Hello! To thank you all for your continued patience I am posting an extra chapter today. Enjoy and thank you for all you support. Happy reading!

Last chapter:

'I thought Anne arranged the rose garden,' Mr Charles interjected.

'Anne? Surely not; she would have needed my assistance and I'm sure she has never asked me,' Mrs Charles countered.

Sophia watched the exchange with astonishment. A lady's garden was something of pride, and that none knew who was responsible for the garden of their sister, or sister-in-law, showed they were all rather self-concerned when it came to Miss Anne and her elder sister.

The conversation continued on in the same vein for a while, the party never venturing outside after the chances of stumbling upon Captain Wentworth had been determined as impossible. After a long two hours, the group bid their farewells and headed home.

The following day the entire Musgrove family arrive for tea and, as they had actually been invited on this occasion, Sophia begrudgingly made sure her brother and husband were in attendance.

Sophia greeted her guests with gracious manners despite her reserve towards the family, or rather, to the daughters.

Mr and Mrs Musgrove were warm and enthusiastic in their effusive replies. The Miss Musgroves offered pretty greetings, before they immediately excused themselves to acquire the seats nearest to her brother. Mr and Mrs Charles and their rambunctious children followed; the little boys bowing unsteadily but charmingly, the youngest with his hand in his mouth. And finally Miss Anne, polite and meek in her thanks. Sophia's heart wrung when she noticed Miss Anne's white-knuckled grip on her shawl that was wrapped tightly around her shoulders as she took the only remaining seat available.

No doubt the poor lamb is finding this a very uncomfortable situation; who wouldn't, I suppose, when regulated to guest in the only home you have ever known. What can I do?

While the children bounced around the sitting room, Sophia did her best to praise the estate as much as possible to Miss Anne, however it was Mrs Charles who jutted into the conversation and took the praise as credit of herself.

The lady really should be attending to her rather wild children if she won't bring a nurse with her and refuses my offer of a maid.

Sophia couldn't contain her wince when the children clambered onto the sofa and stood on the cushions, bouncing slightly.

'You must forgive the boys: they are so excited to visit as they have rarely been here before,' Mrs Charles explained with an indulgent smile hovering on her lips.

'Of course, they must be happy for the opportunity to visit their Grandfather's home,' Sophia acknowledged.

Miss Anne gently added with furrowed eyebrows, 'Mrs Croft, I think the children need to expel some energy in the spacious gardens, I pray you will excuse me to watch they do not trample the flowers in their haste.'

As this comment was punctuated by a crunch of a chair toppling over backwards, Sophia enthusiastically replied, 'An excellent suggestion, Miss Anne.'

Raising her voice to address the whole group, while a footman scurried to save the chair from further abuse, Sophia continued, 'Would everyone else like to join us in a walk outside? The rose garden is particularly beautiful at the moment.'

'I dearly wish I could, however, it pains me to admit, I find myself quite unwell today. Indeed, I was barely able to rouse myself, but, knowing you had particularly invited us to visit my old home, I forced my illness aside to join you. I fear, however, that being outside for more than the carriage ride will worsen my health dramatically,' Mrs Charles paused to punctuate her speech with a loud sigh.

Sophia glanced at her brother and saw him roll his eyes discreetly. She gave him a reproachful look, but upon glancing around the room, she realised his where not the only rolling eyes. When her gaze settled on Miss Anne, she noticed a light blush had spread across her delicate features.

I am truly glad she is your sister and not mine, you have my sympathies, sweet lamb.

'Given Mary is unwell, perhaps I should entertain her and those who stay inside with some music,' Miss Louisa added with a coy smile at her brother. 'I do not believe you have heard me play recently, Captain.'

Miss Louisa immediately revealed a pile of music sheets she had brought with her and began to shuffle through the works of art.

Her brother's eyes darted from Miss Louisa to herself, to the window, to Miss Anne, and around again. Sophia gave him a softened exasperated glare.

