Searching For Captain Wentworth (42 page)

‘I have danced
with your brother before, it is true,’ I answered,
hardly able to stop from breaking into a laugh,
‘and have conversed
with him on more
than one occasion.’

Henry Austen
nodded sagely. ‘I knew it! Then, I beg you do
not refuse him. Think of me, and my poor, dear wife
who will have
to live with the
remnants of a broken man if you do.’

I could only
smile, turning from one brother to the other. ‘No,
I shall not refuse and no, Lieutenant Austen, you
are not too late. I
have three
dances marked and then I am free to dance with you if
you wish.’

Charles lowered
his voice inclining his head towards me. ‘I do
wish, Miss Elliot, very much.’

The tuning up of
instruments started then, the violins and cello
filling the room with a sound that brought everyone
to their feet if
they were
sitting or had them marching across the space to find
their partners. We were separated as the Crawford’s
youngest son
came to find me,
Emma and Mr Glanville stepping out leaving
Marianne and Mrs Randall to watch from the side.

Mr Crawford
could not dance. He would keep stepping on my
toes or leading me the wrong way and it was awful
to know that
Charles was
watching our progress down the room. It didn’t seem
to matter what I did to help him; it only seemed to
make him worse.

My next partners
were little better and it was proving more and
more difficult to show that I didn’t mind in the
least, nor that I was
impatient
to dance with someone else.

At last Charles
came to claim me and I couldn’t have cared if
the whole room saw how happy I was to be with him.
Everything
was as easy as
before and happiness was more than just the
pleasure of dancing with him again. It flooded
every pore of my
being, every
feeling. Neither of us spoke at first. I couldn’t know if
Charles felt the same, but for me it was enough to
be together. I felt
timid in his
larger than life presence and so aware that I might say
something that would reveal my deepest feelings.

‘I have not had
a chance to thank you for the beautiful roses
you sent me,’ I said at last. ‘That was so kind, and
brought me such
happiness at a
time when I was feeling particularly sad.’

‘I hoped they
would cheer you. I wished … ’ He paused before
speaking again. ‘And do you stay in Lyme long?’

‘We are here for
at least a further week and then I believe we
are to travel into Wales, to Tenby, which I must
admit feels as far
away as the
furthest country in the world. I do not wish to think of
it, I confess.’

‘We will not
mention it again, I promise. My plans are slightly
changed, I am glad to say. I shall be staying for
another two days at
least and with
all due blessings from my mother who is not so
anxious to leave Bath as I first thought. I
confess; I did not expect
to meet
my brother and his wife here. I knew they’d been staying
with friends in Dorsetshire, but it was a complete
surprise to see
them in Lyme,
although perhaps understandable in the
circumstances. It has been a very distressing year for my sister-in-law,
Eliza. Her boy, Hastings, succumbed to a fatal illness after
many years of poor health and naturally, Eliza was
bereft. Henry
does all that he
can to cheer her and thought a short spell by the sea
would lift her spirits before going home to
London.’

‘Oh, I’m so very
sorry to hear of it. How Mrs Austen must
have suffered. What a pity it is that your family
cannot also be here
to see them. I,
myself, am disappointed to hear that Miss Jane will
not be coming. I should so much have enjoyed seeing
her again and
Miss Austen too,
of course.’

‘Unfortunately,
Henry and Eliza will be gone home before the
rest of my family make their journey here. I do not
know why, but
my mother
declared a reluctance to return to this part of the coast
again. I remember she particularly enjoyed Sidmouth
last year, but
when I suggested
that they hasten down to meet us here, she
declared she did not want to come just yet. There
were several
reasons
suggested, but it all seems rather strange. Still, that’s the
way of my mother. If I don’t know her now after all
these years, I
don’t know when
I will!’

I had a feeling
that I knew why Mrs Austen was reticent to
come to Lyme and Sidmouth suspecting she knew
something about
Jane’s gentleman
friend or disapproved of him, but I said nothing.

‘Well, I am very
glad that you are here.’

Charles smiled
into my eyes. ‘And so am I. To be here dancing
with you again is my delight. I hope we shall be
able to meet
tomorrow.’

I smiled back
and declared my wishes to be the same,
although in my heart I couldn’t see how a meeting would take
place. If Charles were to call, I didn’t imagine
I’d be permitted to
see him let
alone be allowed to accompany him anywhere even if
his brother and sister were chaperoning. It was an
impossible
situation.

I’d known before
the evening started that at some time or
other Mr Glanville would be bound to ask me to dance
and he
stepped in like
he’d done once before, as soon as my dance with
Charles had finished, even before we had an
opportunity to speak
further.
I hoped Charles would ask me to dance again, but Mr
Glanville didn’t give him a chance. Hooking his
hand beneath my
elbow he steered
me towards the dance floor, simultaneously
cutting Charles as he did so.

‘My dear, Miss
Sophia, I have not had a chance to speak to
you all evening, you have been otherwise engaged. I
never saw a
young lady so
much in demand.’ He stepped back to look over me
more intently with an expression to make me shiver
with revulsion,
his eyes
devouring me. ‘Well, it is no surprise that you are causing
such a stir amongst my neighbours, for Lyme rarely
witnesses such
beauty, such
charm!’

