NOTES: This is the cove and ball scene from Alison's POV. I delved a little into Crowe's background. Not a whole lot just yet, but Alison is peeling back his layers. Next chapter will have a little more layers. This is a very long chapter also. I'm not sure why it ended up so long, but I don't think anyone will mind, right?
~~Alison~~
"What were you thinking?" I shouted at Charlotte while walking back to Sanditon House. "Are you really spending time with him."
"I was only reading a book. That is all."
"He had his hands on you when I found you. Don't tell me you were only reading a book."
"I slipped on the rock. He simply caught me, so I didn't fall," she excused. I didn't believe her.
"Did you plan to meet him there? Was he expecting you? How long have you been secretly meeting with him?" I asked angrily.
"Nothing was planned, Alison. We simply ran into each other by accident."
"And you thought it a good idea to stay with him?"
"It wasn't like I could tell him to leave. I can't be rude to him," Charlotte yelled back. "Besides, people are different here in Sanditon. Things are more relaxed. People don't make sudden judgements and gossip just because they see two people sitting near each other."
"You could have left. Why did you stay?" I asked dreading her answer.
"You know why I stayed. I can't help it. Despite everything that's happened, I still love him."
I sighed and stopped her walking by grabbing her shoulders and turning her towards me. "Charlotte, he's going to ruin you. You have to remember he's married now. You have to stop letting him have this power over you. It's not healthy nor is it in your best interest to get involved in a scandal with a married man. What would mother and father say?"
Her head dropped and her eyes filled with tears. "I know it's wrong. You are right. I shouldn't be spending so much time with him. But even though he's married, I know he still cares about me."
"Regardless if he still cares about you and you still care about him, you have to look at the bigger picture. He's a married man. You have to keep your distance."
She took in a deep breath and raised her head to look at me. A single tear rolled down her cheek. "You're right. I'll put an end to it. I promise."
"It's going to be hard, but you'll find someone else someday. Perhaps you can find some good in Mr. Crowe and marry him."
Charlotte laughed and wiped her face with the back of her hand. I smiled and hugged her tightly before continuing our walk to Sanditon House.
I went with Charlotte to the building site so as to watch over her and make sure Mr. Parker didn't cause any more trouble. The building site held little interest for me, but it meant a lot to Charlotte. Hard work never bothered me, so I worked right alongside Charlotte and helped keep distance between her and Mr. Parker. He watched her and glanced her way many times during the day. I could tell Charlotte was doing everything in her power to ignore him, but she was struggling.
At the end of the day, after everyone else had left, Charlotte needed to talk with Mr. Robinson about some supplies being delivered soon. Lady Denham had placed all decisions in Charlotte's hands, so she alone took care of all the invoices for supplies, the payments being made, and how exactly things were to be done. I'd never seen her so strong and powerful, especially when it came to telling men what to do. Not one man seemed bothered by her administrative power over them. I found Charlotte impressive to say the least. I never knew she had such an eye for building and architecture.
"The Welsh slate should be arriving by the end of next week," she told Mr. Robinson. "When it arrives, we will need most of the men working on the roofs rather than the inside structures. I'm hoping we are all done with the inside of the buildings when it arrives."
"Yes, Miss. I believe we will," Mr. Robinson assured. "Everything is coming along very nicely. You should be rather proud of what you've accomplished."
"I didn't do anything," Charlotte said laughing off his remark. "It's all of the workers and you who have taken on most of the challenging work. I'm just here to help out where I can."
"On the contrary, Miss. I think you are the most important person here. Without you, most of these men would be lost. I know I would. I'm not meant for foreman work. I'm thankful for you steering me in the right direction."
Charlotte smiled bashfully at his compliment. I knew it was hard for her to take compliments from anyone. She was too modest to think she did anything good for others.
"Charlotte, we should get going before the post office closes for the night," I reminded.
"Oh, yes. I almost forgot," she said. "Thank you for your kind words of encouragement, Mr. Robinson."