How am I supposed to be in two places at once?

Miss Anne offered her an understanding smile and said, 'It is quite alright, Mrs Croft, I am able to watch the children alone.'

'Are you sure I cannot ask a maid to attend them instead?' Sophia offered.

At Mary's choked gasp, Anne replied, 'I assure you I am happy to watch over them.'

You oblige your overbearing sister far too much.

Sophia restrained her smile to the epitome of politeness. 'Thank you, Miss Anne, we will send someone to find you when the food is prepared.'

'Come along boys, let us go outside to see what we can find,' Miss Anne called in a compelling tone.

The young boys immediately turned to their aunt and bounded over to her side; their eyes sparkling as they began to ask questions as fast as possible. As Miss Anne led the children from the room, Miss Louisa exclaimed, 'The perfect piece, I hope you enjoy this sailing tune, Captain Wentworth, Admiral Croft.'

Sophia spoke softly to Mrs Musgrove as Miss Louisa played her collection of navel songs between fluttering glances at her shifting brother. Finally, she finished her last piece and Miss Musgrove took over. The later was clearly the superior performer between the sisters; although not surprising given she was the elder. When Miss Musgrove's concerto ended, Sophia took the opportunity to call for the food.

Lest they begin on duets.

'Brother, would you find Miss Anne and the children for me?' Sophia requested as she summoned a maid.

Perhaps the relative solitude will be good for them. Who knows, perhaps it will even be highly agreeable if they can rekindle their past friendship – or whatever it may have been.

With a mild frown, Frederick agreed, 'Of course. I will be back momentarily.'

Frederick quickly strode from the room, the disappointed eyes of the Miss Musgroves trailing his movements as far as possible.

Ten minutes of pleasantries later, Sophia was feeling decidedly smug.

Surely this means that they are becoming friends once more; what else could possibly take them so long!

It was only after a further ten minutes later that Sophia's confidence began to erode.

While the gardens are large, they should have been back by now.

Sophia excused herself and slipped into the hallway.

'Tom, could you please find Captain Wentworth and find out what has delayed him?'

'At once, Mrs Croft,' Tom answered with a bow and darted away on his errand.

Sophia returned to the room with a smile and spoke politely to her guests as her were wrung tighter and tighter in her lap.

Has something gone wrong? Maybe one of them is hurt. Or have they had an argument about whatever caused their distance and hidden away separately? No, ridiculous; they would not argue in front of the children. Oh Heavens, where are they?

Five minutes later, a maid burst into the room. Sophia's eyebrows raised in surprise as she automatically stood and moved closer to the gasping maid.

The breathless maid panted, 'Forgive me, ma'am, but Miss Anne and Captain Wentworth have requested assistance. It seems one of the boys has taken it into his head to play a game of hide and seek and they cannot find him, nor will he respond to them.'

Foiled by Mary Musgrove again! If she would but stay at home!

'My child has been stolen!' Mrs Charles screamed before slumping into her chair in a faint.

Startled, Sophia looked at her unconscious guest for a moment, blinking with surprise at the unmoving pile of lace.

Shaking her head slightly, her eyes refocused. With the calm assurance of someone who had sailed on a ship under attack, Sophia requested the maid call all the servants to assist with a search of the gardens. Sophia had no doubt that Mrs Charles was over-reacting, however the child did need to be found so that they could all eat.

'Miss Louisa, would you be so good as to attend Mrs Charles and Mrs Musgrove, while the rest of us join in the search?'

'Certainly, I will play them some music – hopefully it will help lead the missing Captain and his charges back here,' Miss Louisa answered with a smile, despite her wide eyes.

'However you think is best,' Sophia replied and then ushered the remaining guests from the room.

Within minutes, every available person was soon combing the estate for the child, some inside and some outside. As the shadows began to lengthen on the lawns, the ladies returned to the house for thick shawls. Sophia entered through the kitchen door to collect the earlier prepared sandwiches, to keep peoples strength up in the search; food would also help calm the, no doubt, frantic Mrs Charles.

