Before we get started with this next chapter, I'd like to respond to a recent review from a guest. I generally prefer to respond to reviews in a private message but I can't do that with guest reviews. Anyway, I wanted to say that I appreciate your comments and your well-considered feedback.
The emotional depth Charlotte shows (or perhaps doesn't show) in this story is something that I know needs a bit of work. I am also aware that there are some inconsistencies where I have changed my mind about certain details part way through. I will be going back and editing this eventually but that won't be until I have finished writing this first draft.
Part of the reason I upload chapters while they are still in their draft form is because I find huge motivation to write after reading all of your comments. And I MASSIVELY appreciate all your feedback on what is good and what needs work.
So, thank you, everyone, and most especially Fiona, whoever you may be.
Charlotte snapped her head round to look at her husband who was sat beside her on the carriage bench and trying to supress his amusement at her reaction. He did not succeed. Eventually, Lord Morpeth gave in and a wide smirk stole over his face.
"George…" Charlotte began but left her question unspoken.
George, however, knew his wife well enough to determine her thoughts and responded to her obvious desire for information. "Yes, love, we are headed to Sanditon. You always speak so fondly of it and I thought you would like the surprise. Besides, were it not for this town, and of course, Lady Worcester, we might never have met and my world, at least, would be a duller place. How could I not want to see it for myself?" He explained.
Charlotte's toying her bottom lip with her teeth betrayed her inner conflict. She was, mostly, delighted to be once more in the lovely seaside resort town, and very keen indeed to witness the changes and progress over the years since her departure that were sure to be seen. But for all the happy wonderful memories she had made here, there would always be a part of her that was afraid to venture close for fear of the pain of those last few days resurfacing.
Charlotte would not be cowed, however. They were here now, and very soon it would be too late to turn back without being seen. She would face it all head on and she would not allow her fears to batter her spirits. What cared she to encounter Sidney Parker? Whatever they had shared was not to be and she had long accepted that; she had, most whole heartedly, moved on. She would not be where she was now, married, as she was, to a man she loved, had she not.
But perhaps that was cruel of her? She had loved Sidney Parker once; and she was not so foolish as to believe that love ever really disappeared. Not truly. Not completely. Perhaps the better truth was that she had known love and grown from it and was thankful for it; but it had torn her down. And then, she had rebuilt herself, stronger for it and it had formed her into the woman she was today.
Charlotte was happy. The love and sadness that had once been inspired in her by Sidney Parker were things she could not regret, and only rarely did she wonder how things might have been. Yes, Charlotte thought, should they encounter one another, she was strong enough to face him. And there was no certainty they would. Indeed, the man may not even be in Sanditon.
"You are far too good to me. Sometimes I wonder if you are quite real." She said at last as their carriage came in view of the town. "It will be delightful and I am sure you will love it as I do before you can even comprehend it is happening." She smiled and then asked how long they were to stay even as she began to almost vibrate with excitement.
"What say you to remaining the summer in its entirety? I've a house on a sea front terrace leased through August complete, and I am assured it is a most masterful construction with views to the sea and parade as well as the town. We would travel directly to Castle Howard then, in lieu of returning to Town, as the season will be much passed. Though of course we may leave whenever we wish."
George shared his plans with her; what plans he had that was, for they were admittedly rather threadbare in content. But their conversation halted there as they rolled to a stop outside a middling sized town house of white and brown brick with a vibrant red door set between two large sash windows each of which were mirrored on larger scale at the first floor with two dormer windows standing out from the roofline. The row of houses was set back from the street a way and boasted simple but excellently maintained arrangements of planted flowers and box hedging to complement the short paths and steps up to their doors.
Charlotte and George were greeted at the door by the housekeeper and butler, who maintained possession of its keys during unoccupied periods, when they departed the carriage and a footman set to helping Colin and their coachman cart their trunks inside. Alyona hopped down from the second seat on the driver's bench and was taken around the back to the servants entrance by a housemaid who would show her to the small attic room she would use during their stay and all the realms under the servants' purview.
