Beginning, Previous Section, Section VI, Next Section
Posted on Saturday, 22 July 2006
Sophia wanted to go to Bath. Her backaches were vexing her and she hoped the waters would bring some relief. "I know you do not like Bath, Anne, but I am very eager to be away from here. What if we get snow? We shall be stuck here forever."
Anne understood how that was not an attractive prospect. The gentlemen were civil but wary and they would be of no use if anything happened. "Perhaps -- it is mostly the company and the noise of Bath -- I could try." Sophia's health was more important than her dislikes. Sophia's social calendar would furthermore not be as full as her father's or Lady Russell's, which would make a great difference.
"You must not be made unhappy for my sake, but I hoped the waters would help. If we stopped there for a few days on our way home, just long enough to raise my spirits…"
"I could try. I must."
"I am so selfish," Sophia complained.
"But suppose it really helps. It would be selfish of me to say no."
"A third party must settle the matter again. Did you know Frederick begged me to take you? I felt so devious trying to get you to come. I am so sorry." She needed to reveal that, especially if she wanted to have her way again. Twice would be too much for her conscience.
Anne stared. She had never noticed any deviousness in Sophia. The prospect of going here had merely daunted her. There had been nothing devious about her request, because she had had every reason to feel that way. The gentlemen here were not as bad as she thought, but they were far from exemplary when it came to her condition. They preferred to ignore it.
"I told him to speak to you, but he would not. It might have been too soon for him."
"He begged…" She could not imagine him begging.
"He wanted me to take you, to ask you because you would not offer unless I voiced a serious complaint, which is quite as much against my nature as you imposing yourself on somebody. He may know you a little."
"But why?" She could hardly believe it.
Sophia looked doubtful. "Do you want me to speak for him? You did not want that before."
Anne considered that. Yes, she had said that, but if she had to wait for him she might never find out. "Yes. Yes, I do."
"He did not want you to go with Lady Russell. I told him to tell you exactly why he did not want that, but he said he could not. I suppose we can guess why he did not want you to go with her. She would come to hear of him and why would she have changed her mind?"
"I do not know whether that is good or bad!" Anne said after a moment. He seemed to know a little about himself and about her, but how much? "If he knows this much, if he could beg, surely he could talk to me?" She would understand.
Sophia agreed. "I do not know what is keeping him. I only spoke to you because I had already been thinking I needed company, but everybody else is already abusing you for their own selfish purposes and I told Frederick I would rather not do the same. That feeling had been holding me back, so when Frederick made it clear it would not entirely be for me, I spoke. But I do not think he and I ever finished that conversation, so he may not know I really took you."
"I should not have listened again had the same advice been given -- but why should it, if he has given me no hope or indication? Why did he fear? Is that because he knows he has done very little to encourage me and he would logically have no right to expect anything? What does he want?" He seemed to want her to remain favourably inclined towards him, but she had to deduce so from obscure signs, which she would have missed if she had not had his sister's help.
Sophia let out a sigh. Frederick was a fool. That was about the only thing that could be said about the situation. "I can only say that once you have him, you will have all of him. Apparently he cannot give you bit by bit, unlike James, who was more level-headed."
"Level-headed?" Anne asked absentmindedly. She had hardly attended to what Sophia had said. "You must write that we are going to Bath." He must know where they were, in case he discovered he had something to say. He kept coming closer to that point and one would expect him to reach it some time.
Anne's preoccupation amused Sophia. "I could do that if you wish. Should I convey your sentiments or write anything in particular, such as that you would take him bit by bit as well, so that he might as well start giving?"
"No! Although I do not even know what precisely you mean by that."
"You have been subjected to Frederick's unwitting version of giving himself bit by bit, but I believe that consciously he objects to not giving himself in one go, which is of course…" Sophia rolled her eyes.
Anne was confused by that opinion. "But I thought you favoured that. Did you not get the admiral in one go?"
"Oh, no. In name only."
"Perhaps I do not understand your situation either," Anne mused. "How could you have wanted to marry him in that case? He did not love you?"
Sophia was not certain it was very understandable. "Who could not love a dashing captain? Now, what shall I write?"
Sophia took up the matter with the admiral and said she had no desire to be snowed in. He glanced at the sky, at the deserted coastline that was completely uninhabited by helpful females, and at the ever-growing bulge under Sophia's gown. If they were snowed in here there would be no help for them at all. He might have to help her himself and he had no idea how. He would be terrified of doing it wrong. "Snowed in in a carriage will be cosy too."
"We shall be in Bath before then."
"Do not make it come in a carriage," he requested fearfully. His child -- he placed his hand on it -- should be delivered by experienced hands. It had not come this far only to die of incompetent care.
"My dear, it will not."
He had no idea how she could be so certain of that. "You can talk to it, I suppose." And he was excluded from these communications. The movements under his hand were merely that, movements. He could not translate them into reassurances from the little one.
"As a matter of fact it did tell me it would wait until we were back in the civilised world. I no longer find your family amusing."
He looked at her defiant face and pressed a kiss on it. "We shall do as you wish."
Anne looked away at the kiss. She wondered when she had developed the ability to interpret kisses. Had that been before or after her own? Frederick obviously did not possess the skill, or he would not have left. But perhaps she did not have the skill to lay quite so much reassurance in her response as Sophia seemed to do. She was allowed to think what she liked, she told herself, even about kisses. They could be quite communicative, it appeared. She had received some of Frederick's message, but not all, and she did not even know whether he had understood his own message. An exasperated sound escaped her lips.
"My apologies," said Admiral Croft. He released Sophia a little.
"But do you understand?" Sophia asked. They were rejecting her and her unborn child, for no comprehensible reason.
Anne would have said there was no need to apologise if Sophia had not been capable of resuming the conversation instantly. That was the effect of marriage, she supposed. There would no longer be any breathless staring, but an instant return to the business at hand.
"I do. I feel it to a lesser degree. Less, because I am their relative and a man to boot. I can understand a little of their incomprehension, but no, I did not enlighten them as to how your bulge will turn into a baby." If they had no interest in the particulars it was not up to him to tell them anything. He did not suppose they truly required an explanation.
"If that is the state of your knowledge, I have no hope for theirs," Sophia said sadly. "It became worse after the last of their wives died. Rupert Magnus used to be somewhat of an exception until then."
"Rupert has always been an exception," said the admiral. "On account of his odd names." He had very little to say about their behaviour. It had not struck him as very objectionable, but if Sophy felt it was and she wanted to go, go they would. Only Sophy's wishes mattered at the moment.
"The only ones I can remember in the correct order."
"And mine," he reminded her.
"And yours."
Edward finally dared to ask Frederick about the Elliots. It had taken him another day to muster up the courage. "What became of them? Are any of them married?"
It was not a random question, he knew, and he should be cautious in answering it. Edward would only be interested in one of them. "Only one."
"Only one? Which one?"
"The youngest," Frederick said deliberately.
"Not…?"
"No." He wondered why Edward was asking, if he did not even have to name Anne to be understood. Was that his sister's doing? "I am sure Sophia wrote about them. She must have written whose house she had taken and that the family took a house in Bath, knowing you lived in the area years ago."
Edward did not deny that. "A bit. She is not married then."
"No." He still remembered how he had felt when he had first discovered that, such a confusing mixture of feelings. His brother would in all likeliness feel only one emotion upon hearing this and see only one course of action.
Edward's interest increased indeed. "Have you seen her?"
Frederick supposed that question meant that Edward also knew Anne had not gone to Bath. If he knew everything, why was he asking all these questions? Was that simply to gauge his reaction? Did he want to know if he had instantly run to Anne and proposed again? He had not. "Yes."
"Is she changed?"
"No." She had appeared to be a little changed at first, but he no longer thought so. No, she was the same. Older, quieter, but nevertheless the same.
"Sophia wrote she is staying with her sister. She wrote about everybody I might remember. She knows nothing, by the way." And clearly he knew more than he let on.
