Captain Wentworth visits with his sister, Mrs. Croft, and seeks her advice. Finch, the butler at Kellynch, cannot resist listening in.
Finch, the elderly butler, was not at all unhappy with the new master and mistress of Kellynch. In fact, he was quite pleased. Sir Walter had offered him the choice of going to Bath with the family or staying here. After taking one look at the Crofts during their visit to view Kellynch, the decision had been an easy one. Although at first he had experienced a few moments of trepidation about staying on at the great house, in the end he knew he had chosen well. The Crofts were fine people who treated the house and the servants with kindness and respect. Even the admiral, who was undoubtedly accustomed to barking out orders on his ship, was more considerate that Sir Walter and Miss Elliot. Finch had definitely had enough of Sir 
Walter and Miss Elliot’s vain and self-serving ways. Besides, he had never liked Bath.
In response to a rap at the front door, Finch straightened his jacket and cravat and then opened the door to Captain Wentworth.
“Good afternoon, sir.”
“Finch, would you please let Mrs. Croft know I am home,” said Captain Wentworth. He removed his hat and gloves and handed them over.
Finch remembered Mrs. Croft’s brother quite clearly from nearly eight years ago, and from something the captain had said when he arrived a few weeks ago, he was fairly certain the captain remembered him, too. Finch knew what almost no one else did—this tall quiet man was Miss Anne’s first love. If the engagement had not been broken, Anne might be the mistress of her own house by now and the mother of several children. How he would love to see Miss Anne with children! She would be a wonderful parent—just like her own mother hand been.
“Mrs. Croft is expecting you, sir, and asked that I show you in to the sitting room when you arrive. I believe she is writing letters. If you will follow me.”
“You know I could show myself to the sitting room.”
Finch gave him a stern look.
“Very well, lead on. Propriety must be observed and all that,” said Wentworth, quirking a smile.
Finch knocked gently on the sitting room door, which had been left ajar, and waited for Mrs. Croft’s reply.
“Yes, Finch.”
“Mrs. Croft, Captain Wentworth has arrived. May I show him in?”
“Of course! You never need to ask to admit him.” She set aside her pen. “And would you please bring tea with some biscuits or scones? Whatever is freshly baked today.”
“Yes, madam.” Finch had not heard a “please” or “thank you” from anyone other than Miss Anne since Lady Elliot had died years ago. Of course, not many employers bothered to be so polite to their servants, but still, once one had become accustomed to that occasional little nicety, it was greatly missed. Miss Anne was so like her mother in that way. She was everything her father and sisters were not.
Almost immediately, Sadie appeared from the kitchen carrying the tea tray and went in to the parlor to deliver it. When she exited a minute later, her face was scrunched up in a scowl.
“What is wrong, girl?” Finch asked. He had stayed in the hallway pretending to fuss over one of the pictures so he would have an excuse to be nearby.
“Mistress wants the raspberry jam.”
“You forgot the jam?” He could not keep the stern accusatory tone from creeping into his voice.
“It t’weren’t me. It were that silly kitchen girl, Molly. All she can think about these days is…” She put her hand over her mouth as if she could physically stop the flow of words. “Oh, I should not have said anything.”
He chose to ignore the remark. He already knew Molly was so enamored with Tom, one of the junior footmen, that her work had been suffering of late. Finch would be talking to the housekeeper and the cook about that very soon. “Do not put it off on someone else. You should have checked before you left the kitchen. You know it is your job to make sure the tray is complete.”
Sadie scowled again and looked at the floor. “Yes, sir.” At that, she scurried off in the direction of the kitchen.
Finch could not resist drifting to a spot near the open door. It was, after all, part of his job to keep an eye on everything that went on in the house. Who knew what valuable information he might overhear that would allow him to make the new residents more comfortable? At least that was what he told himself. In truth, the older man simply loved gossip—not that he ever repeated it, of course.
“Sophie, I was hoping to ask your advice about something.” Finch heard Captain Wentworth’s deep voice. Other than the mantle clock, the only other sound was the clink of the china and the sound of tea being poured.
“What is on your mind, Frederick?”
