Her Eyes Opened: Chapter 9
They were all pretending to take great interest in the flowers and plants in the garden, but were fooling no one, really. Elinor, Edward and Margaret were all secretly keeping an eye on Marianne and Colonel Brandon. To get these two to have this talk had taken such a long time and too many nerve wrecking twists and turns that Elinor refused to believe all to be well until she spied from the corner of her eye how Brandon took hold of Marianne's hands and lifted them to his lips. The two remained standing very close to each other, clearly only noticing each other at this point. In all honesty, it was only because she knew without a shadow of doubt that Brandon would not be taking any character compromising liberties with Marianne that Elinor did not feel like having to curb this intimacy that was forming at the edge of the garden. Elinor smiled: perhaps both her dear sister and her dear friend could feel at ease and could finally open their hearts for some happiness.
At the edge of the garden both Marianne and the Colonel were both at a loss for words for a moment, lost in each other's eyes. Marianne was beginning to blush ever so slightly and the Colonel found breathing to be a little harder to accomplish than normally. Finally Marianne found her feet again.
"For all I care I wish we did not have to return to the house," she said. The Colonel smiled. He had just been thinking exactly that.
"Yes, to give the dinner a miss and simply hide in this garden with you would make a perfect afternoon and evening for me," the Colonel started, then looked to the three characters still keeping guard in the distance, and continued:
"However, I do feel some concern over how long your dear sisters and Mr Ferrars can possibly find such intriguing plant life in that rockery." Marianne followed his gaze and the pair could not help but laugh.
"Perhaps we should release them from guard duty?" she suggested. Brandon nodded and offered her his arm. As much as he liked his privacy and normally did all he could to avoid showing anything of his life to outsiders, this time he had to admit his male pride was giving him a nudge at the thought of the girl taking his arm. It would be made open and clear that they had an interest in each other.
"Colonel, Marianne." Edward greeted the smiling couple as they returned to their company. Margaret's face revealed every ounce of her curiosity as to what had taken place. Elinor sought her sister's eyes for a clue on what had taken place. All she saw was joy. The kind of joy that genuinely showed the smile in her eyes as well and had the girl practically glowing.
"Mrs Ferrars, I believe I should have a word with Mrs Dashwood. But, well, in private, if that would be alright," Brandon said to Elinor. Elinor smiled and nodded.
"I think that can be arranged. Margaret, would you be a dear and ask Mother to join us here? Quietly?"
"But what do I tell her, she will ask why I want her outside!" Margaret sighed in frustration. She could already see the fuss her mother would make.
"Oh, just tell her I asked for her," Marianne offered. Margaret shrugged and ran off. Her mother's suggestions that ladies did not run had not yet taken root in Margaret's nature.
Both Elinor's as well as Edward's face was signalling such expectation that Brandon felt he had to say something.
"Thank you, both, for allowing us to have a moment, there was a great need to discuss certain…matters," he started. Edward and Elinor almost instinctively reached out for each other's hands. They said nothing, just waited for the Colonel to carry on.
"Perhaps you should know, before Mrs Dashwood arrives, I have asked Miss Marianne if she would allow me to, well, court her. Properly."
Edward was glad he was already smiling because the Colonel's awkwardness at all this certainly would have made him smile. At least the poor fellow wouldn't notice that now. Elinor put her hand on Brandon's arm.
"I have a feeling this will not come as a surprise to anyone here, not even to our mother," she said kindly. And as if on cue, Margaret and Mrs Dashwood appeared through the glass doors. Brandon turned to Marianne to exchange one more private look, as if to say "here goes!" and Marianne returned an encouraging nod before Brandon walked to meet Mrs Dashwood half way. The group observed Brandon directing the path of their walk away from them and Mrs Dashwood gestured Margaret to leave them. The girl stomped back to the others in a half huff.
"Elinor, Edward – I think I feel a bit dizzy," Marianne said as they watched their mother strolling slowly on Brandon's arm. The Ferrars gave Marianne an alarmed looked, first fearing that her illness may be returning, but what they saw was the very image of health: a smiling girl with healthy red on her cheeks and the warmest, longing gaze towards the man she had now openly admitted admiring.
"Did he say he loves you?" Margaret just had to ask. How else was she supposed to know what was going on?
"Margaret!" Elinor reprimanded, earning another half sulking look from her youngest sister.
"I think we have an understanding," Marianne whispered cryptically, her eyes never leaving the Colonel's form. When the Colonel and Mrs Dashwood turned around to walk towards the group, they saw their mother beaming with happiness.