"I only speak the truth, Miss," he said. In a way I almost wondered if he was flirting with her. He did seem a little nervous while talking to her.
"We should be going," she said taking my arm and steering us towards the street.
"What's the current situation with Mr. Robinson?" I asked as we walked down the street.
"Whatever do you mean?" she asked.
"He seems smitten with you?"
Charlotte laughed. "No! That's not possible. We are only on friendly terms. Nothing else."
"Are you sure he knows that?" I asked. "He seemed to be flirting with you a little."
"I don't think that was flirting. We've had some ups and downs and he was only offering me a compliment."
"I feel like it was more," I said. Charlotte didn't say anything more and had a pensive look on her face like she was considering what I suggested.
We walked into the post office and ran into Mr. Parker. My anger raised at the sight of him. I was beginning to realize Sanditon wasn't a large town, however, he always seemed to be wherever Charlotte was. I could only determine it must be on purpose. It couldn't all be coincidence.
Charlotte was stressed when she got the long-awaited letter from Lady Susan with details of her arrival in Sanditon with the Prince Regent. It got even worse when Mr. Parker had to interfere and ask what the problem was. As much as I tried to turn Charlotte away from him, she wouldn't have it. Once again, she let that man have all her power. I did everything I could to let him know he wasn't welcome and eventually he got the hint and left.
Charlotte and I talked for a minute trying to figure out what to do about our current predicament. Lady Susan and the Prince Regent planned to arrive on a Thursday and stay through Monday. They expected to see the town, enjoy a ball at the assembly rooms, join in a church service, and enjoy a Michaelmas celebration. Charlotte had so much planning to do to prepare for all of it. I honestly didn't know how she was going to plan all of that as well as work at the building site. She was going to need some help. Perhaps I could talk Georgiana and maybe even Esther Babington into helping out. On top of all the planning for their arrival, we also got word from out brother George that he and Jane had set a date for their wedding. Charlotte and I would have to go back to Willingden if even for a day. The problem was the wedding was scheduled right in the middle of the visit from the Prince Regent. Charlotte and I wouldn't be able to leave.
After talking with Charlotte, we only had one choice. As badly as we felt about it, we had to tell our brother we wouldn't be able to attend the wedding on the date it was scheduled and begged him to forgive us. If there was any way we could make it work, we would. But we didn't see any other option. We hoped he'd understand the position we were put in. We sent the letter and hoped he wouldn't be too upset with us.
In the carriage back to Sanditon House we discussed plans for the arrival and what all needed to be done. Charlotte looked overly stressed thinking about whether the Terrace would be finished in time. I already suspected she wasn't getting much sleep, but now with this added stress, I feared she would never sleep.
Lady Denham was beside herself with the news of the Prince Regent arriving in time for Michaelmas. She took it upon herself to make all the arrangements for the celebration. She asked for her cook to come up and take the menu for the dinner. Roast goose, glazed carrots, boiled potatoes, and blackberry cobbler were just some of the items on the menu. Her cook looked excited to be chosen for such an important dinner party.
"How will the Terrace look when they arrive?" Lady Denham asked.
"It'll be tight, but I think if Mr. Parker can secure some local men to help, we might be able to get it all done," Charlotte answered.
"Tom Parker is back in town?" she asked.
"Not Tom," Charlotte said in a sad tone I was sure wasn't missed by Lady Denham. "Mr. Sidney Parker is still in town and has been helping at the building site. He offered to ask around and see if we could get a few more men to help."
"Mr. Sidney Parker is working at the building site?" Lady Denham said skeptically. "I wonder what's keeping him here in Sanditon?"
"I believe he is trying hard to rebuild for Tom's sake; and for yours," Charlotte said.
"Yes, well whatever the reason, he still has not repaid my money. By reinvesting now with you in charge, Charlotte, I'm robbing myself of even more of my fortune."
