In this chapter I am attempting to use correct terms for the time based on my research whether or not we would use such terms now. The story I relate about Captain Holmes's origins is inspired by a brief account I read in a scholarly book, Legitimate Act and Illegal Encounters: Law and Society in Antigua and Barbuda by Mindie Lazarus-Black. This book also helped me with some of the other information contained in this chapter.

It was perhaps not surprising that Mirabella and Anne, being left to their own devices and having the reminder in seeing the reunification of Captain and Mrs. Croft, shared stories about how they met their loves. Mirabella raised the topic first, asking, "Anne, how did you meet Captain Wentworth?"

Anne, who had never before had the pleasure of telling the story to any but Mrs. Robinson, told Mirabella, "I first spied him while I was visiting an estate quite near my own residence, Monkford. Mrs. Bankes, knowing my eldest sister's fondness for flower gardens often had my sister for tea when the weather was fine and the flowers in bloom."

Mirabella listened to this warm-up, anticipating hearing about that first encounter. Though her own story was fraught with difficulties, she yet had hope that Anne's might have a more satisfactory conclusion.

Anne continued, "I accompanied my sister, though I typically said little during tea. Both of them seemed to enjoy speaking of their own importance more than any other matter and I found the conversation dull, though the tea and biscuits were always excellent. After tea they would take a walk in the Monkford gardens and discuss horticulture matters."

As an aside, Anne mentioned, "Of course neither my sister Elizabeth, nor Mrs. Bankes, tended her flowers herself. Instead they only instructed the gardeners what to do; I am not even sure their gardeners followed their instructions for any matter but how the rose bushes should be trimmed and what blooms planted. Likely all the success in their gardens could only be attributed to their gardeners and the funds allocated for their task. But perhaps that is too cynical of me."

Anne did not add that she remembered once hearing Mrs. Bankes mention the efficacy of used coffee grounds in improving the soil and later the same thing from the Muskgroves at Uppercross, though perhaps they had merely heard of Mrs. Bankes's advice through Elizabeth and had not actually tried the coffee grounds to amend their soil themselves. Anne felt herself to be talking overly much and yet she had not even gotten to the meeting of Frederick, so she proceeded, but determined to herself that she must ask about Mirabella's meeting with Captain Holmes as soon as could be.

"In any event, I always hung back as they walked in the gardens, typically occupying a bench rather than strolling. It is not that I am not fond of flowers, only that I felt myself an interloper, there nominally to be of service to my sister and someone Mrs. Bankes felt it necessary to invite. My role in such a walk could only be to praise the blooms and give consequence to Lady Bankes's and Elizabeth's self-importance."

Anne paused as she thought of the moment she first saw Frederick. She gave a little smile upon recollecting it and Mirabella could not help but smile in return, recalling the delight she had in her own dear Edgar, though she had when she first spied him no idea that they would ever wed, could not even conceive of such a thing.

"On this day while occupying a bench, two men walked toward me. Mr. Wentworth, who was the curate of Monkford was known to me, but the other man, the taller of the two, was not."

"Ah, and that must have been Captain Wentworth," Mirabella said, her face still in a half-smile.

"You are correct. I immediately determined there was a resemblance between the two men, though the stranger had in my opinion a more pleasing visage and seemed confident in himself, holding himself most erect, having no hesitance in taking up the space that his form required, while Mr. Wentworth always had a slight air of being uncertain of his place in the world, perhaps caused by knowing the likely temporary nature of his appointment at Monkford. I also noticed that the stranger had tanned skin and walked with his feet placed a bit further apart than I was used to seeing and I was curious as to what caused these differences between them."

Mirabella nodded knowingly, though she made no reply. Sailors were almost always tanner than those on land, at least those that did not work the fields. There was a particular gait that sailors had in which they walked with their legs and feet spread further out, learned to help them keep their feet in swells as it aided their stability. While men newly returned from the sea had an odd rolling gait, once they were on land for a few days their bodies reverted to a more typical stride, but for the spacing of their legs and feet. In this stride, sailors immediately recognized each other, as did any who spent much time among them.

