Searching For Captain Wentworth (26 page)

‘The past seems
so long ago, a time in another world. You and
I are both changed in every way,’ she said.

‘But not in
essentials, I believe. True, our circumstances have
changed and we’ve had to follow another course to
the one we
should have
desired, but our souls will be forever entwined.’

I heard the girl
laugh. ‘You are the most amusing gentleman
of my acquaintance. Tell me, just how many of the
romantic poets
are you imbibing
these days? Too much poetry can never be safe!’

‘I only speak
from my heart and if you examine yours, you
will know that I speak the truth. I need no poet’s
sonnet to inspire
or declare my
feelings. You of all people could never accuse me of
disguising my intentions.’

‘No, you always
were a most forthright fellow!’

Do you remember
that first night when we both realized that
we loved one another?’

‘How could I
forget a warm summer’s eve, a night sky filled
with stars and the beauty of the Kentish
countryside all around us?’

‘Riding on Queen
Mab in the moonlight, we flew like
midsummer fairies over the fields and hedgerows.’

‘You stole me
away from the house like a wicked bandit.’

He laughed. ‘I
do not recall your protest. Indeed, I seem to
remember it was you who urged me to share the
horse. No doubt,
so I should have
to hold you against me.’

‘Which you did
with no hesitation, sir.’

‘And then we
found a spot to your liking.’

‘I have no
recollection of being consulted about the stone
temple, dark and enclosed.’

‘I took you in
my arms and you did not resist.’

‘I did not.’

‘You did not
recoil from the kiss I planted.’

‘No.’

‘Is it etched in
your mind, as it is in mine? Are you able to
recall all that we were to one another? I can bring
forth every
feeling, every
sound and smell of that sweet night. The scent of
your skin, the soft caress of your lips, and the
sounds of a burbling
stream
making its way to the river are all married as one.’

There was
another silence and it seemed to me that the girl
whose few words had been so filled with emotion
could not speak
many more.

‘Jane, you
pledged your heart to me that night.’

‘And it will
forever be yours. I shall not break my promise.’

Recognizing him
and immediately deducing the identity of his
friend, I turned to go; but an unforgiving twig
snapped under my
foot like a
pantomime prop, the sound reverberating in the enclosed
space like a gunshot. A glance across confirmed
what I’d already
guessed. Jane
stared straight back at me, fear flashing in her eyes.

I’d known it
could be no one else before she turned her head,
sensing also that this man who held her hand so
tenderly could only
be one person. I
gave her my most reassuring expression, placing a
finger on my lips to assure her of my silence
before I ran from the
lover’s
scene as fast as I could. There was no doubt; he was the man
from the ball and I knew instinctively that he was
someone special.
Remembering
Jane’s words about getting lost in the Labyrinth took
on a completely new meaning. I didn’t wish to think
about why
they were
meeting in such secrecy, sensing that such a question
could only have an unhappy answer. I wanted to
assure her that I
would never say
a word, but as much as I wished to promise that
her secret was safe, I was undecided about whether
I should
acknowledge it
at all.

I didn’t have to
wait long. Moments after I found my way out,
I heard footsteps running up behind me. I didn’t
know what to say
to Jane, I could
hardly pretend that I hadn’t seen her and her
handsome partner. Words wouldn’t come as I also
remembered the
last time we
should have met, and all I could think was how Jane
would think me completely dim-witted.

‘Miss Elliot, I
must speak with you. I wish to offer some
explanation,’ she began.

She looked very
upset and I knew I must put her mind at rest.

‘Miss Austen,
you do not need to say anything more. There is
nothing to justify. Please, do not talk of it.’

She looked as if
she might speak again, but I could see the
anguish in her eyes.

‘Believe me, I
mean every word sincerely. I do not want you
to enlighten me in any way. I saw nothing out of
the ordinary in the
Labyrinth today,
I promise you.’

‘You are too
generous, Miss Elliot.’

I took her hand.
‘I am so pleased to see you again, dear
friend.’

‘And I you, Miss
Elliot,’ she said, clasping my hand with a
returning squeeze, ‘but though I have been wanting
to call, I admit
I could not
decide what to do.’

‘I am sure you
had a good reason for not calling on me, Miss Austen.’

‘Oh dear, I
suspected not all was as it seemed. My dear friend,
we would have called if not for the fact that we
were prevented.
Last Thursday,
on the day of the picnic, we met your father as we
were coming out of number four. In the way of
conversation I
declared how
much I was looking forward to your company, but he
insisted that you’d left for the Pump Room with Mrs
Randall. We
assumed that
you’d changed your mind about our outing especially
when we received no note or any explanation.
Indeed, we have not
known how to
proceed.’

‘I am sorry,
Miss Austen; I must apologize for my father who
was entirely mistaken. That was not the case at
all. I waited all
morning and when
you did not call, I came to find you, only to be
told that you had already left.’

‘Alas, Miss
Elliot, we have been at odds, but it seems that
neither of us are to blame and at last we are
together again. I know
one person
will be most pleased to hear there was a
misunderstanding. Indeed, he’s not stopped talking
about anything
else.’