“You have met both the Musgrove girls. What do you think of them?”
Silence. “Would you like milk and sugar in your tea?” Mrs. Croft inquired.
“I see that eyebrow raising thing you always do when you are uncertain of what to say,” replied her brother. The sound of a silver spoon against china, stirring the tea.
A chuckle from Mrs. Croft. “Frederick, it does not always mean something.”
“Of course, it does. Out with it, Sophie.”
A soft feminine sigh. “They are very pleasant young ladies.”
“But? I hear a “but” hanging out there.”
Another decidedly female chuckle. “May I assume your question has more weight than just making conversation?”
“Hmm…well, I suppose you may.”
“Are you thinking about making an offer of marriage to one of them?”
“Sophie!”
“I am not prying, Frederick. You did ask my opinion after all.”
The click of boots on the wooden floors. Finch backed away a bit to ensure no one saw him by the door.
“It is possible, but much too early to tell. I know I cannot wait too much longer if I wish to marry. Who knows how long this peace will last?”
“Very well.” The distinct intake of breath. “They are very pleasant young ladies.”
Finch noted the definite emphasis on the word “young.”
Silence and the sound of a cup being returned to its saucer. “So you think they are too fresh from the schoolroom?” Captain Wentworth’s voice was deep and mellow.
At this point, Finch heard Sadie returning, so he moved away from the door and waited for her to leave again. He heard the muffled sound of voices and Sadie exited, this time with a smile on her face. As soon as she disappeared, Finch returned to his post near the doorway.
“The Musgroves are very pleasant people. The girls are lively and pretty,” said the captain.
“I think a young lady needs more to recommend her than a pleasant family and a pretty face. Can you seriously see yourself married to one of those girls? I grant you they are amiable, but whatever would you talk about once you had exhausted the topic of the navy and whether you want lamb or beef for supper?”
Masculine throat clearing. “I think it is time I married, and I have had little opportunity to meet eligible young ladies other than the wives and a few sisters and daughters of other officers.”
“I do wish you would attempt to acquaint yourself with more ladies. For comparison, I mean. More tea?”
“Yes, thank you. And just where do you suggest I look, Sophie?” The sound of tea being poured and again the clink of a spoon against china.
“There are other young ladies in the neighborhood.”
“None that I have met.” The captain almost sounded discouraged.
“What about Miss Anne Elliot? She is a bit more mature, but she is intelligent and practical—the perfect sort of wife for a naval man. There is nothing silly or frivolous about her.”
Finch’s ears perked up when he heard Miss Anne’s name. Apparently, Mrs. Croft did not know about her brother’s very short-lived engagement to that young lady.
A deep masculine sigh. “She probably considers herself a bit above my station.”
“Nonsense! Miss Anne is not so concerned with such things as are the other members of her family,” said Mrs. Croft. “I like her.”
“I do not think she would suit,” the captain said firmly.
Just then Finch heard footsteps at the front door. It must be Admiral Croft returning. Unfortunately, this meant no more opportunity to hear what the captain thought of Miss Anne. He wondered, not for the first time, what had gone wrong to cause Miss Anne to break off her engagement to the captain. He would perfectly suit an intelligent and warm young lady like her. 
He could only guess it must have been something Lady Russell had said. She fancied herself taking the role of Miss Anne’s mother in such matters. Finch did not approve. Lady Elliot and Lady Russell may have been great friends, but there was no comparison between them. Lady Elliot was superior in understanding in every way. His chest swelled with pride as he recalled the day Lady Elliot had hired him. Nothing had been the same at Kellynch since she died. She was everything a true lady should be—just like Miss Anne.
Finch did not have time to ponder that now. He could hear someone coming up the drive, and he needed to be at the door when they arrived. Putting a pleasant look on his face, he opened the door. “Good afternoon, Admiral. How was your visit with the vicar, sir?”
