Chapter 2
The summer passed and the beginnings of fall came upon Sussex. It was a pleasant time of year and Charlotte enjoyed the cooler air, a relief from summer heat, and watching nature change all around her. It was also a busy season, as it was coming up on harvest time, and Charlotte was particularly glad of the distraction this brought. She truly loved helping her father manage his property and the exercise it gave her mind. This fall was particularly lovely and the harvest promised to be plentiful. There was certainly much to be thankful for.
Georgiana had written to her several times, begging her to return to Sanditon for a visit. Charlotte was happy to continue their friendship via letters, as she missed Georgiana terribly, but could not bring herself to promise a visit, even if one could be arranged. Not for some time yet. But the two women commiserated over their broken hearts, albeit Georgiana with less compassion for Charlotte, as she felt vindicated in Mr. Parker's mercenary actions.
Indeed, as the weeks went by, Georgiana's thoughts turned more and more to Otis, despite his faults. "It is just that I did love him so very much, and we were so much of the same understanding," she wrote. "I do not believe I will ever meet someone who could understand my own heart so well again. It certainly does not help being stuck in this dismal excuse for a town, especially now that everyone is leaving since the summer has ended."
Charlotte responded, of course, that Georgiana was lucky to have realized Otis' significant faults before she had married him and, presumably, lost her fortune to his gambling habit. But Georgiana did not respond in the affirmative. Instead, she appeared to ignore Charlotte's reminders of Otis' character. Charlotte continued to give Georgiana gentle reminders of his weakness of will and the danger that attaching herself to such a man would bring her. Charlotte could do no more, as Georgiana, while her friend, was not her responsibility, and, in any case, Charlotte took comfort that she was holed away in Sanditon, far from Otis and as protected as could be from those with any improper intentions.
Given the summer season had passed, Charlotte could not help but to wonder what Mr. Tom Parker's plans for the winter were. While Charlotte knew she could not bring herself to return to Sanditon, she longed for the excitement of helping to plan the town and turn it into a destination. In her time at Sanditon, she had grown nearly as passionate about the town as Tom Parker, although fortunately without his single-mindedness. And so, despite having her family's own affairs to tend to, she found herself frequently dreaming of Sanditon and its improvements, making her own plans for the town and the seaside.
It was in early September that Lady Susan wrote to Charlotte, inviting her to London for a visit.
"My dear friend Charlotte," she wrote, "I am in need of your refreshing conversation and company. I would very much enjoy it if you were able to come, with your parents' permission, of course, stay with me in my house in London for a few weeks this autumn. My friend, Lady Ashton, will be hosting a Michaelmas Ball and, if your parents can spare you by then, I would love to be able to introduce you to London society at that time."
A thrill ran through Charlotte, she could not help it! While her first, brief foray into London society was overwhelming, she felt safe in that she would be under Lady Susan's protection. Moreover, the excitement of new adventures would be a welcome distraction after the harvest, as there would be little at Willingden to occupy her mind at that point.
Her parents agreed to the scheme; indeed, what parents would refuse a great lady of high society's offer to take their unmarried, twenty-two year old daughter under her wing and introduce her to London. (Her parents, it must be said, were unaware of Charlotte's previous trip, as Charlotte had felt it unnecessary to burden them with the worrisome details regarding the cause.) Moreover, it was convenient, as Charlotte's father was due to make one of his bi-annual visits to London, and he could safely deposit Charlotte into Lady Susan's care himself.
Lady Susan's letter was therefore quickly answered, and a date a week before Michaelmas set for their arrival, which would give the ladies ample time to shop and prepare for the ball and other society events, because of course, new clothes must be purchased for the occasion.
As Charlotte prepared for her trip, she had only one thought impeding her happiness: whether Mr. Sidney Parker and Mrs. Campion would be in London. Of course they would. But perhaps they had wished to marry as quickly as possible and Sidney had convinced his wife to retire to Sanditon. Charlotte nursed this hope, as silly as it may have been for her to hope Sidney to be already married, but it would be best to be able to avoid meeting either of them in London, if possible. Charlotte hoped that she was making herself indifferent to him, but she was not sure her indifference could stand up to seeing the man in person, hearing his voice, feeling his presence. No. It must not be. She would be indifferent, and better yet, she would ensure that she would not attend any society event at which either person would be present. Lady Susan would understand, being one of the few people to know Charlotte's heart, and she certainly would not wish to cause Charlotte pain. Indeed, it was that exact thought that made Charlotte feel confident in her excitement to visit London at all, knowing that Lady Susan, as a woman of understanding, would not put her in the paths of either Mrs. Campion or Mr. Parker.
So Charlotte organized her belongings, packed her trunk, and once again made her goodbyes. Her brothers teased that she was becoming a stranger to their home, off again after only a couple months. Only Alison seemed truly upset at Charlotte's going, growing more unwilling to part with her sister after having felt the loss earlier in the year. But Charlotte's assurances that she would certainly be back after only a few weeks calmed her fears.