"I assure you, Lady Denham. I am doing everything I can to only spend where it's absolutely necessary and we do have insurance on all properties we are working on. I won't let you down."
"Yes," Lady Denham said looking at Charlotte dubiously. "I do believe you'll do a far better job than Tom in that aspect."
"I'll be going into town every day to help Charlotte," I added. "I hope you don't mind if I'm not here as much to keep you company, Lady Denham."
"Nonsense. I'm perfectly well on my own. I'll come into town from time to time to see how things are coming along."
~0~
During the night I could hear Charlotte crying again like she did most nights. I felt horrible thinking I was responsible for making her cry again by reprimanding her on her time with Sidney. I quietly walked across the hall and into her room then crawled under the covers with her. She sniffled and tried to wipe her tears away so I couldn't see. I brushed her hair away from her face and gave her a sympathetic smile.
"He kissed me," she blurted.
"Today?" I thought about when I found them together today and how he held her arm. They looked at each other so intimately. Was he really so bold to kiss my sister even though he was married? I hated him even more.
She shook her head. "No! Before he was engaged. Before the fire. Every time I look at him, it's all I think about."
"You never told me. You said he planned to ask you to marry him, but you never said there was a kiss. No wonder you are struggling so. I would be losing all sense of stability if I had a man kiss me and then walk away with another woman." Her eyes welled up with tears again. I wasn't doing a good job of making her feel better.
"Do you want to go home?" I asked stroking her hair.
"No. Why would you ask that?" she said.
"You seem so sad here. I feel like my own selfish desire for an adventure got in the way of what's best for you. When we decided to come here for Lady Denham, I was sure Mr. Parker would be long gone. Now it seems I was wrong, and he isn't going away. Perhaps we should go home."
"I don't ever plan to go back to Willingden. To visit maybe, but Sanditon is my home now. I admit, at first, I didn't want to come back. Then when we decided we were coming I was excited to be returning. As soon as we got here, I knew this is where I belong."
"What about Sidney? He's going to continue hurting you with his presence alone."
She sighed and looked away. "I'll learn to get over him. It's hard though. I can't not love him. I understand Georgiana so much better now."
"What can I do to help?"
She shook her head and took a deep breath before letting it out slowly. "Nothing. I need to do it on my own."
I stroked Charlotte's hair repetitively, like mother used to do when we were little, until she fell asleep. Sleep found me shortly after.
~0~
In the morning, Charlotte had disappeared once again. She had a tendency to leave early in the morning before anyone was awake. I used to not worry much. She was always the first one up back at home and typically had a long walk or read an entire book by the bridge or out in the grass before anyone else was up. Yesterday was the first time I went looking for her. She had been gone a lot longer than usual and I was worried. Now knowing she was with Sidney made me even more concerned. I hopped up and dressed quickly before rushing out the door to go find her.
I ran across the grass and through the trees yelling out her name with no reply.
"Alison, quiet!" I heard her voice call out stopping me in my tracks and searching around to find her. She was crouched down on the ground looking out at something in the distance. I caught my breath and slowly walked over to her.
"What are you doing?" I asked getting down on the ground with her.
She pointed out in the distance. "There's deer over there. Aren't they beautiful?"
I looked at her with a confused expression. "You've seen deer before. You've even shot deer. What's so special about these deer?"
"I was told there were deer that roamed the park here, but I've never seen them. They look so majestic, don't they?"
I looked out at the deer and didn't see exactly what she saw. "Why are you out here? Please don't tell me you went back down by the water."
"No," she said sitting up and dusting off her dress. "I just came out here and sat down by a tree to read."
"We should get back before Lady Denham wonders where we are."