Opening the door, she stumbled in surprise at the sight.

'Child! What are you doing here? We have been searching the gardens for you for above three hours!'

'No one found my hiding place and I was hungry, so I came to eat something,' the young boy replied with a full mouth and shrug as he reached his tiny hand for another sandwich.

As the shock ebbed out of her, curiosity began to take over. 'Why were you hiding?'

'Papa taught me a fun game of hiding from Mamma; when she comes looking for us, we hide in the orchard until she gives up. Papa says that I'm not to leave my secret hiding place no matter what Mamma says or does. Papa laughs ever so much.'

'But it was not your Mamma looking for you today.'

The boy shrugged again as he chewed the sandwich in his tiny hands. 'When I saw the Cap'an coming towards us and calling Auntie Anne, I hid when Auntie Anne turned to the Cap'an.'

Sophia pursed her lips to withhold her retort as the child bit into the new morsel.

Mr Charles such sport of your wife is appalling! With such poor attentions, it is little wonder the lady is always fancying herself ill.

'Well, how about you help me bring these sandwiches upstairs and we can all share in them.'

'Okay,' the child agreed easily with a full mouth.

As they climbed the stairs – the young boy in front so that he couldn't disappear again – Sophia could hear loud voices ahead. Nearing the screeching, she realised it was coming from the sitting room where the ladies were waiting for her.

'…DON'T HAVE A MOTHER'S INSTINCTS, BUT YOU SHOULD HAVE KEEP A BETTER WATCH ON HIM. HE WOULDN'T JUST HIDE, HE HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP BETTER THAN THAT. I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU FOR LOSING MY SON! HOW COULD YOU BE SO CARELESS! HEAVENS KNOWS HOW LONG HE WAS GONE BEFORE YOU EVEN NOTICED! YOU—'

Sophia stilled as outrage started to build in her veins.

Deplorable.

A quieter voice cut in, 'Mary, I swear Walter was by my side until I turned to see Captain Wentworth calling me, when I turned back he had disappeared. If Walter was stolen, he would have made a noise. He—'

'MY BABY IS GONE FOREVER BECAUSE YOU CAN'T EVEN WATCH A CHILD. YOU'RE—'

'Mrs Musgrove,' a commanding male voice cut in. Frederick? 'Miss Anne is telling the truth. I saw the child by her side, but when I looked back a moment later he was gone. Now I must insist that you stop shouting such things and sit down. The boy will turn up.'

Yes, definitely Frederick; why is he back here?

'HOW—'

'Mary, that's enough!' came the voice of Mr Charles.

By this point, Mrs Croft was at the doorway and could see and hear everything clearly. She cleared her throat loudly and everyone turned to face her, except the hysterical Mrs Charles.

'I found the missing child in the kitchen eating sandwiches. He was hungry after hiding so long. Apparently, it is a game of his to hide in your orchard at home, no matter what is called in an effort to find him,' Sophia said in a pleasantly light tone for the sake of the child at her side and the other sitting by the window, although there was a steely look in her eyes as she took in the occupants.

Only her husband was missing from the gathering – likely still outside. Her eyes drifted over the people in the room. The majority of the guests were grouped together by the table on the far wall, separated as far as possible from the argument collection while remaining in the room. The group members were shifting their weight and fiddling with objects. Miss Louisa, who still sat at the piano, had her hands pressed on the keys, although as the ringing had ended, she must have held the position for quite some time. The others were awkwardly staggered through the room. Sophia's eyes hardened as she took in the paleness of Miss Anne, the teary, red face of Mrs Charles, the furious glare towards the latter lady by her brother, and Mr Charles' guilty face.

'Brother,' Sophia said, 'could you please inform the servants and the Admiral that the child has been found, thank them for their assistance, and request they return to their usual duties. A simple supper tonight would be best; given how long the kitchen staff were looking for the child.'