"When Mr. Wentworth introduced us, he introduced his brother to me as Captain Frederick Wentworth. I can still recall the first words he said to me, he said, 'Miss Anne I am so pleased to merit an introduction to you, but I must be given leave to correct my brother. He is proud of me for my promotion, but as of yet I am only a commander without a ship, but once I have one I will be called captain by my crew, though in truth I will not be a captain in rank when commanding a non-commissioned ship. I hope you are not terribly disappointed to be introduced to a mere commander in the Royal Navy.' How could I not be curious about him with such an introduction?"

Anne's eyes grew bright as she related, "As was my typical wont, I said appropriate reassuring things and then grew silent, expecting at any moment that they would say 'good day' to me and walk away. However, Frederick continued to converse with me, though I said little he did his best to draw me into conversation. I felt almost overwhelmed by him, so manly, tall and intelligent. I found myself often trying to involve Mr. Wentworth in the conversation as I knew it was most improper for me to merely be staring into Frederick's eyes as he talked, seemingly to me alone. I am quite sure there was a blush staining my face and I could not but think how delightful it would be if I could but place my hand on his arm and be escorted by him through Mrs. Bankes's gardens."

Mirabella wondered to herself whether they ever did stroll in Mrs. Bankes's gardens but said nothing, enjoying hearing Anne's narration.

"Although I did my best to remember Mr. Wentworth's presence, I felt overwhelmed by Frederick though of course then my sister approached with Mrs. Bankes. She then introduced Frederick to my sister as Commander Wentworth with barely concealed disdain which surprised me not in the least as when it comes to matters of rank she and my sister are similar and my sister takes much pride in being the daughter of a baronet, something that is of little importance to me."

Anne's smile left her lips then as she related, "My sister kindly exchanged greetings with the brothers (she is always mannerly, at least while still in front of those she deems inferior to herself) and I saw that she had caught Frederick's eye, which surprised me not in the least as she is well known to be a beauty. I felt a keen disappointment then and knew that I hoped to come to know him better. Then Elizabeth announced that it was time for us to go home. The next time when we visited Monkford, I hoped that I might again see Frederick in Mrs. Bankes's gardens, however that hope was quickly dashed as Mrs. Bankes delighted in telling Elizabeth that she had her husband talk to their curate and he and his brother would no longer be walking in her flower gardens. I remember she said, 'The common paths that lead to outside our estate are good enough for such as them.'"

Anne could have talked much longer, detailing their next encounters and what followed, but not wishing to bore Mirabella who had been most generous in allowing her to talk on and on, and being genuinely eager to hear more about Mirabella's story and about how she met and came to be married to Captain Holmes, she asked Mirabella, "And you, Mirabella, please tell me about how you came to meet Captain Holmes."

Mirabella replied haltingly, telling Anne only, "I first met Captain Edgar Holmes when he was ashore on half pay, waiting for a new ship as a naval battle had rendered his previous ship too damaged to be seaworthy."

When it appeared no further information would be forthcoming, Anne asked, "Did you fancy him from the first?"

"I do not rightly know," Mirabella answered, "but I was curious about him."

Anne waited and Mirabella said nothing. It appeared to Anne that it would be difficult to draw Mirabella out. She waited, hoping her silence would spurn Mirabella to further conversation.

Finally Anne asked, "What made you curious about him? Was it just that he was a sailor?"

"No," Mirabella answered, "my uncle was a sailor as well. I met Captain Holmes when he had temporarily taken quarters in Bath. We were visiting my uncle in Bath on account of my father's health."

"So then your uncle introduced him to you?"

"Yes, we saw him when we were visiting the pump room. He could hardly not introduce us when Edgar greeted him so eagerly, pleased to find an acquaintance there."

Again Mirabella said nothing else and again Anne attempted to draw the story out of her. Anne had the feeling that there was something that Mirabella did not want to to tell her. Anne was a bit perplexed as to what it could be but decided to just ask, "Did you uncle have a reason to disapprove of Captain Holmes?"

