Chapter 7

Sidney rubbed the brim of his top hat back and forth anxiously, waiting for Lady Worcester to receive him. As she had requested, he told no one where he was going nor gave them a time as to when he would return. He knew he was expected back by one o'clock, and he could not fathom the meeting ending after that time. But he could not be sure. He still could not imagine what Lady Worcester wanted to speak to him about. He had not given the reason for his visit when he called on her three weeks before. That left the only subject they had in common: Charlotte. Sidney did not know why, but his thoughts continued to turn to the worst possible situation. Perhaps something was wrong with Charlotte and only Lady Worcester knew. If so, the notion of Charlotte suffering was not what he envisioned when he told her good-bye. He believed she would return to her life in Willingden, and in time, meet a suitable young man and marry him. As painful as that was to imagine, he wanted her happiness above anything else. It had not occurred to him that she would be unhappy. Or unwell. There were still many diseases that even the best doctors could not cure. Had she fallen ill? And if she was not sick, was her family well? Was the farm still operating such that she had sufficient food and money?

Sidney finally forced his hands to be steady. Driving himself mad with questions was not going to yield answers any sooner. He swore under his breath at his consternation. Where was the butler? It seemed he had been gone for hours. Just as Sidney began to fidget again, the butler re-appeared in the hall and said Lady Worcester would see him. Sidney entered the drawing room and momentarily stopped, struck by the beauty of the room. It was the epitome of grandeur. Ornate panels and gilded crown molding decorated each wall. Multiple articles of furniture—chairs, tables, settees—in pastel florals and stripes filled the space, some centered in the room and some near the floor to ceiling windows. A large marble fireplace anchored the far end of the room, and two sets of French doors on either side of it allowed light to pour in.

Lady Worcester welcomed him with a brilliant smile. "Ah, Mr. Parker," she said, inviting him to sit on the pink settee across from her. She was dressed in lavender silk.

Sidney bowed in response and sat, placing his hat beside him. "Good morning, Lady Worcester. It is a pleasure to see you again. Your home is magnificent."

"Thank you, Mr. Parker. It is a pleasure to see you again as well. We did not have much of a chance to talk at the regatta, with all of the day's various activities. Would you like some tea?"

"Yes, please. Thank you."

Lady Worcester's maid, Beatrice, poured the tea and handed him a navy blue and white porcelain cup rimmed in gold.

"Do you wish for any sugar, sir?" Beatrice asked.

"Yes, please." Beatrice placed two sugar cubes into Sidney's cup as requested.

"Will there be anything else, my lady?"

"Not at the moment, Beatrice. Thank you." Beatrice curtsied and departed. Lady Worcester cradled her cup with delicate fingers.

"Well, I suppose you are wondering why I asked you to meet me today," she said, sipping her tea.

"The unexpected invitation did cause me to wonder, yes," Sidney replied, betraying none of his nervousness.

"I am returning your call. When I arrived home from Venice, I was informed that you called on me while I was away."

Sidney almost sighed audibly from relief. This did not appear to be about Charlotte. It was merely Lady Worcester being polite. "I am very appreciative of your response," he said, "but the matter about which I called upon you has been resolved."

"Has it?" Lady Worcester asked, her tone implying that she did not believe him.

"Well…yes." Sidney shifted slightly on the settee, suddenly uncomfortable.

"What was the matter? The note left for me did not say."

Sidney saw no harm in telling her the truth. "As you know, my brother Tom is turning Sanditon from a fishing village into a seaside destination."

"Yes, I am aware. The regatta was an effort to introduce Sanditon to wealthy Londoners."

"There was a fire a few weeks ago. Tom was in need of money to repair the terrace, which was greatly damaged."

"Because he had no insurance."

Sidney looked directly at Lady Worcester. She was not asking him a question. She already knew about the fire. But how? Mrs. Campion had not told anyone in London that he knew of.

"Yes," he said carefully. "That is correct."

"And you were asking bankers for the money on your brother's behalf?"

"Yes."

"As you have done many times before."

Again, a statement, not a question. Sidney suddenly felt as if he were a grouse on the other end of a hunter's gun. Lady Worcester was clearly aware of what had happened to the terrace, and of Tom's persistent financial troubles.

"I suppose you're wondering how I know about the fire," she continued, noting Sidney's silence. "When I arrived home, there was a letter from Charlotte. She told me about the fire, about how there was no insurance, and that you were now engaged to Mrs. Campion. Imagine my surprise. I did not expect a letter from Charlotte postmarked from Willingden, nor did I expect one containing such terrible news."

"Charlotte's time in Sanditon had come to an end," Sidney said, feeling compelled to explain Charlotte's absence before Lady Worcester could inquire any further. "She was only visiting my brother and his wife for the summer."

"When I talked with Charlotte at the regatta, it seemed she had reason to stay. And yet, here you are, scheduled to marry Mrs. Campion on Friday."

Sidney's hands began to shake and he placed his teacup on the table, unable to hold it securely any longer. "Mrs. Campion and I have known each other for a great length of time."

"Hmm. Yes. And what happens when there is no more money in Mrs. Campion's bank account?"

Sidney stared at Lady Worcester incredulously. She could not know that he was marrying Mrs. Campion for the money to save Sanditon. If the beau monde of London were to learn of it, it would embarrass Mrs. Campion immensely. "That will not happen," he replied tightly.

"How can you be sure?" Lady Worcester pressed. "The fact of the matter is your brother is not a businessman. He is a man with a dream. Those are two very distinct things."

Sidney was silent again. Lady Worcester was keenly aware of Tom's shortcomings. She was also keenly aware Sidney was marrying a woman he did not love in order to save Tom and Sanditon. What did she plan to do with this information?

"I do not know how you wish me to respond."

"No need to respond. We are having this conversation because I want to help."

