Elinor Ferras was sure she had never seen the Colonel looking so uncomfortable before in her life. He was fidgeting in his chair and his eyes gazed past her as if deep in thought. His silence filled the air like fog. Gently she raised the cup to her lips and took another sip of tea, her eyes resting sympathetically on the Colonel.
"When are you expecting the child?" he asked her suddenly. Elinor sighed with relief, glad to have some form of conversation to fill the empty air.
"This December. Of course Edward has been worrying himself sick, even though I'm only a few weeks along." Brandon nodded absently, his gaze returning to the Spring garden outside the window of the parsonage drawing room. Elinor set down her tea cup, gazing intently at her friend. "May I ask what's troubling you Colonel?"
It took Brandon a moment to respond, as if he had not been part of the conversation until that moment. He chewed his lip anxiously, unsure of what to say exactly. Finally, and with some hesitation, he spoke.
"We are very good friends…are we not Mrs. Ferras?"
"Yes I should say so," she replied. Colonel Brandon looked at his feet, a thoughtful expression on his face.
"Then I may trust you with my feelings? Yes of course, I must. To you I may unburden my uncertainties." The last part was spoken not as a question but as a statement, quiet and unwavering. There was another silence and at last he spoke. "I wish to propose to your sister, Marianne."
Elinor was about to declare that she had thought Brandon would plan on doing so (all three years that she and Edward had been married in fact) but she stopped herself and instead showed her opinion in a loving smile. It vanished when she saw the frightened nervous look on.
"This is wonderful news Colonel, and yet you look so grim. Nothing would make Edward and I happier to see you and my younger sister wed."
He looked at her, a strange expression in his eyes. "Do you truly mean that?" he asked her. Elinor smiled a little.
"Why of course I do. You are my friend and she is my sister. And you do truly love her." It was not a question but Brandon nodded his head.
"I do. But Elinor, can she truly love me?" Elinor reached across the table and took her friend's hand.
"I know my sister Colonel. Better than anyone else." She paused, thinking for a moment. "Before I was engaged to Edward many people believed you and I would be married, was it not so?" she asked.
"Believe me, I recall that detail very well," Brandon answered ironically, thinking back to the conversation he had with her husband on just such a topic.
"And we both knew there was not even an inkling of truth in it," Elinor said sensibly. "We are better suited for each other as friends. Marianne is passionate. Not as openly as she was once, but her spirit remains romantic. And she will want someone who can understand and nurture that side of her." She smiled seeing her friend blushing. "Brandon, you can meet her capacity for love…and I believe she knows it."
He nodded and with a brief murmur of thanks, still beet red, rose and made his way to the door. Sipping her tea again she thought with a happy smile of her coming child and the cousins that might…would even, one day frolic with it.
Her husband came in a moment later. "I saw the Colonel as I was walking down the garden. He seemed anxious about something. Is he…"
"Yes," said Elinor simply. Edward grinned and walked over putting his hands gently on his wife's shoulders.
"Do you think all will go well for him?"
"I may not have those silly romantic notions of novel heroines, but I think I may say yes with a relative amount of certainty."
A/N: Okay some explanation here. A. I always imagined that a year or two into their friendship Elinor and Brandon would be sensible (ha sense…okay bad pun going away now) enough to open up to one another more since in the book they're all anxious about love and don't really do that. B. yes. Marianne and Brandon get married two years after Edward and Elinor do. It is another one of those details that no one really thinks of but is really important for Marianne's whole maturing thing. Okay short angry rant done. Hope you enjoyed the story. May be doing some p&p soon. I am now off to gallivant in the wonderful realm of Tortallan fanfiction.