Frederick demanded, “Admiral, how do you know I am to be called back up for service?”
“I went to get a paper to see your wedding announcement in print.” The Admiral paced the room, trying to organize his thoughts. “The papers are full of speculation on the French emperor, so I went to the Central Office to learn more.That is when I found out they were organizing those to be recalled.”
“How do you know I have only ten days?” Frederick prodded him.
Glancing back at his brother in marriage, the Admiral stopped in his tracks. “I do not know for sure, Frederick, but you will have ten days, at most, from the time they find you. Did you not report to the Central Office when you came here?”
“Yes, Sir.” He stroked Anne’s back, trying to comfort her.
“Then it is only a matter of time before you receive orders. It may be you have twelve days instead of ten, but it will not be three weeks. I am sorry, Frederick.”The man sank into the nearest chair.
“But the wedding?” Sophia pleaded.
Anne raised her head to look at Frederick.“What will we do?”
“I do not know, my Love. We do not even have time to go to Gretna Green.” He began to think out loud.
“A common license?” Sophia suggested.
Benjamin reasoned, “Frederick has not lived here long enough to qualify for such consideration.What of you, Miss Anne?”
“I have been in Bath long enough if the archbishop will allow it. Usually, he prefers it to be the man’s residency rather than the woman’s, but we can try.”
“Even securing a common license may take too much time. I could be made to report before the end of the week. We need to marry immediately.”
“What of a special license?”Anne followed suit.
Frederick reminded her,“I am not an aristocrat.”
“But I am,” she protested, “and so is my father and so is Lady Russell and Lady Dalrymple. Surely their names can help us.”
Frederick traced the outline of her face with his thumb. “As you said moments ago, we will try,” he assured her.
“You and I will go to see my father immediately.” She moved to find her things.“I will not let you leave without me.”
“Anne.” Frederick did not move. “We must realize our plans may not come to fruition.”
She turned on him angrily. “I will not hear of it, Frederick Wentworth! I will not let Fate bring us together again and then pull you away! I will not have it!” It was her turn to collapse into the nearest chair, an overstuffed one, where she wept loudly. Sophia and the Admiral slipped from the room.
Frederick sat on the arm of the chair. “Sweetheart,” he coaxed her as he dabbed her tears with his handkerchief, “please let us figure out what we must do.”
Anne took the handkerchief and wiped her eyes and cheeks. Still sniffling, she declared, “I will go with you even if we are not married.” She raised her chin in determination.
“Anne, I cannot allow you to risk your reputation by taking you with me. I will not brook such an idea. Come, let us sit together on the sofa.” He led her to a seat and sat down next to her.Taking her hand in his, he spoke seriously, “If I must leave before the banns are called the third time, I will be gone only a few months—a year at most.We can wait.”
“Frederick, I want children. Do you not want children, too? I am near eight and twenty; another year and I may not be able to bear a child!”Tears began to stream down her face again.
Frederick closed his eyes; images of Anne holding their child came easily to him.“Of course, I want children—our children, but I want you more than even the possibility of a child. If I do not marry you, I will not marry at all.” He kissed her lips lightly. “If I must leave before we marry,” he began again, “I will send for you before the first time we make port.You will need to be wherever it is for a fortnight before I arrive; I will have Sophia travel with you, and as soon as I make land, we will marry. It will be only a matter of months at most.”
“May we, at least, ask my father for help?” she pleaded. “I have never asked for such preferential treatment before; I am sure he will make things right.”
“Anne, your father agreed to our marriage because Prinny is all aglow with praise for the military. I am sure the Prince Regent will not be happy to have the resurgence of this war thrown in his face. Your father may choose to distance himself from our union. It is a fact, my Love, that we must face.”
“That may be, but I insist we try.” She began to release her hand from his clasp.“Will you come with me?” she asked as she stood.
“Of course, I will come with you.” Frederick followed her to his feet.