"Sophia knew nothing," Frederick corrected. He wondered when she had last written. "But I fear she does now, because Sophia is the same as ever. And she is not staying with her sister anymore; she is staying with Sophia."
"Did you…" Edward was incredulous.
"No, the admiral upset his gig and she broke her arm, sprained her ankle and they took her in to take care of her." He was surprised at how coolly he could speak of her accident. He had not felt so unaffected when he had been told about it. "I had nothing to do with any of it -- unless you count my arranging that ride for her as setting her up for an accident because I knew they were careless. But no." He had felt some guilt for having arranged it, but it had not been his fault.
"They did this without knowing about your engagement?"
"Without knowing," he confirmed. "Of course something must have come to light while she was there, since they have been hinting and probing like mad." It might have been his behaviour.
"Was this long ago?"
"A week perhaps."
"Only a week ago? What of the time before and after? You are not very generous with information, Frederick." They had stayed in the same house for days and there was nothing more to say than this? Edward did not believe it. They would have met at meals at least.
"No."
"Why not?"
"What could I say?" he grimaced.
"How you reacted to seeing her again, for instance. How you reacted to having her in your house. You could not be indifferent to such a development. You never spoke of her to me again, but…" He had reasons to doubt that she had never been on Frederick's mind again. Frederick did not abandon people so easily. He had loved that girl and it was significant that he had never mentioned her again, although he might not realise that himself.
"But, yes."
"But you willingly went to stay with Sophia, knowing you would at least hear Anne Elliot being spoken of in the neighbourhood. And then, when she turned out to be still there, you did not go away. No, you stayed. Is that not odd for someone who wanted to forget her? Did that not mean you had hopes? Mere curiosity would not have taken so long to be satisfied. A day would have sufficed." He looked at Frederick. A day would have been equally sufficient to show a woman what he had become. A day would have been enough in any case where no tender feelings remained at all.
"Please do not ask why I did what I did. I do not know." Perhaps he should ask his brother, he thought wryly. Edward could analyse it all so clearly. He might even be able to tell him why he had behaved the way he had.
He had been wondering what had been keeping Frederick there. Although Edward had explored all possibilities, Frederick did not appear to have done that himself. "You used to know what you were doing. Always. You used to know it too well. She is not changed, you say. Are you?"
"I thought I was."
"Well, what happened when she came to stay with Sophia? Have you renewed your engagement?" Edward supposed not, since such an event would have been communicated to him instantly. Yet asking about it directly might lead to a revealing response.
"Oh, how easy," he said sarcastically. "Is such a thing possible? If she did not want me then, would she want me now? Could I want someone who did not want me?"
"And nobody else has wanted her in the meantime?" He remembered her as a lovely girl, not the sort one would expect to remain unmarried. Although it had pained him to hear of the broken engagement, he had not resented her for it. There had been very little a girl of that age could do without her father's consent, something Frederick had chosen to overlook in his pain.
"I know of one she rejected." He had been refused because of his prospects, which could not be said for Charles Musgrove, who stood to inherit some property. She had rejected Musgrove for all the right reasons. She had not loved him.
"So, she has not wanted anybody else in the meantime and neither of you are changed as a person. Your situations, however, are different. She is now old enough not to need her father's approval. You are not going away for years and you have money now," Edward pointed out.
Frederick again wanted to say it was not easy, in spite of that clear analysis. "I did behave as though I was changed."
He could not believe his brother had been that stupid. "Frederick!"
"But when I could not keep that up, I was really…"
"Yes…?" Edward prodded when there was no more.
"You would disapprove of me, I think. How could you not? Even I do." He gave his brother a wry smile. "And the worst bit of it is that I could not bring myself to speak to her. I have ruined it, Edward, and you had best not ask me about it again." That was a lie. He very much wished Edward to say more.
Feeling he might have ruined his chances and not having received the hoped for contradiction -- in spite of having told his brother not to ask him about it again -- Frederick was not in the best of moods. Joining his brother in going to a small -- only six families! -- dinner party did not appear very enjoyable to him, but he had no choice. He hoped there were no young women, or at least only married ones, although older ones always believed they had the right to ask why he was not married -- such a handsome gentleman!
Even handsome gentlemen could be fastidious and perhaps even slightly embarrassed and untruthful. "I am engaged," he said when the inevitable comment was made by a lady of an uncertain age. While Frederick had hoped to silence her, he discovered there were as many particulars to be asked of an engaged man as of a single one.
The bride's wedding clothes and dowry were of great interest, her looks and character less so. He hoped his discomfort in answering these queries was considered punishment enough for lying. Edward had only looked and Mrs Wentworth had kindly supplied suggestions as to what his bride might be wearing and doing. There was apparently much more to getting married than met the eye.
"Those were lies!" said Edward afterwards, as if he had never heard any, certainly not coming from his own spouse.
"Suggestions only, Edward," said his wife very sweetly. "Given the sort of suggestions that were rejected, I think she will be a delightful sister."
Frederick had indeed rejected all the wilder and more ostentatious ideas. It intrigued him to hear Edward's wife take a less moral stance on playing with the truth and to see his brother completely swayed by it. Perhaps Anne could be swayed too in matters of propriety such as kisses.
"Hmm," was all Edward could reply.
"You must bring her for a visit next year." Mrs Wentworth was enjoying her progress. Now that her mischievous spirit had been released there was no stopping her.
Frederick tried to smile. "Perhaps." He would like to bring her here, since he was sure she had enough in common with this sister as well. But to speak of bringing her here would be at odds with the humility he felt. He did not deserve to have any faith in a good outcome.
Posted on Tuesday, 25 July 2006
They reached Bath without having seen any snow on the way. Since it was rather late already, they ate a little and then went straight to their rooms. Anne shared with Sophia again, because Admiral Croft considered it safer for her not to have a room to herself.
"Is that because people sometimes come into my room during the night?" she asked rather timidly.
"Bath is a little more lively than Lyme. It draws some characters who are a little more unsavoury than Frederick," he said as he peered down into the badly-lit courtyard to see whether any danger to the ladies was lurking there. "It all looks quiet enough, so perhaps if Sophia is very troublesome during the night I can take her tomorrow night, to divide the bad nights between us."
Anne shot a glance at Sophia, who must have heard, but who seemed not to care that she might become very troublesome. "Would you not prefer to have Sophia with you?"
"Do you have another secret assignation with a gentleman planned?" He gave her a stern look.
Anne stayed calm. "Not tonight, thank you. I was trying to give you the opportunity for a secret assignation with Sophia."
"You are improving quickly," the admiral said approvingly.
"But you cannot want me to have secret assignations." The old Anne surfaced again and she gave him a look of doubt mingled with curiosity.
"They are much fun, I assure you."
"James Frederick," Sophia cut in. "Is there something you have not told me?"
He looked innocent. "Did you not know I enjoyed our assignations?" Although he would admit that none of them had been secret.
"Even the time when you said you hated being married?" she said, raising her eyebrows.
"I should have liked to ride off to my brother as well to run from my distress, but circumstances prevented me. However, where there are no circumstances I understand perfectly how a man might react differently on impulse. Lock him in next time." He nodded and went to his own room.
Anne threw her head back in exasperation, but not without amusement. "But he cannot want me to do that."
"I think he trusts you not to make a dishonourable man out of Frederick," Sophia said with a shrug.
"Could I not unwittingly do so?" Anne wondered.
"Uncaringly, not unwittingly. Do you truly have something planned? But do not answer. Then I cannot be in your way. Best get you changed before James returns."
"Will he?" As she asked the question she realised the answer was obvious. He had not yet wished them a good night.
Anne suggested hesitantly the next morning that she call on her father to let him know she had come to Bath. She ought to let him know, but she was afraid he would insist that she stay with him and Elizabeth, something she had no wish to do. It was better to risk that and to have to talk herself out of it, than to risk serious displeasure afterwards, however. She did depend on him still.
