Captain Wentworth's Diary (4 page)
Read Captain Wentworth's Diary Online
Authors: Amanda Grange
‘You have already taken advantage of them, I believe. Your brother told us that you have been recently promoted.’
‘That is so.’
‘It was in consequence of the action off St Domingo, was it not?’
‘Indeed. Ah, that was a battle! The French were aiming to disrupt our trade, for there was little else they could do after we had decimated their fleet at Trafalgar. With their plans of invasion destroyed, they sailed for the West Indies. We gave chase, and at last we caught up with them. Then there were some spoils! Five French ships, all captured or driven ashore. A good day for England.’
‘And a good day for you.’
‘Yes. I was awarded my own command, and I had my share of the prize money.’
She listened attentively, and then said, ‘I hear the action crippled the French Navy.’
‘You seem to be knowledgeable about the war,’ I said, surprised at the depth of her information, for few young ladies had any interest in anything beyond their immediate neighbourhood.
‘I can hardly fail to be interested, since my fate and the fate of all around me depend on the outcome. If Napoleon invades, I fear England will be very different, and I, for one, should not like to see it.’
‘Have no fear, we will keep you safe,’ I assured her. ‘The French Navy is not completely destroyed, alas, for they still have more than thirty ships, and they are building more to replace those they lost, but the threat of invasion is behind us, at least for now. It will take them a long time to recover from the recent blows we have dealt them, and you can continue to take your walks in peace.’
‘I confess I am glad.’ She stopped and looked about her. ‘I like nothing better than to stroll out of doors in the summer.’
It was easy to see why. The English countryside, in all its verdancy, was encompassed in her gaze. There were fields and hedgerows, and the winding river flanked by placid banks. A small beach of sand was set in a hollow where the river curved, and, farther along, the water was transparent as it flowed over shallows, revealing the white and brown pebbles that littered the bottom.
‘This is the end of Elliot land,’ she said.
‘Then I must take my leave.’
I was reluctant to do so, however, and delayed my departure by asking her if she would be at the assembly rooms tomorrow. She replied that she would, and, able to find no reason to detain her further, I expressed a hope of seeing her there and made my bow.
As I walked away from her, I resisted the urge to look back, though I was sorely tempted. I wanted to see her standing there in her sprigged muslin, with her shawl draped over her arms, and the sunlight catching the side of her hair. I wanted, too—let me confess it!—to see if her eyes followed me.
I made my way to Edward’s house, and found him at breakfast.
‘Where have you been so early?’ he asked.
‘For a walk.’
‘I wish I had half your energy. I have a busy couple of days ahead of me, and I think I will forgo a visit to the assembly rooms tomorrow.’
‘Come now, you cannot ignore your neighbours, and who will the ladies dance with if you deprive them of two bachelors, for married men scarcely ever take to the floor?’
‘Most of the married men hereabouts are agreeable to dancing,’ Edward said.
‘Nevertheless, I must have you go.’
‘And why, pray, is that?’ he asked, helping himself to a rasher of ham.
‘It is only polite. Besides, I met Miss Anne Elliot whilst out walking, and discovered that she will be there.’
‘I hope you do not mean to pursue her, Frederick. It can come to nothing, and might harm her reputation.’
‘You think too much of such things. All right! All right!’ I laughed, as I saw him about to give me a sermon. ‘I will not damage her reputation, you may be sure. It will tread carefully, and treat her with the utmost respect. It will not ask her to dance more than twice, and I will not seek her out, or at least, not any more than is consistent with propriety. But I have a mind to dance with her, and as it would look odd if I were to go to the assembly rooms without you, I must beg you to find the energy.’
‘I am surprised at your preference. I cannot think what you see in her. I thought Miss Neville would be more to your taste,’ he remarked.
‘I like Miss Neville, too,’ I said, ‘but Miss Anne is better informed, and likes the sea very well!’
‘But will not live on it.’
‘You mistake the matter if you think I have marriage in mind. What, to throw myself away at the age of twenty-three, with ten years of danger and excitement before me? But I like the way she looks at me when I talk of the battles I have seen, and the ships I have captured. She is a very intelligent girl.’
‘Ah, I see, you fancy her a Desdemona to your Othello, a young girl enraptured by your tales of adventure in far away lands. Now I understand.’
‘I hope not,’ I said with a laugh, taking a slice of beef as I found myself hungry after my walk. ‘I am not a general, nor am I very much older than Anne. And if I ever show any inclination to strangle her, I hope you will knock me down! But come, Edward, I have given you my word I will not harm her. Indeed, I have no doubt my attentions will do her a world of good. They will give her confidence, and show her that her family’s estimation of her worth is not a general thing.’
‘If I had known your intentions were so charitable, I would not have objected in the first place. It is very kind of you to take such trouble over a downtrodden young lady,’ remarked Edward ironically.
‘Would you have me forgo the pleasure of getting to know her? You have always wanted safety, Edward, and I have never stood in the way of that, but I have always courted adventure. Let me make it where I may.’
‘If you can find it at the assembly rooms, then you are welcome to it!’ he retorted.
‘Rest assured, I will.’
They may not be as stimulating as a naval battle, but my encounters with Miss Anne were proving to be just as enjoyable, in their own way.
Monday 16 JuneI found myself thinking of the assembly with some anticipation, and as the afternoon wore on, I became impatient for the evening. I was disappointed when I walked into the rooms and saw that Miss Anne Elliot was not there.
I overcame my disappointment, however, and passed the first two dances pleasantly enough by dancing with Miss Riversage. Her wit made her an agreeable partner to begin with, but it descended into spite before the dance was over, and I was glad to lead her from the floor.
