Chapter 1

Sanditon had been much more than an adventure for Charlotte Heywood. It had been an education. During the weeks she had spent with the Parker family, she had learned more about the world than any of her books could teach her. She had learned that money—the lack of it and the pursuit of it—could twist men's souls. She had learned that slavery was indeed a true and terrible institution. And she had learned that love, despite the astonishing force of it, may not be enough to triumph over misfortune.

Indeed, she had witnessed tremendous misfortune during her last days in Sanditon: the terrace fire, the death of Mr. Isaac Stringer in the fire, and Mr. Tom Parker's inability to recoup his losses on the property because he had not purchased insurance. The most tragic event of all was Mr. Sidney Parker's decision to help his brother Tom by marrying Mrs. Campion, and consequently, the ending of Charlotte's courtship with Sidney. Charlotte attempted to maintain perspective. She and Sidney, though separated permanently, were still alive while Mr. Isaac Stringer was not. Her heartache could not compare to that of his son, Mr. James Stringer, whose last words to his father were in anger. And yet, she felt as if some part of her had died on that hillside when she and Sidney said good-bye.

Charlotte was determined to radiate happiness at being back in Willingden. She would not appear ungrateful for being surrounded by her family again. In time, she knew being home would become easier. She knew the memory of Sanditon would grow faint. She knew the memory of Sidney would grow faint as well. But she did not want either to happen.

The day after she arrived in Willingden, she sent a letter to Lady Susan Worcester, telling the noblewoman about all the unfortunate events that had occurred. She simply thought Lady Worcester should know, seeing as how she had had such a keen interest in Charlotte and Sidney's burgeoning romance. Charlotte was clear in the letter: Sidney was marrying Mrs. Campion and Charlotte's story with him had come to an end. Their romance was not meant to be. Each night, however, Charlotte would read a memory of Sanditon from her journal—Tom and Mary's children crowning her Admiral Heywood, winning the cricket match on her bat, her kiss with Sidney on the clifftop—and wish that the stars and the moon would conspire to put things right again. But as she knew all too well, wishing for something did not make it so. That, too, was part of her education in Sanditon.

Charlotte was not intentionally counting the time, but every so often, the day of the week would enter her thoughts and she would realize Sidney's wedding date was drawing nigh. It had been three weeks since she left Sanditon. At the end of this week, it would be four. And Sidney would be married.

This Monday morning was particularly gray, and shortly after eleven o'clock droplets of rain began to fall from the sky. Charlotte was cleaning the sheep's trough with her sister Alison when a drop landed on her forehead and slid down the bridge of her nose. Soon another followed and then another, nestling among the curls in her hair. To her dismay, it wasn't quite sea bathing. Or an afternoon in a canoe. She had become so accustomed to the water in Sanditon, the gentle rolling of the river and the more pronounced "swoosh" of the sea. The feeling of water on her skin transported her back instantly to blissful days that she had thought would last forever.

Charlotte blinked rapidly against the now steadier rain and realized the sky wasn't solely responsible for the liquid on her lashes. She hadn't cried since her parting with Sidney, but suddenly despair overwhelmed her and she leaned against a fence post, unable to stop the torrent of distress.

"Charlotte?" Alison's whisper-like inquiry halted Charlotte's sobs for the briefest of moments. She turned to Alison and collapsed onto her shoulder. Alison was the only family member who knew about her ill-fated romance with Sidney. Charlotte saw no need to share that part of her time in Sanditon with her parents, and even if she wanted to, she didn't think she could bear the pity in their eyes. Or their anger at Sidney, whom she was sure they would deem careless at best and cruel at worst for nearly proposing marriage to their daughter one week and then proposing to another woman the following week. Charlotte truly didn't blame him for marrying Mrs. Campion. She had understood his motives. She knew he was only engaged to Mrs. Campion because the widow was wealthy beyond measure and Tom was in dire need of money to save Sanditon. Sidney had even gone as far as to confess that he didn't love Mrs. Campion. But his forthrightness did not change the fact that in just a few days, he would be lost to Charlotte forever.