“Captain!” Sir Walter called out as soon as Frederick and Anne entered the room. “How will the latest development with the French affect your plans?”
Frederick led Anne to a nearby chair before answering. “I cannot say, Sir Walter; the Admiral believes I will be called to command a new ship, as the Laconia was to be dismantled.”
“We are unsure, Father,” Anne interrupted, “how soon that will be.”
Lady Russell, who sat to the left of Sir Walter’s desk, spoke up, “Maybe this is Providence’s way of saying this union is not meant to be.”
“Do not—do not let me hear you say such a thing again if you expect to remain in my favor,”Anne warned her long time companion.
“Anne, I am sorry if I upset you; but Fate may be speaking to you,” Lady Russell repeated softly.
“Lady Russell, when I turned to you for advice years ago, I did so with love for a surrogate mother. But now, I question your motives. If I leave, what will be your connection to this family? Do you worry that you will no longer be needed? Is that why you bid me to deny Frederick and later Charles Musgrove?”
“Anne,” the woman flustered, “I always wanted to protect you from your overly romantic heart.”
“Do not protect me, Lady Russell. I am a grown woman.”Anne took Frederick’s hand as he stood beside her chair. “I need you to help me marry the man I love.”Anne held the woman’s gaze, challenging her to do the right thing.
Sir Walter rejoined the conversation,“What do you expect us to do,Anne?”
“We wish to marry before I leave for Plymouth,” Frederick explained. “It is definite; I must return to service before the third time the banns are called. If we are to marry, we will need a special license. We considered a common license, but even that may take too long.”
“That may be a problem,” Sir Walter observed. “The bishop is particular about to whom he issues such privileges. Plus, a baronet is not a peer of the realm; the title is purely hereditary.”
“We know that, Father. That is why we are here to beg for your assistance.”
Sir Walter stammered,“My—My help?You expect my help with this? I am afraid, Anne, that your request is impossible. I will not allow the public to think you must marry. Besides, this match is still with a man of no connections.The Captain has risen admirably in society, but if you were the first daughter, rather than the second, I would not consider the match acceptable.”
“Then why, pray tell, did Elizabeth flirt so blatantly with Frederick prior to our announcement? Would you have accepted him then? Would all his money have been enough for acceptance in this family?” she challenged.
Sir Walter held his ground.“At the time, we thought you were to marry your cousin. None of us expected such a turn of events. If you married Mr. Elliot, the title would stay in the family, and Elizabeth would have a husband with money. It was an acceptable solution.”
“Anne.” Frederick’s resonant voice broke into the confrontation. “I should take my leave. It is as we suspected—a moot point—we will receive no help here. I will see what else the Admiral learned and call for you later.We are to dine with the Musgroves this evening.”
“I will go with you now.” She stood and hooked her arm through his.
Sir Walter stood.“It would be best,Anne, if you did as the Captain s
uggested.”
“That is the difference, Father; Frederick makes suggestions; he does not demand obedience.There are a few things you should consider over the next few hours. First, I will marry Frederick, or I will not marry. I have already turned down Charles Musgrove and Mr. Elliot—that is money and a title. If I do not marry, you will have two spinster daughters. What will that say about Sir Walter Elliot? You never considered Mary’s match appropriate. You, Sir Walter Elliot, will have three daughters—none with a match you would want to recognize.” Frederick saw Sir Walter clutch the edge of his desk in anger. “What will you write of the Elliot family in the Baronetage, Father?”
Lady Russell warned,“Anne, that is enough!”
“No, it is not enough!” She left Frederick’s side, and he suddenly felt naked. He would never have suspected Anne had so much mettle. It was as if she had saved up all her frustrations and now finally gave full vent to them. She leaned across her father’s desk. “Either you help us get a special license and weather the gossip of how we anticipated our marriage or,” and at this she paused and waited for her father’s full attention,“we will anticipate our marriage. How will you explain a grandchild that is less than nine months in the womb, Father? Or perhaps I will simply leave with Frederick without the sacrament of union.”