"Not precisely."

Anne felt Mirabella was being very careful about what she revealed and Anne did not understand why. Mirabella's brow wrinkled and she seemed tense.

Anne determined that she needed to put Mirabella at ease however she could, but was not certain how to accomplish that as she did not know what was bothering Mirabella. However, before Anne could decide what to do, Mirabella seemed to come to a decision.

She said, "I want to tell you the story properly, you seem so understanding and kind, yet I have thought that about other people, people who have acknowledged the rightness of abolishing the slave trade, decrying those who would enslave our fellow man, yet when it comes to it they do not truly see them as our equals, or that we should even have any thing to with them, but if God created man in His own image, how can blacks and mulattoes and all the rest not be as worthy as men born and bred through many generations in England?"

Anne replied, "I have lived a mostly quiet and retiring life, exposed to very few people outside of my immediate circle and environs. I cannot say that I have ever spoken to a negro or a brown man or even spied one, except for far away, but for one man who worked tending to the gardens at my school. I understand most used to be slaves and were brought here by their West Indian owners, and reside in London. Though my father and sister travel to London, I have never gone with them. However, I feel that what you are saying must be right. If we are all sons of God, we must be equal in his sight, though rank and fortune often divides who our families think we ought to marry."

"So you agree that a person's ancestry should not dictate who they can and cannot marry?" Mirabella asked.

Anne, who had never been asked such a question before, had never even thought to consider it, did not answer immediately. She now believed she understood why Mirabella's uncle may have hesitated to introduce his niece to Captain Holmes. She wanted to be fair to Mirabella, to have Mirabella know that she supported wholeheartedly whatever decisions she had made, yet she felt a slight hesitation, born of her understanding about how marriages could impact others in the family, especially unwed sisters. She knew that if Mary had married someone considered completely unsuitable, that it could have diminished her value to some. Worse yet was the situation in which a sister was ruined, no marriage could be worse than that.

She must have paused too long in considering what to say as Mirabella suddenly said, "I do not wish to talk about it. Your silence says it all. I was just hoping that you would not reject me, too."

Mirabella stood up and turned to go into the room that was intended for a servant, the room that Mirabella had insisted on occupying even though Anne would have thought it more apt for Anne to sleep in that bed and for Sophia and Mirabella, both having known each other far longer, share the larger bed.

Anne now had a sense of why Mirabella had relegated herself there, why she was moving to go there even now. Anne said, "Please do not go!"

Mirabella hesitated and as Anne continued Mirabella remained standing but did not leave the room, so Anne stood as well.

Anne told Mirabella, "I was trying to consider the matter fully and not merely give a glib answer. It occurs to me that marriage involves more than just the bride and groom. Her whole family and his are involved, joined by the marriage. It can be a hardship for a family when someone in it marries someone else that the family and society deems unsuitable. That does not mean that the marriage is wrong in the eyes of God, or that society is correct to react as it does, but that it will be difficult for all involved. But sometimes something difficult is still worth doing. As an unmarried sister I know that if one of my sisters made what was considered an unsuitable match that it could hurt my chances to marry well. I am fortunate, though I did not tell my father my true reason for leaving, that it is doubtful that by marrying Frederick I would damage to my family, though the method of our marriage may cause minor difficulties for my sister Elizabeth for a time when it becomes known."

"I cannot dispute your reasoning about that," Mirabelle said, seating herself once again. Anne sat down as well. "However, I had no unmarried sisters. There were only two of us and I was the last to marry in my family; my younger sister had married before me. I thought I would be a spinster, was resigned to having the care of my mother when my father passed from this world, of never leaving her side until she, too, left this world behind, and then living with my sister's family."

"So was Captain Holmes an African or a mulatto?" Anne asked.

"Neither, actually, he was a quadroon."