Admiral Croft and she left Sophia at the baths, since she was likely to want to remain there far longer than anyone volunteering to go with her. Her backaches had grown worse, in direct proportion to her grown stomach. Anne was reluctant to leave her alone. "What if something happens?"
"Bath is teeming with Navy spies," the admiral replied. "They will know where I have gone, because they will notice you on my arm."
She asked herself why they would, but she supposed he had a large acquaintance. She could not help glancing at people as they walked, to see if they had any interest in them. Some stared, but mostly at her and not first at the admiral. Most did not appear to know him. Those who did clearly stood out, for they greeted him and he greeted them back.
Mr Elliot, Sir Walter's heir, was in Bath. That was the subject that occupied Sir Walter and Elizabeth most. They had much to talk about, but they had no time to dwell on the fact that Anne was staying with the Crofts, nor that she had even come to Bath weeks before she was supposed to. If Mr Elliot had not been here they might have gone so far as to be worried about the connection, but there was no question of that now. Whatever had been wrong with the man before, it was all forgotten.
Anne had listened to them, feeling increasingly glad that she was not being asked to stay and when she left again she was relieved. That Mrs Croft wanted to take the waters had inspired no questions, merely a brief comment on the loss of health and attractiveness that befell ladies past a certain age. Anne had said nothing; Elizabeth would surely not appreciate hearing that only nine years separated her from such inevitable decay.
Coming out of the door, she encountered the gentleman from Lyme, whom she now definitely knew to be Mr Elliot, their cousin. She had the advantage of knowing who he was and of knowing he was in town, so she could not match his look of utter surprise, although she had not expected to see him here this moment.
"Madam! We meet again," he said with a gallant bow. "How is your ankle today?"
She was surprised he remembered. "I can walk a little more now. Thank you for inquiring." His manners were excellent, but she felt some vague uneasiness as to what they might become if he discovered the connection. That her father and Elizabeth spoke so well of him was not exactly a recommendation. Usually their taste in acquaintances was rather different from hers.
"I am pleased to hear it." He glanced towards the door with a curious look. "Could it be that we share the same acquaintance?"
"Extraordinary," she smiled, not wanting to reveal the family connection yet. She peered down the street for Admiral Croft, who had promised to be parading up and down until she was ready. He had not felt any need to send more than his card and respects.
"Are you walking somewhere on your own?" Mr Elliot asked in concern.
"No, no," she answered hurriedly to prevent any offer from being made. His obvious admiration made her a little uncomfortable. "I am waiting for my escort."
"The gentlemen of your acquaintance are not being very gallant by you, are they!" he exclaimed.
"He has seen me," she said in relief, seeing the admiral disengage himself from a small group of gentlemen a little further down the street. She began to descend the steps towards the street.
"Perhaps we shall meet again," said Mr Elliot regretfully.
"Perhaps!" She limped down the steps and nearly skipped the lower ones to jump into the admiral's arms. He was very good to rescue her in such a timely and unselfish manner and she could not help smiling.
"Mind the ankle!" he said, catching her.
"It is fine." Anne realised that perhaps she should have descended with less reckless abandon. She could have hurt herself indeed!
"Who was that fellow from whom you were so eager to flee?" he asked in a low voice.
"A Mr Elliot."
"A Mr Elliot calling on Sir Walter Elliot? That cannot be a coincidence."
"He is my father's heir, but he has only renewed the acquaintance in the past few days. He does not yet know who I am. I know who he is, because he was in Lyme and our waiter knew his name, but I saw no occasion for telling him." She did not think that had been very duplicitous of her. No introductions had been made so far.
The admiral glanced back and chuckled. He was much amused by everything. "He is now wondering who I am -- and all my acquaintances were wondering who you were and what had happened to Sophia. I did not tell them either. What a devious pair we are! What did your father say to your being here?"
Anne was still smiling, although thinking of her father did not warrant much of a smile. "Not very much. He spoke about the house they had taken, the people who were here and of Mr Elliot."
"And consequently he hardly noticed you were in town, contrary to my Navy friends over there. See how they stare! Very unmannered of them not to trust me with a girl. I told you there were spies in Bath. But they will see it tonight when they come to dinner at our inn. Will you mind? Simply some fellows I know and one or two might bring their wives."
Frederick was glad dinner was going to be at home without any guests. He was not looking forward to another evening of being creative with answers, although Mrs Wentworth had lent kind assistance. He liked her for it, but even more for her ability to make Edward less strict and serious.
He knew that if he ever set a foot wrong he would have his neck wrung by both elder siblings and he knew equally well that was not the only reason that had kept him from it, with that one exception. They were all related, after all. Perhaps it was a family affliction.
He wondered about Anne. She had certainly appeared very calm and not too strict. She allowed men to carry her, even allowed them to be in her room. She was very sensible about these things when it was required, although he supposed she would rather not have required any help at all. She had tried to do it on her own and that had not been to avoid asking him in particular. In fact, in Lyme she had even accepted his help with her hair rather than ask for that of the women's.
This realisation filled him with warmth. It had been agreeable to be allowed to assist her, or was it agreeable to be needed? Whatever it was, he would not mind it again. He should persuade Anne that he had kissed her because he loved her and that words had simply failed him. She might love him. But being stuck at Edward's with no idea of where she was, was a trial indeed.
Again he contemplated writing to his sister. It would not be a reply, so he would not have to say he had been a good boy -- although she might be interested anyway. Sophia's usual concern about drunkenness, gambling and tattoos was almost as strong as her fear that his next letter would announce his marriage to an unworthy woman. He understood everything but the tattoos and taking it for a joke, he never failed to send her a drawing of his latest addition.
Writing to Sophia and waiting for a response might take longer than he could bear, though. Perhaps he should simply get one of those licence things and risk it. But the lady's wishes were to be considered as well and unfortunately Anne's taste for excitement was rather small -- although having a man climb into her room had not even excited her and perhaps some rash and speedy affair would convince her of his sincerity more than prolonged dithering. It would help to know where she was.
Three people, they found, could easily be added to an evening party. An invitation from Sir Walter was delivered at their inn, for a small party the next evening. "Who should be most fortunate that we had no engagements yet?" Admiral Croft exclaimed. "Think the fellow will be there, Anne?"
"Which fellow?" asked Sophia, who had intended Anne for her brother and who felt rather suspicious of other fellows.
"Sir Walter's heir, who thinks Anne a pretty girl, but who has no idea she is his cousin." The admiral was still amused. "Because she did not tell him so. By the way, Sophia, I ran into some friends and vague acquaintances and none dared to ask why I was with another woman. Some are coming to dine with us this evening."
Sophia was unaffected. "I hope I shall not be too tired to talk to them, but how fortunate that you will have another woman in case I retire."
Anne looked alarmed. She did not want to be the cause of any dissent. "But --"
Sophia had to laugh at her alarm. "It is nothing. You had best find it amusing as well, since he will not change. What of this cousin, Anne? Now that is the sort of thing that could really alarm me."
"I have no interest in him." She did not know him. He had good manners, but that was all.
That evening they received two admirals, three captains and three wives who might have belonged to anyone, for the entire party addressed each other with great familiarity and Anne could not remember their last names. Sir Walter and Miss Elliot were known in Bath, she discovered. They would be pleased to hear they were so well-known, but perhaps not as pleased to hear that one of the ladies was agreeably surprised to hear Anne belonged to the family. Anne received the impression she was more approachable than her father and sister, whose style of receiving and inviting was looked upon with a curious eye by the Navy.
"Perhaps you will be invited now, Sophia," said that same lady.
Anne suspected that her presence kept Sophia from saying she had no taste for such company. It would, however, be neither unexpected nor incomprehensible to hear her say such a thing.
"My dear Jane," Sophia said after a few moments. "Such lively evening entertainment in my condition is not advisable."
