I've decided I'm going to take over the Persuasion area…does anyone have any objections?
ILoveTea - Without going into it too much and giving away the story…yes he is.
Msgpj - My NaNoWriMo has nothing to do with Persuasion sadly. I'm tapped out for long story ideas at the moment that have anything do with Anne and Frederick. My "novel" will focus on my home town of Edinburgh and some of the events that are happening at the moment in a crime genre, something I've never attempted before.
Anne let out such a large sigh of relief once the Crofts and Frederick had departed the house and the door was closed behind them, that the young doorman chuckled.
"It cant 'ave been that bad Miss Anne," he said.
"No," she said in reply, "But I am glad it is over, Ben. At least for today."
"Henry says you've been helping him with his letters, in your free time." Ben said as they took a couple of steps together into the hall. The masters study was the first room on the left and he could stand there whilst maintaining his position at the front door should he be needed.
"He is a quick study," she told him truthfully. Benjamin and Henry Harrison were the sons of the former housekeeper who had sadly passed away the previous winter. The family had decided to keep them on, Ben as a footman and Henry as a stable boy. The younger of the two, Henry, had grander ambitions though and wanted to join the Navy. "I enjoy it, and being able to read and write will help him along."
"No doubt he's going to start pestering you once he knows you know a Captain, and an Admiral," Ben joked. His younger brother could be very enthusiastic and bothersome when he caught a hold of some piece of information about the Royal Navy. Anne had had his rapt attention from the start when he realised she knew what he was talking about when talking of ships and battles.
"I will have to cancel our lesson on Sunday," Anne said with some regret. "I've been invited out."
"I'm sure he'll forgive you Miss Anne, as long as you tell him every detail about the two men that just left."
She let out a little laugh, "I'm sure he will."
Steps on the landing at the top of the stairs alerted them to Lord Brockhursts path back down to them and Ben made his way stealthily back to his post by the front door, leaving Anne standing alone by the door to the Lords study.
Anne had been working for them now for nearly ten months and whilst she felt entirely comfortable around nearly everyone in the household; both family and servants there was still two people who she was yet to fully relax around. One was Mrs Turnbull the housekeep of the house here in Bath. She ran the entire household with a firm hand and did not tolerate any sort of misbehaviour, dereliction of duty or slacking. But she was fair and Anne was sure she would come to know her as time went by.
The other was walking towards her.
Lord Brockhurst was still something of a mystery to her. She saw him on many occasions throughout the week and spoke directly with him early each Monday morning where she would explain to him what she would be covering with the children that week and how the had done the previous. He would sit there and make comments, suggestions but would rarely go any further.
She still wondered why he had chosen her.
Anne had been working at a girls boarding school since leaving Mary's, trying to gain some experience in teaching children and earning an income at the same time when a notice had been posting listing a small number of postings that had been advertised. Anne had applied to several in the hopes that one might consider her for the post but she never heard back and assumed that none of them had found her qualified enough.
It was several weeks later that she had been called to the headmistresses room and come face to face with Lord Brockhurst himself who, after giving her the once over, had offered her the position of governess to his three children with the possibility of staying on with the family for several years to come as the family increased in size.
Anne had been totally taken aback by his offer, but accepted it almost immediately. It would likely take her another year or two to find a similar position given her lack of credentials and even then she would have to be picky. Brockhurst was not a name she knew having never met anyone with that name before and she hoped that that would no one would know her real identity.
It never bothered her too much when someone came by and recognised her, either by name or face, but she knew it embarrassed her sisters, especially Elizabeth, so she tried to avoid anyone who might have any connection to her past. She might not have a lot left to offer but she could do this one little thing.
His presence directly in front of her stirred her from her memories and brought her back to the present day. He did not say as word as he opened the door to his study and walked in. She filed in behind him and took her usual place in the centre of the room, directly in front of his desk.
He did not immediately sit down, but strode over to the window. For a while they stood in silence, till he turned and looked at her.
"I have spoken to Hugo," he said, "and revoked all his privileges for the next month. Longer if you I do not see an improvement in him during that time. I want you to keep me better informed of his behaviour."
"Yes sir."
"Good." He walked from the window and took a seat behind his desk. "I am…intrigued by Captain Wentworth. I understand the two of you where previously acquainted?"
"We where My Lord, about eight years ago."
"Did you know him well?"
"He was in my company for about seven months before he returned to duty."
"Had you heard from him since?"
She fidgeted. "I have heard of him, sir. His brother remained in the neighbourhood several months after Captain Wentworth left and used to communicate news from him to me, but we never personally exchanged correspondence."
"And you just happened to run into him this morning?" he asked.
"We met by chance the other day at Admiral Marshall's house and then this morning in the park," she replied.
He did not question her further right away but took his time to look her over and scrutinise. Anne had the vague feeling that he did not believe her, that she was lying to him in some way, even though she was not. She suppressed the urge to shiver and stood her ground.
After a moment he seemed satisfied and nodded. "Very well, but let me remind you Miss Elliot, that you are here under my employment and I will not tolerate any clandestine affairs from you with the Captain or anyone else. Is that clear?"
Blushing, Anne cleared her throat and answered, "Perfectly sir."
"Good. Dismissed."
Anne could not leave his study fast enough.
After paying a quick visit to the children, where she found Robert sleeping soundly in his bed and Diana quietly drawing in the playroom. Hugo, she was told, had been banished to the school room by his father and was not to emerge till dinner.
She left them in the capable hands of the nursery maid, who had the care of the Brockhursts youngest child, a babe of three months, and settled herself down in her room to think over the days events. Flopping down on her bed, suddenly exhausted, she allowed them to play out in her mind.
She was yet to get over the fact that he had approached her, had started a conversation with her, in public. She had not even noticed him, he would have been able to walk away without her knowing any the wiser but he had not.
Anne played their conversation over in her head. So stilted, so awkward a conversation as she had ever had. It reminded her so much of the conversations between her father and Lady Russell's lawyers after their deaths. Neither had taken much joy in telling her of her new financial situation and together they had stumbled over their words for half an hour before they finally managed to tell her there was no money left for her own benefit.
Discourse between herself and Frederick had never before been so…wooden and so forced. Since they first met words had flowed between them easily and never was conversation lacking, there had always been one subject or another to immerse themselves in and silences had always been comfortable.
She rolled onto her side and looked out of the small window set high up on the wall. She could only see the sky from her viewing point but it calmed her. Anne smiled and thought back to Mrs Croft, she had been such a calming influence on the entire situation today and Anne was certain that she was as steadfast and as sturdy her younger brother, and no doubt very level headed in a crisis.
She lay for a long time thinking over the mornings events and what had been said, and by whom.
There had been moments when she had almost let herself believe that no time at all had passed, that they where back in Kellnych and that the last eight years where a bad dream. He had been sincere and apologetic to her plight, and she mentally cursed herself for thinking he might have acted differently. True they had not parted on the best terms, but he had never been cruel and wholly without feeling.
What was to come next though?
Mrs Croft had invited her to join them on Sunday afternoon, they only day Anne had off, for a walk in the country and then to have dinner with them. Whilst looking forward to it Anne knew that she could not allow herself to get too comfortable, they where part of two different worlds now. Now he was the one who socially loomed over her.
She had to remember her place. She was no longer Miss Anne Elliot, daughter of Sir Walter Elliot of Kellynch. She was merely Anne Elliot, governess and servant to the Brockhurst family. No more and no less.