Anne keeping up with the Navy Lists as would be following CW's career through his ship movements. She would know if there were breaks in his time at sea on board his ships. He would need a break of several months on land, I would imagine, in order to meet someone else and be married. The only break that is mentioned happens between the time the Asp sunk and he changes to the Laconia (described in chapter 8) but we are not told how long that was. Perhaps it was of short duration and that causes Anne to continue to hope or believe he is not married.

The mention of newspapers makes me think that she has been scanning those for a possible wedding announcement all these years as well. As well as news of battles and skirmishes and deaths at sea -- is was wartime after all.

I tend to think though that his constancy is something Anne has hoped for and daydreamed of during these many years of her own reliving and reflecting on their short romance. I wonder if she has been harbouring dreams of his coming back into her life? I find the line in the next paragraph interesting,