Charlotte supposed that was what had finally brought forth her tears. Yes, she missed Sanditon and her friends there terribly. But she hadn't grieved properly for Sidney. How does one grieve for something one never really had? Their moments together had seemed so fleeting. Anger and misunderstanding marred those moments in the beginning. They vehemently argued because Sidney was determined to maintain the walls he had built around himself and she was determined to bore through them. He had been so aloof at first, so unkind, that she wondered if there was any point in trying to understand him. But then she would glimpse some tenderness in him, such as when he came to the aid of Mr. Isaac Stringer without hesitation and helped save the man's leg. And she witnessed how fiercely loyal he was to Tom when he gave his time and effort to bringing wealthy visitors to Sanditon, such as Lord Babington and Mr. Crowe. She began to see the true gentleman beneath the hardened façade.

Then there were other moments, moments that were graced with tranquility, moments that continued to offer a window into Sidney's heart. Strolling along the sand and conversing, collaborating to rescue his ward Georgiana from her kidnappers, gliding in perfect harmony across the dance floor in London. Dancing with Sidney was particularly extraordinary because it was the first time she had felt desire. Certainly, she had felt affection for a boy or two in Willingden during adolescence, but it was nothing more than a feeling of sweetness and respect. Sidney made her feel as if she had drunk an entire decanter of wine. She was light-headed and jubilant. Her heart beat ten times its normal rhythm and her temperature rose. She wanted to inhale the scent of the earth on his skin. She wanted to be inside his skin. She wondered things a proper lady shouldn't wonder: how the hairs on his chest would feel under her fingertips, how the softness of his hands would feel against her nude back. Lady Worcester had been correct: love was indeed an affliction. What Lady Worcester failed to mention, however, was that there did not seem to be a cure.

Alison held her older sister until Charlotte's sobs subsided. She gently stroked her hair and soothed her, telling her everything was going to be well.

"I'm sorry," Charlotte said, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "I do not know what has come over me."

"You are sad," Alison told her. "You have been since you came back."

Charlotte lowered her eyes, feeling ashamed. "I am happy to be home."

"But you'd rather not be. You would rather be in Sanditon. You would rather be engaged to Sidney."

Charlotte let the truth of those words settle. "I know it will get better. I know that once he is married, I will begin to feel differently. This is obviously where I am meant to be."

Before Alison could further reassure Charlotte, they both turned at the sound of Charlotte's name.

"Charlotte! Charlotte!" Daniel, their younger brother, shouted. Several of their other siblings were running towards them, including Benjamin, nineteen, Sarah, sixteen, Caroline, fifteen, and Lucy, twelve. "Charlotte, there's a lady here to see you! She came in a fancy carriage!"

"Who could that be?" Alison's look of surprise matched Charlotte's.

"I…I don't know." Charlotte dried her face with her sleeve and moved quickly to the main house with Alison in tow. She saw the regal black carriage and the footmen and recognized them instantly.

Lady Susan Worcester was conversing with her mother in front of the hearth. She beamed a brilliant smile when Charlotte entered. "Charlotte, my dear!"

"Lady Worcester!" Charlotte curtsied in acknowledgement of the noblewoman's status. She wouldn't dare call Susan by her Christian name in front of her parents, lest they think she had lost all her manners in Sanditon. Susan, also understanding the moment, did not insist that she be called by her first name, as she had when she visited Charlotte in Sanditon for the regatta. "What brings you to Willingden?"

"Why, you, my dear. I received your letter stating that you had left Sanditon and I knew I must pay you a visit. I apologize for having just received it. I have been out of the country. May we speak privately?"

"Yes, yes, of course." Charlotte scrunched her nose as she tried to think of a private place to hold a conversation. With twelve brothers and sisters milling around a farmhouse, there was not much privacy to be had. "Shall we take a walk to the bridge?" she offered. Luckily, the rain had stopped.

"That will do nicely." Lady Worcester was wearing a dark blue cloak secured with an ornate metal clasp and hood to shield her in the event of more rain.

"It is wonderful to see you," Charlotte said as they walked down the dirt pathway leading away from the house. "But my intention was not for you to come all the way to Willingden. I only wrote the letter to tell you why I left Sanditon."

