Captain Wentworth's Persuasion (46 page)

“Anne, when were your last courses?”

Anne’s head snapped around. “What do you mean, Sophia? I
cannot
be!”

“Morning nausea—emotionally crying for no real reason—exhausted all the time.Think about it, Anne; it says ‘with child’ to me.Why can you not be carrying Frederick’s baby? Do not tell me it is your age; I am nearly seven years older than you, and Cassandra Rose says it is possible.” Sophia coolly summarized what Anne already suspected—but did not allow herself to truly consider.

Panicking, she begged Frederick’s sister. “I will not tell Frederick until I am sure. Please, Sophia, you must say nothing. I cannot raise Frederick’s hopes, only to have them dashed.These next few weeks are too important to let my nerves be mistaken for the possibility—the reality of—a child.”

“I will say nothing,” Sophia assured her. “But you must watch carefully. The next few weeks will be filled with ceremony after ceremony. Do not let the demands of Frederick’s obligations risk your health or that of a child. My brother would
never
allow harm to come to you. His career—everything—is secondary to the love Frederick feels for you.”

“I will exercise caution until I know for sure,”Anne promised.

“Anne!” Sir Walter scrambled to his feet as a footman announced her and Frederick. “My, do you not look well! Your complexion glows, and you look less thin in your person and in your cheeks. Have you been using Gowland’s lotion as I suggested?”

“No, Father—nothing at all,” she replied as she offered him a kiss on the cheek.

“Certainly you cannot do better than continue as you are; you cannot be better than well.” Her father moved past her to greet
Frederick, who stood to the side, amused by what Sir Walter chose as the first thing to say to his daughter after they had been apart for nearly a year. “Captain,” the man offered his hand, “it has been a long time, Sir.”

“Father, remember I wrote—Frederick is now a Rear Admiral of the White?”

“Of course, you did,” Sir Walter looked at Frederick with a new respect.“How could I commit such a faux pas?”

“It is perfectly understandable, Sir. I am afraid I, too, am unaccustomed to the title.” Frederick took Sir Walter’s hand, vowing to be civil to the man.

“Come, I have someone I wish you to meet.” Sir Walter gestured to a woman of approximately Anne’s age. Raven-haired with astonishing blue eyes, the lady was taller than Anne by at least three inches. She had a small waist and a well-developed bust line, which her gown of lavender, a color often worn by a widow after her mourning period, prominently displayed. “This is Mrs. Amelia Bradley. Mrs. Bradley, this is my second daughter,Anne Wentworth, and her husband, Rear Admiral Frederick Wentworth.”

Frederick bowed and Anne curtsied; Mrs. Bradley responded in kind. “Mrs. Bradley,” Anne took the lead, “it is pleasant to meet you, at last.We have heard much of you from Lady Russell.”

“I hope Lady Russell spoke of my
finer
qualities,” the woman answered charmingly.

“I assure you, Ma’am,” Frederick led Anne to a nearby chair, “that we heard a glowing account.”

Mrs. Bradley nodded to a wing chair for Frederick’s use. “I am pleased to hear it,” she murmured. “Your father speaks often of your union, Admiral Wentworth. Sir Walter became quite enthralled by stories of your recent captures; I cannot
imagine
the dangers, Sir! And you, Mrs. Wentworth,” she continued, “traveled with your husband?”

“I did, Mrs. Bradley,” Anne spoke softly. “A woman should follow her husband.”

Frederick interrupted, “My wife is adamant about our not
being separated, as am I. We waited many years to share a life together.” He cleared his throat. “You may be unaware, Mrs. Bradley, of how close I came to death’s door in this most recent journey; if Anne had not traveled with me—to tend me—I likely would have succumbed to my wounds.”

“Really,Wentworth?” Sir Walter questioned him. “I never supposed
Anne
to be capable of handling such a crisis!”

