ElizabethSoph and ljstravel, thanks so much for reviewing the last chapter; I thought of you both when working on this next one and I hope you both are following as I want you to see right away what comes next. TBH, this next chapter is mostly fluff, but I hope in the best possible way, since it is devoted to the reunion of Frederick and Anne.

41.

Anne and Frederick remained dumb for several long moments as they stared at one another, their thoughts a joyful jumble. They were silent for so long in fact that Mrs. Croft felt the need to intervene. She cleared her throat, sidled up to Frederick and then finally resorted to tugging his jacket sleeve. He startled, perceived his sister and then answered her as he would have when they were just children.

"What do you want, Sis?"

His sister ignored the informal address and responded. "Please allow me to introduce you to Mrs. Holmes. I think she is anxious to return to her quarters but wished to meet you before she did."

Frederick would have been embarrassed to be caught out so in normal circumstances, but these were hardly those, and his focus was almost entirely on his lady love and the fact that she was finally before him. It took a great deal of effort for him to finally loose Anne's hands and turn to Mrs. Holmes as courtesy demanded. He noted she had sad eyes and white hair but not much else about her, distracted as he was by Anne's presence.

Frederick inclined his head and said "I am very pleased to make your acquaintance, Mrs. Holmes. Miss Elliot has lauded you in her letters and I understand your late husband was Captain Holmes. I never served with him but knew people who did, and they spoke well of him."

"Thank you for that, Captain Wentworth. He is now the second husband that I have lost too soon." Mrs. Holmes responded, dabbing at her suddenly damp eyes with her handkerchief.

A tendril of curiosity tugged at Frederick, but mostly he just wanted to observe the necessary forms so that he could return his attention to Anne.

Mrs. Holmes added, "Captain Wentworth, you are a fortunate man. Anne has been so happy to be engaged and to be coming to you."

Frederick said what was expected and replied with all sincerity, "I am truly the lucky one."

They exchanged a few further pleasantries and then Mrs. Holmes excused herself and Mrs. Croft said she would see her friend safe to her cabin. That left just Admiral Croft. He told them magnanimously, "I need to take some reports, so you may have a few minutes to yourselves before I send Sophy to fetch you for the officers' mess, although I cannot promise you privacy as any of the officers may take their leisure here. I charge you with treating Miss Elliot with all due respect in the meantime."

"Yes, of course, Admiral Croft," Frederick said dutifully and then the second that the door had closed behind the Admiral, Frederick did what he had been longing to do since he lay eyes upon Anne. He pulled her close, tipped her back and craned his neck down to kiss her. Frederick was prepared for possible reticence or modesty on her part, for though they were engaged it had been years since they had been in company. He imagined she might need some time to accept the physical manifestations of his affection, but that is not what he received, for Anne wrapped her hands about his neck and pulled him close as their lips met. Her hands tangled in his hair as his both held her and caressed her. One bold finger of his even dared to stroke the bare skin at the top of the back of her gown.

They kissed until they were breathless and panting with want and Frederick's upper back had given a painful twinge, unused as it was to this particular position. Even after he lifted her upright, they did not move away from each other in the slightest. Anne tucked her head beneath his chin and they held each other tight. This was how Mrs. Croft found them when she fetched them for dinner, and neither felt any embarrassment in being seen be her in such a close embrace.

Sophia expected nothing less and was in fact pleased that they were as happy to be reunited as she had hoped. She well remembered the heady days of her short engagement and the early months of her marriage, when Captain Croft and she could scarcely bear to pull themselves from each other each morning when he had to attend to his duties as captain.

Only because it was expected, did Frederick and Anne separate to go into dinner, although Anne clung to his arm and stood rather closer than was necessary. Neither of them could later recall what they had eaten with the officers on the Hibernia, or what conversation they had with the others before dinner commenced. It was as if the others were shadows in a darkened room and the only beam of light fell upon the two of them. They were seated beside each other, Anne to the left and Frederick to the right.

