Chapter Three

Edward hesitated for a moment, trying to understand what or who she could possibly mean, when his eyes caught hers and strayed to the culprit. The gloves. Frederick's gloves. He had been in such a hurry he had forgotten then. Edward rose quickly. He had not yet decided whether it would do anyone any good for Anne to know her once betrothed had been sat in that very chair she was seated in now, that very morning. He was intending concealing the knowledge for as long as possible. He hastily tidied the gloves away in the drawer closing it with a soft thud and coming to stand in front of it as if shielding it would expunge their existence from her mind.

He realised somewhat too late his actions had done nothing but peek Anne's curiosity further.

"No," he blurted out. "No, no, there's ono one here. They…" he looked behind him at the drawer and then back at Anne. "…They were left behind by one of my parishioners yesterday and I have yet to return them." Anne nodded and smiled. Edward attempted to return the smile but felt too guilty. He had lied. He had lied to a lovely young woman he had once hoped he would one day call his sister. He was disgusted in himself. All he could cling to, was the fact it was in her best interests. Learning Frederick had been there would only distress her.

Anne took a sip from her tea cup as he came to sit back down, avoiding his eyes she said softly, "A man asked me to marry him today."

The news to Edward, although expected still surprised him in that she had not said she was engaged, only that someone had offered. He frowned. "And how did young Mr Musgrove take the rejection?"

Anne almost choked on her tea. "How could you possibly know who and that I had?"

Edward smiled sheepishly, "I know Charles intended to ask you, and by the way you told it, you did not give me reason to believe you were to be congratulated." he explained.

Anne shook her head, "you should be a constable."

Edward struggled to contain his composure at Anne's words, they were so close to something his brother has said earlier that day. Again he thought of telling her that Frederick had returned, but he was too intrigued as to why she had turned down a kind reputable man from a good family, who he knew would not be rejected by her own. "You do not have to tell me, but-"

"You want to know why I refused his kind offer." She looked up at him. He only smiled back more sheepishly than before. She offered him a half smile in return. "I know everyone will no doubt think me mad. Here I am, no longer a young girl, I have no other offers." She paused blushing. "Everyone would no doubt think it the perfect match. Charles is a good man and he would have strove to make me happy. I know this. With Mary back from school and Elizabeth still expected to make a union with father's heir any day, it would all be so perfect."

"Except?" Edward interrupted sensing there was something she wanted to get off her chest, the real reason behind her impromptu visit.

"Except," she took a deep breath in, shutting her eyes as she exhaled. "Except he is not him."

Edward felt his stomach tighten and then drop with the realisation that the young woman in front of him at two and twenty was every bit the same young girl she had been at nineteen, and as he suspected all along, still in love with the man she had then, his brother Frederick. Now he had to decide what to do with this new piece of information. He was already concealing so much, he would be a complete fraud stepping in to the church. "Anne," he began.

"No I know." She opened her eyes but held her head in her hands. "I know I should not feel like this, I do not have any right to love him still. I lost that right two years and a half ago, but I cannot help it. I cannot bring myself to love anyone else. The idea of calling someone else husband; to take any name but that of Wentworth as my own, no matter how well matched or happy I should be, I would not. I could not." she shut her eyes again.

After her confession, the pair sat in silence, each contemplating the gravity of her declaration. Edward was conscious of his brother words – or more what he had not said- gnawing away at him. He was sure Frederick felt the same, though he would never admit it. He was still recovering from his broken heart and was unlikely to risk it again. But Edward had seen his reaction when he thought her betrothed to another. He was no match maker, but perhaps -just perhaps- the situation was not as hopeless as they all singularly feared. "Anne, why did you come here?"

Her eyes flew open, looking at him fearfully.

"I do not mind that you did. I am glad." he clarified, attempting to ease her. "But with all of your friends and family around you, I wonder why it is you have not gone to them with your confession."

"Because it is exactly that; a confession. Of sorts. I needed to get it out in the open. To tell someone, one who would not judge me despite our history, and someone who would keep my secret. For it must stay secret." She leaned forward towards him. "Please promise me you will not say anything to anyone. Least of all him. I am only telling you now, because I know he is far, far, away. I am in no danger of him learning the truth."

Edward could barely meet her eyes he felt so ashamed. "Why does that bother you so? Him knowing the truth."

Anne opened her mouth but thought better of it and stopped herself. A few seconds passed before she finally spoke. "How is he? I mean that is… I know he is a Captain now, of the Laconia." Edward didn't fail to notice the pride in her voice as she spoke of his brother's achievements, or how much her mouth lifted at one corner in the beginnings of a smile as though talking of him brought her happiness.

"That is about the limit of my knowledge. I know nothing of him, if he is happy." She dropped her head again. "Settled." she added quietly. "Is he pleased at his accomplishments? I do not wish to intrude or to come between you and your brother. I know your loyalty must lie with him, and I realise you have not seen him in for over two three years." She stood and moved to the window. "Sometimes I cannot help but feel his absence from your life, is my fault. I am sure he would have returned to the area had it not been my home also."

Edward readied himself to finally confess his own secrets when Anne continued. "Is he content? He has that what he always dreamed and wished for, I presume he must be." she added sorrowfully.

Not everything. Edward thought sadly. He knew what she was getting at, what she wanted to know, why it was she had kept her own feelings from him. Now, after all this time, she imagined him to have forgotten her, to have perhaps moved on to someone new, found happiness. He could put her right on that at least. "Anne my brother is not-" But his speech was interrupted by a knock on the front door. They both froze wondering who it could be and what they would think to find Anne Elliot taking tea with the local curate, so soon after she had rejected a proposal of marriage from another man.