I knew she was
talking about Charles.

‘Let’s arrange
to meet later this afternoon. Would you like
that?’

I couldn’t have
been more pleased and although I felt nervous
at the thought of seeing Charles again, at least I
would now have an
opportunity to
show that I considered him simply as a friend.

I hurried home.
I wanted to make sure there would be no
attempts to keep me from my friends’ company and
when I heard
from Mrs Randall
that another cousin of Mr Elliot had arrived in
Bath I felt sure they would be calling on Lady
Cholmondley as
soon as they
could. Hoping for a chance to escape whilst they were
all otherwise occupied with their illustrious
relatives, I might have
known my
hopes would be in vain.

‘Upon my word,
Miss Sophia Elliot, will you never learn to
discriminate?’ said Mr Elliot. ‘Or are you only
content to fraternize
with the
lower orders? Surely you can put off this engagement.
Indeed, I insist upon you accompanying us.’

There was
nothing else to be done. Knowing it was fruitless to
argue, I hastily scribbled a note to Jane for the
maidservant to take
round as soon as
I could, and resigned myself to the fact that I
should have to go calling with my family.

The visit took
place along with the inevitable fawning by Mr
Elliot and Emma. Suddenly, Lady Cholmondley and her
daughter
were their most
intimate friends and the talk of the dinner table.
Even Mrs Randall seemed excited by the new
connection. A week
of engagements
with our cousins stretched ahead and I wondered if I’d ever get the chance to
be free again. If we were not to be calling
on them in Laura Place, then we were to be
accompanying them to
the
theatre or to the Pump Rooms. When a returning note from Jane arrived asking me
to go with them as soon as I could be free, I
couldn’t imagine when that time would come.

A fortnight
passed where I saw nothing of my friends. All our
invitations were to private evening parties where I
knew Jane and
her family
wouldn’t be invited. It was impossible to get out on my
own and the weather seemed to conspire against me.
On the
following Monday
heavy rain set in, making me despair of ever
walking out by myself. At least everyone left me to
my own
devices. Emma
and Mrs Randall were busy with the kind of plans
I was not party to, and Mr Elliot locked himself
away in his study
with Mr
Glanville. An early dinner was arranged for four o’clock
and when I walked into the dining room, I
immediately sensed an
atmosphere,
a feeling of excitement and expectation in the air. I
wondered if an engagement was about to be announced
especially
when Emma leapt
out of her seat, her feet pattering across the oak
boards as she rushed towards me. I’d never seen her
look so pleased
before.

‘Sophia, it is
all decided. Mr Glanville is to take a tour along
the West Country coast and we have been invited to
join him. Is that
not the most
diverting piece of news you ever heard? I am so
excited, I have always longed to see Lyme!’

Mr Elliot looked
as thrilled as Emma did at the prospect, but
I couldn’t feel happy at the thought of leaving my
friends.

‘When are we
going?’ I asked, looking at Mrs Randall who of
the three still seemed composed.

‘As soon as
arrangements can be made,’ she said. ‘We are to
travel to Monkford Hall directly, in order that
your father may see
his steward and
leave fresh instructions about what is to be done in
your absence. I imagine we will be gone in a day or
two at most.’

I thought about
Charles and how I’d like to talk to him,
although I knew there was little possibility that I
might see him
before we left.
He’d have made me feel better with the sight of one
small smirk from the corner of his mouth and with
his eyes
twinkling at
some unspoken joke. If Emma had her way, our bags
would be packed that afternoon and we would be gone
home to
Monkford Hall by
nightfall. The idea of never seeing Charles again
was one that upset me more than I wished to admit.

‘Mr Glanville is
to travel on Friday,’said Mr Elliot. ‘He did
not want to miss the gala on Thursday evening in
Sydney gardens,
which we shall
also be attending. And I think it will be to your
advantage, Emma, if he is seen accompanying us. I
do believe it is
all going on
very well. Indeed, one should not expect less from a
near relation. Blood and connection finds its level
– that is why our
cousin
has singled us out with such alacrity. There is no one else in
Bath with whom he wishes to be so closely
associated and he will
win his
prize yet.’

‘Oh, whatever do
you mean, Papa?’ cried Emma, returning to
his side, her face uplifted with an eagerness that
suggested she
knew exactly
what he meant.

‘Let us just say
that the jewel he is after is in our midst, dearest
daughter. I think if you carry on just the way you
are, it will not be
very long before
my allusion will be made apparent.’

I watched him
put a hand up to stroke her cheek. ‘With your
beauty and charm you have captivated all of Bath.
There is not a
face to be
compared with your sweet looks. William Glanville told
me himself that he thinks you very handsome and I
am sure that
everyone has
witnessed his attentions towards you.’

I was aware that
Mrs Randall had turned to look at me. I
caught her gaze and smiled. I knew she was trying
to think of
something to say
which would include my share of the attention,
but I think my expression told her it was
unnecessary. Besides, I
was very
grateful to Mr Glanville for occupying so much of Mr
Elliot’s time, and if he was pursuing Emma, as far
as I was
concerned that
was even better.