"Help?" Sidney asked, astounded. "Help with what?"

"Why, the terrace repairs, of course. And the continued transformation of Sanditon in general."

"But, I have secured the money—"

"Yes, through your marriage to Mrs. Campion. I understand. But as I said, there will come a time when Mrs. Campion's money is depleted. Or she will tire of you using it to finance Sanditon. Your brother, left to his own devices, will bankrupt even her."

Sidney desperately wanted to defend Tom but knew he could not. His anxiety had turned to anger. Anger at his brother for being so lofty in his aspirations and yet so woeful in is his execution. Anger at himself for not keeping a closer eye on Tom and what he was doing in Sanditon. Sidney's jaw worked as he fought the emotion rising within him.

"You are not responsible for your brother, you know," Lady Worcester said quietly.

Sidney's jaw worked for a moment more and then he looked away from Lady Worcester, ashamed. "Perhaps if I had been there—"

"Then none of this would be happening? Now is not the time to ponder what could have been, Mr. Parker. It is time to consider what can be. I have spoken to the Prince Regent on your behalf. He has agreed to invest in Sanditon. I do not know the details of how much, but I do know that the amount will be…substantial."

Sidney thought he has misheard her. "The Prince Regent wishes to invest in Sanditon?" he asked.

"Yes. He and my husband were good friends. I still see him quite often. As you know, the Prince Regent is fond of architectural pursuits. While he prefers them to be in London, he is making an exception because of my request."

This was the best news Sidney had heard in an eternity. Sanditon would be financially secure for what he hoped was years to come. But there was something he did not yet understand.

"Why did you wish to meet with me and not my brother? Or the both of us together?"

"Because your future depends on Tom Parker accepting the Prince Regent's offer."

Sidney shook his head in confusion. "I am not certain of your meaning."

"You must convince your brother to accept the offer of assistance. That is all I will say."

Sidney was still not clear on what Lady Worcester meant but there would be no further discussion. Lady Worcester's mouth was firmly closed, her lips forming a thin, determined line.

"I do not know how to thank you," he said.

"I am not seeking appreciation. As I said, I want to help. Please remember that no one should know about this conversation."

"No, I shall not tell a soul."

"A financier of the Prince Regent's will call on you and your brother at two o'clock today. His name is Lord Fairchild. Do make sure you are available."

"We will be."

"Good. Well, if there's nothing else…" Lady Worcester set down her teacup and stood. Sidney interpreted that as the conclusion of their meeting and his dismissal.

As he walked to the front hall, Sidney turned to ask the last question on his mind. "Lady Worcester, if I may. Did Miss Heywood ask you to do this?"

"Charlotte?" Lady Worcester laughed. "No, of course she didn't. Charlotte does not see people as a means to an end. I think you know that as well as I. She had come to think of Sanditon as her home and the people there as her family. She simply wrote me a letter explaining what had happened during her last days there. I was greatly moved by her concern about the fire, so much so that I took it upon myself to help for Charlotte. Everything I am doing, is for her."

Sidney considered Lady Worcester's explanation carefully. If Charlotte did not ask Lady Worcester to help, then he took that as a testament to the bond between the two women. Lady Worcester did not strike him as the type to ask favors of the Prince Regent for just anyone, let alone two men she hardly knew, or a town Tom said she could give two figs about.

"Well, thank you again," Sidney said, nodding. "There are no words to express how grateful I am for your generosity."

"It is really the Prince Regent's generosity. But I am happy to pass your gratitude along to him. Good day, Mr. Parker."

"Good day, Lady Worcester." Sidney bowed as Lady Worcester's butler held open the door for him. When Sidney stepped out into the warm early August air, he was jubilant at the prospect of Sanditon having funding for an indeterminate amount of time, but he was dejected as well. If only he could have had this meeting with Lady Worcester three weeks ago and she had asked the Prince Regent to support Sanditon then, he would not be marrying Mrs. Campion now.

If only.

Sidney stepped into his waiting carriage and signaled for the coachman to depart. He was not a profoundly religious man, but at times he wondered what he had done to incur God's wrath. What had he done to be rejected by Mrs. Campion all those years ago? And after finally discovering that he could love and be loved by Charlotte, what had he done to deserve his brother's ineptitude? Why had their chance at happiness been taken away? He did not know the reason. But perhaps this meeting was a sign of God changing his fortune. If Tom accepted the offer, and Sidney would do everything in his power to ensure that his brother did, perhaps Mrs. Campion would release him from the engagement. It was no secret that Sidney did not love her. At the regatta, he told her that his feelings for her had changed. Time and distance had created a hollow that could not be refilled. It was also no secret that Sidney cared deeply for Charlotte. Sidney had tried to hide his feelings for Charlotte from Mrs. Campion, but he had failed at every turn. Mrs. Campion had seen Sidney and Charlotte on the river at the regatta, had seen the way Sidney could not tear his eyes away from Charlotte. Mrs. Campion had seen him run after Charlotte when she laughed at Charlotte's love of reading. She would have been insensible not to know that he wanted to soothe Charlotte, to heal the wound Mrs. Campion had inflicted, and that his behavior was more than a matter of courtesy. It was purely instinctual: the act of a man wanting to shield the woman he cared for from harm.

And when he asked for Mrs. Campion's hand in marriage, he still did not profess to love her. He had explained the situation with Sanditon was dire and only a large sum of money would secure the town's future. In exchange, he vowed to be a good husband, to provide for her, and to care for their children. He would see to it that she had a good life. Mrs. Campion agreed to his proposal and remarked that love would come again in time. Perhaps, though, she would see that the odds were not in her favor. Perhaps she would want to spend the rest of her days with a man who truly loved her. Perhaps she would respect Sidney enough to let him go.

Perhaps.