Past and Future by Betty Bokor
Sense and Sensibility

Just a few thoughts before Marianne and Colonel Brandon enter Delaford as a married couple.

A.N. This is a little more than a drabble and it is written in current English -I can barely write in modern English, I would never dare to try to imitate Austen's- and it is my first attempt with this story. I will be back writing my other stories next week.

I hope my English is not that bad; enjoy!

Past and Future

As the carriage slowly approached Delaford, Marianne took hold of the Colonel's hand. He looked at the small pale hand and smiled. It seemed that was all he could do that day and there was a simple explanation for it; he was happy, truly happy. He could not remember any other time in his life when he had felt that deeply that everything was possible, that there was still hope for the future, and that, no matter how hard times could become, there was now a worthy reason to fight for.

For a minute his mind took his to his teenage years and he remembered another small hand holding onto his. Eliza was not much different than Marianne and he had loved her with as much fervor as he loved his wife, but Eliza had lacked the strength of character that had allowed Marianne to rise from the ruins that Willoughby had turned her life into and become, once again, a passionate young woman ready to begin a new journey.

He was not certain what had made Marianne look, for once, in his direction and notice him –so many times before he had stood unseen by her side– but he suspected that loneliness had been the start. Surprisingly, it had not taken long after that first look for her to begin to understand what he had known all along; she belonged with him. Once she had opened a small door for him to gain entry into her world, he had spent day after day proving that anything she hoped for he would give.

They shared many passions and they would have a lifetime to enjoy them together. Among them were music and literature; though he had fallen for her the moment he had heard her playing the pianoforte in his old friend's house, he was confident that she had not been less moved when he had played for her for the first time. The many years of torment in his past allowed him to give passionate life to every piece he played as well as to every verse he read –or, more often, recited from heart– to her. He knew she enjoyed their time together and he was prepared to endeavour to make it always that way.

Marianne felt the Colonel's hand reassuring her that everything would be alright. She was still weary of all the responsibilities she would have to face from then on, but she was not afraid. She had finally understood that beneath the Colonel's grave exterior there was a man who had suffered as much –possibly more– than she had and who had endured every moment of agony with dignity and compassion. He had never allowed his passions to corrupt his integrity and he had even found the strength to share his compassion with others. Not long after learning about his past, she had started feeling a deep sense of admiration toward him and from there to love there had only been a small step. Now she was ready to start a new life with him and her most clear feeling right before crossing the threshold of their new home was that everything she had been through was worth this man.