Prologue.

The brow of the hill, where they remained, was a cheerful spot: Louisa returned; and Mary, finding a comfortable seat for herself on the step of a stile, was very well satisfied so long as the others all stood about her; but when Louisa drew Captain Wentworth away, to try for a gleaning of nuts in an adjoining hedge-row, and they were gone by degrees quite out of sight and sound, Mary was happy no longer; she quarrelled with her own seat, was sure Louisa had got a much better somewhere, and nothing could prevent her from going to look for a better also. She turned through the same gate, but could not see them. Anne found a nice seat for her, on a dry sunny bank, under the hedge-row, in which she had no doubt of their still being, in some spot or other. Mary sat down for a moment, but it would not do; she was sure Louisa had found a better seat somewhere else, and she would go on till she overtook her.

Anne, really tired herself, was glad to sit down…

Jane Austen. Persuasion. Chapter 10.

… and a few minutes later was startled to see beside her a man who seemed to appear from nowhere. And a very strange man indeed! Anne could not help but notice that he was dressed in eccentric if not odd clothes – brown pinstripe trousers, something like a coat but definitely not a usual men's coat and a long beige greatcoat. He didn't look like a gentleman, at least a proper gentleman, but then again he didn't look like anyone at all, and suddenly Anne wished she had gone to the Hayters with Charles and Henrietta. And Captain Wentworth, Louisa and Mary were still out of sight and sound…

"Oh, hello", cheerfully said a stranger and smiled broadly. "A nice weather, isn't it?"

Anne quickly rose to her feet.

"Indeed", answered Anne curtly and before she could say something else, a stranger exclaimed,

"By the way, I forgot to introduce myself - which is very rude of me I suppose, but that's who I'm, rude and not ginger – I'm the Doctor"

"Nice to meet you doctor..." Ann trailed off expecting him to say his name, but he only shook his head.

"Doctor, just the Doctor. And you?"

"Ann Elliot of Kellynch-Hall", Ann had no particular wish to get acquainted with a man whom she considered really strange and lacking sense of propriety and good manners, but she didn't want to seem uncourteous.

"Nice to meet you, Anne Elliot of Kellynch-Hall", cried the Doctor enthusiastically. "So, are you local, miss Elliot? You're miss, aren't you? Or are you just showing a good taste refusing to wear these horrible caps which most married women of your time are wearing?" Anne, who took off her bonnet earlier to expose her face to the last warm sunbeams in this year, now regretted it and blushed. "Anyway, never mind. 'Cause if you're local I need your help. Will you help me?"

While the Doctor was talking – very fast and with a slight accent – he was fidgeting and shifting from one foot to another, as if it was beyond him to stand still.

"Yes, if it's in my power, sir", answered Anne almost automatically, because it was exactly what she had been doing for a long, very long time – helping people when she was asked for it, and on her own accord too, for Anne Elliot was a very kind-hearted girl though a bit weak-willed. But now she mentally chided herself for such a rush answer, because at the moment she didn't feel like helping some strange doctor who definitely looked nothing like an ordinary respected doctor.

"OK, great! Now, tell me Miss Anne Elliot of Kellynch-Hall, haven't you seen or heard of anything strange lately? Things that shouldn't be where they are now or, on the contrary, something missing? Unusual events? Odd people? Or not people - creatures, maybe? Lights in the forest in the middle of the night? Weird moving shadows? Violent deaths? People who disappeared without any trace? Something, there must be something!

The Doctor seemed to be overly excited, and Anne felt uneasy under the scrutinizing look of his dark-brown eyes. She did her best not to tell him, that the only strange thing she had seen recently was he, and shook her head.

"No, sir, I'm afraid I cannot help you – I have never witnessed or heard of anything like that".

The Doctor was clearly disappointed to hear that, and suddenly Anne realized who this doctor must be – a madman, a lunatic! Her discomposure turned partially into fear, partially into compassion for the poor man (for Anne was really, really a very kind girl).