“Then you, Sir, misjudge your daughter. Anne is sensible, compassionate, and intelligent. She can be stubborn, but sometimes that trait is the one that the situation demands. I have heard Anne compared to the late Lady Elliot. No one is more capable than Anne.”

“We-Well,” Sir Walter stammered,“I expect that I still see Anne as the little girl always with a book in her hand—lost in her world of make believe.”

Anne, ever the diplomat in the family, added quickly,“I suspect I am a combination of both the fanciful girl and the sagacious woman—both the little girl and the grown-up Anne.”

Mrs. Bradley joined in again. “I imagine you would be, Mrs. Wentworth. Most women are, although the men in our lives sometimes see us as one dimensional.”

Frederick took the woman’s words to heart; he imagined she spoke from first hand experience when dealing with Sir Walter.“I understood, Mrs. Bradley,” he returned his attention to the woman seated before him, “that your late husband served in the Iberian campaign?”

“He did, Sir.” Amelia Bradley paused. “Stephen lost his life trying to break Napoleon’s military hold on the rest of Europe.”

“Did you follow the drum, Ma’am?”Anne asked.

“No—No, Mrs. Wentworth, I do not possess your determination. I wish I had been there when Stephen…” Her words trailed off.“But I suppose that there would have been nothing I could do.”

“The men who served in both Andalusia and in Portugal dealt Napoleon a major blow—but they suffered unbelievable losses. Your husband, Ma’am, was very brave.”

“Thank you—you are most kind, Sir.”

An awkward pause ensued. Anne knew talk of Mrs. Bradley’s’s late husband probably wounded Sir Walter’s ego, so she changed the subject. “Father, where is Elizabeth this evening? I had hoped to see her.”

“Elizabeth is out with Mr. Stitt and his family at the theater.”

“Mr. Stitt?” Frederick asked in an amused tone.

“A nobody,” Sir Walter noted. “Mr. Stitt has made his own way—he has wealth, although he has no title. Owns a silver mine or some sort of hole in the ground—near Cornwall, I believe. Of course, I dare not object; the man is your sister’s first serious suitor in several years.At least, he can afford her tastes; if he presents himself, I will agree most readily.”

“Father!”Anne protested.

Just then, a footman announced dinner, and they moved to the dining room. Anne took her father’s arm, and Frederick escorted Mrs. Bradley. Mrs. Bradley and Sir Walter sat at opposite ends of the table. Anne and Frederick occupied the middle.The dinner was in four courses, and the conversation remained cordial throughout.

“And you will be in town through the end of the month?” Sir Walter asked after motioning for the last course to be removed from the table.

“We will, Sir.” Frederick placed his cutlery to the side of his setting. “We took a house with the Admiral and Sophia; my brother will join us after a fortnight.”

Mrs. Bradley noted,“That is quite a household.”

“You and I, my Dear,” Sir Walter directed his attention to his lady friend,“will need to call on the Admiral and Mrs. Croft.They are my tenants at Kellynch Hall.”

“As are Frederick and I, Father.We have been in Somersetshire since last September.”

“Oh yes, of course,” Sir Walter placated.

Mrs. Bradley stood, acting as the lady of the house, obviously, with Sir Walter’s consent. “Mrs. Wentworth, why do we not retire to the drawing room and leave the men to their cigars and port?”

“Thank you, Mrs. Bradley.” Anne followed the woman to her
feet, as did Frederick and Sir Walter.“Frederick—Father, we will see you in a few minutes.”And with curtsies, the ladies left the room.

“Well, Wentworth, what will it be?” Sir Walter led Frederick into his study.

Frederick settled in a chair opposite Sir Walter’s desk.“A brandy or a glass of port will be fine, Sir.”

The older man handed him a brandy, and Frederick took a sip. “I am glad we have this time alone,Wentworth. I have something I need to discuss with you.”

“Certainly, Sir Walter. What might that be?” Frederick asked cautiously.