Anne told Frederick about leaving her home, about the journey and even informed him about Mrs. Holmes brief courtship, marriage and loss. Frederick told Anne of the recent turmoil on his ship, but left out many salient details that he feared might distress her (and would not have shared more then in any event, for he did not want any of the Hibernia's officers knowing more than they ought).

After these matters were addressed, Frederick moved on to what was most essential to him. "My darling, when shall you wish to marry?"

"Why, as soon as it may be arranged," said Anne, with no hesitation. "Afterall, has that not been my sole purpose in seeking you here at your invitation?"

Frederick was delighted at such a response, which perfectly matched his own inclination, that he greatly desired to express his affection with more than the upturning of his lips. Seeking such outlet, Frederick reached out his left hand to his affianced's lap, giving an affectionate pat and squeeze to her closer thigh, near the knee. He was prepared to remove it immediately if she expressed any discomfort in such a gesture. Thus, he felt it auspicious when she turned toward him with a sensual smile, one that he never recalled being on her lips before (but he thought to himself that perhaps that was how she had looked after the ball when they ran outside and shared that heartfelt interlude beneath the trees, when he had kissed her in the dark until she trembled, and then asked for her hand.

With such encouragement, and Frederick's remembrances of all they had, his left hand was well occupied for most of the rest of the meal (except when he was obliged to use it to cut his meat), in tenderly, fervently, stroking the outside and top of Anne's thigh. She of course had many layers between his hand and this limb, but she breathed out soft, sweet sighs for him alone from time to time, and her limpid eyes told him that she would accept all the affection he had to give her.

It was more than halfway through dinner when the normally demure Anne was finally bold enough to return Frederick's bodily attentions. It had taken her quite a bit of consideration before making such a move, for she did not want her future husband to think her too forward, but she also did not wish for him to think that her affections were unequal to her own. She justified that some leeway in her conduct might be allowable as they were so recently reunited and bound to marry so very soon.

Hoping she was making the correct decision, Anne set down her fork, dabbed at her mouth with her serviette and then slid her right hand under the table, placing it gently atop Frederick's near thigh and squeezing it as he had hers. Unlike Anne, he did not sigh at the pleasant sensation, instead snapping his jaw and lips tight, his cheeks bulging slightly. Anne was at first uncertain what this might mean and lessened her movements.

Frederick was in fact doing his best to avoid emitting a most unseemly groan of pleasure. Anne felt some measure of relief when she heard his stifled "umm" which he could not fully quell. Then he nodded at her, and said in a whisper, meant for her ears alone, "Oh, my Anne, you are the best of women." Thus encouraged, she kneaded his thigh with more confidence, moving her hand up and down, but never too close to his crotch.

Frederick was beside himself and could not utter a single word further. This was far more physical intimacy than he had ever experienced before, and it was not borne of the sudden affection of their long awaited reuniting, but a deliberate and conscious choice she had made. Never had he had such attentions paid to him, not because it would not have been easy for him in his position in life to receive them, but first because he had listened to his father's advice about the importance of avoiding disease, and secondly because once he met her there was no one he wanted so much as Anne. So affected was Frederick by her actions, that he struggled to not still in his touching of her thigh. He wished with all his heart that they were already married, that he could take her back onto the Laconia with him, back to his cabin, back to his bed.

Anne had very similar thoughts to Frederick's but unlike him, her notions of what the marital act would entail were vague. She had more than once been given to understand from her sister Mary that men imposed on their wives much more often than they might desire, and that even being ill would not necessarily discourage them (although of course knowing what she did about Mary so often fancying herself ill, she could not but feel some sympathy for her husband Charles and thought if he avoided her at such times they may not have had their two sons). Given how delightful these small touches from Frederick were, Anne thought it likely that she was made of different stuff than Mary, or perhaps Mary simply did not have the love for Charles that Anne did for Frederick.

