“We were in each other’s company upon several occasions.” He forced himself to control his facial expression.
“I never suspected as much,” Sophia replied. “I knew from our conversation when we returned the call at Uppercross some fortnight ago that Miss Anne was familiar with Edward; yet, I did not realize you also made her acquaintance. Had I known, I would have shared your recent success when I told her about Edward’s marriage. I am sure she would be interested to know of your moving up in the ranks.You were not yet given your first command, Brother, when you visited Edward all those years ago.”
“I assure you Miss Anne would not be interested in my career,” Frederick retorted, trying to keep the bitterness out of his words. “Then I assume Miss Anne is at Uppercross with her younger sister?”
“Mrs. Charles is of a delicate nature, or so she prefers to tell anyone who might listen. I suspect Miss Anne is the only one in the family with good sense; she appears to be the only one who can placate Mary Musgrove.”
“My wife has immersed herself in neighborhood gossip,” Benjamin Croft revealed fondly.
Sophia rolled her eyes before continuing her story. “Miss Anne will travel with Lady Russell to Bath before Christmas. Lady Russell is away in Hertfordshire at the moment. Although she lives in the estate lodge, we have yet to meet the woman. She left the area before we took possession of the house. It is common knowledge that she serves as a confidante to the Elliot family, but you may know that already.”
Frederick stiffened with the mention of Lady Russell’s name.As much as he blamed Anne for succumbing to her family’s advice, he blamed Lady Russell more. Anne trusted Lady Russell to aid her with Sir Walter’s objections to the marriage, and the woman sided with Anne’s father. He might have overcome the baronet’s opposition, but Lady Russell compounded the doubts Anne already held. The knowledge of Lady Russell’s absence from the country came as a pleasant surprise; he did not think he could face her without animosity. “Sophia, I suddenly feel very tired; if you would show me to my room, I believe I would like to rest before dinner.”
“Of course, Frederick.” She rose to lead the way.
“Until dinner, Sir.” Frederick offered his brother a slight bow as he stood. The Admiral nodded pleasantly and remained seated as Frederick walked to the door.
“Mr. Steventon arranged for his nephew to serve as your valet while you are here, Frederick. I know you are quite adept at handling your own ablutions, but the man is available if you need him.”
“Thank you, Sophia; you are a faultless hostess.” He followed her up the staircase to the private quarters. He wondered, as he passed each of the closed doorways, which one had belonged to Anne. For years, Frederick had seen her everywhere he looked. Now he was in her home, or what had been her home; and his memories and his fantasies seemed to be stronger than the present, mundane as it was.
He sat on the edge of the bed; his heart pounding furiously, making him light-headed. He cursed himself for still being susceptible to even the remembered charms of Anne Elliot. Being in Anne’s house might prove overwhelming, after all.Why in bloody hell did she still have such a hold on him? “I thought I rid myself of feelings for her long ago,” he muttered, catching an image of his demeanor in the reflection of the window and trying desperately for a coherent thought. He moved to take in the view of the garden below, veiled in the last strands of sunlight.
“I’m a fool,” he admitted aloud. When Harville had written him of his latest child, Frederick found himself wondering what life with Anne would have held. When his friend James Benwick lost his love Fanny—Thomas Harville’s sister—he grieved for both his friends, but he had also grieved for his own loss. When his brother, Edward, had finally married the love of his life, Frederick fantasized about life with Anne Elliot. Each remembrance brought him new pain.“Maybe this is what I need to finally be rid of her—to truly start to live my life again.We will meet, and I will see that she really has no hold on me. I wasted my time loving her. Anne Elliot betrayed me; she ill-abused me.” Saying the words, he began to frantically pull at the knot in his cravat.“I will be her puppet no longer. Today I am cutting those strings that once bound me to her.” He jerked the shirt over his head and tossed it on the bed. “Yes,” he paused before pouring water into the basin. “This is exactly what I need—my chance to finally bid Anne Elliot farewell—on my own terms.”
