Chapter Twenty Four

Anne despised lying, and in particular her lying to anyone; especially those she held dear to her. Yet in the past few days she had told more tall tales than she had since she was a very little girl. The Musgroves' had not even questioned her on it, claiming they needed to rest, they had been happy for her to go off exploring as long a she did not venture far and that she should not lose her way, they made sure she had money to get a chair back to the inn if she was tired, and after promising to take note of all the shops she passed, she left hem behind.

Out in the street she looked left and right until all at once he appeared beside her. "Hello."

"Hello." she answered back nervously.

"Shall we?" he offered her his arm, and she took it without hesitation. She could not keep the smile from her face; being on his arm and when she looked up at him, she found him to be smiling too at having her there.

"What did you tell the Musgroves'?"

"The truth." He looked down at her incredulously. "I said I was going for a walk to look at the shops. It was not I who claimed to be going to the Laconia. It is you who is deceiving them, not me." She smiled mischievously and it warmed him that she was showing glimpses of her previous self.

"You are correct of course. You are quite without blame." He looked away from her smiling. "But what shall we do if someone sees us and the Musgroves' find out we were together?"

She ceased walking and looked up at him seriously, "You can say you changed you mind and then that we ran into each other quite accidentally." She answered simply as if she had already given the matter though, before walking once more.

In truth the conversation was veering dangerously into the territory of the past, back then they had talked about what excuse they would give if they were ever caught together, each one more elaborate than the last.

They stopped now and again to admire some wares in the windows as they passed, Anne commented on each, and he would give her his opinion. It only occurred to her afterward that he had likely seen many of the things before. He did not seem to care though, and let her lead them along marvelling at each thing as she found them. One particular shop had a display of Navy paraphernalia all of which Anne was most interested in. Frederick for his part enjoyed explaining to her what each object was used for.

Her eyes set at once on a small telescope. The spy-glass was gold and, what Frederick suspected was, Ivory. It was not suitable for a Captain on a ship, but it looked light and small enough to fit a lady's hands perfectly. Anne was staring at it so, the shop assistant had come to the door inviting them in for a better look. Keen to not appear rude, Anne obliged the man with Frederick trailing after.

Inside, the walls and shelves were decorated with navy memorabilia and items that had no doubt washed up on the shore after a ship had met her fate. Frederick supposed some of the items may have been brought back by the men who were forced to sell when they fell upon hard times. As he walked around admiring each thing in turn, Anne stood by the telescope. "I find it hard to believe you would use such a thing aboard the Laconia; it is small is it not?"

Frederick smiled to himself at her good sense. "Yes, I would call that a spy glass rather than a telescope. Still," he picked it up and positioned it in front of his eye, twisting the dials back and forth until he could make out the picture clearly. He could see the Sound as if it were in front of him and he smiled, holding it out to Anne. She took it in her trembling fingers and presumed to hold it in front of her face and look through the end. "No, no, you have to ..." he moved behind her and brought his arms about her. Resting them on top of hers he brought the glass closer to her face. He felt her tense under his touch but then, just as quickly, she relaxed. He surmised she was not used to having people in such close proximity with her. For that he was bizarrely pleased. He pulled the glass closer to her eye until it was resting against her face. "Now close the other eye." he whispered to her.

The moment she gasped, he knew she had it working correctly. "Why it is the sound! As if I could touch it." She reached out with her hand and he stifled a chuckle. She looked up at him without turning her face, so close to his, her lips mere inches from his, he could if he wanted to, lean down and capture them. They shared a moment before she remember herself glancing towards the eager to please shop assistant, who had the good grace to look away, and turned back. "Tell me Captain where is the Laconia? I would like to see from up here, how grand she stands in the water."

He smiled again. He had never met another woman who had such regard, such interest, such empathy for all he held dear. He leaned closer to her until his face was next to hers, his hands back on top of hers, he moved them both so that she was pointing the right way. "There." he murmured next to her ear.

She was holding her breath, she daren't move a muscle in case it ruined the moment. She had not been this close to anyone since ... since him. Yet it did not feel wrong, she was not nervous or uncomfortable. Everything about his closeness; the intimacy of his actions, it was all so natural. So that she could imagine they had been doing it for years. She concentrated on what she was seeing through the tiny window of the glass. The moment she found the Laconia she knew why it had mattered so much to him, why he had had to have her. She stood majestic and strong; resolute in the ocean. Standing out amongst all the others. "She is magnificent," she whispered.

