After Anne's brief visit to the Hall, Sophia urged her to spend as much time as she wanted strolling the grounds. Anne invited Sophia to join her, but the latter sensed the need for privacy and declined.

Thus Anne walked alone through the shrubbery and towards the lake until she came upon her destination - the remains of the once towering oak tree. She sat on the stump and looked up at the cloudless autumn sky, observing how no branches obstructed her view. How strange it would be when spring came and the shady canopy was gone! She looked down the avenue lined with younger oaks. They stood tall and would continue to grow, perhaps even surpassing the height of their former neighbour one day.

"Miss Anne?"

Anne turned to see the gardener standing nearby. "Good morning, James."

"Good morning, Miss Anne. Please pardon the interruption. I hadn't seen you around these parts lately. I suppose you heard 'bout the tree?"

Anne nodded.

"'Twas a very fine tree. I remember admiring it when I was a young boy and my father was the gardener here, and now here I am with grandchildren of my own."

"I was very fond of the tree too. I understand it sustained a great deal of damage."

"Yes. The lightning struck the tree good and killed it. Almost all of the trunk was split. We took what parts we could for firewood. But a larger part of the tree will live on, if that brings you comfort."

Anne looked down at the stump. "True. This forms a nice seat and has a fine prospect of both the avenue and the lake."

"Yes, but that was not what I meant, Miss Anne. Captain Wentworth asked to save a large section of the trunk close to the bottom - the least damaged part."

"He did?"

"He has a friend in Lyme, he said. A Captain Harville who likes to work up wood and could use it for one of his projects."

"Oh, I see." Anne chided herself for hoping, however briefly, that Frederick might have saved the wood for a different reason.

"Would you like to see the piece? 'Tis in a nearby shed."

Curious to see the damage from the lightning, Anne agreed. James guided her to the shed and opened the door. Inside sat a three foot tall section of the trunk.

"You can see where the lightning struck," James said, pointing to a scar along the bark. He was explaining how the lightning had turned the water in the tree to steam when one of the under gardeners appeared; he needed James' help regarding some minor repairs to Elizabeth's flower gardens. The two men took their leave and Anne was alone again.

She walked over and gently fingered the splintered bark. What might Frederick's friend make with the wood? Perhaps it would be used for part of a chair or the legs of a small table. Knowing that the tree would continue to exist in another form comforted her, even if it would be in a stranger's house.

Anne looked at the pattern of rings in the wood and started counting them. She had no idea how long she had been in the shed when she heard quick footsteps approaching. Expecting the gardener again, she was completely unprepared for the sight of Frederick as he stopped a few feet away from her.

~~OOO~~

Frederick had cursed his bad luck the night before when he could not escape Louisa and Henrietta's company all evening. He grew further vexed when Sophia mentioned that Anne would be visiting Kellynch in the morning, as he already agreed to go shooting with Charles. Since he did not know when Anne would arrive, Frederick would have preferred to stay at the Hall all morning to ensure he would see her. Instead, he settled on keeping his time with Charles brief and returning to Kellynch quickly by horseback. Luckily, Frederick saw the gardener upon his return, who mentioned that he had shown Anne the piece of trunk not fifteen minutes ago.

Frederick dismounted his horse, handed it to a groom and hurried over to the shed, worried he still might have missed Anne. He breathed a sigh of relief when he spotted her petite frame. As he approached and she turned to look at him, a deep blush spread over her neck and face. Seeking to decrease her embarrassment and ignoring the immense dust that had gathered on his clothing, he immediately greeted her and then said,

"I thought part of the tree ought to be saved."

Unable to meet his intense gaze, Anne distracted herself by tracing the circles in the wood with her finger. "I understand from the gardener that you will send this to a friend in Lyme. I am sure he will turn it into something beautiful."

"I have a confession to make," Frederick said, stepping closer. "I did not speak truthfully to the gardener. I do have a friend in Lyme, but the wood is not for him."

Anne looked at him in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"My friend would regard it as a fine, though damaged, piece of wood with no further significance, but it is very special to me. The memories tied to the tree may be from long ago, but they are still dear to my heart."

Frederick saw the mixture of confusion, hope, and doubt in Anne's eyes as he continued, "I once said the tree would outlast my love for you, but it turns out the reverse is true. I have been a foolish and stubborn man. I ignored my heart and allowed anger and pride to guide me for the past eight years. It is unpardonable how much time has passed, but I have loved none but you. Tell me not that I am too late, that I have lost my chance to win your heart again."

While he spoke, Anne's mind was most busy, and, with all the wonderful velocity of thought, she could respond without pause,

"You need not win my heart again, Frederick. It has always been yours."

~~OOO~~

One year later...

The landaulette turned the corner just in time for Anne to see the waggon pulling away from the house. Frederick stood at the front door, reading a letter with a pleased look on his face. Upon hearing the carriage approach, he hurried over to lend Anne his arm before the footman could offer his services.

"How was your visit with Mary?" Frederick asked.

"She is tired from baby Elizabeth, but otherwise well. I saw the waggon. Did we receive a delivery today?"

Frederick smiled. "Yes. It is something I have been anticipating for a couple of months now."

"What is it?"

"A surprise. Come with me."

He led her inside the house and up the stairs, then said, "Wait! Close your eyes."

Anne laughed and obliged, allowing Frederick to carefully guide her into one of the bedchambers. After maneuvering her to the nearest corner, he said, "You may open your eyes now."

Anne let out a gasp. In the small, unfurnished room stood a baby cradle made entirely out of oak. One end had a large W carved into it and the following words inscribed underneath: "Be thou the rainbow to the storms of life." A dark, uneven line ran partway down the piece.

"I asked Harville to make this with our piece of the oak tree," Frederick explained. "He writes that he used it for the end and found matching oak for the rest of the cradle. The dark line you see is damage from the lightning strike, and Benwick chose the quote."

"Lord Byron, of course," Anne whispered with an unsteady laugh.

Frederick leaned over and saw tears in his wife's eyes.

"Are you pleased?"

Anne nodded. "It is beautiful. Captain Harville has truly outdone himself. I could not have imagined a more perfect use for the oak tree."

"It will now be a part of our children's lives," Frederick said softly, placing one hand on his wife's swelling stomach.

"And I hope our grandchildren as well. I am so thankful that you saved it."

Frederick brought his arms around Anne and gently hugged her.

"It was the tree that saved me. Had it not fallen, I might still be blind to my feelings for you. When I saw it struck down before its time, I realised the same had happened to us, but unlike the tree, our course could be altered if I could only overcome my pride. Every day, I wake up next to you and feel so blessed that I was given a second chance. No matter how many storms we may encounter in the future, I shall never allow anything to tear us down again."

THE END