Sense and Sensibility doesn't belong to me

Unwelcome Visits

Colonel Brandon almost smiled to himself when he glimpsed Marianne and Margaret sneak out behind the house as he waited to be let into the house. He had probably not been as good at hiding his feelings as he'd thought.

He almost turned and went back home but good manners could not let him do that and he had already made the journey and if truth be told he was glad of even just a glimpse of Marianne.

He knew that good manners also dictated that he call her Miss Marianne but from the moment he'd see her and been introduced to her he'd thought of her as simply Marianne.

He sat in the sitting with Elinor and Mrs. Dashwood and made conversation. He listened to their excuses for Marianne and Margaret's absences and took tea and made suggestions to improve their stay at Barton.

Finally, he could not let himself stay any longer. Almost as soon he'd entered the house his visit had been too long. He liked Mrs. Dashwood and Elinor immensely but he could not pretend that they all didn't know the reason for his visit. That he had come to see Marianne.

When the rain began he took his leave despite the fact that it was now more likely that Marianne was on her way home and he'd be sure to see her. Still he insisted on taking his leave.

He could imagine her shock and anger if she came home and found him visiting still. Also he thought it would be good to let Mrs. Dashwood and Elinor get on with their work. He had interfered with them for far too long.

He had to leave before he did something regrettable.

000

The next day Brandon found that he could in fact continue to deceive himself. As soon as he heard about Marianne's accident he walked over to see for himself that she was fine.

Sir John had assured him that she'd not been badly injured and that should have been enough for him. It would have been enough for a man who felt less, but Brandon couldn't help himself he had to see with his own eyes that she was fine, even if she probably didn't want to see him.

A horse tied up outside the cottage was the first clue that he wasn't the first visitor and when he would have turned back he heard Margaret announce his visit.

"You know Mr. Willoughy, of course," Mrs. Dashwood told him, and he felt his heart sink to his stomach.

He greeted the younger man stiffly and after a few words that Brandon could not recall even under pain of death he took his leave of them.

'I should never have come here,' he told himself. Even as he thought that another voice told him, 'like you had any choice.'

Brandon wished he didn't have these feelings. He wished Marianne wasn't the one who'd awakened his heart after all these years. Was he forever doomed to love a person who would never love him back?

000