Letting her know
Frederick is quite aware that his sister doesn't know about Anne.
Well, in actuality, Sophia did know that eight years ago, a woman broke his heart but that is all.
His sister doesn't know that it was one named Anne Elliot.
Frederick wonders...a bit anxiously...if such knowledge will tarnish Anne's reputation in his sister's eyes. He hopes not. Anne was just 19 then. Now that he is reunited with her, he can be generous and recognize that he, not having any prospect eight years ago, is quite frightening to a young girl. Yes, Sophy would understand why Anne decided to not honor their engagement...
As soon as the door opens, Sophia approaches Frederick who just arrived from seeing Anne. But his sister knows not this sequence of events.
"The admiral and I just saw Ms. Elliot. She was looking for you. She was out of breath...Is something the matter, Frederick? Anne's haste to see you, suggest so," speaks his sister.
Frederick smiles at his dear sister. In a moment, he will share his happiness with her. He is aware how tremendous Sophia's role in it. If his keen sister had not persuaded him to stay at Kellynch Hall...If he had continued to dug his heels in, he would still be the same angry, love lorn man he was for eight long years.
Yes, he owes his beloved sister much of his happiness. His lips can't help but twitch with such appreciation.
His sister frowns. "Ms. Elliot has given you such good news?"
"Yes, I dare say she has given me such good—nay—great news."
"Heavens, what is it? And why are you being purposefully intriguing?" His sister asks, a frown deepening the furrows on her forehead. "Are you allowing me time to guess? If so..." Sophia seems to give the idea much thought. "Luisa and Benwick have broken off their engagement? This gives you a chance—"
Frederick's sudden chuckle, shaking his frame, interrupts Sophia.
"It's not a laughing matter, Frederick!" his sister chastises. "To be involve in such a brewing scand—"
Frederick finally raises his hand gesturing at his precious sister to stop her admonishing him. "No, Sophy. Ms. Luisa's and Captain Benwick's engagement is very much still on."
Sophia's frown only deepens as this doesn't explain Frederick's uncharacteristic good mood—he is even laughing, merriment crinkling his eyes...most unusual. "Then what, pray tell, what had made you so happy but had poor Ms. Elliot, quite frantic."
"You already know that Ms. Anne is not engage to Mr. Elliot."
"Yes, indeed you have told us only this morning that such confirmation has come from Ms. Anne Elliot herself." Sophia, still deep in thought, tries to guess. "Is Anne now afraid that we will withdraw our tenancy of Kellynch? However, I fail to see how this suspicion of Anne could make you quite this happy, Frederick...unless you rejoice in what Anne thinks is her misfortune."
"Dear sister—can you not really see?"
Sophia tips her head in a gesture of perplexity. "See what, Frederick?"
"What do you think of Ms. Anne Elliot?" Frederick's ask, his breath lodging in his throat.
"Well, she's very dependable and exceedingly helpful."
"As well as beautiful and kind and generous, is she not?"
"You admire her, Frederick?" inquires Sophia, not quite believing, and taken greatly by surprise. "I thought of how you treat her that you could never regard her in that way—"
"You mean my indifference to her?"
"Indifference? More than that...the way you reproach her...it's a bit cruel and now, you admit that you admire her. I can't fathom why you could behave in such a way."
Softly, Frederick utters, "Anne was the girl who rejected me eight years ago..." There he finally reveals it. Frederick hopes his forbearing sister won't take it against Anne. He can't bear it if other people, especially his sister, think less of his beloved Anne. Fickle, timid...those were the words he used against Anne for the past eight years—he doesn't want those words to pass from Sophia's lips in recrimination.
"Oh my—I," Sophia gasps, sounding more surprised than before. "I would never think—never suspect such...Ms. Elliot seems to know her own mind, not the kind of person easily persuaded."
Frederick sighs his relief that his dear sister's first reaction is not to be astonished in a negative way on his behalf. "She is kind and filial child."
"That she is."
"So you understand why she chose to reject me then?"
"Of course, of course. Ms. Elliot must be quite young then—"
"Yes. only nineteen."
"And you love her then."
"Yes."
"Poor Frederick."
"Indeed, I was...but not anymore."
"Indeed, you are extremely rich and Ms. Elliot—"
Frederick rushes to defend Anne. "Hush. That is not why she will marry me now—"
Sophia's lips quiver at the corners. Beholding this, Frederick relaxes, realizing that his haste to shield Anne's reputation has caused his sister some merriment.
"Yes, my dear sister. I am truly rich, truly blessed, for Anne has agreed to marry me. And this time, she promised, and I do believe her that she will never change her mind no matter what."
"Oh Frederick...I never suspected...but now, I fail to understand how I could have missed it...I thought the young Ms. Musgrove—"
"I was trying to hurt Anne—and in doing so I almost ruin my own chance at happiness. It was a good thing that Harville made me realize that my constant attention to Louisa had made her and her family expect. And I'll be forever grateful to Benwick for preventing such a disaster."
"You truly love Anne?"
"I never stopped."
"And she, you?"
"Yes. She loves me and only me the past eight years."
"This knowledge satisfies you."
"Indeed," agrees Frederick, smiling that smile that lights up his entire once somber face.
Sophia raises her hand, touching Frederick's cheek. "I could clearly see it from your countenance that our dear, helpful Ms. Elliot has mended what she had broken. And I'm glad, so very glad, that I could get to see my precious brother, brimming with this much happiness."
—oOo—
~AF 10 18 21 P 11 4 21~
A/N: After nth times re-watching through the years, I finally made a fanfic for the Persuasion 2007 movie. Capital!