She smiled and stood to her feet to walk with me. She seemed distant most of the day, keeping to herself, reading in a corner, even going for more walks. It was the day of the ball, but she didn't seem interested in going at all. I knew why. As much as I wanted to tell her we wouldn't go and just stay home, Lady Denham would never allow it. Charlotte put on a brave face and got herself ready. She wore a beautiful lavender dress with fine detail. I helped her with her hair as she did for me. My dress was similar in style to Charlotte's, but blue with pink rosettes. It was by far the most beautiful dress I'd ever worn; even more than the blue dress I borrowed from Charlotte at the Willingden ball. I was thankful for Lady Denham's kindness in allowing us to buy dresses so extravagant.
When we arrived at the ball, I could feel Charlotte's anxiety. I knew she wasn't going to have very much fun and I felt guilty if I did. I should have thought about her feelings more before Georgiana and I talked to Lady Denham about holding a ball in town. Charlotte took a deep breath and gripped my arm rather tightly while we walked in behind Lady Denham.
Of course, Sidney Parker had to be the first person to greet us. It was as if he couldn't help himself. As if Charlotte had some pull on him as he did for her. They needed to distance themselves before it became apparent to everyone.
I squeezed Charlotte's hand when he asked her to dance. Thankfully she refused him, but I wasn't expecting him to ask me instead. I don't know what possessed me to accept. Perhaps I wanted to get to the bottom of what was really going on between him and Charlotte.
Dancing with Mr. Parker was awkward. I didn't care for the man. Why my sister fell for him was beyond me. Now he wished to be her friend? How exactly did he think that would make her feel better about what he did? He was an arrogant man who thought little of Charlotte's feelings and only his own. My hatred for him only grew. Thankfully after our dance I saw Charlotte sitting with Esther and looking much livelier. She was smiling and seemed happy to be talking to an old friend. I hadn't gotten a chance to know Esther well, but I was glad she brought out some light in my sister.
When Mr. Crowe approached, there was an excitement inside of me I wasn't expecting. He still irritated me, and I didn't care for his drinking, but there was something about the smile he had on his face that I found appealing.
"Lady Denham," he greeted pleasantly.
"Ah. Mr. Crowe, there you are," Lady Denham said. "I presume you are here to remedy your embarrassing display at my dinner party the other night."
"Yes, Lady Denham," he said kind of bashfully like maybe he was embarrassed about his actions. "I did promise Miss Heywood a dance." He looked towards me with hopeful eyes. I didn't know what to think of it.
"And I presume you are sober?" Lady Denham asked.
"As sober as I've ever been," he promised her. She smiled, pleased with herself as if she had accomplished some great feat. I rolled my eyes and turned my head.
"Miss Heywood?" he asked offering me his arm.
I took his arm with a forced smile and followed him to the dance floor. We lined up across from each other then bowed. I took a step to the left while he took a step to his left. Then we lined up across from each other again before taking a step towards each other. He took my hand in his as we spun around with the couple to our right. Then turned and spun the other direction. When we finally came together for the dance, he spoke to me for the first time in the night.
"What is your opinion of the ball tonight? I believe I remember this being your idea."
"Since this is my first dance of the night, I can't really say with much authority," I answered.
"Lady Denham seems rather pleased," he said. I glanced her way for a moment to see her staring at us with a grin.
"I believe Lady Denham is a romantic at heart but hides behind her dutiful exterior."
He laughed and tripped over himself a little. "Lady Denham a romantic? Have you gone mad?"
I looked up at him and narrowed my eyes. "You do realize she's trying to make a match between us, don't you?"
"It's rather obvious," he agreed. "Not exactly sure why."
"And why would you say that?" I asked glaring up at him.
"I'm not interested," he answered with a grin.
"Nor I," I answered.
"Yet here you are dancing with me," he said with a smug look on his face.
"And here you are sober," I said with the same smug look on my face. We scrutinized each other for the rest of the dance wordlessly. At the end we bowed towards each other and clapped for the musicians. I walked towards the side and was not surprised Mr. Crowe followed me.
"I had to prove to you that I'm not just a drunkard like you accused me of," he said. I turned around when we were far enough away from the dancers and people standing around.
