Captain Wentworth's Persuasion (50 page)

“When?” he demanded.

“Late summer,” she murmured. “I felt the quickening begin earlier in the week.”

“You felt our child move?” Frederick’s large palm moved to cover her stomach.“Will you tell me when it happens next?”

“Yes.”

But he did not hear; he was taking her into her arms and embracing her.“I love you,” he murmured in her ear.“I have
always
loved you.”

“Forgive us,”Anne apologized to the other occupants of the carriage. “We should not share such intimate moments in front of you.”

“What is there to forgive?” Benjamin started.“You just learned the most perfect news—you are to be parents.”

“Say it again—make it so,” Frederick demanded of no one in particular.

Anne clutched at his hand.“We are to have a child, my Love.”

Sophia chided in,“A baby of your own, Frederick.“

“Maybe a son to inherit your new title,” Benjamin teased.

Anne joined in the taunt. “Or a daughter who will wrap you around her finger.”

“I do not care which,” Frederick declared.“A child! What was it
you said, Benjamin? The future is a place for dreams, and those dreams lie in our children.” He turned to his wife. “Thank you, Anne. Despite what we earned from the Prince this evening, your gift is greater than any wealth or title. Even if we were in a simple cottage, I would be a rich man at this moment.” He pulled her into his embrace, holding Anne’s head to his chest where she might hear his heartbeat. He kissed the top of her head.

Sophia resisted the urge to tell Anne “I told you so.” Instead, she switched her position and swiveled into Benjamin’s arms.“We
are
a happy foursome tonight. The Admiral and I learned today that Mrs. Bradley has accepted our offer for the Oxfordshire property.”

Benjamin pulled her closer. “Our man of business saw the property last week and assures us that it meets all our needs. It is about half the size of Kellynch, but it will be roots for Sophie and me and for our daughter.”

“And maybe someday for your son,”Anne whispered.

Benjamin chuckled. “The Wentworths have settled down, Miss Anne, and we are reaping the benefits.”

Anne sleepily laid her head against Frederick’s shoulder. “Admiral, we married into the best.”

“We did, Miss Anne; we certainly did.”

—Thomas Moore,“Believe Me,
If All Those Endearing Young Charms”

 

When the footman announced Lord Wallingford, Frederick greeted him in the rented study.The rest of the household prepared for their departure on Saturday. Benjamin and Edward supervised the packing, making sure the belongings, recently merged, were separated along property lines. Anne, Sophie, and Christine paid a final call on Bond Street, securing London’s latest fashions.

“Viscount Orland.” Wallingford bowed to Frederick upon his entrance.

Frederick laughed lightly. “You are the first to call me such, Lord Wallingford. I am afraid the name still sounds foreign to me. I am barely adjusting to my new rank—a new title may come more slowly.” Frederick led the man to matching wing chairs in front of the hearth.“May I offer you refreshments, Sir?”

Wallingford declined with thanks. Then he settled into the chair, laying his papers across his lap. Once settled comfortably, he addressed Frederick again. “As you know, I am here to discuss the property bestowed upon you by our Prince.”

“Mrs.Wentworth—the voice of reason in this household—has convinced herself and me, to a certain extent, that this gift from our Prince Regent has some sort of catch.The estate, for example, she believes to be in ruins. Will I need to spend all my prize money bringing it back to life?”

“Your wife is obviously astute, but she is mistaken about the estate. I assure you the property is in repair and productive; it will bring you a comfortable living.The house is immaculate. And the title is sound.You will be the third-highest-ranking family in the area. His Majesty would not put you in the position of having to pull rank on some of the older members of the aristocracy by placing you above them.You would never be accepted in the community in such a case.”

After years of reading between the line of military orders, Frederick recognized a stall.“And it is important to his His Majesty that I be accepted in the community?”

“Yes,Admiral, it is,”Wallingford acknowledged.

Frederick smiled slightly. “Then I was
chosen
for something? This is not simply a gift from my future king?”

