Chapter Seven

Frederick awoke to the sounds of the animals outside, but the level of light suggested to him it was still early; the sun was yet low in the sky. Anne moved beside him and it was only then that he became aware of their position. Anne's legs were across his lap, his hand was on her hip holding her scandalously close to him, his other hand behind her back supporting her. She had in return, one arm around his back, and the other across his chest. Her head was nestled under his chin and he could feel her warm breath on his neck.

He allowed himself one full minute to bask in the feeling; imagining what it must be like to have this every morning, before he moved her, gently raising her from her surprisingly deep slumber. He had been the same, the uncomfortable surroundings had done nothing to deter him from enjoying a good night's sleep. He would have to put it down to exhaustion or dehydration or hunger, or an accumulation of all three. It could be nothing to do with his companion.

Anne had awakened. She raised her head and looked into his eyes. She smiled deeply and her eyes looked into his with such … contentment, he forgot how to breathe. But just as quickly, they went wide with fright as recognition dawned on her, she moved free of him quickly. "What? … Where? … Captain Wentworth?" her eyes were begging him for answers.

"Calm down Miss Anne, give yourself a moment to remember." She did and suddenly groaned and buried her head in her hands. "Miss Anne?"

"I am well, I just, for a minute there, I had forgotten all this and believed myself to be … elsewhere." She was blushing profusely.

Even in shards of light provided by the un-kept mortar, he could see it. Frederick nodded, although he was not sure what she meant, or why she should be embarrassed. He stood up straightening his limbs and moving his neck from side to side to soften the tightened muscles.

"Oh Captain, I have been leaning on you all night, you must be in agony."

"Nonsense, I am a little stiff that is all, nothing that cannot be walked out." He looked through the gaps. "Everything appears quiet out there, we are still yet to be noticed missing, although I cannot think it will be long now." Frederick's voice sounded rough even to his own ears, it had been hours since either of them had had a drink, but then it had served them well in other areas – they had thankfully not had the misfortune of having the need to relieve themselves either.

"Captain Wentworth, I believe now to be the time when we should discuss what will happen … when we are discovered."

"Yes of course." He came to sit beside her once again, placing his hand on top of hers; more out of recent habit than anything more. He had spent the last few hours touching her and now found it difficult to stop. He remembered himself and jerked it back, much to Anne's disappointment.

"Will it truly be as awful as you imagine? These are my family, will they be so quick as to arrive at such a sordid conclusion? I would like to think our reputations hold us in good stead. Do you believe them so easily swayed towards an assumed lie, that they will not listen to reason, to the truth? We should not have to be forced into an unwanted alliance that will affect the both of us for the rest of our lives."

Frederick's new found confidence almost disappeared as doubt replaced it. Unwanted alliance? So then she had meant all what she had said yesterday. He had waited too long, although he blamed her for breaking them apart in the first place, she appeared to have blamed him for keeping them so. For not coming back to her. Her feelings had dissolved into nothing. The wound was too great to heal.

He looked at her once again, she looked so pretty despite the fact she had spent the last few hours huddled against him uncomfortably. He could quite easily see himself waking up to her face every morning. It would be no hardship for him. He could tell her that marriage was their only way out. If he should marry her, would she not fall back into love with him once more? Would she not remember all the reasons why she had loved him eight years ago, and then they could be happy again? No, he would never force her to be with him, nor did he want her to spend the rest of life thinking he was only with her out of a gentlemanly obligation. "Regardless of what anyone says or thinks, I would never force you into anything." He paused. "If you are still adamant you do not wish me to marry you, I would find another alternative for us." He assured her.

"I am grateful for your comfort Captain, but I was referring to the ruination of your future, rather than my own. When you returned you had no intention of ever even considering me as where your future lies. You set your cap at each of the Musgrove girls. I would not want to spend the rest of my life knowing you had only married me because you felt it as your duty, that you had no other honourable way out. That you should rather be with someone –anyone- else. I know before my words were in hate and haste, but I stand by them." She squared her shoulders. "I would rather die alone than live in a marriage where there is no respect; no love."