‘Oh, sir, you
flatter me too much.’

‘I did not have
the pleasure of being in Bath for so long,’ he
replied, ‘without hearing of Miss Sophia Elliot’s
charms talked of
in every drawing
room. I am conscious that her modesty denies a
true awareness of half her attributes and
accomplishments.’

‘If I have any
attributes or accomplishments, I have to thank
my sister Emma who has nurtured any talents I might
possess. See,
she is over
there dancing with Mr Sutton. Her poise and beauty are
second to none. Look, watch her dancing. She is so
graceful and as
fine a dancer as
you will see in any ballroom.’

‘With respect,
it is true that Miss Elliot is an accomplished
young woman who has her share of beauty. But, I
would not be
telling the
truth if I did not add that you, my dear, are even more
enchanting. I must confess, I find your effortless
charm and your
unassuming
manners quite unsurpassed. You are the more prized,
my dear, because you are such an innocent. So
unaware of your
own attractions,
you are the more captivating to me because you are
oblivious to your beauty with your flushed cheeks
unused to praise
and your timid
smile.’

I didn’t know
what to say. Besides not recognizing myself in
this description, I couldn’t think how on earth I
was going to alter
his opinion. The
more I tried to repel his advances, the keener he
appeared to be. I protested again at such flattery,
but he would hear
no more.

‘If I could, I
would spend each and every day telling you about
the pleasure being in your company brings.’

I couldn’t keep
silent any longer. ‘But, you know nothing
about me and I can assure you, that what you think
is very far from
the truth.’

‘I hope to know
you better very soon. We have time on our
side, Miss Elliot. Besides, I am not an insensitive
man generally
unaware of the
workings of the heart. I have seen the way
Lieutenant Austen regards you. Do not pretend that
you know
nothing of that
gentleman’s inclinations.’

I was not
expecting that. I felt myself blush as he stared at me.

‘He may have a
promising career ahead of him, but it will be
a long time before he makes enough money to support
himself, let
alone marry. Do
not be taken in by him. He has no intention of
offering for you. As far as he is concerned, you
are a summer
flirtation, a
gullible young girl who can be easily manipulated. I say
this out of concern for you. Do not be foolish,
Miss Elliot, I can
offer you so
much more.’

My head was
pounding. I began to shake my head. Although
I wanted to speak, the words wouldn’t come out of
my mouth. I had
no power over my
voice, I stood there mute and accepting, which
was the most frightening feeling of all.

‘I intend to
speak to your father very soon, Miss Sophia,’ he
said. I noticed the distinction he was giving to my
name as if we
were engaged
already. ‘I hope that you will come round and
understand, that not only will it be in your best
interests to accept a
proposal
of marriage from me, but that you will be doing your duty
to your family, as is expected. I know I can make
you a very happy
woman and that you
will come to love me as I do you.’

Again, my lips
would not move. I was not feeling at all like
myself, and was sure my quiet acceptance would make
him think
that I was
perfectly happy with his proposition.

‘Do not worry,
my dear, I shall look after you very well and I
know, you will make me a very happy man.’

I didn’t want to
listen to him, but there was no means of
escape. I felt like a tiny bird trapped in a gilded
cage and imagined
that was exactly
how I would feel forever if Mr Glanville got his
way. I knew that if my father half suspected his
intentions there
would be no
escape, no reprieve. As panic surged inside me, my
emotions ebbed and flowed, like the waves I could
hear crashing
down on the
beach below, sucking the life and hope out of my very
soul.

I became aware
of another figure standing nearby bringing
with him an air of calm to pacify the quiet rage
growing inside me.

Charles, as tall
and physically imposing as ever, had a gentleness of
spirit. He stood at my side and without saying a word
made me feel
instantly
better. His brother Henry and his wife followed just a little
behind him. Mrs Austen immediately commandeered Mr
Glanville
and I could see
how easily her playful manner and quick wit
worked on him. I wondered if her husband minded her
flirtatious
ways with other
gentlemen, but he looked as if he were rather used
to it. In five minutes, she had praised and teased,
flirted and cajoled
my cousin into
thinking that the invitation he now gave was an idea
all of his own.

‘A picnic at Nelson
House on the morrow, Mrs Austen. Would
that satisfy your notion of an entertainment here in Lyme? I am
afraid we are not so fashionable as at Tunbridge
Wells, but we
know how to
enjoy ourselves. Please tell me that you are not
engaged for other pursuits.’

‘We are not
engaged, Mr Glanville,’ she declared excitedly,
turning to her husband in anticipation. ‘We shall
be delighted to
accept your very
kind invitation.’ And had I just seen her wink at
her brother-in-law as her back was turned to the
gentleman so keen
to make her
acquaintance?

‘Charles,’ she
said, breaking into a pretty smile, ‘take Miss
Elliot for another dance whilst we finalize
arrangements. Tell me,
Mr
Glanville, is Nelson House as handsome as its owner?’