Wallingford gave him a brief nod.“You wish me to be honest?”

“Preferably.”

Wallingford nodded and rifled through his stack of papers.“The gift of which you speak is as I described—the house, the land, and the title.And they are all yours.They will remain in your family, but for such an honor, the Crown expects reimbursement.”

Frederick’s eyebrows shot up, but he forced himself to remain calm.“Please continue.”

Wallingford cleared his throat. “You and a few select others were
chosen
, as you say, based on your military careers—on the report of your loyalty to England—but, more importantly, on the report of your leadership—your men’s training—the way they respect you and respond to your expertise. His Majesty was not drunk yesterday evening; that was a ruse. Many of the honorees who spoke to the Prince and his guests simply talked of their military experiences.”

“He spoke to us of my wife’s father,” Frederick mused.“In most unflattering terms, I might add.”

“Part of the ruse,”Wallingford assured him.“The Central Office for Naval Affairs has a plan, approved by the Crown Prince. During this war, a system of smugglers, as well as traitors—many of them
French sympathizers—increased in numbers. Unfortunately, without a war on, the public will look the other way; the conspirators will thrive without censure.We cannot allow that to happen.That is where you and those others
chosen
come in. We need our own system of people in place throughout England to combat whatever is thrown at us.

“Each of those the Central Office identifies will become part of communities where we need them to be our eyes and ears. Some chosen are already established in their home counties. Each recruit to our cause receives
payment
catered to his needs. One, for example, needs money to make his business solvent; another needs a brother saved from transport to Australia.We needed a point man, a person to coordinate our efforts along the Channel.What better way than to reward a war hero with a title and an estate for his wife.”

Frederick could not resist asking,“How much does the Central Office know of my personal life?”

Wallingford laughed, recognizing Frederick’s solitary temperament. “Probably more than you care for them to, Admiral. They have monitored your career since before you took command of the
Laconia
—probably as far back as your first meeting with Anne Elliot.”

Frederick sat forward suddenly.“I will not endanger my wife and our child—not even for a title and an estate,” he asserted vehemently.

“Then you are to be a father?”Wallingford noted.

“I am, Sir; please understand Anne is the only person—the most important person in my life.” Frederick’s voice was firm. “Loyalty to her and our child comes before even loyalty to my country.”

“We never doubted that, Lord Orland. In fact, we are banking on your desire to give Mrs.Wentworth what you openly expressed on more than one occasion—to give her what she deserved—a title and an estate.”

Frederick asked suddenly,“How does this work?”

“It is uncomplicated, Sir.You and Mrs.Wentworth take possession of Hanson Hall and make it your home.You insert yourself into the local society and become the person everyone trusts—to whom everyone talks freely.We will help you to establish connections
with our trusted assistants.We chose Dorset specifically for its location—
close
to Cornwall and its strong smuggling business, but
not
Cornwall, where no one accepts strangers at face value. Lord Orland’s demise without an heir left us the perfect opening to establish a presence in the area.Your capture of the American gives the Crown a logical excuse—one that people will easily accept—to reward your efforts with a property and a title.”

Frederick had to know.“How dangerous is this?”

Wallingford smiled again. “Not dangerous at all in comparison with the work you have been doing for the Crown until quite recently.”

“Honesty, please, Lord Wallington!” Frederick demanded.

Wallingford’s genial nature allowed him to easily gain a person’s trust; secretly, he admired Frederick for not capitulating to his charm. “Anytime, Admiral, a man faces those who wish to overthrow our government or who wish to defraud businesses, there is danger. But you will not be fighting in hand-to-hand combat; you will be facing down some of the most manipulative people in our realm.You need to depend heavily on your intuition to recognize those who are scheming.We have others in place to capture those involved or to help a person escape.What we do
not
have is a manager—a captain.We strongly believe you are the man for that job.”

“What if I refuse?” Frederick asked.

Wallingford picked up his papers. “Then you go on with your life; you draw your half pay until the country calls you to service again.You tell Mrs.Wentworth the Prince took back what he gave you in a drunken stupor.”