“Anne!” Lady Russell exclaimed. “You cannot mean what you say! See what an evil influence this man has over you!”
Frederick started to object, but this was Anne’s show—her step to freedom, and he savored every moment. She would make him a splendid wife; how he ever thought otherwise amazed him, so he swallowed his words. His Anne—flexible, accommodating Anne—had a backbone of steel.
“That is where you are in error, Lady Russell.” She turned to face Frederick. “This man is honorable; he has said he will not ruin my reputation, but I will do my best to change his mind because I will have him above all others. Even if he keeps his honor, I will swear I lost mine, and you, Father, will have no choice but to protect me and help us purchase a special license to salvage what is left of my reputation.We will return early for your decision.” She turned on her heel and headed toward the door. “Are you coming, Frederick?”
He smiled. “Yes, my Love.” Frederick offered her father and Lady Russell a proper bow and strode from the room. He caught up with her in the foyer just as she accepted her cloak from the waiting servant. “You were magnificent,” he whispered to her as he put on his greatcoat.
“Perhaps.”Anne’s trembling voice caught Frederick by surprise. “But if you could see how my legs wish to buckle, you would offer me the support of your arm immediately.” She began to slump, and Frederick pulled her to him. He laughed and then twirled her around under his arm before stepping into an impromptu waltz. “What are you doing?” she gleefully gasped.
“I am celebrating our upcoming marriage.” He said as he maneuvered her around a table and back into the main entranceway.
“Then you believe it will happen?”
Frederick slowed their steps where they just swayed together. “My Dear, you left your father no choice.” He pulled her to him. “And me no choice.”
“Frederick, do you mean?” she murmured.
“Anne, I will have you as my wife and as my lover.” Even though several footmen lurked in the shadows, he kissed her briefly. “Now, you are thoroughly compromised, my Love. Before we return to Gay Street, half of Bath will hear of how I held you too close, waltzed you around the floor, and kissed you shamelessly before your household staff.You will have to marry me.”
She laced her arms around his neck.“May I be just as shameless?”
“We are a perfect pair.” With that, she returned his earlier kiss and then walked purposely out the door. He smiled with the knowledge he unleashed a passion no one knew was there.
CHAPTER 19
Then you rose into my life
Like a promised sunrise.
Brightened my days with the light in your eyes.
I’ve never been so strong,
Now I’m where I belong.
—Maya Angelou,“Where We Belong:A Duet”
It was not Bath Abbey; however, Frederick paced the front of the church, waiting, as patiently as possible, for Anne’s appearance. Dressed in his full military regalia, he cut a fine figure.The morning had crept by slowly, but in a few minutes,Anne would be his.
After Anne had delivered an ultimatum to her father, things changed quickly. Lady Russell overcame her initial shock and then the woman began her own campaign on Anne’s behalf, enlisting the help of Lady Dalrymple, a powerful member of high society. With Lady Dalrymple’s stated approval, Sir Walter’s determination to ignore Anne’s demand melted. And for a tidy sum, the needed license was procured.
Anne found it all humorous and found the feeling of being powerful—for a change—quite an intoxicating one. But Frederick felt like a puppet—strings tangled in a knotted mess. Neither he nor Anne intended to follow through on her threats, a few intimate kisses were the most they shared. Frederick respected her too much to possess Anne without the bonds of marriage; his orders would force them to wait—and wait they would.
It was a week of “what ifs” for both of them.What if the church could not be secured? What if Edward and Christine did not arrive in time? What if the Musgrove party at Uppercross did not arrive in time? What if Anne’s dress was not finished in time? Somehow, with Sophia’s tenacity and the Admiral’s charm, even the surly manager at the White Hart was able to accommodate them, and they booked the wedding breakfast in the hotel’s large dining room after finding out the Pump Room Assembly Hall would not be available.This wedding would happen.
