Chapter Eleven

The next morning Frederick strode into the dining room feeling more clear and confident then he had in years. He had spent the majority of his night getting things in order, both in his head and business. He now had a plan; a goal for which to strive for. He was in such a good mood busily preparing his plate with food to break his fast, that he did not realise at first he was not alone. Anne was seated at the table, looking at him with a surprised expression. "Good morning Miss Anne, lovely day today is it not?"

She narrowed her eyes at him sceptically. "Yes it is. Is everything alright? You seem-"

"Happy? That is because things are finally falling into place Miss Anne, I have one letter to send this morning and then I shall be calling on Charles and your sister, do you wish to join me on a walk to Uppercross?"

"Yes." She said slowly, and a little cautiously. "I would like to see little Walter and Charles. I do hope Walter has not been punished too severely." She fretted.

"Hmm," he buttered his toast. "You, are too good Miss Anne." he chewed while she blushed. "So, shall we say in half an hours time? Can you be ready by then?"

"Yes, that would be fine." She sipped her tea.

He smiled warmly at her, and she smiled back.

Nothing more was said while they ate and then both left to finish getting ready. In exactly thirty minutes later, Frederick stood patiently waiting in his sisters hallway for Miss Anne to appear. He gave her another smile on her approach and held out his arm. She eyed it anxiously before taking it and allowing him to lead her towards the cottage. They chatted back and forth about general things, but Anne could tell he was keeping something from her, something that clearly amused him. Once upon a time she would have used her advantage over him to get him to reveal to her his secrets. But that time was over.

Charles was outside cleaning his guns, and joined Frederick in a conversation, while Anne ventured inside to see Mary and the boys. Walter looked terrified at her appearance and she wondered again how badly he had been scolded for such a prank. She smiled at him as she always did, and tried to draw him out of himself. Within a few minutes she was holding him to her on her lap, kissing his cheek and playing with them both as normal. Mary seemed undisturbed by Anne's actions. She was more concerned with informing Anne of the shocking events which had taken place last night.

She told Anne how, during their journey home, Louisa had revealed that Captain Wentworth –although very fond of her- was not looking for her to be his wife. That he believed she would be much happier with someone else. He had been very polite and complimentary of her, there was no harm done. Instead of feeling slighted, Louisa seemed to be quite content that it had passed her time over the past couple of weeks and now she would move on.

Anne could barely control her joy. She was pleased Louisa had taken it so well and wondered if that was the reasoning behind the Captain's good mood. The fact that he was now absolutely free and unshackled cheered her just as much. Yet he had not spoken to her about it. As if he could hear her thoughts, Captain Wentworth along with Charles, appeared in the parlour. Frederick greeted Mary and then went to sit beside Anne under the pretence of talking to the boys. Walter had stiffened upon seeing the Captain and retreated into Anne, tucking his head under her chin like he had when he was a babe. Anne smiled apologetically at Frederick and sh'shed Walter, assuring him the Captain bared him no ill will. Eventually the child was persuaded to come around.

After a few minutes Frederick drew him to the other side of the room under the guise of showing him his compass, but instead Anne saw him reach into his pocket and retrieve an object wrapped in a handkerchief. He whispered something to Walter who promptly took the object and disappeared out the door. Frederick returned to his seat smiling at Anne and giving her a wink. She had no notion what was a foot, but something definitely was. Before she could question him further, Charles stood drawing everyone's attention. "Now Mary my dear, Anne, The Captain here has had a very good idea. And I am inclined to agree to it, as it would only add to all our pleasures I am sure."

Mary, in no mood for secrecy or teasing, challenged her husband, "Charles please stop teasing us and tell us what this idea is." She looked from him to Captain Wentworth and back again.

"Well my dear, Captain Wentworth has been invited by his good friend – a Captain Harville, to visit him in Lyme, and he has suggested we make a jaunt of it and accompany him. It is not too far from here."

Anne's eyes immediately flew to the man sat beside her, who only raised his eyebrows in reply. This is what he had been planning – this was what had him so pleased – taking a trip to Lyme with her relations.

Mary was already gushing about what she would take, while Charles talked at the same time of going to see his father to borrow his chaise. Frederick announced that he should return to Kellynch to inform his sister and the Admiral of their plans and asked Anne if she was ready to return also. She agreed, if only to avoid helping Mary with her packing. They had agreed to leave in two days time, to give Frederick's letter to Harville chance to arrive, and for them to prepare.

