The second act began and Anne was secretly forming a desperate plan. With Mr. Elliot occupied, she and Frederick finally had their chance. Propriety dictated that Frederick make the advances, but at the moment, he seemed reluctant to even speak.

After the first song finished, neither of them made a move. When the next song began, Anne gathered her courage. She could not chance the rest of the evening passing in silence. If she wanted him to know her feelings, she must be bold; she must overstep the boundaries of decorum. Her heart beat wildly, at once scared and thrilled at the idea.

But what could she do? A deliberate-yet-accidental brush of the arms? A subtle touch of her foot to his? She had no experience in feminine arts and allurements.

Opening the concert bill, she flipped to the current song. As she read the Italian lyrics, an idea suddenly struck her; she could not have devised a more perfect plan. She prepared her words - how would she begin? How might he respond? She rehearsed the possibilities over and over in her head.

The interval after the song arrived, and it was time to act. Unused to such forward behaviour, Anne found herself paralyzed by fear. A voice inside her urged her on. You can do this. If you do not speak, you will regret it.

"That… that was a lovely song. Are you familiar with it, Captain Wentworth?"

"I am not, but I found the music very captivating."

"Would you like me to translate the words? I am no Italian scholar, but I shall endeavor to try."

"Yes, I should like that very much, Miss Elliot."

Aware of the many people within listening distance sitting next to, in front of, and behind them, Anne drew a calming breath. She leaned over to share the concert bill and pointed to the Italian words as his eyes followed her trembling finger.

"She was singing a love song called Il Mio Bel Foco, which means My Beautiful Fire. She says - my beautiful fire, no matter how near or far I am from you… I could never forget you."

She had slightly altered the translation for the last words; did he recognise the phrase from that night in the shepherd's hut? He showed no reaction; she needed to be bolder, much bolder. Her face and neck coloured scarlet and she heard nothing but the riotous pounding of her heart as she continued.

"For you I will always burn. This flame that ignites my soul can never be extinguished. If fate should bring you back to me, there is no other I want or will ever want."

Though her fingers had reached the end of the words on the paper, she kept speaking. "I have loved none but you. My affection is yours for ever. That is what… she wants him... to know."

She had done it. But did he catch her message? Hours seemed to stretch by whilst she stared down at the concert bill, unable to face him as her body quivered in suspense. In reality, only a few seconds passed before he understood the significance of her words. He lifted his head to her; she met his gaze and saw his dark eyes dancing with wonder and joy.

Maintaining a calm outward appearance for public view, he politely replied, "Thank you for the translation, Miss Elliot. Your knowledge of Italian is impressive."

She nodded silently, exhilarated by her success. The performance recommenced, and she faced forward but was no longer aware of her surroundings. She neither heard nor saw anything as her mind floated adrift in a sea of perfect happiness.

At the next interval, Frederick's voice broke through her daze as he casually inquired, "Miss Elliot, as you have been in Bath longer than I, may I ask for your recommendation on a shop?"

A bit puzzled by his choice of subject, she said, "Of course, Captain Wentworth."

"I am in need of a good confectionery store. I should like to purchase marchpane for my sister."

"I tasted the marchpane at Molland's last week. It is quite delicious."

"Molland's - that shop is on Milsom Street, is it not?"

"Yes, it is."

"Thank you."

He looked away and said in a quieter voice, as if he were distractedly muttering aloud to himself, "I shall seek it out tomorrow."

After a pause, he turned back to her. "I am much obliged to you for your help, Miss Elliot. This evening has been quite informative. And you were correct…"

She tilted her head quizzically and he flashed a brilliant smile.

"The concert is much more enjoyable from this bench."

~~END OF CHAPTER~~

A/N:

The wait is over! :)

1) Il Mio Bel Foco is a song by composer Francesco Bartolomeo Conti.

2) Marchpane is marzipan.

Where do you think Anne will be going tomorrow? Hmm...