Author's Notes:

This was written for A Happy Assembly's Nov/Dec 2023 Playground theme: Enlightenment.

Having actually to have managed writing 4 short pieces in a short period of time, I thought I'd stop there, but then this idea came to me in a flash, as my Mansfield Park ones seem to so I thought, why not, it fits the theme.

This story is a direct sequel to the beginning of Chapter 35 of Mansfield Park, and You Must, Of Course, Be Right: Or Fanny Price Discovers Sarcasm which was written in 2017, and finally gives Edmund's reaction to Fanny's unusual outburst, and is the reason why I am posting them together.

The Path to Wisdom

Fanny was out of sight before Edmund could even react, and it was some time more before he could even gather together his thoughts. He found himself wandering aimlessly as he tried to understand her outburst, shocked to hear such unvarnished opinions. This was not the Fanny he knew; he was used to her letting him lead the way, of her trusting in his judgement and care. How could she doubt it now?

He heard the sound of a horse neighing and looking around saw that somehow he had walked in the direction of the stables. He stood there numbly, as the realization struck him with the force of a blow.

It was the incident with the mare all over again.

He had been selfish, wanting to please Mary more than support his dear cousin. And instead of her health, it was her heart he had been careless with. He, who had determined to be of comfort to her, had instead pained her worse, than even his father.

How could he have pressed forward Crawford's suit after her clear discomfort with it? Discomfort? He was temporizing again. For her to so emphatically have said Crawford would never succeed with her. That spoke of far more than mere discomfort, as he had never heard her speak with such vehemence. What had she seen during the time of the play that he had not? He had been too busy justifying his own weakness to pay attention, but she who had been around the edges was in a position to see what he could not or would not.

Yes, he believed he and Crawford would be brothers one day soon, and yes, it would be of comfort to know that Fanny was well settled with someone who would appreciate her kindness, but to side with a man he had known such a short time, and if he were to be honest (when had he become so disingenuous?), he had seen a few things to disquiet him, over the cousin he had known for most of her life. And he should have known that repeating Mary's joke would pain Fanny. Everything in their conversation save for the beginning, had been about everyone but her, had it not?

Once again, what she wanted was being ignored for others, and he was the worst of all because he had always been the one to look after and defend her, and now he too had acted as an enemy, and Fanny had no one to depend on other than her brother William who could not always be by her side. He owed Fanny a great apology and something more. He had failed her and himself.

Perhaps, since she would not abide the thought of Henry Crawford, he could perhaps give her the opportunity to meet those whose temperaments and morals he could better vouch for. Owen for one and they both knew of others of good character. His father's displeasure might be mitigated, if Fanny had a suitor she could tolerate.

Surely there was a man who could make Fanny as happy as she deserved to be and who could almost deserve the generous love she had to give in return. But if not, she would still have him to act as her advocate rather than yet another adversary.

The End

End Notes: This is probably the shortest story I've ever written, but I just needed Edmund to realize that he'd been selfish, and Fanny deserved better from him as a cousin if nothing else. I prefer to leave it ambiguous whether it will go the canon route with him realizing he loves her or a non-canon route where some other gentleman (not Henry Crawford) will win her heart.

So is he on a road to redemption, or is he still a thick-headed idiot? Or both or something else?