All ladies displayed an interest in this condition, which they had all noticed even if none had been daring enough to ask anything, and demanded particulars. The gentlemen seemed not to care, although due to the enthusiastic chattering that erupted among the ladies, it was difficult to hear whether they said anything to Admiral Croft about his impending fatherhood.
"Within the next month," Sophia replied.
"But what a surprise!" squealed Jane. "Did you know it was possible?"
"That is a silly question," Sophia said with a frown and Jane had to be satisfied with that.
Anne was not surprised that Sophia frowned and called it a silly question. One did not know it was possible until it happened and it had never happened before.
Sophia, who must have seen something in her expression, turned to her when the gentlemen commanded everyone's attention with some anecdotes. "She has repeatedly called me fortunate over the years, because…"
"But you were fortunate." Although it might not have been what she had first wished for.
"I had my three boys, but they grow up slowly." She listened for a moment to the story her husband was relating. "Slowly indeed. Which man in his right mind would enjoy a thunderstorm on a ship? He was soaked and freezing, yet he would have gone back on deck if I had not given him something more enjoyable to do."
Anne thought she had better not ask what that had been. The admiral, having been soaked, must have changed his clothes at Sophia's insistence, but the part about being kept inside by a concerned wife was completely missing from his story. No, he was focusing only on the heroics of being out in a storm. It was all very heroic and exciting indeed, by the sound of it. A man had gone overboard and he had not been found again, however, and Anne understood Sophia's actions perfectly. She might do the same herself to keep a husband safe, although it was not likely she would ever been taken to sea, not even if she did manage to marry Frederick.
Perhaps Frederick feared he might be dragged out of any excitement by a wife. Anne was not sure what the admiral thought of having been kept in his cabin, since he made no mention of it at all. Perhaps it was indeed something of which he was ashamed, although he did not give her that impression.
Posted on Thursday, 27 July 2006
Frederick spent a morning going to town to buy Edward everything he had bought Sophia, or at least items of a similar nature. His duty as an uncle compelled him to be as generous towards one niece or nephew as to the other and he had very little else to do.
It was nevertheless more than his new sister had expected anyone to give her. "That is so kind of you!" she exclaimed as she examined her gifts. "You will think me very silly if I say I cannot wait to use them. They look so small and adorable! But I am surprised. How did you know what I might need? I hardly know it myself."
"I bought similar things for Sophia." He wondered for a moment if she had also been in raptures about some of the small and adorable things, but he could not really imagine it.
"But how did you know it then? I am impressed."
"Er…I had someone with me and she often takes care of her nephews. And she did not say it was not needed, so I bought it." He caught Edward's look. Yes, it had been Anne.
"The story becomes more curious by the day," Edward commented. "I supposed you forced her to come with you, Miss Elliot being very much decided against you and so forth."
Frederick wondered to what he owed this sarcasm. "I rather think I am more pleasant to go shopping with than some woman. I look and I buy. I do not spend hours agonising over what to choose."
"Ah! Some self-knowledge returns," said his brother, although it was only some self-knowledge. It failed to address the fact that Anne had not been shopping. She had not chosen Frederick over a woman, but Frederick had chosen Anne. "Why do you not apply it to the ladies? Or lady, in this case."
"I know which lady; I merely do not know how to tell her."
"I love you?" Mrs Wentworth suggested.
Frederick did not know her well enough yet to roll his eyes at her. "Believe me, I have a lot more to declare than that."
The morning after the dinner with the admiral's friends, Sophia went to the baths again and Anne went with her. Anne saw some acquaintances of Lady Russell's, but not all of them recognised her. She did not mind, for she already had company and Sophia was equally uninterested in the business of seeing and being seen.
Sophia had no wish to be asked another time how it was possible. "People never mind their own business," she said. "As I am sure you have come to find out."
"Yes." Anne could laugh at that comment. "But I was thinking -- was the admiral ashamed that you saved him from going overboard? Although I am sure he never thought he would. He never mentioned you. Is that why Frederick thinks women should not be at sea? They are not strong enough to stand the dangers of the profession?"
Sophia looked a little astonished. "Anne, you have a veritable talent for asking those questions to which you would prefer not to hear the answers."
"Well, you can say nothing and still make me think of things." Anne splashed some water on her cheeks. "Could your answer deal with Frederick's mind only?"
Sophia considered that. "No."
Anne bit her lip. "Does it reflect badly on him?"
"No. Yes. I do not know."
She gave an uncertain little moan. "But you still want me to marry him."
"Yes. He is not bad; he merely has some very strange ideas about fine ladies, you see, as if he has never met a real one. Any fine lady could adapt herself to the circumstances she is in if she wants to and I do not see how he could want one who did not want to do that. I do not think he does. I rather think he has no idea about women."
After leaving the baths, Anne perceived Mr Elliot across the street. She nudged Sophia. "That is him. That is Mr Elliot."
Sophia did not hear any enthusiasm in her voice. "Hide behind me. I am large enough at present."
Anne giggled. "Only in the middle. But we are hardly the most attractive ladies in Bath, so he cannot want to come to us. I limp and you waddle."
That was very odd, coming from Anne. "I…what?"
"You do!"
"I am trying very hard not to waddle, if you must know! But fortunately my days of having to dazzle young gentlemen are long past and I suppose I could waddle as much as I like."
"What about the admiral?" Anne asked very seriously.
Sophia gasped and sought to support herself against a wall. "Do you mean I should still attempt to dazzle him or do you mean he is still a young gentleman?"
"I rather think he would be dazzled by a waddle as well."
"He -- Anne, did you take too many sips of that water?"
"Sophia has gone to Bath," Frederick read up in surprise. He had gone out for a walk to ponder Edward's words and upon his return he had found a letter waiting for him. He had been gone only for a week and his sister should not even be at the Crofts' yet, but apparently she had already left them. "She thinks the hot waters will reduce her backaches -- and the Crofts were giving her headaches."
"Why?" asked Edward.
"She is perhaps a bit too frank about that," he said, reading about her reasons.
"Sophia frank? Surely not."
"Hmm," said Frederick, passing him the letter. "It is more than I care to know, let alone a sour old man."
"Indeed," said Edward as he read. "Do you mean the activities under his roof, or should I read on for worse?" He was not sure Frederick understood what was meant by these unspecified activities. Perhaps there was something more specified coming up later.
"Is that not bad enough? Why does she write this to me? She knows their behaviour made me sick as well." He did some calculations. "She should be in Bath by now." She was Anne, of course, not Sophia. He was very glad he now knew where she was.
"Sick?"
"Foot massages, Edward, in plain view."
"Sickening indeed, but I doubt they were giving her headaches over that." Edward read on. "She does sound rather displeased -- thinks they will never be let into that house again if the baby is a girl."
"Boy, girl, what does it matter?" He was thinking of Anne in Bath. Anne did not like Bath at all.
Edward came upon some interesting passages. "But Frederick, how did she come to take Miss Elliot along?"
"Oh, you are reading all of it?" he said, without minding much. There was very little he minded anymore now that he had read that. She was away from Lady Russell's influence and he knew where she was. He did not know what could be more important than that. "I asked Sophia to do that."
"Yes, it really does sound as if you ruined everything," Edward commented sarcastically. "Why would she go with Sophia if you had ruined everything?"
"Er…because she likes Sophia?" he said, clinging to the most objective explanation. There were some more subjective ones he had considered, however. They had become increasingly plausible.
"So do you and you are bound to return to Sophia after you have visited here. She would know that. Someone who would never want to see you again would hardly accompany your sister, no matter how much she liked her. Furthermore, Sophia seems to have no message other than that she has taken Anne to Bath. What happened to your common sense?"
Indeed, he realised. Edward's sarcasm was all the push he needed. "I should go to Bath."
"I do not think you should do that before you have recovered that common sense. What precisely will you do in Bath?"
"I still need to think about that." However, he could do so while he rode there. It would involve talking to Anne. That was what he knew for certain.
"Think about it first. What did you say precisely to ruin it? You have still not told me." Edward had tried a few times to bring up the topic again, but he had received no response.
