You've picked my two favorite moments from the book, and really two of my favorite moments from all of Austen. I agree: steamy swoony stuff.

Why is at these two passages are so effective? First of all the tension building up to them is unbearable. We've had so much anticipation for their first meetings which went so badly that here at last we have them alone, at least momentarily. Secondly JA here is so masterful in the details she chooses to share in the reality of both situations. This, we recognize, is what real life is like--romantic things rarely happen in romantic settings, but happen unexpectiedly in the midst of the mundane and ordinary.

I love the Little Walter incident best because it illustrates FW's character: he is practical, thoughtful and when he takes the child, obviously effected by being near to her again. So much so that he turns around immediately and faces the window again. Anne sees it as embarassment, but if she felt the nearly overcome by the sensation, don't you think it's possible that he felt the same way? What if he thinks to himself, "this is what daily life would be like if we had married." And then has to turn around to hide that emotion?

Now after the walk, he deliberately seeks her out to hand her into the carraige. He sees she is tired, but something about the way JA describes him "clearing the hedge" and springing into action, makes me think that he is actively contriving this as another chance to be near to Anne to touch her. He has had his fill all aftenoon of walking arm and arm with Louisa Musgrove, perhaps he wants a comparison?

Handing a woman into a carraige, had to be one of the few times that physical contact between men and women was allowed and the image of him jumping the hedge and insisting on Sophia and the Admiral taking Anne, shows me that he was eager, almost desparate, for this opportunity.