"Why were you drunk the night of the dinner party? Lady Denham was very excited about the night and you ruined it."
"I enjoy the drink, I won't lie. Sometimes I drink a little more than I should," he answered dismissively.
"Is there a reason why you drink so much?" I asked. "Charlotte confided that it's not the first time you have been drunk at an event.
He rolled his eyes like he was irritated with me. I didn't care. "It's probably not a story you'd like to hear."
"I believe I might," I said.
"It's not something I share with just anyone," he said rather angrily.
"Are you afraid?"
He pondered for a moment. "Answer me a question first," he countered. "Why does it bother you if I drink?"
"Believe me, sir, it doesn't bother me in the least."
His eyes narrowed and he cocked his head to one side. "You seem to let it bother you quite a bit," he countered.
I rolled my eyes and sighed before answering him. "I am not opposed to a drink from time to time, especially in social gatherings. I just don't believe someone who gets drunk is very happy with their life and drinking helps hide their feelings. I'm curious what you're trying to hide."
"Clearly I'm just fine being sober now," he countered.
"Yes, but for how long?" I asked.
He didn't respond to my question which led me to believe he didn't plan to be sober for long. It's not like I expected him to or even wanted him to, but he did make me feel bad for him that all he thought he could do in life is be a drunkard.
"It's none of my business," I said. "I suppose I just feel bad for you."
"Feel bad for me?" he questioned with a laugh.
"I sense a sadness from you," I said. He stared at me with a frightful look on his face. I didn't want to say anything more. "Like I said, it's none of my business." I walked around him and went to visit with Georgiana.
"What do you think of Mr. Crowe?" she asked as we sat down for a moment hand in hand.
"It's the first time I've seen him sober. I do believe it's rather hard for him to be without a drink. He hasn't even had a glass of wine tonight," I answered.
"You must be joking. He did all that for you?"
I turned towards her and saw the knowing smile on her face. "I don't think he did it for me. I think he did it just to prove he could."
"Oh, I beg to differ. He did it for you."
"You seem quite comfortable with Arthur Parker. Is there a potential love connection between the two of you?" I asked trying to change the subject.
"Certainly not!" she laughed. "Arthur is like a playful big brother. And Sidney is the scolding, reprimanding big brother. Although, he is getting better. The last few days have been much more bearable."
"You mentioned he was trying to make amends. Seems to me he's trying to cause more problems," I said.
"What makes you think so?" she asked.
"I've observed him doing some unfavorable activities that have me concerned," I answered watching him from across the room. His eyes never seemed to leave Charlotte all night. I wondered if she noticed how he watched her. I couldn't imagine anyone else in the room not noticing.
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but you should give Sidney an opportunity to prove himself," Georgiana said. I turned towards her, curious what she meant. Before she could say more she was asked to dance by a man I wasn't familiar with.
I sat with Lady Denham for quite a while watching the dancers, watching the people conversate and enjoy themselves. I watched my sister from across the room dancing with a man. I didn't know him, but she seemed to force a smile while dancing. Not once in the night, did I see her look truly happy.
"Miss Heywood, would you care to dance again?" Mr. Crowe asked.
"Of course, she would. Go on, dear," Lady Denham said pushing me towards him. I took his hand and let him lead me back out to the dance floor. We bowed, then he took my hand in his. We twirled around the dance floor silently at first.
"You were right," he said breaking the silence.
"Was I?" I said not sure what exactly I was right about.
"I don't have a lot of happiness in my life. There's a lot of dark secrets I've never shared with anyone. I don't think I've gone a day without a drink for most of my life. But the last few days, not only have they been hard, but it's making think about all the things I've missed out on. Things I never wanted before but seem to be thinking quite a bit on. Yet the thought of having anything real seems dreadfully terrifying."
"What sort of things?" I asked as sympathetically as I could.
He smiled and looked down at his feet for a moment. "A conversation for another time, perhaps."
