Chapter 5
Mrs. Campion and the entire Parker family were chatting in Sidney's parlor, having just finished breakfast. Arthur and Diana had finally arrived from Sanditon and were anticipating seeing London in all its glory. Sidney and Mrs. Campion had agreed to show them the city and perhaps a play at one of the theatres later in the evening. The conversation soon shifted from the day's scheduled activities to the upcoming wedding and the courtship that proceeded it.
"Sidney would write me letters every day," Mrs. Campion said, looking at Sidney across the room. He was standing behind the settee, his hand resting on his hip. "Each letter would contain a quote from Shakespeare. 'She's beautiful, and therefore to be wooed; She is a woman, therefore to be won' from "Henry VI". 'Love is like a child, That longs for everything it can come by' from "Two Gentleman of Verona". And my favorite, 'Hear my soul speak. Of the very instant that I saw you, did my heart fly to your service, there resides to make slave to it, and for your sake am I this patient log-man' from "The Tempest". I still have each of those letters."
"Oh, Sidney!" Diana said, her brown eyes twinkling with excitement. "We've never heard these stories about you!"
"There is a reason for that," Sidney replied, his voice relaying a combination of irritation and embarrassment. He had written those letters so long ago and never had any intention of sharing the contents of them with his family. When they reconnected after the ball in London, Mrs. Campion told him she had saved the letters because she could not bear to part with them. She had kept them hidden from her husband and only opened the box that contained them after he died. She had been faithful to her husband during their marriage, but insisted she never stopped caring for Sidney. She never stopped hoping they would reunite. Meeting at the ball was fate, she had concluded. It was their second chance. At the time, Sidney was touched. He lamented that he had thrown her letters into a fireplace the day after learning she had decided to marry Mr. Campion. Upon seeing her again, he, too, believed they had been gifted a second chance. But it wasn't long before he realized that he was no longer the eighteen-year-old boy who had written those letters, and he did not have same the intensity of feeling towards her. He desired to be in Sanditon, walking along the beach with Charlotte, his nose filled with the smell of salt from the sea and bergamot from her hair.
His desires were pointless now. There would be no future with Charlotte. Instead, he would endure listening to the stories about his past with Mrs. Campion, the stories he was certain she was using to conceal the fact that this was now a union of convenience.
"What about you, Arthur and Diana?" Mrs. Campion asked, sensing Sidney's reluctance to recount their romantic history. "Are there any marriage prospects on the horizon for either of you?"
Arthur began to laugh nervously, his rotund frame shaking with the effort. "Oh, no, Mrs. Campion. I'm afraid marriage isn't in the cards for us."
"Why ever not? You are both young and unattached."
"We quite like our lives as they are," Diana said. "Besides, I could never imagine my life without Arthur, and he couldn't imagine his life without me."
"That's quite right, Mrs. Campion," Arthur concurred.
Mrs. Campion tried and failed to hide her confusion. Diana was in her thirties but quite attractive and Arthur, though portly, was still quite young. "Oh," she said quizzically. "Well, spending a few days in London might change your mind. The city is teeming with eligible ladies and gentlemen."
"Come now, Eliza," Sidney interjected. "Not everyone has matrimony at the forefront of their mind." He had shared a household with Diana and Arthur for a good part of his life and still could not understand their strange attachment to each other. It was something the family never mentioned. It just was.
Mrs. Campion smiled. "I suppose I just want everyone to be as happy as I am."
"Yes," Sidney said. "Well…"
"What a pair you are!" Tom beamed, gesturing to Mrs. Campion and Sidney over his shoulder. "Aren't they lovely, Mary? I just cannot say how happy I am for the two of you." Mary simply smiled in response. The doorbell chimed and she heard Sidney leave the room. Mrs. Campion, Arthur, and Diana were talking amongst themselves and Tom leaned over to whisper to his wife. "You know, I expected Sidney to be a bit more jolly. He's certainly not as spirited as he was in his younger days, but I would think the wedding would be a source of great happiness. He rather looks like he's going to a funeral."
"Perhaps it is all the strain of the arrangements. Or perhaps Sanditon is weighing on his mind."
"Why would Sanditon weigh on his mind?"
"He is delaying his trip with Mrs. Campion to Paris after the wedding to assist you with the funding and insurance, Tom."
"Well, yes. That's true. But it's only a couple of days. I see no reason why that would cause him to be so dour."
"He has sacrificed a great deal for you, Tom." Mary wondered if she hinted enough, would Tom realize that Sidney was only marrying Mrs. Campion to save Sanditon?
"Well, yes, of course. He has lent me money, which I fully intend to repay once the terrace is rebuilt."
"It's not just the money, Tom. Sidney—"
"Isn't that right, Mary?" Diana said.
Mary immediately looked up, caught off-guard by Diana calling her name. She supposed it was just as well. This was neither the time nor the place to have the discussion she desperately wanted to have with Tom. "I'm sorry, Diana. What did you say?"
"Is everything alright, Sidney?" Mrs. Campion asked as Sidney returned with an envelope in his hand and a furrowed brow.
"Yes," he said. "Just a business matter needing my immediate attention."
"Well, in that case, I shall go and run my errands so that I may be back in time for our excursion." Mrs. Campion stood and turned to Arthur and Diana. "Shall we meet here at one o'clock? Will that allow enough time to tend to your business matter, Sidney?"
"Yes, that should do."
"Wonderful. I will see you all in a few hours." Mrs. Campion swept by Sidney and he followed her to the door. "It is truly a pleasure being with your family, Sidney. I will return soon." Mrs. Campion smiled and squeezed his hand. Sidney could only nod, his mind a whirl. He closed the door and, peering down the hall to ensure no one else was looking, opened the envelope again to reveal the note inside. He then read it a third time to ensure he was reading it correctly.
The Countess of Bexley
25 Primrose Lane
Dear Mr. Parker,
I am requesting a meeting with you at my home regarding a very important
business matter today at eleven-thirty a.m. Please come alone and do not
speak of this meeting to anyone.
Sincerely,
Lady Susan Worcester
Countess of Bexley
Before Sidney realized it, a knot had formed in his stomach. What could Lady Worcester possibly wish to him speak about? And why alone? Sidney recalled the one formal time he had met her, at the regatta in Sanditon. Tom had said Lady Worcester was not the slightest bit interested in Sanditon and she had only come because of her fondness for Charlotte. Lady Worcester brought the beau monde of London with her, raising the regatta's profile and making it a success. Because of this, Sidney had called on her when he was searching for the funds to repair the terrace, but she had not been in London. Sidney did not know Lady Worcester personally, but he had hoped the fact that he cared deeply for Charlotte would cause Lady Worcester to consider his request. Lady Worcester had her own money, and she was connected to the royal family. In any event, the conversation never happened because she had been out of town. Now, nearly a month later, she wanted to meet.
Was this meeting about Charlotte then? Had Lady Worcester heard from her? Charlotte's letter to Mary said she was well, but was it true? Had Lady Worcester heard something to the contrary? The knot had grown larger with each question and Sidney felt as if the knot had now traveled from his stomach to this throat. He was having difficulty swallowing. He placed the note back in the envelope and held it tightly. The grandfather clock sounded, announcing that it was ten o'clock. In less than two hours, he would have the answers he so eagerly sought. It couldn't be soon enough.