Camden Place

February 1815

As Anne sat at the sofa chatting with Mrs. Croft, Frederick walked to the fireplace to warm himself. His heart was bursting with exquisite felicity from finally being reunited with Anne, and he was contemplating these happy thoughts when he found Lady Russell drawing near. He hoped they could stand by the fire in silence, but she turned to him and said, "Captain Wentworth, I am delighted to hear of your engagement to Anne. I wish you both much joy."

He looked at her with penetrating eyes. "Do you indeed, Lady Russell?" he replied coolly. "Do not think that I have forgotten, or will ever forget, your part in ending our first engagement eight years and a half ago."

Lady Russell was startled by his words.

"After Anne's mother died, it was my duty to guide her as I believed Lady Elliot would have done," she replied calmly.

"And cause her years of unhappiness and misery? It was your advice, your persuasion that robbed her of the enjoyment of youth, and left her to suffer all the partialities and injustice of her father's house."

Lady Russell coloured. She knew that he would be aware of her involvement to some degree, but he seemed to know much more than she would have suspected or liked.

"Captain Wentworth, at the time, you had no fortune and no connexions to secure a farther rise in your profession. For Anne to involve herself at nineteen with someone who had nothing but himself to recommend him would have been highly imprudent. What would have happened if you had become injured early on, and forced to live on half pay with little further means of supporting her? Is that the kind of life you would have wanted for Anne?"

"No. But it is not merely this advice, on which my anger is founded. I told Anne that we did not have to marry right away, that we could remain engaged instead. We could wait until I made post and secured some prize money, and if anything happened to me, she would be released; but she refused. She said it was principally for my advantage that we break entirely!"

His voice grew louder and he started to tremble. He took a deep breath, trying to restrain himself, and proceeded in a lower tone.

"You used her love for me against us! You told her that if she truly loved me, then she should give me up. She was led to believe that being engaged would distract me and add to the dangers and hardship I would already face at sea - that it would put me at greater risk of injury, or even death." His face was grave. "How could she have withstood such an argument?"

Lady Russell paled. She had indeed used those words at the last to force Anne's decision. She started to speak, but he was not done. He continued:

"If money and my rank in the navy were your only concerns, then you would not have been opposed to a long engagement. But you had another reason, did you not?"

It was a question which needed no answer; Frederick had already deduced it all. Lady Russell was ashamed and humbled. She prided herself on being sensible and well-judging, but she realised that she had been prejudiced against him.

"Yes. You are correct, Captain Wentworth," she said quietly. "I had been unfairly influenced by appearances. Your sanguine temper, fearlessness, and wit did not suit my own ideas, and I was too quick to suspect them to indicate a character of dangerous impetuosity. I did everything in my power to separate you and Anne, and there is nothing less for me to do now, than to admit that I was completely wrong. My first object is to see Anne happy, and I see how exceedingly happy she is with you. I can only hope that, in time, you will forgive me."

Frederick shook his head. It would have been gratifying to have such a conversation with Lady Russell, but he would not, could not be uncivil to someone who Anne so dearly loved. They had all three of them made mistakes, and he did not doubt Lady Russell's sincerity now.

He consequently took a deep breath, smiled and simply said, "Thank you, Lady Russell."

Anne finished her conversation with Mrs. Croft and walked over to Frederick. She was grateful to see him talking politely to her friend; she knew it could not be easy for him. Frederick turned to Anne and, seeing her eyes sparkling with love and utter contentment, he felt his anger fade away. He and Anne were together, and that was all that mattered. Nothing would ever separate them again.