"I'd be interested in hearing more, when you're ready," I offered. He seemed taken back by my offer. He didn't say anything more about it though.
"Answer me something, Mr. Crowe," I began after the dance was over and we walked to the side of the room. At first, I thought about walking back over by Lady Denham or even finding Charlotte, but something told me I needed to talk with Crowe a little further. "You are good friends with Mr. Sidney Parker. Why is he in Sanditon? Isn't his wife in London?"
"His wife?" he said like he didn't know what I was talking about. His head turned towards the door and beautiful lady in a white dress walked in. Many heads turned to look at her.
"Who is that?" I asked admiring her elegance.
"That is Eliza Campion," Crowe answered sounding annoyed. My head turned towards him with questioning eyes.
"Campion? Isn't she a Parker now?"
He turned towards me with wide eyes like he was caught in a lie.
"Mr. Crowe?" I questioned.
"It's really none of my business," he said. I turned to watch her as she walked up to Sidney Parker and began to talk to him. Sidney had his eyes on something else across the room. I couldn't tell what he was looking at, but I could only imagine it was probably Charlotte. He hadn't stopped watching her all night.
I turned my attention back to Mr. Crowe. "Is Charlotte in any danger?"
"Whatever you do tonight, if Eliza tries to talk to you, don't engage. Walk away if you must," Mr. Crowe said looking intently into my eyes. The crowd of people around us got more stifling by the second.
"I don't understand," I said.
"Trust me, this will help your sister," he said.
I looked back over where Sidney and Eliza were, and Sidney was gone. I couldn't see through the crowd of people where he went, but I could hear a commotion. Mr. Crowe glanced at me for a moment, then grabbed my hand and weaved us through the crowded room until we were closer to where Sidney was. I couldn't quite make out what was happening, but Charlotte was involved, and she didn't look happy. I couldn't tell if she was upset with Sidney or with the Mr. Fritz she was dancing with.
"What is going on?" I asked standing rather close to Mr. Crowe who still for some reason had a hold of my hand.
"I'll be right back," he said releasing my hand and weaving the rest of the way through the crowd to stand at Sidney's side. He seemed so strong and determined to stand by his friend and help if needed. I was sort of impressed with his nobility.
I saw Charlotte run out of the room while Mr. Parker continued to argue with Mr. Fritz. Something dreadful must have happened to cause such a scene. I tried to push past people and get to my sister, but it was impossible.
I watched from afar as the argument ended and people started to disperse. After a few minutes, Mr. Crowe came back over to me and looked nervous. "Are you going to tell me what's going?"
He shook his head and looked down. "I think Mr. Fritz was trying to take advantage of your sister. Sidney saw and broke it up."
My eyes widened and searched the room for my sister. "Where did Charlotte go?" I asked trying my best to see through the crowd to find her.
We searched the entire room and met again over by Lady Denham who was just as confused by what was happening as we were. "Mr. Crowe, what just happened?" Lady Denham asked.
"I'm not entirely sure. It seems a man was getting a little too close to Charlotte and Mr. Parker stepped in to help her."
"Mr. Parker stepped in?" she asked surprised.
"Have you seen Charlotte, Lady Denham?" I asked.
"Perhaps she went outside to get some air," she offered. "This room is rather stifling."
"We'll go see if she's alright," Mr. Crowe offered and walked me towards the door.
When we got outside, there was yet another scene with Mr. Parker and Mr. Fritz with Charlotte standing to the side. It seemed more and more people were gathering outside to see what was going on. Mr. Fritz had clearly been hit in the face by Mr. Parker. Charlotte said something to Mr. Parker and both of them looked upset. He grabbed Charlotte's arm and pulled her back before yelling something about not apologizing. I wanted to get closer to find out what was happening.
When Charlotte came running towards me, I met her halfway and hugged her tightly. She was clearly upset and didn't want to go back into the party.
"Why don't I take the two of you home?" Mr. Crowe offered. "My carriage is right over there. I'll let Lady Denham know so she can follow in her own carriage."