With a new resolve, Frederick threw himself into the companionship of his sister and the Admiral. He rode out with them one morning as they took pleasure in examining their lands and holdings. “It is beautiful here,” Sophia sighed, and her husband nodded in silent agreement.
One afternoon Frederick and his sister strolled arm in arm through the gardens. “You appear content, Sophie,” Frederick remarked.
“I admit I could become accustomed to the serenity that life at Kellynch Hall offers.” She smiled up at him. “Benjamin served Britain long enough; it is time he takes care of himself. I wish for the peace to last; I am weary of war.”
“Will the Admiral accept his half pension?” Frederick directed her to a bench upon which they could sit.
Sophia glanced furtively toward the house. “I will try to persuade him to do so. My husband might wish to return, but I fear that fate and luck could be against him. My intuition, as well as Benjamin’s, tells us he should not return. One cannot sail successfully as often as the Admiral without listening to one’s gut feelings. I will use all my powers of persuasion to get him to adhere to what his inclinations already tell him.”
Frederick reached out to pat her hand, but before he could respond, a servant interrupted his thoughts. “Pardon, Mrs. Croft,” the footman stammered.“Admiral Croft asks that you and Captain Wentworth join him in the front parlor. Mr. Musgrove attends your husband.”
“Which Mr. Musgrove?” Frederick asked before he could stifle the words. Only a few days earlier he had believed Anne had married the younger Musgrove.
“The father, Sir.”The footman bowed slightly.“The Admiral said to tell you Mr. Musgrove was most interested in meeting you, Sir.”
“Thank you, Landon,” Sophia acknowledged.
“Yes, Ma’am.” He left the area, exiting through the back garden gate.
“Well,” Frederick said, turning to his sister, “let us meet Mr. Musgrove.”
Frederick followed Sophia into the front parlor as Benjamin and Mr. Musgrove both struggled to their feet to greet her. “My Love,” Croft’s eyes lit up when she accepted his hand.
“Mrs. Croft.” Mr. Musgrove bowed to Sophia before turning his attention to Wentworth.
Sophia introduced Frederick and the elder Mr. Musgrove and ushered everyone to seats before the conversation began again. Musgrove was in the old English style—a very good sort of person—friendly, not much educated, and not at all cultured.The man cleared his throat, seeming to stall before speaking. “Captain Wentworth, I cannot tell you how pleased I am to finally make your acquaintance,” he stated nervously.
“Thank you, Sir.” Frederick inclined his head in interest.
“Once Mrs. Croft told us of your return to England, my wife, Mrs. Musgrove, has thought of little else. It appears, Captain, our second son Richard once served under you. Mrs. Musgrove found in his letters where he spoke of his commander, Captain Wentworth. She wishes to thank you for your kindness to our poor Richard when he served under you on the Laconia.” The words gushed from him, nearly leaving him breathless and quite reddened in the face.
“And how is Midshipman Musgrove?” Frederick inquired. He remembered Richard Musgrove, who was known more familiarly as “Dick,” well, having had the ill fortune of adding Musgrove to his crew when he set in at Gibraltar in ’09. Musgrove was a troublesome, hopeless man. Obviously, he was unmanageable on shore, and upon reaching his twentieth year, his family sent Musgrove to sea.Wentworth despised anyone who did not pull his own weight on board. In his estimation, “poor Richard” was nothing better than a thickheaded, unfee
ling, unprofitable Dick Musgrove, who never did anything to entitle himself to more than the abbreviation of his name.
“Unfortunately, we lost our dear son two years ago, Sir.” Mr. Musgrove sounded very out of spirits.
Frederick looked around and caught the Admiral’s eye.“Forgive me, Mr. Musgrove; I had no idea.”
“Thank you, Captain; we have many other children to fill our home, but we maintain a place in our hearts for Richard. I came here today to invite you to our house to share our table. Mrs. Musgrove insists that she owes you a debt of gratitude for your personal attention to our dear boy.”
Frederick fought the urge to roll his eyes. “I assure you, Mr. Musgrove, I did nothing to earn such praise.”