Frederick had not caught Edward being particularly demonstrative with his wife. He did not know how his brother would look upon a display of affection, especially if it might not be returned or desired. "I kissed her goodbye."
"And…?" That could not be all. Perhaps Anne had hit him, however unlikely, or said she never wanted to see him again.
"I kissed her goodbye," he repeated. Perhaps his brother had misheard.
Edward gave his wife an uncomprehending glance and then he looked back at his brother. "You are here because you kissed her goodbye?" he asked, trying to keep his voice calm. This had ruined everything?
"Yes."
"That is very serious indeed, Frederick. How did she react?" He gave his wife another glance, but she looked to be as astonished as he was.
He noticed their astonishment and took it for disapproval. "I seemed to have taken her by surprise. I said I had to go. When I realised what I had done, I felt I had best go as soon as possible."
"And she said nothing?"
"She said no." As he spoke, he began to feel afraid of not having interpreted that correctly. She had not looked no.
"And you chose not to listen to her?" Edward's eyebrows shot up high. Frederick had said he should go and Anne had said no. It seemed more than clear to him, but then, he was not deaf.
"But…" Frederick frowned. "She cannot possibly have approved."
Edward was ready to throttle him. "So, because you believed she did not approve, you chose to ignore the fact that she told you to stay?"
That was unsettling. Anne had said no, but in response to what, precisely? It was no longer obvious. "I do not think she did. She cannot have."
"She did, you fool!"
"I am of the same opinion," Mrs Wentworth offered softly. "And I am a woman, if that matters."
"Well, really…" Edward felt he could repeat that Frederick was a fool in many different words, but he restrained himself. It would not help matters along at all. "If you cannot listen to her, you did well by leaving. I cannot allow you to go to Bath before you have given me proof of being capable of listening and placing yourself in her position, something you seem completely unable to do."
"I told you I had ruined it," Frederick said morosely. This new interpretation was even worse than what he had thought before. He had not needed to leave at all. He should go back as soon as possible.
"You do not appear to have a very high opinion of her."
"I do!" he cried. "That is why I know she could not have approved. She is all that is good and excellent. Her principles…"
Edward almost groaned at this idealised image. Frederick seemed to have forgotten she was a real person, who might well approve of such actions under the right circumstances. How else was a good and principled young woman to fall in love? "Allow the girl to speak for herself if you respect her so much. Try not to think you know what she is thinking, because obviously you have no idea. If she loves you, she will have liked that kiss."
Frederick was surprised at his brother's opinion. "You really had a lecture from the admiral!" he blurted out.
"Actually, it is more a case of my not having lost my common sense and hearing. If she loves you, she will not have liked you ignoring her words."
Sophia did not feel her backaches becoming less after two days of taking the waters. Today's session had but helped a little. She begged to be taken back to Kellynch as soon as possible.
"You were in good spirits earlier," said the admiral. "In fact, I thought you had imbibed some, because you two were getting along far too well, swaying across the streets of Bath like two drunken --"
"I was waddling, thank you. My spirits have nothing to do with my backaches."
"All this travelling cannot be good for you," he said concernedly. They would go if she said so, but he was nevertheless not certain it would do her good.
"A good shake might shake it out."
"Sophia!" He did not particularly want it to be shaken out in the carriage. "You cannot have it on the road."
She gave him a stubborn look. "I want to go home and I want to have it there."
"We still have Sir Walter's evening party to attend."
"I am not attending," she declared. "But of course you and Anne should go. I did not mean we should leave town this instant. Tomorrow morning will be fine."
Anne did not know whether she wanted to leave Bath already. "Home? But Frederick…" He had not come. He could not yet have come. It was too soon for that. But if he came now, she would be gone.
Sophia had forgotten about him for a moment. "It will not cost him more than a day to find us gone."
"A day." Anne was concerned. "But will he not think I changed my mind if I am gone?"
"He did not know your mind to begin with. He will come to hear where we have gone if we spread the word."
Anne had to submit, although she did not do so happily. But she pulled herself together quickly when she thought of Sophia's child. It was much better to have it at Kellynch. After eight years one day would not matter much.
Anne had brought more complicated gowns because Sophia would be able to help her button them, but Sophia had gone to ask the admiral a question and she had never returned. She wondered why they were not sharing if they could not do without each other. Surely she would be perfectly safe in this room on her own? This was a respectable inn and she had not seen one unsavoury character in its vicinity.
She knocked on the admiral's door and Sophia answered, a pair of scissors in her hand. "I am sorry I left you alone. Do you mind half undressed sailors?"
Anne looked startled. "I am sure I do." She had never encountered half undressed sailors and so she could only hazard a guess.
"But there is but one of them and I have kept him in a good condition."
"Yours," she guessed weakly.
"Aye." Sophia retreated and left the door wide open.
"Sophia!" Anyone could come by and look in, not that these two seemed to mind. She wondered which half was undressed. It could not be the worst half then.
"I am cutting his hair," Sophia called. "If I waste too much time it will be dry."
"Do you not think you ought to close the door?" Anne glanced both ways, but fortunately no other guests were around.
"Close the door then and see whether I have done a proper job. I shall cover him up with something, but it is always easier to brush hairs off skin than off a shirt and waistcoat, you see. And I have only done this among men who do not care. I at least remembered you might," Sophia called, sounding very proud of herself.
Anne waited to give her some time and then entered. The admiral was indeed wearing a sort of cape. His upper body seemed to be as bare as his forearms and she spotted some blue lines peeking out from under the sheet that caught her attention.
He stuck his arm out of his makeshift cape when he noticed she was unable to tear her eyes away. Something was marked on his skin, some drawing, with the name Sophia in elegant letters beneath it. "She did not like it at first," he said.
"No, he must have been drunk," Sophia said in a calm tone, brushing his hair with her fingers. "Young and drunk. He did not have me with him that winter, or I should have prevented him."
"If I had had you with me, there would not have been any need," he replied equally calmly. The matter had been settled and accepted years ago. It no longer worried him. He gave his arm another glance and the sheet slid onto the floor.
"James!" Sophia chided him. "You know I cannot bend over to pick that up and you know Anne does not like to see these things."
Anne was still staring. "Do all sailors look like that?"
"Oh, Frederick?" he asked with a chuckle, reaching for the sheet. "He would look better. He is younger."
"I cannot imagine it," said his loyal wife. "And I have seen plenty a --"
"Sophy," he said warningly. "You have not seen anything I did not want you to see."
"I mean --" Anne looked flushed. She did not want to know who looked good or bad. "Do all of you have such a thing?"
"If Frederick's letters were to be taken seriously, he should have at least ten," Sophia said with pursed lips. "But I hope he was teasing."
"Ten! But I may not want him anymore then!" Anne exclaimed in horror, imagining Frederick all covered. "Ten women! No, I am sure I do not want him then."
"Women are so silly!" cried the admiral, who wondered if one was as bad as ten seemed to be. "Why do you not realise that if you write a younger brother to tell him he must not get any, he will write back that he did?"
"So he does not have any?" Anne asked hopefully.
"I highly doubt it. The drawings he sent us were appallingly ugly and he always claims he has good taste."
"I…really only came to be buttoned up." She wanted to go back to her room as soon as possible.
Sophia laid down the scissors. "I am sure he was teasing," she said soothingly as she rapidly buttoned Anne up. "I am almost finished here. I shall come back quickly to do your hair."
Posted on Monday, 31 July 2006
Anne thought Admiral Croft must consider her father's new surroundings very inferior to Kellynch. It was all so small and the number of guests made it even smaller. The admiral made no comment, however, but good-humouredly took in the room and its occupants as he paid Sir Walter a few compliments about Kellynch.
Sir Walter returned the favour and inquired whether the admiral had had his hair done in any special place or at home, since it was so well-arranged. However, he felt he must disagree with the admiral when he heard a nice young lady had been responsible, for he did not think such important matters could be trusted to ladies.