Miss Welling caught my eye, and I could not resist the unspoken invitation. Her elegant figure made her an agreeable partner, and her dancing did not disgrace me. On the contrary, not a few eyes followed us down the room. She had a great deal of charm as well as beauty, and entertained me with talk of art and books. I was about to continue our conversation at the side of the room, but her mother’s speculative eyes upon me showed me that I was in some danger of being regarded as a suitor, and that was something I did not want. So, after thanking her for the pleasure of dancing with her, I beat a hasty retreat.
‘What! Are you afraid of Mrs Welling?’ asked Edward, much amused at my sudden appearance by his side.
‘She has a calculating look in her eye. I went into the Navy of my own free will, and I have no intention of allowing myself to be press-ganged into marriage,’ I returned.
The next two dances I danced with Miss Bradley, whose company was all the more agreeable to me when I learned that she was all but engaged, and then I retired to the side of the room. As I took a drink from the tray of a passing footman, I found myself at the edge of two groups, and I could not help overhearing both conversations.
‘. . . he is the best son a mother ever had. Ay, my Dick is a handsome lad, and as good as you could wish for,’ said a proud woman of middle age, who was standing to my right.
A gentleman to my left was not so fortunate in his offspring.
‘. . . the boy’s always in trouble,’ I heard him grumble. ‘If it is not one thing, it is another . . .’
‘. . . not that he is perfect,’ continued the fond mother. ‘I would not wish any mother a perfect son. He is not above a bit of mischief, but that is all it is, and what I say is, a boy isn’t a boy if he doesn’t get into mischief now and again . . .’
‘. . . his mother is far too complacent, she refuses to see that the boy is getting out of hand and needs discipline. It is all very well sending him to school, but when he is at home in the holidays he is getting beyond control. I am all for sending him into the Army, or better yet, the Navy. That will stop him trespassing on other people’s property . . .’
‘. . . he can climb any wall, no matter how high. A boy should be able to climb, and he’s so good at it, he never takes a tumble, but his father is always complaining . . .’
‘. . . going into our neighbours’ gardens and stealing apples ...’
‘. . . never takes anything from the tree, of course, it’s nothing but windfalls, but his father will make a fuss . . .’ she said.
‘. . . fighting with the other boys . . .’ remarked the father.
‘. . . very good at his boxing, I do think it is so important for a boy to know the gentlemanly arts. Ah, yes, my Dick’s a good boy . . .’
‘. . . and I intend to pack Dick off to the Army or Navy before the year is out, whether his mother likes it or not . . .’
I began to laugh as I realized that the two sons were the same, viewed from a mother’s and a father’s point of view. I hoped Master Dick would not find himself in the Navy, where he would no doubt plague his captain—though if he was good at climbing he might, perhaps, be useful in the rigging!
I was about to return my empty glass to a passing footman when I caught sight of something much more interesting out of the corner of my eye: Miss Anne Elliot. She was being ignored by her father and sister, who were congratulating each other on their looks, and was standing quietly by their sides.
I went over to her.
‘Something has amused you,’ she said, when I had made my bow.
I told her about the excellent and troublesome son, and she told me that the happy couple was Mr and Mrs Musgrove, who lived in the Great House at Uppercross, and were newly returned from Clifton. She further enlightened me that Dick was the boy who had trespassed on my brother’s property a few weeks ago.
‘I had no idea this was such a place for criminal activity. You must tell me more about it whilst we dance, for I need to be prepared,’ I said.
‘You have not asked me yet,’ she returned.
‘Would you do me the honour?’ I asked her.
‘Thank you,’ she said, making me a curtsey, and we went onto the floor in high spirits.
I danced two dances with her, and found that we drew many eyes, some curious, some pleased, and some—those of Sir Walter and Miss Elliot—contemptuous. Anne took no notice of them, however, for she never faltered, and I found her company as well as her dancing exhilarating. We never stopped talking, about art, about music, about her work in the parish and my life at sea.
I was forced to relinquish her hand to a lawyer, a dull fellow, when our dance was over, and then she danced with a baronet. I was far less pleased with this partner for her, and I found it hard to take my eyes from them.
‘You had better look elsewhere,’ said my brother, coming up to me. ‘Your attentions are starting to be marked.’
‘I may look at the dancers, I suppose. It is only what everyone else does.’
‘The dancers, yes, if it is all of them, but you do nothing but look at Miss Anne—and scowl at her partners, I might add.’
‘I do nothing of the sort.’ I tried to turn my eyes away from them, but found it impossible. ‘Who is he?’ I asked.
‘Sir Matthew Cruickshank. He is visiting relatives in the neighbourhood.’
‘So he is not resident here?’
‘No, he resides in Gloucestershire. He will be returning tomorrow.’
‘He looks a very agreeable man,’ I said, in high humour at the knowledge that he would soon be leaving, particularly as it was evident that he and Anne had exhausted their supply of pleasantries, and had nothing further to say to each other.
‘Will you be taking her in to supper?’ asked Edward.
‘Of course.’
‘Then make sure you talk to your neighbour at the other side of you as well,’ he cautioned. ‘You do not want to draw attention to yourself, or to her.’
‘I hope I know how to behave.’
‘So do I,’ he remarked, and was then claimed by Mr Cox, who wished to introduce him to a young lady visiting relatives in the neighbourhood.
As I approached Miss Anne, I was gratified to see an increase in her animation as she saw me walking towards her, and to know that she wanted to go in to supper with me, as much as I with her.
I remembered my brother’s words, and I engaged my neighbours in conversation, which was not difficult as the subject under discussion was a general one, that of Napoleon.
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