Notes: Written for AHA's December Drabblefest 2023. The prompt was 'Never complained before', one of the year's Playground Themes.
"I am sure," said Mrs. Charles Musgrove, "I will go distracted. I know not who will help me care for the boys now that Anne is gone. While she and her husband were visiting at Kellynch, I might have asked her to come to us for a few days."
"I am sure Mrs. Wentworth has much better ways to spend her time now," replied her husband.
"Pish tosh!" cried his wife. "She married a sea captain who I am sure is used to spending time by himself, making his own decisions, caring only for himself. Why he needs Anne more than I do, I will never understand. I am sure it is quite unfeeling of him to drag her off to a ship, instead of allowing her to remain safely with us. Oh, poor Anne! She has always been a very caring girl, you know. Always went out of her way to please everyone. That is why she was always of such great assistance to me. Never a cross word, she would never make me feel bad. And now that man is running roughshod over her, I am sure, and Anne is defenseless, she has no one to look out for her now."
At this diatribe, Mr. Musgrove could only roll his eyes. He had seen the way his sister in law looked at her new husband, and could but barely suppress a pang of jealousy. It was unseemly of course, but for just a moment he could not but regret the past. He concentrated once more on his own wife, who had continued speaking.
"…. And I know your mother is always pleased to see the boys, but no other has quite the way with them that Anne does. And she will be at sea, getting coarse and brown in the sun, emaciated with hunger no doubt, she might get sick and even die onboard! And then where would we be? That husband would just toss her over the side, but here! Here she would be wanted, appreciated!"
Mr. Musgrove coughed.
"You know I never complain, husband," said Mrs. Musgrove, "but I feel greatly ill-used. I am sure Anne is being put upon. You should have spoken to her husband once more, renewed our offer of hosting Anne while he is at sea. I never ask for much, but you should have done more for my sister."
Mr. Musgrove coughed again, then controlled his mirth and patted his wife's hand.
"No my darling, I know you never complain. You certainly never have before."