Sometimes Anne thought that she might have made a mistake in encouraging Charles toward Mary. She was not sure there was any true love between them. Anne imagined she, too, would have serious reservations in sharing such intimacies with Charles had she agreed to marry him.

The way Anne felt about Frederick, however, and how their mutual caresses made her feel, she believed she would be encouraging her future husband in his affections rather than trying to warn him off. She was keen to become personally acquainted with all parts of him, once he became her husband of course.

Frederick finally roused himself when he noticed that the servants were removing their food and bringing a sweet course. Given that he had no wish to rise from the table at full mast, he lifted his hand from her leg and in the process grabbed her hand from his thigh with his now free hand. Frederick gave Anne's hand a squeeze, and lay it upon her own lap, hoping she would understand that he needed time to master himself.

Anne was a perceptive woman and the secrets of the male anatomy were partially known to all women given that their fashionably tight breeches tended to outline certain matters, most obviously when in a certain state. Although she had no way to check whether his flesh was doing likewise at the moment, concealed as it was beneath the table cloth, even the idea that it might be doing so because of the effect she was having on him, formed a delightful quiver in her lower belly. While Anne longed for their contact to renew, to hear his "mmm" again, sensibly she understood that it would be well if any such issue was resolved before they must rise from the table.

Frederick finally determined that he must have some conversation with at least the Admiral and his beloved sister who had done more for him than anyone else in bringing Anne to him. He listened for a few moments to get a sense of the current discussion, and then contributed a comment here and there. He could not of course forget Anne's nearness or what they had been doing, but talking about their voyage and current orders, roused him a bit.

"Do you mean to say," said he, "that you are bound for Canada?"

"Yes," said Admiral Croft. "We shall remain in dock for a few days to take on supplies and receive repairs necessitated by the storm, but indeed that is where we shall soon go. We ought to arrange all matters regarding you and Miss Elliot expeditiously, for we have little time in truth, and should any sailors need to be reassigned from one ship to another, it ought to be done with haste. There is a matter concerning this, which I should like to speak to you about after dinner and then you must need return to the Laconia. Even in port, a ship needs her captain."

"I shall be pleased to speak with you," Frederick replied. He did not like the thought that this time with Anne was quickly to end, but he was sensible that anything Admiral Croft was doing was to facilitate essential matters.

"You may not have heard tell of it about this table, distracted as you likely were by your lady love, but part of our delay was liberating a slaver and part of what we must accomplish is what is to be done with the people aboard. This is a matter that must be dealt with immediately on the morrow."

Following on from this, they discussed the probably fate of the slaves, and the unusual nature of the capture of such a vessel, so far from the African shore. Admiral Croft discussed what they had been able to do thus far for the poor souls aboard and what else he hoped to accomplish.

When they rose from the table, Frederick was obliged to say goodnight to Anne, and most unwillingly he did so, for he did not wish her to leave and to know it might be some twelve hours before they might see one another again. Having just regained her presence in his life, he did not was to sacrifice a minute when they could be together.

Admiral Croft got straight to the point when they were alone. "Well Wentworth, you have met Mrs. Holmes and I hope you received the letter from Anne in which she requested that Mrs. Holmes live aboard the Laconia so as to be of service to Miss Elliot. If you are willing to receive her, I would request that you arrange for the transfer of her son from the Juniper to your ship. I am sure this would give great joy to both and if you are determined not to have her, Mrs. Holmes can remain with us and I would ask for the lad to serve my ship."

"I know little of Mrs. Holmes," replied Frederick, "save that Anne loves her. But this is more than enough reason to have her aboard, and her son, too. I fear, though, that it is a risky proposition for a widow to be aboard. The men may think she means to serve a role that she does not."

"Pshaw," Admiral Croft replied. "The men will not think any such thing if you explain that she is an honorable woman, aboard as the companion of your wife. Now when you mentioned to her knowing of her husband Captain Croft, did you in fact hear of him?"

