A Quiet Reunion by Meg Osborne

Author:Meg Osborne
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: persuasion, jane austen, jane austen fanfiction, regency romance, jane austen variation, captain wentworth
Publisher: Meg Osborne
Published: 2021-03-12T00:00:00+00:00

LADY RUSSELL WALKED with purpose, as she did most things in Bath. The pace was a welcome change to her, for life in Somerset had grown stultifying and slow. She smiled a little to herself thinking how fine her suggestion of removal to Bath had been. Oh, it had been skilfully done, for she knew Sir Walter well enough to know that for any idea to take root in his mind it must seem as if it came from him first. Anne had been the one she had most struggled to persuade, for Anne forever linked Bath with the loss of her mother and would not be persuaded from the opinion that she did not like it. Lady Russell frowned. She had not advocated for Anne remaining behind, and had she known the true identity of Admiral and Mrs Croft - worse! Had she even conceived of the notion that Frederick Wentworth would, by some chance turn of fate, find himself stationed at Kellynch with Anne but a stone’s throw away in Uppercross - she would have insisted upon bringing her immediately to Bath.

It does not seem to have had too bad an effect, she mused, pausing at a window to admire a particularly pretty display of hot-house flowers and making a note to mention it to her housekeeper. How much a new arrangement like this would improve her small, neat parlour!

The shadow of a figure drawing close to her caught Lady Russell’s attention and she straightened, recognising the figure before he spotted her. She was tempted to retreat into the shop, to take cover, if only to avoid being forced to acknowledge their acquaintance, but some lasting sense of pride kept her pinned in place. In what world should she cede any position to Frederick Wentworth?

She sniffed, dignifying her stance, and he was close enough to hear it, turning his head towards the sound and stiffening as he recognised her. The momentary scowl that flickered across his face settled into an expression that was not quite a smile, and he made some motion in the vicinity of tipping his hat without actually doing so.

“Lady Russell.”

“Captain Wentworth.” Lady Russell smiled, taking a perverse sort of enjoyment at seeing the proud captain momentarily thrown. “You are alone?”

“So it appears.” He wished to keep moving, but politeness bade him stop long enough for the briefest of conversations and to offer assistance he hoped she would refuse. “You, also, are alone. I trust that is by design?” His eyes met hers and her smile slipped. He was not as discomforted by her presence as she had anticipated he would be and the realisation irritated her. “Are you in need of an escort?”

“You think me incapable of walking a short distance by myself?” She scoffed, adjusting the seam of one glove. “I assure you, Captain Wentworth, I know Bath well and if I am alone it is, as you say, by design.” She drew a breath. “I am in fact on my way to call on friends.

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