Sophia then nudged the child fully into the room, before walking forward and placing the sandwiches on the table. She turned and took Miss Anne's arm, rubbing it in soothing upward and downward motions as she pulled her down into a seat next to the fire.

Mrs Charles finally came out of her shock at seeing her child safe and stuffing his mouth with a half-eaten sandwich. 'Walter! You are okay! I am so relieved. You will make me ill, indeed, I feel quite unwell,' she said, bustling forward and grasping the child tightly in her arms.

'Mary,' Mr Charles shifted and whispered to his wife, 'you need to apologise to Anne.'

'What? Oh don't be ridiculous. Anne knows I didn't mean it. I was just upset and fearful for my child, a loving mother's natural instinct. Although, I daresay that if she had kept a closer eye on him that he could not have hidden so well.'

'Mary, you and I know how fast he can move. I insist you apologise to your sister,' he continued, a slight flush entering his cheeks.

Mary scoffed, her hands never leaving her son as they swept over his clothes, checking for damage. 'No, but I will forgive her for not watching Walter closely enough – Anne is family, after all.'

Mr Charles looked away as his father spoke up, 'I think, after all the excitement, we had best return home.'

Murmurs of agreement from his family met his statement. Sophia called for the carriages to be prepared and walked her guests to the entrance hall, where they were met by her husband, Frederick, and the returning servants. She remained by Miss Anne's side, carefully wrapping an extra shawl around the silent lady who had search for hours for a hiding child and was then viciously blamed for the child's action and shouted at in a truly ill-breed way by her sister.

'Thank you for your efforts in finding our nephew, Mrs Croft, Admiral Croft, Captain Wentworth,' Miss Louisa said with her sister standing next to her. 'You, in particular, Mrs Croft, for finding him in the kitchens.'

'It was our honour to help you all,' Sophia replied. I suppose the girl can be very proper and sweet. 'I hope you all recover from the stressful afternoon after a good night sleep.'

'Thank you. Good evening,' the girls said in unison with respectful curtsies.

After everyone had said their goodbyes and they were all bundled into a carriage with warm blankets, the horses began to pull them home.

The Admiral let out a chuckle as the carriages disappeared into the night air. 'What a circus!'

'I must say there is never a dull moment with the Musgroves around,' Sophia agreed. 'The child told me that his father taught him the game of hiding from his mother and not coming out until she gave up.' Glancing at her brother's flint-like face, Sophia continued, 'When he saw you, Frederick, he decided it was time for the game as you were searching for them.'

'Mr Charles' revenge, no doubt, against a wife who didn't quite measure up in comparison to his first choice,' Frederick said in a calm voice that belied the storm churning in his eyes.

'His first choice?' Sophia questioned.

'Yes, Miss Louisa told me the other day that he asked Miss Anne for her hand first, however he was declined,' Frederick said rather stiffly.

'Really? Why would she say no to Mr Charles?'

'Miss Louisa said they thought it was on the advice of Lady Russell.'

'How strange!' Sophia replied. 'When I met Lady Russell, she commented on what an excellent match it was for one of Sir Walter's daughters to marry Mr Charles; I would think she would encourage the match rather than hinder it – especially as the youngest sister did marry the gentleman.'

Frederick just shrugged and the Admiral chuckled as he said, 'Poor Mr Charles, I daresay he expected Mrs Charles to grow more like Miss Anne.'

'Then it appears he chose very poorly, Mrs Charles must be the opposite of Miss Anne in every particular except parentage,' Frederick commented.

With that the three returned inside to change for dinner.

AN: Poor Anne! Isn't Mary so self-centred and dramatic! Of course children were on occasions taken and raised by others as their own, so it is possible, but very unlikely to occur on the grounds of Kellynch with Anne and the Captain nearby. And the Admiral is quite insightful – not surprising for a successful ship captain.

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed this latest update!