Chapter 10

The sounds of laughter and jovial conversation alerted Sidney that Mrs. Campion and the Parkers had returned. He had walked for an hour and then had been sequestered in his room since coming back to the house. He had neither seen nor talked with Tom since returning, but he could hear Tom and the children playing down the hall. While Sidney's anger had cooled, he was still not inclined to speak with his brother. They would have dinner together, but Sidney would only be able to endure that because he was sure Mrs. Campion and his family would be full of stories from the day's outing.

Sidney had decided to tell Mrs. Campion about the Prince Regent's investment after dinner. There was no good way to do this, so he thought he would ask to speak to her immediately upon the conclusion of the meal. Keeping in mind that Lady Worcester was not to be mentioned, all he could do was tell Mrs. Campion the facts: the Prince Regent had made an offer to help Sanditon and Sanditon would be financially secure for at least the next five years. It would be up to her to interpret the meaning of those facts. He immensely disliked that she had the power to determine his future, but that was the unfortunate situation. If ever he needed benevolence from God, now would be the time.

Sidney opened the door to his room and stepped into the hallway. Undoubtably, Tom had heard the same sounds from downstairs and stepped into the hallway at the same time. The children spilled out behind him and there were shouts of "Uncle Sidney!" as they hugged Sidney's legs before running down the stairs.

"Sidney," Tom said.

"Tom," Sidney replied. He nodded towards his brother and Tom did the same in response. They descended the stairs and were met with warm greetings from Mrs. Campion, Mary, Arthur, and Diana. As Sidney predicted, the day had produced a multitude of adventures, concluding with Arthur suffering from too much sun while walking near Westminster Abbey. Luckily, he recovered on the way back to the terrace and ate heartily at dinner.

"Well, it has been quite a day," Mrs. Campion said as the dishes were removed from the table. "I must take my leave. I have a very busy day tomorrow, with the final preparations for the wedding and the dinner at Lady Worcester's tomorrow night."

"May I speak to you before you depart?" Sidney asked.

"Yes, of course, Sidney."

"Good night, Mrs. Campion!" the children said in chorus. Mary had announced she was taking them upstairs to bed.

"Oh, good night, children!" Mrs. Campion smiled and watched them leave. Mary, Tom, Arthur, and Diana followed. "They are simply delightful. I cannot wait until we have children of our own, Sidney, and then they can all play together."

"Right. Yes." Sidney craned his neck to ensure the family could not hear them talking. "I wanted to tell you about the meeting Tom and I had earlier."

"Oh," Mrs. Campion said, surprise clear in her voice. "All right."

"The Prince Regent is interested in Sanditon. He sent a financier, Lord Fairchild, to offer Tom financial support. Eighty thousand pounds to repair the terrace and one hundred thousand pounds per year for the next five years. Tom accepted the offer. There are concessions: Tom will only be responsible for bringing new business and visitors to Sanditon. Lord Fairchild will manage everything else, effective immediately. On the whole, it is an excellent deal."

"Well, that's wonderful for Tom. And wonderful for us. He will have no need of our money once we are married." Mrs. Campion was still smiling but her smile began to fade slowly. "This meeting, were you aware of it before today?"

"No, it was unexpected."

She nodded. "Hmm. The Prince Regent. I had no idea you had such connections, Sidney. Did Lord Fairchild happen to say how the Prince Regent became interested in Sanditon? Certainly, there are several more established seaside resorts he could invest in."

"He did not," Sidney said. It was true: Lord Fairchild never mentioned why the Prince Regent wished to invest in Sanditon. Of course, Sidney knew why, but he could not reveal Lady Worcester's hand in it. "There were several people from London who attended the regatta. Perhaps word traveled back to the Prince Regent."

Mrs. Campion nodded again, her lips pressed together thoughtfully. "Lady Worcester is connected to the Prince Regent. Perhaps it is her word that traveled back to the Prince Regent. As I recall, she and Miss Heywood spent a great deal of time together at the regatta, and now Miss Heywood is in London as her guest. And, this is occurring the week of our wedding. It all seems rather...convenient." Mrs. Campion stepped closer to Sidney, her face tilted slightly up to meet his eyes. "I do not know what you have been planning with Lady Worcester, but it will not work. You made a promise to me and you shall keep that promise."

"I have planned nothing with Lady Worcester," Sidney defended, trying to dismiss the cold feeling running down his spine.

"Your actions say differently. But it is no matter. We will attend the dinner tomorrow and show Lady Worcester and Miss Heywood how happy we are. Then we will marry on Friday. And now that you are not needed to arrange for Sanditon's insurance, we can leave earlier for Paris. I wish to depart Friday afternoon. Do make the arrangements, will you?"

Mrs. Campion gave Sidney a hard look before sweeping past him. He could hear her say good-bye to the family and then the door closing. It was as if the door had closed on his last chance at happiness as well. He supposed there had been a point to Lady Worcester's assistance, but for the life of him, he did not know what it was. During their conversation, she seemed to understand that Charlotte loved him. She seemed to understand that he was tangled in a net, and that providing money for Sanditon would be a way to free him from that net. But what she could not account for was that he was not the master of his fate. What she could not account for was Mrs. Campion.

Sidney stood in the dining room, wondering what had happened to the woman he had loved so many years ago. She had once been kind and gentle. She now possessed neither of those traits. Once they were married, he had thought he could finally forget how badly she hurt him when she broke their engagement to marry Mr. Campion. He thought he might find reasons to love her again. But he was now stricken with the knowledge that loving her would never be possible. She was cruel, and perhaps had always been so. His youth and naiveté may have blinded him to the fact. But there was nothing to be done. As she said, they would attend Lady Worcester's dinner. He would appear joyful. They would marry on Friday. And the nightmare would continue until death did them part.