Where Sir Walter had at least a limited interest in Admiral Croft, his interest in Mrs Croft was non-existent. She had looked too weather-beaten to deserve his admiration, not to mention that he remembered her figure as being far too square. That she was absent now elicited no reaction from him, since he did not think her pretty enough to grace his rooms and her absence must only be a blessing.
Elizabeth had nothing to say to Anne beyond some proud and boastful introductions to people Anne knew she would not care for. She ended up by Admiral Croft quickly enough, both of them silently contemplating how soon they might leave.
Only Mr Elliot, when he arrived, had some interest in Anne. He was introduced to her, naturally, because Elizabeth was proud of the connection, perhaps of having the advantage of knowing him while her sister did not. His utter surprise upon hearing she was a cousin was amusing to Anne, although she wondered why he did not betray anything to Elizabeth about Lyme.
The admiral, for his part, was greatly amused by the jealous look the fellow gave him, for "my sister Anne and Admiral Croft" did not correct Mr Elliot's mistaken impression of their belonging together. The man had seen them in the street the day before, he recalled, seeing Anne rush to his side, almost literally jumping into his arms, with an eagerness that could only be due to an attachment of sorts, be it marriage or an engagement, depending on how much Sir Walter had divulged about his middle daughter. It might not have been much. He did not think Anne was his favourite.
The admiral laid his hand on his other arm in a seemingly absentminded movement, but in fact his fingers were directly over the word Sophia there. If only this Mr Elliot knew! But the situation had not yet progressed so far as to make an explanation necessary.
Frederick, he thought, might be interested in knowing about this man's unconcealed admiration of Anne. She did not seem to care for him, but she might have some trouble discouraging him when the truth about Mrs Croft came out. Anne might be available if she was not Mrs Croft.
Mr Elliot, after some politeness, excused himself.
"Now he knows who I am," said Anne.
"No, he does not. He took you for my wife. Did you not see his look? I am sure he took me for a man your father's age. What could you be doing with such an old man? Now if I were to make our excuses because Mrs Croft is expecting…" His eyes sparkled in anticipation. Nothing could be seen in Anne's figure, of course.
Anne thought he was enjoying himself far too much, but then one must find one's own enjoyment at these evening parties. The only thing she was a little worried about was Sophia's reaction, although she never seemed to become upset by what her husband did. "But Sophia…"
"She is always with me. I had not thought I should so soon be given the chance to show she is." He touched his arm again. "But your cousin, or whatever he is, will be back once he discovers I am no more than your father's tenant. Someone may tell him you came in as Miss Elliot and no wedding ceremony has been conducted since then."
"You seem to think he likes me," Anne said cautiously. She was tempted to think the same, although she did not really understand why he would continue to think her pretty after he had met Elizabeth.
"He certainly likes the look of you. What do you know of him?" He could not imagine she knew very much.
"Very little. I was not privy to all the details of what caused the rift between him and our family, but I certainly do not understand how it could be so easily fixed. How could anyone's feelings have been so strong as to cause a rift when they turn out to be so weak that everything is so easily forgotten?" She was not sure, but self-interest might be playing a role somewhere. It sounded almost like Mary.
"You think of Frederick." His feelings were too strong and he did not forget easily -- but Frederick should remember which feeling had come first.
She coloured. "I was not thinking of him."
"I was. And what he would say to a future baronet eyeing his girl!"
Anne had come far enough not to contradict that out of mere modesty. "I wish he was in the habit of saying things."
"He was always in the habit of saying things. I have no doubt this will return."
"I apologise for deserting you earlier, Miss Elliot," said Mr Elliot, who had indeed come back like the admiral had predicted. Someone told him his cousin was in fact still Miss Elliot and he had returned to her as soon as he could.
Anne had not felt at all deserted and she was at a loss what to reply.
"I heard from your sister that you came to Bath with the admiral."
She owned herself surprised. This information seemed not to have registered with Elizabeth at all, but apparently it had simply been too interesting to react to it. "I did."
"But then I heard that in fact…" Mr Elliot looked from one to the other. "The admiral rents Kellynch Hall."
"In fact he does," Admiral Croft agreed. He did not see how this changed the situation. "But sometimes he comes to Bath." He lowered his voice. "My darling suffered from backaches. She wished to take the waters."
Anne blushed at how that might be misconstrued. She knew what he was doing and she had no power to stop it. She could not bring herself to make matters clear. It might not even be wise to reveal they suspected someone of being mistaken in his assumptions.
"Yes, the waters," Mr Elliot replied with a glance at Anne. "They are said to be very wholesome."
"She has unfortunately noticed no change," the admiral continued. "We shall go back to Kellynch Hall soon."
"I am sorry to hear that. Although thinking of what I know of Kellynch Hall I should not feel sorry. A very fine house. And more private surroundings than here, I am sure," he said with a knowing look.
"Yes, she is not fit for company, being so cranky due to those backaches." He silently apologised to Sophia, who was not really very cranky.
Here perhaps Mr Elliot began to notice something was amiss. He glanced at Anne again. "Not fit for company?"
"No, not really, but at times it cannot be avoided."
"True." It was clear that Mr Elliot was a bit lost. "Especially if you rent Kellynch Hall, I suppose. Sir Walter deserves every respect."
"His hair is uncommonly well arranged. He recommended his coiffeur to me. Very kind," Admiral Croft agreed with utter seriousness. "I have a coiffeuse myself. Ladies have a better touch."
In the matter of ladies Mr Elliot was apparently not lost. He gave a knowing grin. "That they do! A lady's touch cannot be praised enough."
It was time for some truths. "One's wife's is the best of all."
"One's wife's?" asked Mr Elliot, as if he had never heard such a notion.
"Of course. Who else? She must decide how she wishes to be seen with me. Besides, it is never wise to argue with a woman with scissors. One had best submit." One had to because she did her work well, not because she was dangerous. He smiled.
"Your wife is your coiffeuse." This was spoken incredulously.
"Naturally."
"Your wife. Is she also here? I do not believe we were introduced."
"No, she was indisposed. I came with Miss Elliot." As Mr Elliot knew very well, the admiral thought.
"But you came to Bath with your wife and Miss Elliot?" There was an ever so slight emphasis on wife, as if this freed Anne from any kind of attachment. "Or is your wife still at Kellynch?"
"I could not leave her there. I could not let them go by themselves either, particularly since they are rather troublesome together."
Anne turned away to hide a smile. She had not perfectly understood everything that had come before, except that the admiral had some mischievous purpose. But troublesome! They were not. He was. She wondered whether Sophia ever allowed him to go this far. Perhaps Sophia would understand and interrupt, but Anne could not do so if she did not understand him completely.
"Troublesome? Miss Elliot?" Mr Elliot was ready to defend her very gallantly. "I cannot imagine it."
"Then you suppose it all to be my wife's influence?"
"No, Admiral. I am sure neither is troublesome."
"I have yet to discover which of the two is the source of all mischief. My wife was always a sweet and pretty girl, no trouble in any way. But I am sure she and Miss Elliot are the prettiest ladies in Bath," the admiral continued. "Whatever they are up to."
Anne stifled a snort. Sophia and she had decided on the opposite. Or rather, she had decided they were not pretty ladies and Sophia had not disagreed. They limped and waddled!
"I can well believe that if Mrs Croft is as pretty as Miss Elliot," Mr Elliot said warmly, making up for almost having offended Admiral Croft by supposing his wife was the troublesome one.
"Perhaps we should go and see how she is. What do you say, Anne?"
It would be a nice opportunity to leave. "We should not leave her alone for too long," she nodded.
"You are devious!" said Anne when they were on their way home.
"My apologies if you liked the fellow, but I did not. My leaving an indisposed wife to go out with another, younger woman should have raised one eyebrow at least -- even if I do aim for that on purpose now and then -- but not knowing looks and misinterpretations. He never asked how she was."
There were more people who had not cared and in deep mortification Anne realised that all of them were Elliots.
