it until they were back home again.

At church Captain Wentworth caught Anne's eye. He made a sort of grimace, but she did not know what he meant until she noticed that Sir William was missing. Where could he be? Had he come home last night? Or had he disappeared the first time he had gone out? Questions she wanted to ask Captain Wentworth, but she would have no opportunity.

Mrs Croft pressed something into her hand outside church. "A little something. Yes, I have read it. That was my condition."

"Thank you," Anne replied, wondering why Mrs Croft looked to be quite pleased to be doing this service. She did not suppose the note came from Elizabeth or the admiral. The only other persons in that house were Captain Wentworth and Sir William, but Mrs Croft would not look so pleased if it was the latter. It remained to be seen why she did not look disapproving of her brother sending notes to Anne on the sly. She slipped the note into her pocket.

They had been fortunate with the weather so far, but today it began to pour just as they arrived home. There was no chance of going outside. Anne could read the note, but not react. For that reason she put it off, although she was very curious what it said. When she realised it may have been asking her to meet half an hour ago, she quickly unfolded it.

He returned to the house, she read. But he left again this morning. That was strange. Why would he so noticeably miss church? And presumably leave the Crofts to come up with an excuse on his behalf? She did not know if they had. They might have told Mr Ingleby they had no idea and he might not even have asked. But people would certainly have noticed Sir William's absence.

It had not yet been wet that morning when he had left the Hall, as far as she knew, but if he was outside right now he would hurry back home because he would be soaked. If he came back, Captain Wentworth would presumably send her another note. If he did not, she would see him tomorrow. There was no option but to wait.

Chapter Fifteen

Posted on 2014-02-02

Anne had become so used to going out all day that she did not know what to do with herself. There were enough small tasks she had been neglecting, but she had to force herself to start them.

"Anne," said Lady Russell when they were seated in the drawing room together. "You must tell me who is spreading such gossip about your father."

"What would you do if I told you?"

"I do not know yet, but do you think such a person should be allowed to continue to spread such lies?"

"No, I do not," Anne said with an unhappy frown. "But I do not know what would be the consequence of telling you."

"Why, do you think I might do something unwise?"

"No, but he might." She did not know what Mr Ingleby would say if Lady Russell approached him. It was very likely he would deny everything.

"He. Ah, so it is a man."

"Yes, it is."

"Who?"

"I did not hear it from this person myself; I heard it from someone else."

"I know that," Lady Russell said patiently. "But it is quite important. I take it you trust whoever told you, or you would not have told me."

"Yes."

"Let me get this right then. Someone told another person that your father was married, and this other person told you?"

Anne nodded. "Yes. Obviously because it might affect me, because it concerned my father."

"And how did this person come to hear of it?"

"The first person? I do not know. He did not tell the second person. If you ask me, he made it up, because it cannot be so."

"No, it cannot be. I wonder why someone would want to spread such slanderous gossip."

"I do mean to ask him."

"You?"

"Yes, do you not think I am the best person to do so?"

Anne had thought about what would be best. While she had not heard the gossip directly from Mr Ingleby, she had the advantage of rank. Her surname might inspire some awe that Captain Wentworth's would not. He, on the other hand, would inspire awe with his person. But after some thought she decided he was not devout enough to be taken seriously. Mr Ingleby would not recognise his superior morality if he came to confront him about the lies.

Lady Russell might have rank and character going for her, but she knew too little, having heard it only third-hand. Anne was little better, not having heard it directly either, but she had the advantage of being the daughter of the man who was the subject of the slander.

She was just deciding that she had best go when it struck her that she needed not go alone; it was also possible to take Captain Wentworth. Together they would be able to put their respective advantages to good use. But that would have to wait until tomorrow. Today she could do nothing.

Except keep Lady Russell from asking who it had been. Thankfully Lady Russell gave up when she realised Anne would not tell her. She understood the reasons and would not have done it in Anne's stead either. There were other matters, however. "Mrs Clay's death. What did you say about that?"

"I said it was unnatural. Murder, in other words." Although she had been investigating for days, this word still did not come easily to her.

"Murder?" Lady Russell exclaimed. "Murder at Kellynch?"

"I am afraid so."

"How do you know?"

"It really is the only conclusion if you think about it. She had a head wound and nothing in the pond could have caused it. Therefore it must have been caused before she was thrown in -- by a second person."

"Who would do such a thing?"

