Just something I thought of.
Persuasion doesn't belong to me.
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In the Mood for Love
Frederick Wentworth read the letter from his sister in shock; Sophy and Admiral Croft had taken up Kellynch Hall for a while and they wanted him to live with them when he came ashore.
Frederick's first thought and answer was no, obviously not. Why would he want to go to Kellynch Hall? What if Anne was there still, unmarried? Worse, what if she was married and lived in the neighbourhood. No, he would not go there. He didn't know what he dreaded more, Anne married or Anne unmarried.
Admittedly, it made sense to live with Sophy until he got a home of his own. His brother in Shropshire was married and the house was barely enough for his whole family, in Frederick's opinion. Sophy was childless and as far as he could recall, Kellynch Hall was a big house. They need not meet for days if they wished.
After a few minutes of further thought, Frederick decided that he would go to Kellynch Hall and deal with Anne Elliot once and for all and move on with his life.
He wrote his acceptance.
He arrived at Kellynch Hall in the early afternoon and walking through the rose gardens he appreciated the beauty of the place and the rooms, big and airy apart from the great number of looking glasses. Knowing Sir Walter's vanity he could understand why there were so many. As he walked from room to room, he wondered which Anne's was. Where did she sit and read and write her letters, where had she retreated to when she had rejected him. Noticing that his thoughts were taking a dark turn he decided to push all thoughts of Anne out of his head,
He wondered if he could still recognise her if he saw her. Had she changed? Aged gracefully, or badly? Would she think him changed at all? He flattered himself that he hadn't changed much, but Anne had been so observant, she'd notice everything about him.
Sophy had told him that Mr. Shepherd had mentioned that Anne was in the area still, living with her married sister Mary Musgrove for a while, before going away to Bath to rejoin her father and older sister Elizabeth. They had yet to meet her and fearful that they may draw much from his questions he kept silent.
The Musgroves had invited them to dine. He wondered how Anne would look, for of course she would be there. Anne, he was going to see Anne again, he was sort of excited. Anxious. Worried. Anxious.
Anne wasn't there. She had stayed home to look after little Charles, Mary obligingly informed the Crofts. Frederick had noticed her absence but was afraid to ask, didn't want to seem overly interested after all none of the people in the room – apart from Sophy – knew that he'd ever known Anne.
He wondered about Mary. How she could leave her sick child and go out to dine. He didn't wonder about Anne's staying at home to mind the child. It seems Anne Elliot hadn't changed – at least in manners – since he'd known her.
Charles Musgrove invited him to shoot the next day. "Wentworth," he said to him, "I hope you like to shoot."
"Yes, I do," Frederick said.
"Why don't you come with me tomorrow? I have this gun that is just suited for someone like you and I'd enjoy the company very much."
Frederick really wanted to see Anne; he was dying to know how she looked. A thought crossed his mind, may be she's avoiding me. He decided to drop in on the Musgroves at the Cottage, on the pretext of seeing the sick child. She will surely be there.
Anne was with her sister at breakfast. Frederick was able to watch her unobserved before she noticed him. His first thought was that she looked so thin and frail; time had not been kind to her. Following that thought closely was that Anne was thin and unhappy but she was still as attractive as she had ever been. Luckily for him he had moved on, and after meeting the Musgrove girls, he decided he would spend some time getting to know them better. That Louisa Musgrove especially, she seemed a lively girl. She would distract him.
Anne was sitting quietly and he saw how she started when she noticed him.
He entered into the room and smiled at Mary. Mary was very pleased that he had called on them, to see her sick child and she began the introductions.
He was surprised that Anne admitted to having known him; he had thought she'd pretend. Well she was a bigger person than he was.
Seeing her situation now, he wanted to laugh. How the fortunes of the Elliots had changed. Eight years ago, he had been a poor sailor with no prospects, unfit to even speak to them; probably that's why she has broken off the engagement. That and that woman, Lady Russell. Now he had made a fortune and from what he'd heard and the fact that they were letting their home, the Elliots were not doing too well. Well, time and fortune happen to everyone.
Maybe he was going to enjoy living at Kellynch Hall after all, and as for Anne Elliot, well, he was over her. Totally. Over. Her. Totally. Totally.
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Well? What do you think?