Just before they left, Charlotte received a letter from Mrs. Parker with a most startling update. The wedding, it seemed, was not to be done quickly after all. Indeed, it was going to be a long engagement. It seemed that the rebuilding could commence (Mrs. Parker did not share the financial details, but surely it must involve some sort of a loan from Mrs. Campion), and Sidney's wedding to Mrs. Campion was to be a magnificent celebration to start off the new season, late next spring, by which time much of the rebuilding should be well under way, if not finished. Charlotte couldn't breathe. Mrs. Parker did not say, exactly, where Sidney was at present, but her letter implied he was not in Sanditon, which meant he must be in London. All hopes of him having left the city were gone and Charlotte now knew herself to be in danger of having to face him again. Charlotte determined that if that were to happen, she would be strong and the image of calm composure. To that end, she spent her last night in Willingden practicing cool looks and calm conversation about the weather, Sanditon, and the Parker children.
Early on a pretty Saturday, she and her father set off for London. The journey was pleasant and quick and Charlotte enjoyed watching the countryside roll by. It was certainly a more pleasant journey than her more stressful one than Sanditon, and Charlotte was determined to enjoy it. Charlotte was determined to enjoy everything, in fact, because by focusing on enjoyment, she could ignore her fears and misgivings about the possibility of being thrown into the presence of Mr. Parker once again.
Charlotte and her father spent their first night at an inn, then went to Lady Susan's impressive house the next day. Charlotte's father was duly impressed by the friend his daughter had made. Being a man of few words, content in his own acquaintance and neighborhood, he did not go to great pains to ingratiate himself with her. She had already taken an interest in his daughter, what would be the point? But he did show his appreciation for the kindness she was showing Charlotte. After staying for luncheon, he left his daughter in Lady Susan's capable hands to finish his own business, so that he might return to Willingden and its comfortable familiarity as soon as possible.
Lady Susan greeted Charlotte with happy warmth and affection. She truly cared for Charlotte and wanted to see her happy, and settled, if possible. She knew that there must be more to the story about what had transpired with Sidney Parker than Charlotte had told, or that she had been able to glean from gossip, but also knew that she needed to give Charlotte time before pressing her for the details. So their first days together were filled with shopping and walks through the park. Charlotte wrote to the rest of her family to assure them she was well and happily settled at Lady Susan's, but, not having any particular acquaintance in London, did not feel it necessary to notify anyone else of her presence.
The week flew by and before Charlotte knew it, it was the day of the Michaelmas Ball. That morning, she shared her concerns with Lady Susan at breakfast, when Lady Susan asked her if she was excited about the night's festivities.
"Oh I am, very much," Charlotte replied, before quickly ducking her head back down, as if examining her roll very carefully. "It's just that I am given to believe that," she hesitated, not wanting to speak Sidney's name, "Mrs. Campion is in town, and I would like to avoid seeing her, if possible to do so politely."
"My dear girl, you are perfectly right in your hesitation," Lady Susan quickly assured her young friend. "I understand completely. But do not be afraid, I have no reason to believe she will be present. Nor will anyone else of her acquaintance, I am sure," she added, making the matter as clear as she could, without naming names.
"That is well, because while I harbor no ill will towards her, I would very much like to not have to be even in the same room as her." It was only a small lie, that she bore no ill will towards Mrs. Campion. It was unfair of her to do so, anyways. It was not Mrs. Campion's fault that she had known Sidney first, or that she was exceptionally wealthy, or that Tom Parker had failed to insure the improvements, or that the fire had ruined everything. No, it was not specifically her fault, but it felt like somehow she had orchestrated this all to bring Sidney back under her power.
That evening, Charlotte put on one of her new dresses and one of Lady Susan's maids styled her hair in a most becoming way. Charlotte was not given to vanity, but she was proud of how she looked as she stepped out of the house with Lady Susan. She had been told before that she was more than the equal of any woman in London society and tonight, she focused on believing that to be true.
The two women entered the ball and Lady Susan began making the introductions, showing off her pretty young friend. There were several young men that would do well for her, if Charlotte could move on from Sidney Parker. And if not… well, Lady Susan could work on throwing a wrench into that Campion woman's plans. Having a project to work on would make for a very entertaining season.
Charlotte herself once again felt overwhelmed. There were so many new faces and she knew no one. She danced with several friendly young men, but there was nothing significant or particularly impressive about any of them. She might be making headway in making herself indifferent to Sidney, but she had yet to make herself open to looking at any other man as of yet.
Charlotte had only barely believed Lady Susan's assurances that Mrs. Campion or her acquaintances would not be present at the ball, but they turned out to be true. Charlotte was saved the discomfort of seeing anyone she knew from her time at Sanditon and only met strangers. No, it was not until the next morning, when she and Lady Susan were walking through the park together, that they rounded a bend in the path and were suddenly right in front of the man himself.
"Mr. Parker!" Charlotte exclaimed, all thoughts of cool composure flying out of her mind at the suddenness of his appearance.