I nodded and walked Charlotte towards the carriage he pointed out.
"Are you alright?" I asked Charlotte once we were inside the carriage.
"I don't want to talk about it," she said. I didn't ask her another word. When Mr. Crowe returned, he got in and sat across from us before the carriage started on its way. Mr. Crowe mouthed the words to ask if she was alright. The only thing I could answer with was a shrug.
When we arrived back at the house, I walked Charlotte up to her room and got her ready for bed. She seemed utterly exhausted. She worried me with how much she worked and how little she slept. She was on a rather reckless path.
Once I was sure she was asleep, I walked downstairs to find Mr. Crowe was still standing in the drawing room. I smiled and thought how nice it was of him to wait and make sure Charlotte and I were safe. He stood when I entered the room and held his hat in his hand nervously.
"Is she alright?" he asked.
"I hope so," I replied. "You didn't have to wait, you know. I'm sure you'd rather get back to the party."
He shrugged his shoulders looking down bashfully before taking a step towards me. "It was kind of a dull party, anyway."
"I had fun," I admitted.
He smiled and his eyes sort of lightened. "Good."
"Do you think you could tell me what's going on now?" I asked.
He looked at me intently and his mouth hung open. "You might want to sit down."
I stared skeptically at him but walked across the room and sat down.
"Sidney didn't marry Eliza," he blurted.
"What? But why?"
"I'm sure you can figure it out," he said with a knowing look.
"Charlotte."
"I can't believe I'm telling you all this. Sidney is going to have my head," he said rubbing his face and running his hands through his hair.
"Whatever for? Why doesn't he tell her himself?"
"Because Lady Denham still demands Tom's debt be paid, and right now Tom has disappeared. Sidney has put his entire family's future on his shoulders. Until he can find a way to pay the debt, he still can't rid himself of Eliza completely. Plus, she won't let him. She's practically demanding he marry her regardless if he loves another."
"So that's why he can't seem to leave Charlotte alone; he still loves her."
"Until he can make her a promise of marriage and actually be able to uphold that promise, he won't tell her."
I let out a defeated sigh. "My poor sister."
"You can't tell anyone about this," he demanded. "I promised Sidney I wouldn't say anything until he could figure it out on his own. I'm still not even sure why I told you."
"Isn't there anything we can do to help?" I asked.
"Do you have a fortune connected to your name?" he asked.
I laughed. "No."
"Then there isn't much we can do. If there was a way Babington or I could help we would, but unfortunately our fortunes are tied up in properties and yearly allowances. Eighty thousand pounds is a lot to come by."
"Eighty thousand!" I shouted. "How on earth is he going to come up with that much money?"
"He's determined to find a way that doesn't involve marrying Eliza so he can be with Charlotte. I don't know how he's going to accomplish it."
I disliked Sidney Parker a little less than before. I had my doubts of his ability to make my sister happy, but knowing all he was doing for her made me admire him a little.
"I should probably go before Lady Denham gets back," Mr. Crowe said standing to his feet and putting his hat back on.
I followed him towards the door. "Mr. Crowe," I called before he walked out the front door. "Thank you for confiding in me. I won't say anything to anyone."
He smiled and nodded his head before walking out and boarding his carriage.
I walked back upstairs and checked on Charlotte who was still fast asleep. I desperately wanted to tell her all I knew. She would be so happy to know she still had a chance at happiness. But for now, I was determined to find a way to help Sidney Parker accomplish his impossible task.
NOTES: It sounds like the consensus is to include the explicit scenes eventually. Just so everyone is aware, it was a chapter I wrote just because I needed something less depressing to write about. It's definitely a chapter that could be included later AFTER the happily ever after wedding. So I think what I've decided is to write this story up to the point where the HEA is. At that point the story could potentially be finished. But, if anyone wants to continue to read more of their life, their marriage, their children then it'll be an option but those chapters may be a little more spicy.