"You are correct, I would not wish that on anyone, least of all you." He paused again and this time she thought he had finished, and maybe he intended to, but the words in his mouth were already forcing their way past his lips. "But I do believe that would not be the case for us, for I do respect you, and I-"

"ANNE!" The shriek of Mary Musgrove' voice carried across the meadow from the great house and into the little building.

Frederick and Anne both jumped, startled by the interruption. Anne was longing for him to finish the sentence, but the intensity that had been present in his eyes only a few seconds ago had died. He offered her a half smile. "It appears our time is almost up."

"Yes." she said quietly. He was about to get up from his seat beside her when she caught his sleeve, immediately halting him. "You never answered my question – last night. What changed with regards to you and your inclinations towards Louisa?"

"I saw you." He answered simply and without hesitation, startling her so, that she let go of his arm. "Standing there in your sisters parlour, looking haggard and drawn, and as if you wanted the very floor to swallow you up, as if you wished to disappear rather than look at me. You could barely meet my eyes when we were reintroduced." He stated nonchalantly, as if the enormity of his words had gone unnoticed by him.

"Captain please-" she half sobbed. Her head was screaming stop, and her heart wanted nothing more than for him to continue.

"I saw you, and all I could think was how to me, you were still as beautiful as you had been at nineteen."

Anne gasped and met his eyes without fear, the deep brown searched his, for confirmation, reassurance she had actually heard correctly, that her ears had not been deceiving her. Fredrick only held her gaze, smiling back at her, giving her all the assurances she needed.

"Anne? Wentworth? Good god they must be frozen!" Charles concerned voice came through clear, with others not far away.

Frederick got to his feet leaving Anne still reeling from his declaration. He looked through the gaps.

"Is it really Charles?" She managed to squeak out, her voice hitching.

"Yes." He croaked. Frederick cleared his throat. "Yes. It is Musgrove. We are saved!" Although he did not sound particularly pleased at the prospect. He reached over her to her partially dry stockings and slippers and passed them to her.

Caught up in the moment of their eminent rescue and all that would entail, his words were -for a moment- forgotten, in lieu of more pressing matters. "What is our story Captain? Surely it would be best for us to tell the same tale?" Anne reasoned.

Frederick frowned. His mind was reeling after all that had gone between them. He had thought his confession would convince her of his feelings, and that she would welcome such an 'alliance', that it would be no longer unwanted. However, it appeared, as if his words had not affected her as much as he had hoped. "Why not tell the truth?"

She looked dubious, "but I thought you said-"

"No, you were right in your judgement," he cut her off. "These are friends and family, there is no reason for them to assume anything, once they hear the truth, it was a child's prank; nothing more. You have nothing to fear. They will find you unharmed, untouched and uncompromised in every way. Free to live the rest of your life as you see fit."

Anne could hear the regret and pain over the sarcasm. "But what if-"

There was a scuffle at the door, the voices were calling to them, telling them they would be alright. Frederick called back thank you, and then he hastily assisted Anne in replacing her slippers. Neither bothered anymore by the constraints of propriety to give it much thought. Anne was just re-pinning her hair the best she could in the dark, and Frederick adorning his coat, when the door was unbolted and thrown back. The lights from the torches flickered around them, the warm of the flame heating their faces. Anne turned away from the light to gather herself. She had become so used to the dark that the light hurt her eyes, and left her addled for a time. The roars of voices were next. To her unprepared ears, they seemed to all be shouting, and all at once. Being so long in the quiet, it seemed deafening.

"Wentworth! Anne! Thank god we have found you." Charles surged forward and gathered Anne to him wrapping her in a blanket before passing her along outside to the waiting arms of his mother. Louisa was by their side holding a torch aloft. Anne could now make out it must be barely breakfast. By the fact the ladies had obviously dressed in a hurry, she assumed they must have all been at the great house last night and little Walter had spilled his story that morning.

Frederick seized his chance, and gathering himself up to his full height, began his explanation, "Charles, it is not how it appears."