Authors Note: I believe I'm quite happy with this one! :) I hope you all enjoy! Don't forget to review!
Marianne realized, weeks ago, while she was still confined to her bed, that she had never seen Colonel Brandon laugh. She had caught very rare glimpses of a real smile, teeth baring and all. But she had never seen the man laugh. More often than not, Colonel Brandon was the absolute perfect picture of a respectable, stoic gentleman. When he smiled, he did so politely. Everything he did, she thought, slightly exasperated, was done politely! She could not imagine spending her entire life as he has spent his, always proper and, dare she say, uptight. She was almost certain, no, completely certain, that somewhere in the Colonel lay a more energetic soul, one that would welcome laughter and smiles happily. And so, that had become her mission. To make the stiff old Colonel laugh, and perhaps, even relax a bit as well. She had seen hints of what she thought was the real man, behind his mask so carefully placed when he was in public. When he read to her, now that they were more comfortable in each other's presence, he would read with more passion. He even - at her silly, half-joking request - imitated various characters in her books, his usually very appealing voice changing to match whatever character he had been reading about, making her laugh so hard her head pounded with headache! But even then, he smiled his polite smile in response. She knew, she simply knew, that he had to be holding back some amount of playfulness. He was no longer a child, not even close, but the joy that she saw in his eyes in moments like these made her realize just how much the Colonel was most likely hiding from the world. And why? Perhaps, thought Marianne, he was simply too afraid to show it, worried that no one would accept it, or even care. How many people did he have to confide it? That he could truly trust?
She sat in her seat outside, the sun shining on her face as she leafed through her book. She heard the sound of hoofbeats pounding against the road, and she glanced up to see Colonel Brandon, the very man that entertained most of her thoughts these days, galloping towards her family's cottage. He had been gone, somewhere in London, most likely, for the last few days. He refused to tell her the exacts of his location, claiming it was a secret, and her curiosity had pestered her since he had left!
"Miss Marianne!" He acknowledged her, slowing his horse and dismounting with ease before the horse even had a chance to stop. He tied the horse to one of the fence posts before walking to her, revelling in her warm smile cast towards him. How she had changed in the last weeks, he mused. Where months ago, she had been completely unconcerned with his presence, she now seemed to welcome it. Desire it, even. He removed his riding gloves which had been stained with mud, placing them in his coat pocket before holding a hand out towards her, calloused from years of horseback riding and God knows what else. Marianne realized that she knew very little of his past times, and put the thought in her mind, planning on inquiring later. "I have a surprise for you, but I'm afraid I must have you leave the cottage for a few moments." She lifted a fair brow before taking his hand, attempting to ignore the feelings it seemed to awaken. She begrudgingly removed her hand from his once her feet were firmly planted on the ground, but then slipped her arm through the bend in his arm, Colonel Brandon looking down on her in shock before hiding his surprise and returning her smile.
"A surprise, Colonel?" They began walking, leaving her mother and sisters, who had been seated near the window, in silence. He would have never assumed that her mother would allow them to walk together alone, so surely, they knew of this "surprise" as well. Marianne's head began churning in attempts to find out just what the Colonel was up to. "And what ever may this surprise be?" She questioned. Colonel Brandon looked towards her, a funny look on his face. "If I told you, Miss Marianne," He took a look behind them, another smile growing on his face. She turned to look as well, but he gently pushed her forward. "It would not be a surprise. And no looking behind us, it would spoil the surprise just as much as my telling you."
"You may kill me with the suspense, Colonel." She joked before turning serious. They had walked quite far from the cottage, and she noticed Margaret walking quite far behind, just close enough to chaperone them. The cottage was no longer in sight, and so she thought that she could stop him for a moment. "May we stop? Just for a moment." She requested, and he obliged, stepping towards a large tree at the side of the dirt road they had been travelling on. "Of course. I hope I have not asked you to exert yourself too much. You've just now gotten over your fever-" She cut him off, shaking her head, curls going every which way - she had not pinned them tight enough that morning, worried that it would bring on headache.
"No, no, I am fine." She took a breath before continuing. "Colonel, I wanted...I wanted to thank you. For everything you have done for my family." She glanced around the open field behind the road, seeing Margaret walking aimlessly, giving them space to talk, she knew. Colonel Brandon opened his mouth, to argue, she assumed, but she spoke quicker. "Please, do not argue with me. You have given Mr. Ferrars and my sister a home, you saved me from a certain death when I was so foolish. You have given my family so many things, and you have been our greatest friend. And I realized that we've never properly thanked you. You are family, Colonel. I hope you know how much we care for you."
The Colonel turned his face from her for a moment, and she fretted over her words. Did she say something wrong? Was she too emotional? But just as she was preparing to speak again, to apologize, or do something, anything to stop his silence, he turned back, and she saw the remnants of the tears he had been fighting back. "It should be I who thanks you, and your family. I have not had such dear friends in years, and I cherish every moment I spend in your-in your family's presence. And the things I've done, they have brought me far more pleasure to give them than the pleasure they bring your family in receiving them." He beamed at her, taking her arm and placing it back in the crook of his and began his walk towards the cottage with her in tow, Margaret following not far behind. "And I assure you, I have never been more grateful to God for bringing me to you that evening. I do not want to imagine a world without you in it." His words made her breath catch, her heart feeling as if it had swelled ten times it's regular size. Willoughby had never said such sweet words to her! And to admit this, admit that he would have missed her, it took great courage for him, that she knew.
"Now, I believe that surprise should be settled in the cottage. Shall we go see what it is?" With a mishchevious grin, a look that Marianne Dashwood had long since mastered, she broke away from Colonel Brandon, took her younger sister by the hand, and galloped off on the road, laughing at his humoured face. "Keep up, Colonel!" She yelled through her burst of giggles.
As she ran, she heard the most wonderful sound she had ever heard.
Colonel Brandon ran behind her, rich, deep laughter following her, belonging to the Colonel. "As you wish!"