"Sidney, did you tell Mrs. Campion?" Tom asked anxiously. "Did the conversation go well?"

Sidney swallowed and turned to his brother. "She is very happy for you, Tom. As you have funding for the terrace repairs and Sanditon for the foreseeable future, I will not be giving you the eighty thousand pounds once we are married. I am no longer needed to assist with the insurance now that Lord Fairchild is managing Sanditon's affairs, and she has expressed her desire to leave for Paris Friday afternoon. I will make the arrangements tomorrow."

Tom tried to hide his disappointment. "I see. Well, I was hoping you would continue to invest in Sanditon. But I understand. You have been quite generous already and I will return the money you have already invested—with interest."

Sidney smiled briefly. "Good. Well, it has been a long day and I shall turn in for the night. You may tell Mary, Arthur, and Diana the news when you deem appropriate."

"Sidney, I am sick about what I said earlier to you—"

"Not now, Tom." He moved past his brother and almost out into the hall before Tom called him again.

"Sidney, is everything all right with you and Mrs. Campion?"

"Of course, Tom. Why would it not be?" Sidney did not turn back to his brother; he quickly left the room, passing Mary on his way upstairs.

"Sidney's on his way to bed?" Mary asked Tom. "He just told me good night. It's a bit early yet, isn't it?"

"He said he's had a long day." Tom clasped Mary's hands. "Mary, I have news. I've been wanting to tell you all evening, but Sidney insisted on his telling Mrs. Campion first. The meeting Sidney and I attended today was with Lord Fairchild, a financier of the Prince Regent's. The Prince Regent has agreed to finance the terrace repairs for the entire eighty thousand pounds and Sanditon itself to the tune of one hundred thousand pounds for the next five years. "

Mary was nearly speechless. "The Prince Regent is investing in Sanditon? Tom, that's wonderful!"

"It comes with a cost, Mary. It is still very difficult for me to say, but I...I am no longer responsible for the management of Sanditon."

"I don't understand."

"Unfortunately, my reputation and difficulties with money have preceded me. I will only be seeking new businesses and visitors for Sanditon. I will answer to Lord Fairchild. It was the only way to secure the funding, Mary. All decisions regarding Sanditon will be made by him. Finance, labor, and I fear the design of Sanditon's buildings will fall under his purview."

"Oh, Tom. I am so sorry."

"There is more. Sidney and I had a terrible argument earlier."

"About what?"

"It was truly my fault. I initially refused to sign Lord Fairchild's contract. The thought of Sanditon being managed by someone else. By someone I hardly know. Someone who has no idea of what Sanditon means to me and the Parker family. It was untenable. Sidney thought I was being foolish, and things became quite intense. I...said some things I now wish I hadn't."

"What did you say?" she asked warily.

"I told Sidney that he had not considered the Parker legacy when he was drinking and carousing after his engagement to Mrs. Campion ended."

Mary leaned back involuntarily, her eyes wide with shock at Tom's callousness. "Oh, Tom..."

"I know, Mary, I know. Sidney is not that man anymore. He has lent me money and appealed to numerous banks on my behalf. I was...frightened. The Prince Regent is insistent that Sanditon be profitable. And while I understand that because he is contributing a great deal of money, I do not know what Lord Fairchild's plans for Sanditon are. It may not be recognizable by the time he is done. It may not be the Sanditon I dreamed of."

"You have no idea what Sidney has sacrificed for you, Tom," Mary said, slowly shaking her head. "None at all."

Tom's eyebrows came together in bewilderment. "What do you mean?"

"Sidney is not marrying Mrs. Campion because he loves her. He is marrying her for her money so that he can give it to you to repair the terrace. He is in love with Charlotte."

"What? In love with Charlotte?" Tom fumbled for words. "How...how do you know this?"

"He told me the day before yesterday. I suspected something was blossoming between him and Charlotte, but when he came back from London and said he was marrying Mrs. Campion, I was convinced I was wrong. He nearly proposed to Charlotte at the Midsummer Ball, Tom."

Tom released Mary and put his hands to his temple. "Oh, Mary. I…do not know what to say. How did I not see? No wonder he was so angry with me. My God, Mary, he must think I am truly awful. Not only did I handle things badly to put him in the position of having to marry Mrs. Campion, but I also insulted him when he tried to talk me out of turning Lord Fairchild's offer down."

"I think Sidney was most certainly hurt by your words, Tom. You have to make it right with him."

"No apology will ever be enough, Mary. He is set to marry a woman he does not love. He—" Tom stopped, a realization dawning on him. "He asked me not to tell anyone about Lord Fairchild's offer until he could tell Mrs. Campion, but he didn't say why. Do you think...do you think he tried to end the engagement?"

"No, I cannot imagine Sidney doing such a thing. He knows that wouldn't be acceptable. But perhaps he was hoping that if he told Mrs. Campion, she would change her mind."

Tom shook his head. "I do not think she has. Sidney said he told her and that he would not be giving me the eighty thousand pounds after they were married." Tom was in an agitated state, the consequences of his ill-advised choices beginning to fully weigh on him. "Mary, how will we attend the wedding knowing Sidney's heart is with Charlotte? And the dinner tomorrow! Charlotte is here. They will see each other. Sidney will have to pretend that—"

"Sidney will manage, and we will pretend as if we know nothing," Mary said calmly, holding his hands again. "We must pretend as if we know nothing. Sidney would not want it to be any other way."

"What have I done, Mary?"

Mary looked at her husband, the anguish clear in his tone. She pressed her forehead lovingly against his chest and wrapped her arms around him. "I do not know, Tom. But we are Parkers, and we will see our way through this, together."