"Yes she is." he breathed. But as she lowered the glass and looked in to his eyes she had the suspicion he was not talking of the ship.

Someone cleared their throat behind them and they sprung apart. Anne was turning pink again and although he found it quite becoming of her, he guessed she would not. He stepped in front of her shielding her. When he looked around, he found the proprietor of the establishment had arrived.

Once the man saw it was Frederick he smiled. "Captain Wentworth sir. It is good to see you here again. What can I do for you today?"

"We would like to purchase this please." He took the scope from Anne's trembling hands, ignoring her rambling about it not being necessary.

"Ah a good choice indeed. And would the lady like it wrapped?" He asked around Wentworth, curiosity leading him to make out the identity of the mystery lady the Captain was so eager to protect. Frederick smiled. "Yes please Timmins." He took a few coins from his purse and passed it to the man. Timmins knew when to push his look and when not, believing this occasion to be one of the latter, he busied himself with wrapping the gift and doing his best to appear uninterested in the interesting pair.

"Captain really-" Anne started.

"I insist." He fixed her with a stare which told her it was pointless to argue.

She dropped her head taking the package and holding it close to her like it was the most precious thing in the world to her. "Thank you."

They made their way down the remainder of the high street in silence, Anne was too over whelmed by all that had transpired between them to utter a word, and Frederick content just having her on his arm. They stopped when they came to a bench positioned so that a person could look out to sea. The Captain hastily wiped down the bench while Anne murmured her thanks. After a moment of respite Frederick took a deep breath in releasing it. "You told me that you ended our engagement because you wanted what was best for me. That I would not have done well with you anchoring me down." He looked away from her out to sea, leaning forward resting his elbows on his lap. "I wanted to tell you were wrong, about that at least. I would have done well because of you, for you. With you by my side, I know I would have not only accomplished what I have, but probably more."

"But what of The Asp?"

"There you are correct. I would not have allowed you to travel aboard, even as my wife. You would not have been comfortable, and I would have worried for your safety. You were right to say I had not thought things through before. I had not. All I could think of was the beautiful young woman who had just agreed to be my wife. The logistics of where we should live, and what should happen to you while I was away had not entered my mind, at least not enough. I had no plans in that regard. I knew we would get on, but I relied too heavily on everything working itself out, which is no way for a married man to behave. I chastised you for not putting me first when I am guilty of the same thing. I was so happy with my own circumstance, I did not give any real thought to yours."

She reached for his arm, squeezing it once before letting go. "I was happy. Overwhelmingly so, and we would have got on. I believed in you. You would have seen me comfortable. It was you I was concerned for."

Frederick opened his mouth to say more, but thought better of it and closed it again. Anne knew the time was getting on and she should soon be returning, but they still had not said all that was to be said.

"I think it may be time I was getting back to the Inn." she said quietly.

The Captain looked disappointed but nodded, although he didn't move to get up. Anne stood looking out at the view one more time.

"Do you think we would have been happy?"

Anne looked back at him, his face was downcast.

"I mean now." he added. "Two years on. Do you think we would have regretted our choice? Say I had refused to give you up and persisted with Sir Walter until he gave us his blessing, and we had married. Do you think you would have wished you had listened to them in the first place?"

Anne shook her head violently. "I think we would have been utterly content." she said without hesitation, her eyes watering. "I do not regret my actions, I do not blame myself or my family for having been guided by them, but I confess if Mary did come to me now in the same situation, I would advise them quite differently." He stood and came towards her. She didn't look at him, but she did smile reminiscently. "I know we would have been happy, blissfully so. We would have quarrelled over silly things and both thought we knew best, I am sure. But we loved each other so, so, much, I cannot think we could have been anything but happy." she looked up to find him staring back at her. "I do not assume to think you feel the same, I know you have told me as much."

"What? When have I-"

"The morning in the clearing, when I asked you about why you had not come back for me and begged me to reconsider, you said it was too late; the feelings were gone. Anyone who could have allowed their feelings to dissipate so easily, could not have believed we would have been happy joined in matrimony, you likely would have already been looking for a … distraction." She looked away blushing.

Frederick coloured, "Anne surely you cannot imagine I would have been unhappy in our marriage? I loved you."

"Precisely, loved, that love you once professed to have for me was easily forgotten, was it not?"

"It was not easily forgotten. I-"

"Wentworth!"