"This man found it natural to assume you had come to Bath with me alone, as if he would do the same. All circumstances are different, I grant you, but he did not care at all about ours. An indifference to other people's morals is not good, especially not if it is due to an indifference to morals in general, such as when one uses such tolerance as an excuse for one's own lack of morals. I do not care about yours, so you have no reason to care about mine. And so forth."
"And do you think that was it?" She pondered the idea. Mr Elliot had indeed seemed more disappointed than shocked at supposing her taken.
"I am reckoning with the possibility, which is not really a good impression for someone to leave, is it?"
"But we do not really know him," she cautioned.
"You will not judge too hastily," he smiled. "But I am old enough to do so and I am old enough to be right quite often. You see, I am worse than Edward. Frederick has much less to fear there."
"But is it not so that you simply disliked him because he had no interest in Sophia?"
"Very well," he conceded. "You must withhold your judgement. But a lady's touch cannot be praised enough? You did not take that very literally then."
"No, should I?"
"I did. But it does not matter. I shall probably not see him ever again."
"You do not seem very cranky, Sophy. You could have attended," the admiral said critically when he found her reading a book in bed. "Although then we should not have had any amusement to relate."
"I am in a mood to have some amusement related to me," she answered. "Since I have been lying in bed fearing some suitor of Anne's would climb through the window."
Anne gasped. "But only your own brother has done so I do not think I have any suitors at all."
"I never said the fear was rational." She stretched her arms out to her husband. "Come and sit by me and tell me what amused you."
He obeyed. "Well, there was the aforementioned Mr Elliot. He found out Anne was his cousin, but still he thought she was my wife. Then he thought she was my mistress, yet he seemed to think it very natural that she would bring me to her father's party in spite of that. Very odd, I tell you."
"I am glad he was at that party, or he might have climbed into my window. And what did you do to…" She gave him a questioning look. "I am sure Anne is not used to such things."
"I do not know about such a man," the admiral said with a shake of his head. "He did not look disapproving once and then he was not even embarrassed, but he seemed relieved, but only because Anne was still free, not because I was not immoral."
"And when you had exhausted the joke, you came here?"
"There were not many other jokes to be had, except --" He looked at Anne as if to gauge what he could say. "Sir Walter made me a compliment on my hair and he seemed appalled to hear a lady had arranged it. I did not tell him it was common for Wentworths to arrange the hair of their spouse."
"Argh!" Anne cried, hiding her face on the bed. Frederick was not yet her spouse!
"Did my spouse not do a similar thing in embarrassment once?" Sophia observed. "It is very curious that we all end up with similarly behaving people."
"I hope he did not get carried away," Sophia said in concern after they had closed their eyes. "Not in public. Some gentle correction often does him good."
"Not very much. I had to be told what he was doing, so it cannot have been too obvious. He never once lied -- except perhaps when he called us the prettiest ladies in Bath. I am not sure we are troublesome either. Not very."
"Perhaps you are the pretty and I am the troublesome one."
Anne's heart was suddenly heavy. "I do not like Bath, but I do not want to leave it. Not now." She was glad Sophia could not see she might cry.
"I know." Sophia's voice was low. "I am sorry."
"It is silly of me, but I am suddenly fearing what will happen if he never comes. I…have nothing." She pressed the corner of her pillow against her eyes. A father and two sisters who did not care. That was all.
"I cannot believe he will never come. I cannot. If he does not, I shall go to Edward's and force him." But even Sophia had worries that troubled her. "If I survive," she squeaked.
"What?" Anne cried. "What are you saying?"
"I might not survive."
"If Mary did --" She broke off. No, Sophia would not die. She was much stronger than Mary. "But you must survive."
"Yes, because if I do not, James will ask Frederick to shoot him and then my daughter will be an orphan." Sophia choked. "Shall we have a good cry?"
Posted on Thursday, 3 August 2006
The next morning Anne took a short walk before they set off. She still disliked Bath, she found, despite the advantages of the present company. There was too much noise and traffic, and only the passing people could be remotely interesting, if only they did not walk so quickly. Although she was only going a short distance, Mr Elliot managed to run into her. She wondered if he had been walking here on purpose. It was rather early, she would say.
"Miss Elliot, good morning!" He was not yet on such familiar terms with her as to address her as anything else, yet his smile was very warm and familiar indeed.
"Good morning, Mr Elliot," she replied with much more reserve. Was Admiral Croft not in need of a stroll? If Sophia was paying their bill, the admiral could walk out. He did not have to hold her hand; Sophia could very likely pay bills admirably well.
"I hope you enjoyed the gathering last night. You left rather early."
"Yes, we did," she answered, feeling slightly puzzled. They had been talking to him when they left and they had told him why. He ought to remember and consider it a good reason. "Mrs Croft was not well. We did not want to leave her alone for so long." She wondered if he was going to show an interest in that now. Yesterday he had not betrayed even a flicker.
He did not yet care for Mrs Croft. "I am sorry you had to leave. I should have enjoyed talking to you some more. Where are you headed at present?"
"Only to the corner and back." She might have considered going further if he had not appeared, but his eagerness made her change her plans. She might not have minded becoming acquainted with a cousin at a slower pace, but she did not think even a cousin should be so forward.
"That is not very far. You will never allow me to escort you," Mr Elliot said with a disappointed pout.
"No, sir," she agreed. This only strengthened her in her determination. "I cannot walk anywhere at present because we are soon off."
"Oh! Where are you going?" He took a step back when he glanced over Anne's shoulder. "Admiral."
Anne turned and grasped his arm. "Oh, there you are!" she said rather breathlessly.
"Mr Elliot," said the admiral. "I am sorry I must deprive you of your admirable company, but we have somewhere to go." They took their leave of the man -- the admiral favouring speed over superfluous civility -- and returned to the inn. "Anne," he began sternly.
"I should not speak to people in the street?" she wondered. She could not help people speaking to her, though, and it had not really been a stranger. He still did not like Mr Elliot, she supposed, although he had not looked very disapproving at all.
His question was unexpected. "Have you ever considered a career on the stage?"
Anne looked absolutely puzzled. "On the stage!"
"Yes, all we needed was for the fellow to pull a dagger and you sacrificing yourself to protect me. It was quite a performance."
She pressed a hand to her mouth. She had not intended to behave so strangely. "But I was not acting."
"Even better if you can do that voice naturally."
"I --" Anne was perplexed.
"It may work on Frederick. But you should let your hair down first. We like such small details. Watch this now," he announced when they came to Sophia. "Oh, there you are!" He even imitated Anne's breathless voice.
Sophia wrinkled her nose and took a step back. "What are you up to?"
He gave her a mock disappointed glance. "You have no appreciation for the arts, Sophy."
"Should I? There is our carriage, my dear. Oh and that is Mrs Buckley coming out of that shop there. Does she know Frederick, do you think? I cannot remember." She did not wait for his answer, but went into the street to inquire.
"Well, Anne," said Admiral Croft, shaking his head in resignation. "Did you hear that? Shall I hand you in? If we appear to be waiting she might hurry a little."
Anne agreed and she was handed into the carriage a few moments later. She glanced out to see what Sophia was doing and could not help but see Mr Elliot pass again. Either he had truly had some business somewhere nearby, or he was coming to see if this was their carriage. He would see that soon enough, since the admiral was standing beside it, but the admiral would prevent his looking in.
Admiral Croft was kicking a pebble from one foot to the other and had no interest in Mr Elliot or Mrs Buckley. In fact, after a few moments Anne noted that he kept himself out of her field of vision deliberately. It did not take much longer for her to discover why. Suddenly he climbed in and he was barely seated when Mrs Buckley appeared before them.
"Admiral!" she cried in a voice so loud that not only he would hear it. "That dear Mrs Croft has just told me!"
When they were finally on their way, he rubbed his temples. "Could that dear Mrs Croft not have refrained from telling her?"