"Yes, I did, for it is unusual for any man whose origins lay in Africa to captain a ship in the Royal Navy. But having never laid eyes on the man, I know not whether he was a mulatto or something else. Mrs. Holmes must be an unusual woman to have married such as he, and I imagine his son must have at least a lick of the tarbrush. You know me, I do not judge a sailor, boy or man, based on his appearance but upon his skill and merit. I would welcome the young Mr. Holmes aboard and give him every opportunity for the sake of his mother and my soon-to-be bride, but if he were to prove unworthy of his position I would not hesitate to remove him from my ship."

"That is just what I would have expected." Captain Croft replied. "But as I personally knew Captain Holmes, if the son is anything like the father, he will be an asset to your crew even if he is just a midshipman now. I have reason to believe that he has not been treated all that well in his current posting. He needs some sponsorship to rise as he ought."

"And I am certainly in a position to do that, yet before I finally agree, I would consult with a couple of persons whose advice I trust as to how it would be to have an unmarried woman aboard for a term of unlimited duration. My inclination is that she would be safer if she would be willing to wed someone aboard the Laconia."

Admiral Croft shrugged. "You may be right, but I am not sure she would be willing to enter into a marriage of convenience in perhaps the bare week until we likely depart again. You see, she married my purser who had been courting her only about a week ago, shortly before he died."

At Frederick's raised brow (for he knew no one could marry at sea), Admiral Croft clarified, "No it was not a binding marriage in truth, but it was a kindness to him that she entered into the forms of marriage with him prior to him expiring from a grievous wound (perhaps he loved her, but I think she only saw the future possibility of love rather than achieving it in such a brief period of time. He did make her his heir, and she has some money from him now and will collect more when we have our payout. He gifted her freedom, do you see? So I am not sure she would willingly tie herself to any man just to be near her son and Miss Elliot, for I think she sees it as her duty to grieve and indeed he was such a man worthy of such grief."

"I shall give you my decision tomorrow," Frederick vowed. "Now as to the wedding, I think it would be best if Anne and I both talk to the priest tomorrow. Perhaps if Mrs. Croft is available, I think it would be a fine thing for her to accompany us while we see what can be arranged."

"I am sure she would be delighted. Should you wish for me to send for you again and then the three of you could take my boat to shore?"

Frederick did wish it, and at that they parted as friends and Frederick left for his own ship. Fortunately nothing of note had transpired while Frederick was away, and it was not so late that he would not have time to talk with Mr. Dash and Lieutenant Benwick, for it was their counsel that Frederick sought. Once he finished receiving all the pertinent updates, he sought out his lieutenant first, for he knew less of the monumental changes coming to Frederick's life, and life aboard the Laconia than Mr. Dash did.

That night, Mrs. Holmes had eaten by herself. She had been doing since Purser Perry died, for she was not willing to dishonor him in appearing in a dress that had not been dyed black. She dearly hoped to obtain some black dye tomorrow.

When Anne joined her after dinner, Mirabella lost no time in praising Captain Wentworth. "Oh Anne, I see how why you were willing to travel half the world to be reunited with your fiancé. He is handsome to be sure, but more importantly than that, he seems fully devoted to you. I shall be glad to live with you aboard his ship, even though of course it will be far smaller than the Hibernia, if he will but let me come with you."

"I very much hope he will," Anne replied.

Not long after that, Mirabelle got into the bed, so Anne blew out the lamp and joined her. Although Mirabella was gently snoring soon, Anne could not sleep. Her mind was full of Frederick, reviewing his slightly altered visage, remembering the looks he gave her, remembering their kisses, embraces and their touches under the table cloth. It felt like a beautiful dream to Anne, and she feared it vanishing as dreams do when we awake. When sleep finally claimed her, her memories merged with her dreams and they kissed and touched tenderly, her in her nightgown and he in a nightshirt.

A/N: And there I leave it for now. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know I've been waiting for it for a long time. I'd love to hear your thoughts.