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I really enjoyed this post. Eavesdropping by the butler; beautiful! Yes, I would’ve made the same choice. The Crofts are far superior as people to the 2 Elliott’s. And please and thank you are so nice, even though not necessarily in use for servants or even today in everyday life. It’s so nice he thinks fondly of Anne. I like his thought on Lady Russel, “He could only guess it must have been something Lady Russell had said. She fancied herself taking the role of Miss Anne’s mother in such matters. Finch did not approve. Lady Elliot and Lady Russell may have been great friends, but there was no comparison between them. Lady Elliot was superior in understanding in every way”. Excellent insight.
Sophia definitely sees little to recommend the Musgrove sisters. Too immature and shallow. They hang on his every word, but that will not make a good forever match. But, Wentworth wants the opposite of Anne, or so he thinks….He’s being directed towards Anne…..and now will be even more determined to prove he doesn’t need Anne. Poor self-delusioned man.
Absolutely wonderful writing, Susan. Wentworth has me shaking my head at his obtuseness and self-denial. His sister, Sophia, and the butler, Finch, have me smiling. When Wentworth finally comes to his senses imagine the party. I wonder if Finch will let his oh, so proper, guard down then. Thank youu for a wonderful early morning read with a cup of coffee.
Thanks, Deborah. Since this scene does not take place in the book – although it’s certainly possible that it did – I was free to imagine what might have happened. It seemed much more interesting to get a new perspective so I chose Finch. I looked back to Mary Simonsen’s scenes which mentioned Molly the kitchen maid and Tom, the junior butler, who were *interested* in each other. It was fun to tie them in here.
Now that you mention it, I remember Tom & Molly in Mary Simonson’s post. A wonderful tie-in to create continuity. 🙂
I could not agree any more with your observations here. Nicely put!
Thank you Sheila. Even though I post often, I don’t think I state things clearly.
Finch is a very decerning gentleman…even though he is the butler. The fact that he recognized Lady Russell was a factor in separating Anne and Fredrick 8 years ago proves his understanding. I enjoyed Finch very much. Sophie’s insight regarding the Musgrove girls is right on. She also handled her brother very well, leading him but not letting him know it. She can’t help that he is still hiding behind the hurt and resentment. I so look forward to reading all of the chapters ….makes the morning “break” more fun. Thank you!
Thanks for reading and taking a moment to comment. I’ve always liked Sophie and thought she had keen insights into things. How like her to try to subtly influence her “little” brother.
Good morning everyone, I please read a new scene, I like the butler to eavesdropping to hear the new master talk about Captain Wentworth have conversation with his sister about Anne, sometime the sister have more sense than the brother, but she is standing outside view then inside view about other’s behavior, this is only my thought or my point of view, thank you for the new book.
I agree that Sophie has a better insight into the situation as she can look at it from a clearer perspective than the captain. Thanks for commenting.
You’ve provided us with a very nice chapter to enjoy with our morning coffee! As you said, it didn’t happen in the book but could have. I, too, like Finch. I like his assessment of Lady Russell. It’s unfortunate Anne doesn’t share his insight into her character. She is not as pretentious as Sir Walter, but she does hold herself (and Anne) to be higher than others. As far as Finch goes, I imagine, in the day, eavesdropping was the only way servants had of finding out what was going on in the family considering his position with the tight-lipped, propriety must be observed at all times masters like Sir Walter and Miss Elizabeth. I can envision this converstion with Sophie ultimately prompting Frederick, in the chapters yet to come, to take a furtive second look at Anne…especially after assuring himself that Sophie was indeed correct – the Musgrove girls are too immature to consider.
I had this thought that Sophie might suggest Anne not because she has any hint of what had happened before, but because she can see what a good wife Anne would be for him. Ironic, right? Thanks, Linda, for reading!
Great scene! I love how you used the butler, Finch, to develop this perspective. He loves gossip and he loves Miss Anne. How wise that he feels it was Lady Russell who influenced Anne to break the engagement. I can just picture him trying to look busy while eavesdropping. Captain Wentworth knows the Musgrove girls are too young and immature for him. He just does not want to make the decision himself and is looking for a way to shift the decision to someone else. He knows he wouldn’t be happy with anyone but Anne but just can’t get past his pride…yet.