"No, my dear Admiral," Sophia said decidedly. "I could not. If she sees Frederick, she will need to tell him where we have gone and why."
"Her chuckles and little winks were too much for me. I now have a headache. What makes you think Frederick will hear her out long enough? He might develop a headache much sooner. And tell me why fathering a child makes me deserving of chuckles and winks? The man's contribution and effort are negligible. The attention he receives from elderly ladies should correspond to that."
"There is your answer. Frederick will not develop a headache, since he has not yet fathered a child and he deserves no winks," Sophia said calmly.
"Not yet, not yet," Anne muttered. "I heard you."
Sophia looked very innocent. "You have such a suspicious nature, Anne. We cannot say anything and you think of Frederick. I think that when you grow older you may turn into a sort of me."
Lady Russell had not yet left Kellynch when they returned. She was surprised to hear they were back so soon, since her own engagements always lasted much longer.
In their absence she had heard many things. The Musgroves could not stop talking about Captain Wentworth, the most charming man they had ever met. She remembered his name -- how could she not? That he was initially not mentioned in relation to Anne was no relief, for no secret was made of the fact that he was Mrs Croft's brother. Anne had gone away with Mrs Croft without acknowledging the family relationship to her.
Lady Russell hid her shock well. He had come back and Anne had gone away with his sister. Anne had furthermore stayed with his sister at the same time as he had. They had been in the same house. To what this intimacy might have led Lady Russell could not determine, but there was much to ponder.
It was not odd that Anne would treat the subject of Captain Wentworth with delicacy, but Lady Russell did not know what it meant that he had not been mentioned at all. She briefly hoped this implied complete indifference on Anne's part, but that could not be. Although there might not be any infatuation again, there would be some interest.
By all accounts the man was now rich and successful. The greater part of the objections that had once existed could no longer apply. He was furthermore not married. It did not reflect well on him that he seemed to have a preference for Louisa Musgrove after he had years ago recognised the qualities of Anne Elliot. Perhaps he had not possessed so much taste and discernment after all. Perhaps Anne had simply been the only girl available at the time. Lady Russell would like to think so. It would considerably lessen any danger.
But he had cooled in his behaviour to Louisa. There were some complaints, she could tell. Mrs Croft had ordered him to help Anne around in Lyme and he had actually obeyed. Everyone knew he had disliked it immensely, but that he had only done it out of politeness. He must have been tired of helping Anne, because he had gone away to his brother shortly after his return from Lyme.
Louisa seemed to resent Anne for her accident, since she very nearly considered the captain to be hers and her mother was inclined to indulge her in that feeling. Lady Russell was almost ready to defend Anne for having taken the captain's arm, since she had seen Anne limp, but fortunately she was not given the opportunity to voice her opinion.
That Anne had gone away with Mrs Croft was a surprise to them all, but only Mary was prepared to comment on it, since she felt herself terribly ill-used by this defection. She was certain that Anne was completely recovered, except for her arm and perhaps her ankle, and why she would choose to be looked after by a Mrs Croft was a mystery to her anyhow. Mary declared she had never seen the least bit of elegance in Mrs Croft's figure or face and she had once been terribly insulted by her, as if the woman did not know she was but a tenant and she had no right to say she did not want Sir Walter Elliot's grandsons in her home.
Lady Russell, who thought the boys particularly annoying and ill-bred, was inclined to agree with Mrs Croft. She kept silent about Mrs Croft's figure. If the woman had not considered it necessary to reveal her condition here, why should she? She did wonder why nobody had noticed. Obviously Captain Wentworth was so fascinating as to render anybody else uninteresting.
The young people considered the Crofts rather boring and too self-contained. Charles Musgrove believed Admiral Croft was a poor fellow completely under his wife's thumb, whereas Louisa passionately declared that she wished for nothing more than such an attachment in her own old age, although she could not see what they liked about each other. The mention of old age was a little disconcerting to Lady Russell, who knew she must be older than the admiral.
That the admiral had said he did not know whether Captain Wentworth would ever be back was lamented by all of the Musgroves, but it was music to Lady Russell's ears. She cared nothing for Louisa's prospects, but only for Anne's. She had considered the man very dangerous in the past and considering his apparent charms he would be dangerous still. He obviously had no intentions towards anyone if he might not be back.
Yet there were doubts. Anne had looked very pretty and lively. Was this the result of spending some time with a new friend like Mrs Croft, whom she seemed to like? Or was it the result of a rekindling of her former feelings towards Captain Wentworth? Lady Russell wished Anne had not looked so well. This complicated everything in a serious manner.
Lady Russell was resolved to call on Anne as soon as she might.
"Did you not tell Mary you were leaving?" Lady Russell asked when she called the day after they had returned.
"No." Anne sighed. "She would feel ill-used whether I told her or not. I thought I would spare myself some vexation." She could see that Lady Russell had heard about Captain Wentworth and that she had some questions about Anne's silence. Since the two of them were alone, these questions might eventually be asked. She had known there would be such an occasion, but it had come very soon.
"I suppose Mrs Croft has not yet had her child if she travelled."
"No, not yet." Anne studied her knees. She had grown used to being in a situation where neither person broached the subject that occupied them most.
Lady Russell brought it up eventually. "When you were gone I heard who Mrs Croft's brother is…"
Anne raised her eyes slowly, willing them to express very little beyond simple curiosity. In a sense she was glad the topic was being brought up so soon. Avoiding it was very exhausting.
"…that you have been to Lyme with a small party, that they would have left you here if it had not been for Mrs Croft, whose insistence that her brother help you was not appreciated by the Musgroves." Lady Russell had had enough time to summarise the situation.
Anne was not surprised to hear what had been discussed, but this did not tell her yet what Lady Russell thought of it all. There was some caution, some withholding of judgement, if that had been formed at all. Lady Russell would believe her sooner than the Musgroves, but in this case her opinion might be biased.
"While I am happy to hear she had you included in this party -- her brother?"
"Do you propose Charles should have done it?" Anne asked quietly. "It could be done, I suppose, if I kept reminding him of it." He would do it if she asked, but it would not occur to him to do anything for her spontaneously. He would simply not see that her hair should be done or something of that nature.
"What puzzles me is this man's willingness to assist you in light of his apparent interest in Louisa Musgrove."
"Louisa has a great interest in him," Anne said with great caution. It was difficult to say much, given how it might reflect on her, but a little emphasis on one side might convey her meaning. "But…"
"But you do not think it is reciprocated."
She was a little relieved. Perhaps there had been some signs to make Lady Russell say that so quickly. "No, I do not."
"Yet he has been behaving differently?" Lady Russell raised her eyebrows in a disapproving manner. She thought of his much lauded charm.
"Louisa has been putting herself forward in a shameless manner, either unwittingly or by design." Anne allowed some room for doubt there. She did not want to be too harsh, like a kind of jealous rival. "Her behaviour has not been checked, but encouraged by her family instead. I do not know what she has been telling them about his behaviour. I may disagree."
Lady Russell contemplated this with a serious look.
Anne gave herself over to being disapproving. "While I was here, she brought either Mary or Henrietta over every morning, pretending to make inquiries about me, despite Admiral and Mrs Croft not being very welcoming to them. And they did not seem very interested in me."
"What did he do?"
"What could he do?" Anne had wondered about this herself. She did not think he had handled it perfectly, but she conceded it was a difficult situation. "If she still harbours this notion after Lyme, where he paid her no attention at all, would saying anything have had any effect? Does one really tell a girl she is becoming rather annoying? Is that not for her family to warn her about?"
"It is most tactfully done by not paying any attention if the family are useless," Lady Russell agreed. "Yet she seems to have thought he would have loved to pay attention to her if it had not been for you."
"I know he did not," said Anne, remembering him climbing into her window. "Charles and Mary are pretty useless chaperones, since they saw him as a good match for her and they did not care what he thought of it himself."
"I can imagine. But perhaps that settles the question of Louisa. What about you?"