Chapter Thirty Four

Anne eventually met with the welcoming arms of Captain Harville, who upon hearing the whispers of the crew, had come to find out the truth for himself. Anne sobbed on his shoulder while he patted her back, awkwardly comforting her while looking around for her absent husband. "Now, now, Miss Anne, there is no reason to distress yourself so. Come now, you'll be starting a mutiny should the crew ever think our friend Wentworth is behind this."

The mere mention of his name had her crying more. At length she was able to recover well enough to explain, "I did as you and the Doctor suggested, I told him." She sobbed.

"And?" Harville pushed, already not liking where this was headed, but unable to believe it was what he feared.

"And it was how I predicted. He is angry with me and he blames me. He sees our baby as nothing but a hindrance. I am nothing but a hindrance to him. And he is right, how could I have been so stupid? I was so selfish, thinking only of myself and how I wanted to be with him. The thought of him leaving was so terrible to me I have put us all through this and it will only get worse."

Harville shook his head in sad disbelief. "But when you told him, I mean at first, was he not pleased with the prospect?"

Anne shook her head violently and collapsed in to tears again. Harville turned away and muttered a profanity under his breath. Once seeing Anne safely to the surgeon, he set off in search of his friend. Captain or not, he needed a good talking to and he was the only one on board who was brave enough to do it. He had known Frederick the longest, he had once heard Wentworth plead for a life he should have had, cried over a love once lost and now returned to him. How dare he confess to him his sorrow at the way he had treated her in the past, only to do so again – now she was his wife and carrying his child? It was with gusto he burst into the Captains quarters without permission or warning.

Frederick was sat at his desk peering over maps. He raised his head only to sneer and drop it again at the sight of who it was. "You have some nerve" he said fiercely.

Harville squared his shoulders, "I might say the same about you."

"It was not I masquerading as a friend all the while aiding and abetting that friend's wife in deceiving him and keeping him ignorant of such a truth." While Frederick paused seemingly to gather a breath, Harville opened his mouth to inform him he had only found out for sure himself the same day, but Wentworth was already continuing. "I should have you in irons, as it is, I shall have to make do with seeing you dismissed from this ship with said wife, at the first opportunity."

Harville was outraged at his friend's behaviour. It was so out of character he could only put it down to shock, if it was anything else, he would have called him out. "I apologise Sir, if you see my actions as anything other what they were intended, that is to be of assistance to Mrs Wentworth. She sought counsel, and I, her ever willing servant and friend, was glad to offer it. Should you decide to take offense at this, I apologise -again. But I shall not regret it, nor should I refrain from doing so again. Mrs Wentworth feared telling you the truth; for good reason it seems. I convinced her she should tell you. It appears in that instance alone, I was incorrect. She does know you best after all. She predicted your anger, your coldness, maybe you should be spending your time concerning yourself with the reason behind that and not how soon you can be rid of them."

Harville had purposely used the word them to draw a reaction from Frederick and it worked. Wentworth cleared the desk of its contents in one violent sweep of his arms. Rolls of parchments, maps and other equipment tumbled to the floor. He then came at Harville red in the face and eyes wide. Harville stood his ground leaning on his stick for balance alone, he was not afraid of his friend nor did he think he was wrong to say what he did.

"Do not ever presume you care for my wife more than I" he growled.

"Really. And where is your wife now Captain? Do you even have the faintest idea? Have you bothered to enquire about her whereabouts or her health since she fled from you in the state she did, aboard a ship where she had no friends nor family, no one to turn to, only a group of men who live to serve you?"

"I presume you do know where she is, or you wouldn't be slating me." Frederick spat.

"She?" Harville banged his fist on the desk startling Frederick. "Damn it man! Say her name! You can't even bring yourself to speak it, can you? She; the love of your life, the one you pined for night after lonely night for years. She, who you moaned to me about on one more than one occasion, begging her to forgive you for all the times you showed nothing but discourtesy to since you were reintroduced, she whom you treated with such indifference, it was worse than a stranger." Harville glared at his friend daring him to contradict him. Frederick was edging away from the other man like a wild animal finally caught. "The same she who you were lucky enough to make your wife and now blesses you with a child. She? Anne!" he yelled. "Anne! Your Annie. At least have courage enough to say her name Captain!"

Frederick collapsed into a heap on the same spot Anne had occupied earlier. "Oh Harville what have I done?" He looked up to the ceiling and back to the floor. "What have I done to her? To us? I am more than a fool. I am everything you are thinking. I behaved like some unfeeling tyrant instead of the loving husband she deserves. I was just so … so shocked. I couldn't believe I could be so fortunate and unfortunate simultaneously. To have that which I had always dreamed of. Anne sat there telling me she is carrying my child was like a dream come to life. And then to have the reality of the situation we were in come crashing down around me. She shouldn't be here, she should be at home, in our home, safe, with me by her side. Why did this have to happen now? Its like some sort of cruel trick. I was beside myself, I still am. I wanted someone to blame. And then the confession, her telling me she had known all along. She had the chance to stay behind and she had placed herself and our child in such danger, purposely, I… I couldn't believe it of her. I still do not understand it."

"So you blamed her." Harville pulled up a chair and sat beside him, leaning on his stick. "I admit that part eludes me also. I have spoken to Anne, albeit not as demanding as you would have been, I coaxed a few answers from her. She was hoping to keep the secret of her condition a secret only to her, until we arrived back. In her defence, she is only in the first few weeks, most ladies would not even acknowledge it at this time."

"Most ladies were not about to embark on a three month journey aboard a Navy ship."

"Granted. Also, despite the onslaught of morning sickness, she assures me she is in good health and recognises the fresh sea air as only improving on this, even the good doctor agreed." Harville commented.

"The Doctor!" Frederick's head snapped round to meet his friend's kind eyes. "So he too has chosen to betray my confidence."

"No, he chose to uphold his vow of patient confidentiality. I am sure."

"But I am her husband. I had a right to know. He should have told me. You should have told me!" He began to shout and become angry again when he caught sight of Harville's frown, he calmed himself down and muttered finally: "Anne should have-"

"I should have told you." A small voice called out from behind them.

Both men turned in surprise to find Anne watching them from the door.