I don’t think the book does enough with Frederick’s internal struggle. There’s a lot to be explored there. Clearly, he’s still hurt by Anne’s rejection and wants to hate her, but he just can’t. That doesn’t mean he’s quite ready to forgive yet. Always nice to hear from you, Carole.
My thought on why the butler stayed at Kellynch is that he probably had a better chance of getting paid working for the Admiral and his wife.
And, Susan, you are right that we don’t read what is in Wentworth’s mind enough. I have rattling around in my head, “…foolish match, indeed”…if he “settled” for either Musgrove daughter. They are young and silly at this point, flitting from one entertainment to another. Anne would just be so much more peaceful to live with along with being more sensible in dealing with the every day details of life. Wentworth is struggling. But I, too, have always thought that if he sought his sister’s advice, Sophie would have observations on what a fine wife someone like Anne would make. She and the admiral just seemed to take to her more but maybe I am remembering scenes from the movie. (Although I did re-read this book when Persuasion 200 was first posted.)
Thank you for the chapter – with my second cup of coffee.
I also recently reread the book and seem to remember that the Crofts really liked Anne. No where in the book or the movies, though, do they suggest Anne for Frederick. I always thought that would be a private conversation between brother and sister – and only after he’d asked. That’s what inspired this scene.
I just wish there was some way to get Anne and Wentworth together by themselves so they could break through what happened 8 yrs. ago. He is letting his pride and hurt feelings hold him back so much. I suppose I don’t understand the time in which this is taking place, the manners that govern actions between unmarried men and women. grrr!
As always with Austen’s characters, it’s what they don’t say that’s important. Thank goodness they finally managed to communicate. I suspect now their relationship will be even stronger for the difficult road they took to find each other again.
I got a lot behind in reading Austen Variations & it seems way too late to make comments, but I can’t help mentioning that as a child (and I first read Austen at about age 12) I would get so frustrated by characters’ failures to talk to each other openly. Then I realized that a) most people don’t talk to other people openly or honestly about their feelings very often and b) there wouldn’t be much left to read if people in books simply said aloud what was in their heads and hearts. It isn’t just Austen’s characters who misunderstand each other either. In real life, if there’s a wrong conclusion possible, that’s what everyone will jump to. Thank you for this story!
Great job, Susan! Ironic and sad (but not surprising) that Finch knows about the engagement when Frederick’s own sister doesn’t. When Sophie suggested Anne I could just feel Frederick’s heart stop. And then to hear that Anne cares nothing for differences in station. We know she really doesn’t, that she was persuaded by fear and family loyalty, but he’s gotta be like YEAH RIGHT!
Tell Finch I said he should be ashamed gor eavesdropping! And also tell him thanks, we appreciate it! hehe
I’ll speak to Finch about his bad habit! Thanks, Monica.
Nice to see someone holds Anne in high regard…the servants saw and remembered Frederick’s time in Kellylynch. Always knew Sophie had a good head on her shoulders…love how she handles Frederick and her opinions of the ladies in the neighbourhood.
Thanks for a great chapter..
Thanks for stopping by, Stephanie. I think Sophie will be a great big sister for Anne — certainly better than Elizabeth!
I like the added insight into Sophie and her relationship with her brother. We assume that they have a good relationship, but it’s nice to see it more fleshed out. Frederick is definitely “struggling” a bit – seems like since he was hurt before by making a choice against convention, he’s now approaching this marriage idea very logically. “There are some single ladies of the appropriate social standing, conveniently in the neighborhood, so I’ll just pick one!” Good for his sister to set him straight that he will have to actually talk to, and live with, the woman he marries!
I like the relationship between Wentworth and his sister. We only have hints of it in the book but it’s easy for me to imagine as I have a younger brother with whom I’m very close. thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Nicely done. I really like your Sophia and the exchange with Frederick.
Thanks, Mary!
Mrs Croft recommending Anne as her brother’s choice of wife… superb! I wonder how Wentworth will wiggle his way out of Sophia’s suggestion without giving away his former engagement to Anne.
Well, the only thing I can’t comprehend is the maid carrying the tea. I could be wrong but shouldn’t the butler assign a footman to do the job? I got the idea from watching Downton Abbey.