“I am afraid, Captain, I will surely have a difficult time convincing my wife of such modesty.”
“Then I will meet Mrs. Musgrove and convince her myself; however, I am committed to previous engagements for the next week.Will you and Mrs. Musgrove be kind enough to accept me after that time?” Frederick offered up his best “captain” smile.
Musgrove beamed with delight. “Mrs. Musgrove will be sorry to have to wait so long to make your acquaintance, but the anticipation will enhance the experience.“May we say dinner at Uppercross for you, the Admiral, and Mrs. Croft one week hence?”
While Frederick waited for his sister to respond to the invitation, his thoughts drifted elsewhere. If he called upon the Great House at Uppercross, he would likely come face-to-face with Anne Elliot. How could he bear it? As much as he had told himself that he wanted nothing to do with her, he was not wholly convinced. But his curiosity still loomed. His sister’s words penetrated his thoughts.“It would be our pleasure, Mr. Musgrove.”
The man scrambled to his feet before the group might withdraw their consent.“I must hurry home,” he began,“and give Mrs. Musgrove the good news. She and my daughters will be thrilled.” He edged closer to the door.“Thank you for receiving me, Admiral. Mrs. Croft, please know how pleased we at Uppercross are to have you and your husband at Kellynch Hall.This is a most pleasant circumstance indeed.”
He was nearly out the door before Sophia could interlace her arm with his and show him to the entranceway. When left alone, Frederick laughed lightly at the absurdity of the scene.
“Mr. Musgrove is an amiable man,” the Admiral observed.
“He is,” Frederick could not hide his amusement.“To think the Elliots aligned themselves with the Musgroves is a delightful diversion. Admittedly, I would prefer the company of the Musgroves, however,” he replied absently. Yet, his thoughts remained with Anne. Am I strong enough to see her again? Is she strong enough to see me? Will she see me?
Croft’s eyes danced with humor. “So how bad of a sailor was Dick Musgrove? I observed how carefully you chose your words when speaking with his father.”
“He was several years at sea, and had, in the course of those removals to which all midshipmen are liable, and especially such midshipmen as every captain wishes to get rid of,” he responded succinctly.“Dick Musgrove spent six months onboard the Laconia.”
“Might you find something positive to say about the man?” Croft slowly got to his feet. “You have a week to think of something.” He chuckled as he patted Frederick on the shoulder.“I will see you at dinner; I want to take a look at the ledger book for the preceding month on the estate. I will be in the study if Sophie is looking for me.”
“Yes, Sir,” Frederick mumbled.
“Captain Wentworth!” Mr. Musgrove cried, “It is so good of you to return our call. May I present my wife, Mrs. Musgrove, and our daughters Miss Louisa and Miss Henrietta Musgrove?” Frederick noted the Musgrove parents made a fine pair, both jovial—both well rotund.
Frederick bowed politely. “I am proud to make your acquaintance, Mrs. Musgrove.” He saw tears mist her eyes as she took a close look at his countenance while he tried to mask his real feelings. “Misses Musgrove.” He bowed formally to her daughters.
Henrietta and Louisa Musgrove were young ladies of nineteen and twenty, respectively, who were brought from a school at Exeter—they possessed all the usual stock of accomplishments, and were now, like thousands of other young ladies, living to be fashionable, happy, and merry. Their dress had every advantage; their faces were rather pretty; their spirits extremely good; their manners unembarrassed and pleasant; they were of consequence at home and favorites abroad.
“Captain, oh, dear Captain, you have no idea how pleased we are to receive you,” assured Mrs. Musgrove. “We are anticipating the arrival of our daughter Mrs. Charles and her sister, Miss Anne Elliot. Please have a seat; they will be with us in a few minutes. Miss Anne is newly come from Kellynch Hall.” Mrs. Musgrove seated herself on the settee across from his chair.
Hearing Anne’s name and realizing within a few minutes he would see her once again, Frederick steeled his composure. After eight years, Anne would be in the same room as he. Sweat formed on his forehead, and, he unobtrusively, wiped it away with his handkerchief.Yet, before he could think further on what he would say or do, a servant rushed into the room.“Oh, Mrs. Musgrove,” the woman gasped.“Dear me!”