"Are you absolutely, totally, completely sure?" asked he hopefully.

"Yes, sir, I'm positive. But perhaps you should ask someone else, someone who may help you… with everything", suggested Anne.

The Doctor furrowed and began to mutter under his breath:

"No, no, no, this can't be. Can't! Think, think, think, it must have given itself away somehow. But how exactly, that's the question? S'pose… Nah, that's impossible. And what if…"

"I beg your pardon, sir, but are you all right?" asked Anne tentatively, not knowing how she should act around him, but willing to help this lost soul.

"What?" this time the Doctor was startled upon hearing her voice as if he had already forgotten about her presence. "Oh, you, of course. Listen, miss Elliot, if you remember or find out something, please, let me know. Will you? Good! I count on you".

With these words he turned and disappeared in the forest so quickly that Anne didn't have a chance to ask him where he was residing and how she can find him. Not that she was intending to this, but still… Half a minute later Captain Wentworth and Louisa came out of the hedgerow and saw pale and somewhat confused Anne staring blankly at the trees.

"My, Anne, what's wrong? Are you unwell? You're so pale!" cried Louisa.

"Oh, that's nothing, I'm fine, don't worry. That's just… this man…"

"Man? What man?" asked Captain Wentworth in an uncommonly harsh and concerned voice, though neither Anne, nor Louisa noticed it.

Anne thought that she shouldn't have mentioned the Doctor, for it drew Captain Wentworth's attention to her and Anne immediately got embarrassed. What would he think of her!

"There was a man", tried to explain Anne, "a rather strange man. A gentleman who lost his way and asked me for help".

Though Anne hated to lie, especially in such a blatant way, she didn't want to frighten Louisa by telling her of a madman walking somewhere near. On the other hand, Louisa could consider it – as Anne suspected – exciting, and then she would tell Henrietta and Mary about the Doctor, and Ann's sister would be scared to death and drive them all mad with her hysterics. No, Anne should not confess that this doctor seemed to be a lunatic. At least not now. But maybe she would have a talk with Charles later.

Capital Wentworth, however, didn't quite believe Anne, for she looked far too nervous for a lady who met simply a lost stranger.

"Miss Elliot", said Captain hesitantly, "did this man say or did something… untoward, improper?"

Anne was a bit surprised to hear a genuine concern in his voice instead of cold, but polite indifference that he had been showing since they had become reacquainted.

"No, nothing of the kind. He was just a bit odd. Eccentric even. But not improper or dangerous. Let us no longer waste our time thinking of him – I'm sure he's not worth it", said Anne hurriedly as she heard the approaching voices: Mary's (she was scolding Charles for going to the Hayters and leaving her alone) and Charles's (he was trying to reason his wife).

And since Anne didn't want Louisa or Captain mention the Doctor in front of her sister, as soon as Mary and Charles joined them, she asked her brother-in-law about his visit to Winthrop, even though she already realized that it had gone well, for she saw Henrietta and Charles Hayter who were slowly walking at some distance behind Mary and her husband and were completely devoted to each other. Louisa didn't even try to hide her wide grin, she was happy for Henrietta and satisfied with herself – had she not persuaded her sister to go with their brother, who knows how long Henrietta's and Charles's misunderstanding would have lasted!