The stain-glassed windows fractured the early spring sun streaming through the color prisms, every face highlighted with flecks of the rainbow. Somehow they were all there—family and friends. Besides Benwick and the Harvilles, the Admiral managed to locate many of the officers with whom Frederick had served over the years. Those seasoned sailors filled the pews of the church—most of them amazed to see their captain, a man of decision and of action, obviously anxious.
“Relax,Wentworth,”Thomas Harville leaned in to whisper his admonition.“Miss Anne will be here.”
“Probably her father,” Frederick grumbled.“Heaven forbid that my future wife should outshine Sir Walter on her wedding day.”
Thomas chuckled before observing,“He is quite a dandy.”
A stir at the rear of the church brought their attention immediately to the small group gathered there. A bevy of females started making their way down the aisle, many of them already dabbing away tears. Among them were Mary Musgrove, Lady Russell, and Mrs. Musgrove. Elizabeth Elliot, looking surprisingly young in a dark green gown, entered with Lady Dalrymple and Miss Carteret. He noted how several of his fellow officers openly admired Miss Elliot’s beauty.
A sharp breath escaped his chest when Frederick finally saw her—his Anne—coming toward him on Sir Walter’s arm. Surprisingly, her father had toned down his appearance for the occasion, choosing a more traditional look, except for his lace-trimmed cravat and sleeves. Then Sir Walter turned, and there was Anne, beautiful in white with rubies at her neck and dangling from her ears. She carried deep red roses and white lilies, streaming with ribbons. His eyes rested on Anne’s countenance. A short veil blocked his view of her returning gaze, but Frederick could see the full smile creating dimples in her rosy cheeks. Suddenly, he felt calm, as if he had prepared for this day all his life.
When she reached him, Frederick vaguely heard Sir Walter announce that he would give Anne’s hand in marriage, and then, even though it was gloved, he felt the warmth of her hand as it slid into his.Anne gifted him with a dazzling smile, and the hectic pace of the past four days melted into insignificance.
Behind him, he heard Milly shush one of the Musgrove children, probably Little Walter, as Edward delivered the opening lines of the service: “Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here in the sight of God to join this man and th
is woman in the bonds of Holy matrimony.”
When it came time for him to pledge his love and devotion to Anne, Frederick had to clear his throat before finding his voice to repeat his vows. Then he slid the ring, a symbol of their never-ending love, upon her finger.
Before he knew what had happened, Edward, who had stood silently as the local vicar read the ceremony, delivered the final line: “With Mr. Osgood’s blessing, as well as mine, I pronounce that Frederick James Wentworth and Anne Gabriella Elliot be man and wife together, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.Amen.”
Frederick turned her to him so he might lift the veil, rolling it back to drape over the brim of her bonnet. If I had a choice, Anne would be in my arms right now. But it was not his choice, so instead he placed her hand in the crook of his arm and led her up the aisle and into the vestibule, where the registry lay waiting for their signatures.
“Are you happy?” he whispered near her ear as Anne wrote her name with a flourish.
Wide, bright eyes met his.“Absolutely—intensely happy.”
“Then are you ready, Mrs.Wentworth?”
The words brought tears to Anne’s eyes. “I thought I would never hear those words,” she gasped.“I am Anne Elliot Wentworth now!” She laughed nervously.
He gently pulled her hands to his lips and kissed them. “You most certainly are Anne Gabriella Elliot Wentworth—forever— that will be your name, my Love.”
“Then let us meet our well-wishers, my Husband.” She laughed again, watching him fill in his signature next to hers.“Husband,” she repeated.“I believe that is the most beloved word in the world.”
“Next to the word wife,” he teased, before leading her outside to a cheering crowd, which was waiting in the churchyard to pelt them with rose petals.
“Run for it,” she cheerfully ordered him as she turned her head to avoid a mouthful of petals, thrown with accuracy by Harry Musgrove, the youngest of Mr. and Mrs. Musgrove’s brood.
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