“What is it, Jemima?” Mr. Musgrove rushed forward. “Is it Charles?”
“Lord, no, Mr. Musgrove,” she gulped for air. “It is Little Charles; he fell from a tree.The whole house is at sixes and sevens. Miss Anne sent for the apothecary, informed Master Charles, kept Mrs. Charles from hysterics, and sent me here to inform you. She begs you to forgive their not attending you.”
Mrs. Musgrove forgot all about their honored guest.“Father, we need to go immediately.”
“Of course, my Dear. Retrieve your wrap. I will have the carriage brought around at once. Forgive us, Captain Wentworth; we must attend to the disturbance at Uppercross Cottage.You will call upon us again on the morrow? Right now I must see to my heir—to Little Charles.”
“Naturally, Mr. Musgrove; have no doubt. I will see myself out.” Frederick rose quickly to leave. “As far as our engagement, I will wait until I hear from you on your grandson’s progress before I call upon you again.Your attention needs to be there, Sir, not with me.”
“Thank you, Captain. Now we must leave you. Hurry, girls.” So saying, he led Wentworth to the hallway and shook his hand before turning toward his approaching wife.
On the walk back to Kellynch Hall, Frederick brooded. He had come so close to seeing Anne again. He wiped his sweaty palms on his breeches and cursed under his breath, realizing how flushed he felt. A band constricted his chest, and he could barely breathe. “Damn it,” he murmured.“What am I to do? I must see her to rid myself of Anne Elliot, but how will I be able to look upon her once more?” He straightened his shoulders and took deep breaths, trying to quiet his troubled heart.“Tomorrow, then,” he thought out loud. “One more day will see us together.” With a new resolve to be stoic, he continued his walk toward Kellynch Hall.
Frederick called on the Musgroves the next evening, having received word earlier in the day of the continued progress of the child. “I must tell you, Captain, I experienced great uneasiness about my heir.” Mr. Musgrove took a deep drink of port.
“I was a bit surprised to receive word regarding tonight’s entertainment.” Frederick let his eyes drift to the others at the table. It amused him to see the Misses Musgrove hang on his every word. If only Anne could see him now! Pity that she could not be here.
From the tidbits of conversation he had overheard, Frederick determined that Mary Elliot Musgrove possessed much of the Elliot pride. She was often unwell and out of spirits, although she appeared quite animated on this particular evening. It took him only moments to realize that Mary had not Anne’s understanding or temper.While well and happy and properly attended to, she possessed great good humor and excellent spirits; but, evidently, any indisposition sunk her completely; she had no resources for solitude. She had inherited a considerable share of the Elliot self-importance and was prone to add to every other distress that o
f fancying herself neglected and ill used. In Frederick’s opinion, she was inferior to both sisters.
Charles Musgrove was civil and agreeable; in sense and temper, he was undoubtedly superior to his wife, but not of powers of conversation or of discrimination. In Frederick’s estimation, a more equal match might greatly improve him, and a woman of real understanding might give more consequence to his character, and more usefulness, rationality, and polish to his habits and pursuits. Musgrove was single-minded in quest of his sport; it appeared he did nothing with much zeal, but sport; and his time was otherwise trifled away, without benefit from books or anything else. Frederick could not imagine a life of such indolence.Yet, the man had very good spirits, which never seemed much affected by his wife’s occasional lowness; bore with her unreasonableness; and, upon the whole, though there was very often a little disagreement, they passed for a happy couple.
“The child had a good night,” Charles Musgrove confided to Frederick,“and the doctor, Mr. Robinson, found nothing to increase alarm, so I saw no necessity for longer confinement. What can a father do?” Frederick kept his thoughts on the subject to himself.
“I agree, Boy,” Mr. Musgrove added quickly. “This is quite a female case, and it would be highly absurd of you, who could be of no use at home, to shut yourself up. Besides I wished you to make the captain’s acquaintance.”
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