"And what a reason for leaving! Mr. Sidney Parker is engaged to Mrs. Eliza Campion for no other purpose than to save his brother Tom, who has made yet another ill-conceived business decision. No insurance for his property. What was he thinking?"

"I do not know. But Sidney is doing what is best for his family. I do not hold that against him."

"Hmm…yes. Mr. Sidney Parker is quite noble. At your expense, unfortunately. He should be engaged to you."

Lady Worcester stopped at the foot of the bridge. Charlotte looked away from her briefly, a wave of sadness coming over her again. "There is nothing to be done about it now."

"Oh, I disagree. We have time to correct this."

Charlotte gave Lady Worcester a wary look. "I…don't understand."

"I've come to take you to London, my dear. So that we can stop the wedding. I have a plan."

"What?" Charlotte erupted, shaking her head so fervently that her damp curls swayed furiously. "No, I cannot go to London."

"My dear, it's part of the plan," Lady Worcester replied, unruffled. "There will be no need for Mr. Sidney Parker to come all the way to Willingden for you once his engagement ends because you will already be in London. The inevitable has been delayed long enough, don't you agree?"

"The inevitable—?" Charlotte was at a loss for words. In the few times she had conversed with Lady Worcester, she had come to believe the woman was of sound mind. But there was nonsense flowing from her lips now. "What is this plan?"

"The less you know the better. If anyone in London asks you, you are simply my guest."

"Your guest who was very nearly engaged to the man who is now marrying London's most wealthy widow," Charlotte retorted.

"True, but there are very few people who know that. Correct?"

Charlotte had begun to pace, and now stopped. Lady Worcester was right: very few people knew the depth of her feelings for Sidney and his for her. Still, the thought of being in London mere days before his wedding filled her with unease.

"So…it would not seem odd that I am visiting you a few days before the wedding?"

"I don't see why it would. Had I been in town, I would have invited you to stay with me before you left Sanditon. As you know, I am very fond of your company."

The wheels in Charlotte's mind were spinning. What kind of plan could Susan possibly have that would end Sidney's engagement? And what role did she intend Charlotte to play? She needed more information, even though Lady Worcester was reluctant to share the details. "Does your plan involve me seeing Mr. Parker or Mrs. Campion?" she probed.

"Hmm," Susan hedged. "Possibly."

Charlotte's eyes widened. "Susan, I do not want anyone to think badly of me."

Lady Worcester placed a reassuring hand on her arm. "No one will think ill of you, my dear. I promise."

Charlotte swallowed and began pacing again. Lady Worcester stood, her hands now folded in front of her, watching the young woman carefully.

"What else is troubling you?" Lady Worcester said.

"My family. I have only been in Willingden three weeks. How might I explain leaving again so soon?"

"I doubt your parents will object to you visiting London with a wealthy noblewoman. I imagined they fared well without you during the summer. Are they in need of money?"

"No, no. I just…"

"You are torn," Lady Worcester surmised. "You enjoyed your life in Sanditon and when that ended, you believed you were relegated here."

"I love it here. This is my home," Charlotte defended quickly.

"Yes, and it always will be. But my dear, you have changed. You are not the same person you were weeks ago."

"'A man cannot step into the same river twice,'" Charlotte mused, remembering Sidney's words on the day of the regatta. She stopped herself before the entire conversation could replay itself in her head, before she could envision her first rowing lesson with him as her teacher, before she could feel his hands over hers, guiding the oars as the river stretched out before them. It was as if she had forgotten to breathe when he looked at her. It was as if time had ceased to move.

Charlotte shook her head to clear her reverie. Lady Worcester was looking at her expectantly.

"All right," Charlotte said. "I will go to London with you."

"Wonderful," Lady Worcester beamed. "There's no need to pack a great deal. We can buy what you need in London. Time is of the essence."

Charlotte nodded and smiled her first hopeful smile in weeks. She did not want anyone to think she was intentionally trying to harm Sidney or Mrs. Campion. She did not want to be viewed as causing a scandal. But if there were a chance for her to be happy with Sidney in Sanditon again, she would have been mad not to take it. Lady Worcester had come to Willingden to offer her that chance.