Once outside the cottage they trudged the way back across the field towards Kellynch. Anne, whose mind was not on what she was doing or where she was going, but more on the man beside her and his intentions, tripped and stumbled. Frederick tightened his grip on her arm and placed his other hand over hers. "I do apologise Miss Anne, I should have thought of you, and borrowed the gig. It was only, after the other night, I thought we could both do with stretching our legs." That was not strictly true, Frederick only wished to delay their parting and to spend as much time alone with Anne as he could.

"No, no, it is quite alright, I am enjoying being outside." They walked a little further in comfortable silence, before Anne's inquisitive nature got the better of her. "What did you give to Walter?"

"You saw that?" She nodded. "Well it was nothing, a few of my favourite biscuits my sister had the cook bake, I thought he deserved a reward."

"A reward?"

"Yes for …" he paused. "for telling everyone where we were." But again, his face portrayed something else entirely.

She only shook her head at his kind gesture.

When Anne and Frederick arrived at the great house, two days later, it was a hive of activity. Charles had secured his fathers chaise for their journey, under the conditions Louisa join them on their trip, and that it be stretched over more than a day to give his horses a chance for adequate rest. Despite the awkwardness for Frederick and Louisa, they had all agreed, and so the party happily packed and prepared to set off.

Frederick and Anne had been stood to one side of the courtyard, patiently observing the chaos around them, Frederick in particular sporting a wide smile, the same that had been present for the past two days, when Anne decided enough was enough. Making use of their new found friendship she asked him the question that had been plaguing her since the day he came up with this scheme,"Captain Wentworth, may I ask you why you seem so delighted at the prospect of spending two days in the constant company of my brother and sisters, especially since one of the said sisters was, up until very recently, a possible candidate for your wife? Surely it will be strained between you?"

"Nonesense Miss Anne, she is fully aware of how it is, and understands completely. Besides, there is a friend of mine –Captain Benwick- I believe she would benefit from meeting."

"But surely you would prefer to visit your friends alone."

He looked at her exasperated and walked to the stable to saddle his horse. The ladies were to travel in the coach. She followed, not knowing what she had said to put him in a bad mood. He turned suddenly, causing her to stop. "I can see Harville alone anytime, I thought this would be a nice trip, that it could be enjoyed by all."

"But I do not understand, why go to all this trouble just to-"

"To spend time with you!" he cried. She jumped back, shocked at his outburst and more so at his words. "It may have escaped your notice Miss Anne, but I am determined for us to spend time together, to get to know each again. We have settled our differences, shared our secrets of the past, now I wish to move forward."

"But ... I … I do not think…" she rubbed her temple. "…I fully comprehend what you are saying."

"I am saying that I do not wish to make the same mistakes Miss Anne. I do not want to rush in to anything hasty and spoil things again. I wish for us to do this properly." His face softened as she looked up at him with wide eyes. He gently pulled her hands away from her face and held them in his. "I am saying, that if you are agreeable, I would like to court you. Openly and properly. No secrets, we are both older and wiser. I no longer need to seek permission from your father to spend time with you. You are old enough and able enough to make you own decision now. I should hope, I should hope you no longer require the advice of others in matters concerning your own heart and happiness. From all that you have told me, I believe that to be the case and now I am asking you to prove it. That if you do not wish me to court you, you refuse me for your own reasons, no one else, but that if there is anything left in you that should wish to spend time with me again, that you should grant me this wish." He squeezed her hand and found it to be trembling. "So, Miss Anne, please would you and your friends accompany me to Lyme, so that I may introduce you to mine, and so that we may spend some time together, alone, out in the open – in daylight?"

Anne was stunned. This was beyond all her hopes and dreams. She had been so content just with the fact they were now able to once more be in the same room together, and speak to one another without feeling uncomfortable or guilty, she never allowed herself to even imagine he could want more. He was staring at her with such intensity, as if his future hung on her next few words. She swallowed down the lump of emotion in her throat, and shaking her head to clear it, offered him a bright smile. "Yes Captain Wentworth. I find I should like that very much."

His own smile widened and he resisted the temptation to scoop her up in his arms and twirl her around.