Anne was unfamiliar with the term, so Mirabella explained. "That means that his father was a white man and his mother was a mulatto. Mr. Holmes, his father, was a craftsman whose forefathers were Scottish. Mr. Holmes spent many years in the West Indies, on Antigua which is one of the Leeward Islands. His mother, Mary, was a slave who worked as a domestic. Mary's father was likely one of the overseers of the estate. As Mr. Holmes was working on a large project for a planter's estate, he stayed in a smaller house on the estate which was separated from the walled off fields that the slaves worked for sugar cane. Mr. Holmes was unmarried and apparently, he developed a relationship with Mary as she was in charge of caring for the cleaning of his house. Edgar was born a year or two later and named with his father's last name, though as he was born of a slave, he was also a slave. I do not know whether Mr. Holmes and Mary were fond of each other but irregardless of their inclination, they could not marry."

Mirabella explained further, "In Antigua if your mother is a slave, you are a slave regardless of your parentage. When Edgar was about five, his father manumitted him, exchanging him for a slave he purchased who was a few years older and of more value at the time. When Mr. Holmes left Antigua, he took Edgar with him, intending to raise him to also be a cabinet maker, imagining that he would work at his side. Mr. Holmes knew that Edgar would be far better off in England than as a free colored man on Antigua. Mr. Holmes family was not too happy when he returned with Edgar, but Mr. Holmes persisted that his son would learn his trade and he wrote his will to leave what he had to Edgar."

Mirabella gave a little sigh then. "Edgar often said he had bad luck, though I think with how his life began he certainly had good luck that he did not remain a slave his whole life, who knows when slavery will be abolished on the Leeward Islands. However, if he had bad luck it struck when he was about twelve years of age. His father died in a carriage accident and his father's people had no interest in following Mr. Holmes's wishes. The will which Edgar had seen, his father made much of a point of showing it to Edgar and having him sound out the words in it, conveniently disappeared and as Edgar was only his natural child, without the will everything went to Mr. Holmes's brother. His brother did not wish to keep Edgar and found him a position on a navy ship instead."

"How awful!" Anne exclaimed, feeling her heart go out for that poor child who lost his father, inheritance and home in rapid succession.

"Yes, it must have been horrible for him, his first position was under the ship's carpenter as his cabinet trade had taught him of working with wood. Yet he worked hard and was able to eventually become a midshipman, rather than simply one with a trade, limited in how he could rise. I believe that someone noticed his keen mind and intelligence and fortunately he was quite adept at reading and figuring before he ever began on the ship, his father had seen to that, and he was able to pass the test to become a midshipman. However, he languished at that position for a long time. He blamed it on bad luck, said he felt 'born under a threepenny halfpenny planet, never to be worth a groat' and it may well have been bad luck as many without connections languish at that rank, or perhaps it might have been that his superiors thought someone with a lick of the tar-brush was not worthy of promotion."

"But he did rise eventually," Anne commented.

"Yes he did, eventually he was made lieutenant on another ship and all went well enough there. He felt his bad luck was gone then. His captain seemed to value him, though the purser there used to call him chimney chops. He was able to distinguish himself during a naval battle and then given his first command. He again distinguished himself and finally became a real captain, only to have his ship severely damaged in battle and when I met him he was despairing of ever getting another ship. You see, those who promoted him from afar may not have known he was a quadroon, as he had an English enough sounding name and those wanting to help him probably did not mention it, but when he visited naval offices he felt he was not being given another ship based on his appearance. You see his hair and lips made his parentage obvious."

Mirabella sighed, "So you see, when I first met him my uncle, who had served with him, was not sure he should be introducing Edgar to me. Yet Edgar, other than his appearance, was an Englishman through and through. His father was an Englishman, his maternal grandfather was likely an Englishman as well. He was raised among his father's people since quite a young age (though he still remembered his mother and his older sister), was schooled with other English children, talked like an Englishman, thought of himself as one of them, but not everyone saw him the same way. I liked how he looked, but I knew I was not supposed to like him as a potential husband though other than his parentage he was fully worthy of my hand."