Sir Walter came around the desk to sit next to Frederick. “As you and my daughter might surmise, I plan to offer for Mrs. Bradley soon. She is an attractive woman and young enough to bear me additional heirs. I find her company most pleasant, and, I believe, we will get along well together. She has her widow’s pension and an unentailed piece of property left to her by her father, as well as a good living from her husband’s investments.”

“I see,” Frederick mused. “Of course, Anne and I wish you much happiness. But how does your offer to Mrs. Bradley affect us? What do you need of me, Sir Walter?”

Elliot swished the brandy around in his glass. “I wish to take Mrs. Bradley to Kellynch as my wife. I will be terminating the Admiral’s lease on the estate when the terms are up in September.”

“And you expect me to deliver that message to my family?” Frederick hated being put in the middle—in such a position.

Sir Walter shook his head, a bit offended.“I would not ask it of my daughter’s husband; I will speak for myself,Wentworth.” Elliot took a large gulp of his drink before going on.“However, you must understand that I have done nothing to date because you and Anne are also at Kellynch. I cannot turn my daughter out, but I also cannot take my bride into a household predisposed to taking orders from both your sister and your wife.”

Frederick paused—extending his thinking time before responding. “Then you would like to know when I will become the
type of husband I always claimed I would be to Anne and when I plan to give my wife a proper place of her own?”

“That is not the way I would have phrased it, but it is the crux of the matter.”

Frederick stared at his wife’s father, disbelief playing through his body.
Calm down,Wentworth
, he told himself.
This foolish man’s self-centered view of the world is not news to you.
“We have two prospective homes in mind, both appropriate for Anne’s station in life.” Frederick began to check off the details in his head. “I assure you, Sir Walter, once this month of celebration is complete, your daughter and I will make a choice.We are most eager to have a place of our own. With the war finally over, my services will no longer be needed; I will remain in an advisory position only. I will take a half pension, if necessary, but Anne and I will soon vacate Kellynch, and you and Mrs. Bradley can live there in wedded bliss.” Frederick could not resist saying this last in a slightly sarcastic tone.

Evidently Sir Walter heard the sarcasm in Frederick’s voice.“I did not mean to offend you,Wentworth.”Yet, his tone said otherwise.

At that, Frederick lost his tenuous hold on his temper. Even with his promotion and his recognition from the Crown, Sir Walter still judged him poorly. The man’s interest in Frederick’s career came only as a reflection of what glory he might bring to the Elliot name. He would never be good enough for Anne in Sir Walter’s opinion. “Sir Walter, you have done nothing but insult me every chance you had for the past ten years. Until I came to you a year ago to ask for permission a second time to marry Anne, I was nothing more than a bowing acquaintance. I know I am a disappointment, in your estimation, but I tolerate your censure for Anne’s sake. Here, however, are the facts.As a Rear Admiral of the White, I possess nearly as much social clout as do you.You have the inherited position, which I will never have, but it is I, at this time, who has the fortune. You foolishly ran through yours and now must marry a woman of independent wealth in order to save your name and your estate. I, on the other hand, married the woman I love. I supported Anne’s idea of your reclaiming your home. I would
think that counted for something, but now you take this opportunity—the first time we have seen each other in over a year—the first time you have seen your own child—to promote your own interests. Go ahead and marry for convenience; marry for money. That is the way of the aristocracy! Do not have second thoughts about Anne’s future. I will provide for my wife!”

Sir Walter flinched at the tone of authority in Frederick’s voice. Only this man—Anne’s husband—ever spoke to him as such. He countered,“And what of your sister and the Admiral?”

“You pompous prat!” Frederick cursed under his breath. “I knew you lacked the courage to deal honorably with my family! However, do not concern yourself with principles. I feel confident in safely saying that as Sophia and the Admiral are new parents, I doubt they will wish to remain long at Kellynch. When she starts walking, Cassandra Rose will want to actually touch things—not live in a museum! I will tell my sister of your intentions. If you are finished, Sir Walter, I would prefer to return to my wife’s company.” He set the glass down hard on the table, sloshing some of the brandy onto his hand.