I made note of the same things--the letter, and also Mrs. Croft.

These little 'throw-away' bits add up to a pretty convincing whole, after a while, IMO.

I mentioned in last weeks readings the little bit at the end of Ch. 10, where the Admiral was wondering why Frederick doesn't "spread a little canvas" and marry one of the Musgrove sisters, and Anne detects that Sophia's praise of them is not so eager.

I really have to think that she has got to be noticing the connection her brother has to Anne. She's a smart woman.

--She's aware that Frederick spent time in the area in 1806 with their brother.

--She's well aware that he put Anne in their carriage to be driven home

--She learns that he sent information to Anne about how things fared in Lyme

--He praises Anne to her and particularly asks after her

--I have no doubt that she recalls this little speech of her brother's from Ch. 7

"Yes, here I am, Sophia, quite ready to make a foolish match. Anybody between fifteen and thirty may have me for asking. A little beauty, and a few smiles, and a few compliments to the Navy, and I am a lost man. Should not this be enough for a sailor, who has had no society among women to make him nice?"

He said it, she knew, to be contradicted. His bright, proud eye spoke the happy conviction that he was nice; and Anne Elliot was not out of his thoughts, when he more seriously described the woman he should wish to meet with. "A strong mind, with sweetness of manner," made the first and the last of the description.

"This is the woman I want," said he.

Let's see:
between fifteen and thirty?--check!
a little beauty?--yes! Looking even better since Lyme
compliments to the navy?--always!
strong mind?--yes! great exertions in Lyme
sweetness of manner?--absolutely!

--And now Sophia is treating Anne as 'a favourite'--Hmmmmm.