Frederick retorted, “So if I want the title and the estate for Anne, then I do what is asked of me.”

“That pretty much sums up the situation. So, what will it be,Admiral Wentworth?”Wallingford gave him another charming smile.

Frederick sat back, contemplating the situation. He was silent for nearly five minutes—so long Wallingford’s practiced confidence took a hit.“May I see the papers you brought?” Frederick finally said.

“Let us move to the desk, Admiral. We may spread out the map
of your new property. It has renovated stables and barns and even a system in place for indoor running water. It is very close to the shoreline. Have I mentioned that before?”

“No, Lord Wallingford, you did not.” Frederick had made his decision. He would do what he had to do for Anne to have what she deserved.

As Wallingford spread out the map on the desk, he added,“You may not, Wentworth, tell anyone of your arrangement. Not Admiral Croft—and, especially, not Mrs. Wentworth. I will serve as your contact. You will report to me in most of your endeavors; I will apprise you of what you will need to know.”

“I am at your service, Lord Wallingford.”

“Wentworth, we will get along splendidly.” He spread out the rolled paper and began to point to the topographical elements of interest on the map.“The parkland drops down to the sea at this point.”

After being sequestered for nearly an hour, reviewing the legal papers involving the Prince’s gift and Frederick’s service to the Crown, he straightened upon hearing Anne return to the house. “I believe I hear Mrs. Wentworth; my sister, Mrs. Croft; and my brother’s wife, Christine Wentworth. I will introduce you to my wife. If we are to be acquaintances, Mrs. Wentworth should become familiar to you.”

Wallingford began gathering his papers.“That will not be necessary, Lord Orland.”

Before Frederick could respond with the obvious question of “Why not?” Anne lightly tapped on the door and entered without waiting for her husband’s bidding. “Frederick,” she began, but then froze. She had not expected him to be with someone else.“I apologize; I did not realize you entertained company.”

Frederick crossed the room as she spoke and took up a position in front of her. “No, my Dear, I am happy you came in when you did; I would like for you to meet someone.” He placed her hand on his arm to walk her toward the desk.Wallingford still had his back to them, gathering the last of the papers dealing with Frederick’s service to the government. “This, Anne, is Lord Wallingford; he
brought the papers from the Prince regarding the estate.We were just going over them.”

Wallingford straightened and slowly turned, the usual charming smile plastered on his face. “Hello,Anne,” he said casually.

She gasped. “Marcus? “It
is
you! Marcus Lansing! You assumed your father’s title?” She left Frederick looking shocked and offered Wallingford a quick embrace.

Annoyance laced Frederick’s next words. “I was unaware,Wallingford, that you were familiar with Mrs.Wentworth.”

Anne explained,“Marcus attended a boys’ boarding school outside Bath before going off to the university. The girls’ school I attended often joined Marcus’s school at dances. Plus, our fathers were classmates at Cambridge, we would occasionally visit his family.”

“I see,” said Frederick.
Why did I trust Wallingford to tell me the whole truth?
It was a lesson he would not forget.

“I was a gangly boy with two left feet.Your wife, Lord Orland, took pity on me and my inability to keep time to the music.”Wallingford smiled pleasantly at Anne. “She has always had a kind heart.”

As if he needed to stake his claim to her, Frederick took Anne’s hand and brought the back of it to his lips. “My wife’s heart is the kindest of them all; I am blessed to have her regard.”

“Oh, Frederick,” she protested half-heartedly. Then Anne focused on something else her former friend said.“Did Marcus say Lord Orland?”

“I did, Mrs.Wentworth.” Wallingford gestured to the open map. “I was showing your husband the property.Would you like to see for yourself?”

“Certainly, if you would not mind.” She made her way to the desk.“Is our new estate close to yours, Marcus?” Anne asked as she leaned over the paper to analyze it.

“Your estate, Wallingford?” Frederick tried to sound casual, but he seethed with anger at how much the man had withheld.