Louisa looked at Captain Wentworth with bright eyes, as if saying: "See? My firmness and powers of mind, which you admire, stand Henrietta and Charles Hayter in good stead!" But Captain was oblivious to her meaningful look because his attention was dawn to Anne. He could not forgive her, but he could not be unfeeling. Though condemning her for the past, and considering it with high and unjust resentment, though perfectly careless of her (as he tried to convince himself), still he could not bear the thought of her being hurt. The mere idea that some rascal, prowling about, dared to approach Anne and scare her, that he could do her harm, was repulsive. Captain Wentworth wished he was able to question Anne more closely about the man who frightened her, but he understood that their past made it impossible. Frederick felt guilty, for in the absence of Charles Musgrove it was his duty to take care of Anne, Louisa and Mary and protect them from any harm. Of course, Somersetshire was a quiet place and the worst crimes, which disturbed its peaceful life, were chicken thefts, but it was not an excuse. His anger, his disappointment, his contempt led to an unforgivable behaviour that endangered Anne. He wished he could make up for it. She was still very pale and obviously tired and distressed (though she carefully tried not to show it) when they all headed back to Uppercross, and Musgrove, who was determined to punish his wife for being disobliging to him, dropped the arms of both Mary and Anne to hunt after a weasel which he had a momentary glance of. Frederick would have offered Anne his arm of support had he not known for sure that it would only make her more upset than she was now.

Everything now marked out Louisa for Captain Wentworth; nothing could be plainer, but surprisingly enough Anne wasn't as hurt as it could be expected, taking into account the circumstances. Mostly because Anne was lost in thoughts about the mysterious stranger she had met earlier. True, he was weird and most likely mad, but she pitied him not only for his delusional mind but also for the sadness she saw in his eyes. Great, great sadness.

Wrapped in thoughts, Anne didn't notice quick glances that Captain cast at her now and then. Weary from the long walk, she was lagging behind a little and Frederick was going to suggest that should lean on his arm when they heard the approaching carriage which turned out to be Admiral and Mrs. Croft's gig. And Captain's sister and her husband were amused and a bit confused to see that Frederick was exceedingly happy to meet them. Of course, they didn't know that they gave Frederick a perfect opportunity to help Anne. And Admiral and Sophy made it very easy for him. They offered a seat to any lady who might be particularly tired, and Captain Wentworth, fearing that Mary could claim the seat, said hurriedly,

"I think Miss Elliot is exhausted and would like to be taken home. I'm afraid she is too fatigued to finish the walk to the Cottage".

Anne wanted to decline this offer, but since Captain Wentworth was completely right and Admiral and Mrs. Croft so heartily insisted that she should come with them, Anne agreed. Captain Wentworth turned to her, and quietly obliged her to be assisted into the carriage. Anne was taken aback by this display of concern, which (as she thought) was a remainder of former sentiment, an impulse of pure, though unacknowledged friendship, a proof of his own warm and amiable heart. But Anne was too worn out to contemplate it.

They had travelled half their way along the rough lane, when Admiral and his wife began to talk about Frederick. Or, to be precise, about his future wife. Admiral Croft hoped that his brother-in-law would marry soon, for both Musgrove ladies were very nice and there would always be company for Admiral and Mrs. Croft at Kellynch. It pained Anne to hear that, but she was well aware, that Captain Wentworth's marriage was just a matter of time now and she wished him and Louisa and wished them every happiness.

* * *

Anne spent the rest of the day at Uppercross tending to Mary who claimed to be dying from exhaustion, so in the evening Anne could think of nothing else but sleep. But when Anne entered her room, ready to go to bed, she was astonished to see there a young dog, the one who had spoilt Musgrove's and Wentworth's morning shooting. The English setter was sleeping by the fire, but as soon as he heard Anne, he awoke, jumped on her and almost knock her down.

"Oh, what are you doing here?" cried Anne. "You should be in the kennel! How did you get in unnoticed? Never mind, you shouldn't be here. Go back to the kennel, be a good boy. Do you hear me? Go to the kennel".

But the dog was wagging his tail and apparently had no desire to leave Anne's room.

"All right", sighed Anne, kneeling in front of the dog and patting him, "you can stay here, but in the morning I will take you to kennel myself. Do you understand?"

The dog must have understood because he licked Anne's face and his tail began to wag twice faster.

"All right, now behave and be quite".

The dog licked Anne's face for the last time and resumed his place by the fire.

"Good night, boy", said Anne and fell asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow.

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