"We -- I do not know yet. It is probable," Anne continued quickly to hide her slip of the tongue, "that she was meeting a man outside, so it was probably that man."

"Meeting a man." Lady Russell pursed her lips. "And Elizabeth never knew."

"I should hope not."

"I have understood why your sister kept this acquaintance. Look what it brought her."

Anne met the captain by Poseidon's statue close to eleven. Due to their breakfast obligations it was not really possible to meet earlier, unless they did so before breakfast, but Anne did not think it was very wise to go there and risk his not being desperate to see her as soon as possible.

"He is still not back," he announced. "Very odd. His valet left a few days ago, which is also odd."

Anne did not want to speculate. She had been curious about Sir William, but now that her curiosity was partly satisfied, she moved on to other business. "The rock." They still had to look for it.

"Oh, yes. Aphrodite, you said."

"Athena. I am sure Aphrodite is more suitable for a tryst in name, but the location is less secluded."

Captain Wentworth followed her there. "I have to say Athena looks equally tempting -- or not -- to me."

Anne sat down and watched him study the rocks.

"I agree," he said. "Very likely, but it has rained and if there was something on one, it may have washed off." Then he sat down beside her, trying to reach for them. It was not easy. "Would you not, if I picked up a rock, see me do it and run? If I sat here you would."

Anne watched him move to her other side. "Yes, I should be highly suspicious, I suppose, or at least ask you what you were doing."

He stared at the rocks for a while. "Lie down on the bench, your head in that direction."

She obeyed.

"Now you would not see it coming."

"No?" She could see him stand. The rocks were behind her, but he was not.

"My apologies," said Captain Wentworth and lay half on top of her. "If he was in a position like this, he could have picked up a rock without her seeing it. You cannot see what I am doing with my hand. It is behind your head."

"That tells us something about the nature of their acquaintance," said Anne, although they had already been supposing it must have been of this kind. Mrs Clay would not have had a business appointment at such an hour.

"Indeed." He picked up a rock and weighed it in his hand.

Someone cleared his throat and they looked up to see someone approaching.

"I knew all that talk about women needing to be comfortable was idle," said Admiral Croft.

"We were investigating how it happened," said the captain.

"It happens like that, usually."

"We are investigating a murder."

"The murder of Miss Elliot's virtue."

"No, Admiral," said Anne. "We now know how he did it."

"As I said, it happens like that, usually. Do you need rescuing, Miss Elliot, or are you comfortable?"

"I am not uncomfortable, Admiral."

"I would advise a pillow under her head, Frederick. That makes it even more comfortable."

Only now did Captain Wentworth jump up. "Her coat! That is where it must have been!"

"Good thought!" cried Anne.

"Good grief!" added Admiral Croft.

Anne and Captain Wentworth had been taken inside by Admiral Croft for some 'conversation'. She did not know why. Perhaps he wished to hear more about their investigation. Or -- an idea struck her -- he considered her compromised and he would force Captain Wentworth to marry her.The idea made her blush fiercely.

She shot a glance at Captain Wentworth, but he did not look worried. She could not be either, although she would prefer to marry without interference from others. It must be his own choice.

But the admiral was not thinking of anybody's marriage or reputation at all. "The children keep Sophia occupied. What am I to do?"

Captain Wentworth blinked. Perhaps he had not been expecting this either. "Well," he said at last. "And half the occupants of this house dying or disappearing does not help you much either, I suppose."

"No, indeed. Miss Elliot will leave for the Lodge very soon, I am sure, and you..."

"Yes?"

"Oh, you are always out and about with Miss Anne, investigating murders."

"Just one," Wentworth said modestly.

"But we do not know what happened to Sir William," said Anne. He might well be murdered as well. She hoped not, but at the very least it was also an investigation of sorts. She wondered how the admiral knew they had been investigating together.

"Indeed," replied the Admiral. "Very fishy, although I am delighted he did not elope with you."

"With me?"

"I should have jumped on a horse and got you back, even though you are not my relative."

Captain Wentworth snorted. "Jumped on a horse? You would not have got far."

"I should have thought it a very bad idea," the admiral continued, ignoring the criticism of his riding skills. "And I told him so."

"Told him?" Anne's eyes were wide. She regretted only being able to make short exclamations. It made her sound stupid.

"He had his eye on you. One of his eyes, I should say, for he had several."

"But..." Anne forced herself to push the image of a Sir William with four wandering eyes from her mind. "Why has everyone been talking about me?"