Elinor had had it with the Colonel, and she decided she had no choice but
to go talk to Sarah herself about the situation with her dead sister's
husband.
She met the platinum blonde in the entrance hall early that afternoon and politely asked her for a walk through the Colonel's lovely gardens. Sarah did not decline. As they walked, however, she noticed an unusual unease about her older friend, and perhaps one about herself.
"Excuse me, Elinor.but perhaps this occasion was called specially?"
"Sarah? Well.yes.you see."
"What is it, Elinor? Is something wrong?"
"Truth be told, yes, there is, Sarah, dear. You see, I did tell you that your friend Brandon was once married to my sister, Marianne."
"Yes, of course, Elinor."
"Perhaps did either of us mention the cause of her death?"
"Now that I think of it, I believe not."
"It was an acute influenza.chills, purging, sweats, the whole bit."
"I see.I am terribly sorry to hear it.it sounds as if she suffered."
"Yes, of course. She died in his arms late that night. She spent her last hours holding his hand, very tightly, it was so small in his own." She felt like crying, but she was brightened by the even sadder gaze that held her own.
"Elinor, perhaps you remember how she became ill?"
"Oh, yes. You see, Marianne loved to go running so. Margaret will tell you- she often said 'Let's go running!' and we all said 'No, Marianne,' be- cause it was sure to rain."
"It rained every time?"
"Yes, every one. It was terrible. She nearly died, once." "Oh, how awful!" Elinor savored the tone of Sarah's raised cry.
"Yes.she always said it wouldn't rain."
"If you'll excuse me, Elinor.I think I tire of this walk."
Elinor watched her hurry back toward the house, and she wiped a nostalgic tear from the corner of one of her blue eyes.
Later that evening, Elinor's husband Edward requested that Sarah instead speak with him privately in the ballroom and decline yet another request for the pianoforte. He led her out there and closed the double doors.
"Sarah, my dear, you are looking quite off color."
"Oh, Edward, it is the news Elinor told me in the garden, of Marianne's horrific death." Much to her surprise, Edward laughed.
"My dear, you must understand that Elinor hated and loved her sister at the same time while they were unwed, and she would likely spice the story when it is told in your presence, complete with a raised, tearful voice."
Sarah did not understand. "Edward, please, why merely before me?"
"She feels you are a threat to the life that Marianne ended up with, you see, after Willoughby left her for Lady Grey. Not that he didn't love her, I hear, but Marianne surely loved him still. She couldn't convey that compassion for the Colonel, mostly because he was more serious and older than she."
"This is about Colonel Brandon?"
"Yes, what else? Marianne could never give him what he needed, because he wasn't what she needed him to be. Yet now you see how no one speaks of his sorrow at her funeral-really, he didn't shed many tears."
Sarah couldn't believe her ears. "But why would Elinor want to protect this? It appears as if neither was happy."
"No.well, Marianne was a beautiful girl, but she was a wild one. Poor Colonel Brandon couldn't tame her, but Willoughby did. He had her like water in his hands, you see. Because of his foolish pride he lost her."
Sarah nearly felt tears coming to her eyes. "So Brandon was unhappy?"
"Well, he knew he would always be second best."
Sarah had made up her mind now. "I don't want him to feel that way any longer, Edward."
He said nothing for a minute, just looked at the floor sadly. She took this to be the end to their conversation and headed firmly for the door.
He heard her footsteps and picked up his head. "Sarah."
She paused.
"Please, do not take my Elinor to be spiteful. She simply wants something that truthfully never was to be again. She has nothing against you."
But Sarah was tired of listening to arguments. "We shall see."
Author's Note: Take what Edward said to heart.I did not intend Elinor to be seen as the villian figure in this story (that would be Willoughby, of course). I'm sorry if she came off as such, I simply wanted to be convincing.
She met the platinum blonde in the entrance hall early that afternoon and politely asked her for a walk through the Colonel's lovely gardens. Sarah did not decline. As they walked, however, she noticed an unusual unease about her older friend, and perhaps one about herself.
"Excuse me, Elinor.but perhaps this occasion was called specially?"
"Sarah? Well.yes.you see."
"What is it, Elinor? Is something wrong?"
"Truth be told, yes, there is, Sarah, dear. You see, I did tell you that your friend Brandon was once married to my sister, Marianne."
"Yes, of course, Elinor."
"Perhaps did either of us mention the cause of her death?"
"Now that I think of it, I believe not."
"It was an acute influenza.chills, purging, sweats, the whole bit."
"I see.I am terribly sorry to hear it.it sounds as if she suffered."
"Yes, of course. She died in his arms late that night. She spent her last hours holding his hand, very tightly, it was so small in his own." She felt like crying, but she was brightened by the even sadder gaze that held her own.
"Elinor, perhaps you remember how she became ill?"
"Oh, yes. You see, Marianne loved to go running so. Margaret will tell you- she often said 'Let's go running!' and we all said 'No, Marianne,' be- cause it was sure to rain."
"It rained every time?"
"Yes, every one. It was terrible. She nearly died, once." "Oh, how awful!" Elinor savored the tone of Sarah's raised cry.
"Yes.she always said it wouldn't rain."
"If you'll excuse me, Elinor.I think I tire of this walk."
Elinor watched her hurry back toward the house, and she wiped a nostalgic tear from the corner of one of her blue eyes.
Later that evening, Elinor's husband Edward requested that Sarah instead speak with him privately in the ballroom and decline yet another request for the pianoforte. He led her out there and closed the double doors.
"Sarah, my dear, you are looking quite off color."
"Oh, Edward, it is the news Elinor told me in the garden, of Marianne's horrific death." Much to her surprise, Edward laughed.
"My dear, you must understand that Elinor hated and loved her sister at the same time while they were unwed, and she would likely spice the story when it is told in your presence, complete with a raised, tearful voice."
Sarah did not understand. "Edward, please, why merely before me?"
"She feels you are a threat to the life that Marianne ended up with, you see, after Willoughby left her for Lady Grey. Not that he didn't love her, I hear, but Marianne surely loved him still. She couldn't convey that compassion for the Colonel, mostly because he was more serious and older than she."
"This is about Colonel Brandon?"
"Yes, what else? Marianne could never give him what he needed, because he wasn't what she needed him to be. Yet now you see how no one speaks of his sorrow at her funeral-really, he didn't shed many tears."
Sarah couldn't believe her ears. "But why would Elinor want to protect this? It appears as if neither was happy."
"No.well, Marianne was a beautiful girl, but she was a wild one. Poor Colonel Brandon couldn't tame her, but Willoughby did. He had her like water in his hands, you see. Because of his foolish pride he lost her."
Sarah nearly felt tears coming to her eyes. "So Brandon was unhappy?"
"Well, he knew he would always be second best."
Sarah had made up her mind now. "I don't want him to feel that way any longer, Edward."
He said nothing for a minute, just looked at the floor sadly. She took this to be the end to their conversation and headed firmly for the door.
He heard her footsteps and picked up his head. "Sarah."
She paused.
"Please, do not take my Elinor to be spiteful. She simply wants something that truthfully never was to be again. She has nothing against you."
But Sarah was tired of listening to arguments. "We shall see."
Author's Note: Take what Edward said to heart.I did not intend Elinor to be seen as the villian figure in this story (that would be Willoughby, of course). I'm sorry if she came off as such, I simply wanted to be convincing.