"Lord and Lady Morpeth, we welcome you to Sanditon." The Butler, whose name was Michaels and would answer to very little else, intoned soberly. "I hope you find all to your liking while you remain here and we are, of course, at your disposal to meet any need you may have." The man, who was perhaps in his fifties, bowed then and offered to divulge them of their outerwear as they moved into the house.
The entrance hall was moderately sized and well-appointed with light stone-tiled floors and a blue Persian rug dominating the centre of it under a round table with a vase of wildflowers. There was a small bench set against the shorter wall of the staircase which could be seen curving round and up to floor above with a door set into the right of the far wall that opened up the small garden space behind the house. The walls were half panelled with white painted wood, covered with golden Chinese wall fabrics and there were three doors leading to what were surely a drawing room, library and a dining room through which the kitchens and service rooms in the rear wing could be accessed.
Being late in the afternoon, George and Charlotte ate and retired to bed early, tired from travelling for so much of the day. Which is not to say that they fell immediately to sleep. No; they would take every opportunity to pursue those intimate activities shared only, where the act was a respectable one, by husbands and wives. After all, there was much pleasure and joy to found with each other in the privacy of their bedchamber.
The next morning, Charlotte set out to call upon Georgiana as soon as the proper hour was achieved. She was a little unsure that she should leave her husband behind, but George was quick to assure her that he had no quarrel with her venturing to see her friend and was quite well aware his presence would only interfere with his reunion. He would content himself with evaluating the contents of the library, seeing to some correspondence and familiarising himself with the whereabouts of the post office.
The sun was high in the sky and it's glittering reflections of the sea could be glimpsed between the rows of houses as Charlotte traversed the streets towards Mrs Griffiths School which, as far as Charlotte could tell from the last letter she had received from her friend, was still the younger girl's direction. Charlotte was in luck, for no sooner had she turned down the street than she spied the very person she sought.
"Georgiana!" she called out gleefully and dashed to catch up to her. Georgiana and her companion whom Charlotte did not recognise, turned at the sound of her name and, upon realising this was her dearest friend, abandoned her walking companion in favour of greeting Charlotte with equal enthusiasm.
"Charlotte! I am so glad you are here. It has been so unutterably dull without you and my guardian has not ceased to be his usual boorish self. In fact, I think he has only become worse!" the younger girl gushed as the two women embraced for the first time in far too long. After all, when last the met, Charlotte had been atop a horse and then so soundly unprepared for Georgiana's sudden and eventful subsequent appearance that she had neglected to act as friend should.
"I am on my honeymoon and my husband though to surprise me with a visit to Sanditon; he reasons we would never have met if not for this place. Georgiana! I know you far too well to believe you are truly bored here, why you probably make quite enough excitement for all your neighbour to share in. Tell me, have there been any further rotten pineapples for you to be outraged by? Everything in your letters suggests you have come to take great delight in convincing people they have bestowed you some terrible insult."
"Yes! Yes! I read the announcement in the papers. I did not quite believe it at first; that you should marry a Viscount. If my guardian's wife is to be believed, we, neither of us, share the fashionable manners preferred by the Ton. For you are too naturally happy and open, and I too wild, to be judged by them kindly. But then it is not so difficult to believe that someone might have recognised you for the diamond you are, Charlotte, especially with Lady Susan's support. So I can only be happy for you, though I care not a whit for their opinions."
Georgiana eventually remembered her companion who had been standing with them looking quite lost and a little miserable at being ignored. "Oh! Charlotte, this is Miss Charity Entworth. She is new to Sanditon, having only joined Mrs Griffiths this past winter. Charity, this is my friend Charlotte, though I image we really should call her Lady Morpeth now that she is married." Georgiana made the introductions between her two friends in her usual spirited manner.
"When Miss Entworth first arrived, she was a sodden miserable little thing but she reminded me a little of you in her absolute wonder at something so simple as the ocean." Georgiana laughed. "I was quite resolved to befriend her and pull her from that horrid little shell she had stuffed herself into. I am very pleased with myself for she is much more inclined to speak her thoughts now. I may make a fellow hoyden of her yet!"
Miss Entworth, who could of course hear everything Miss Lambe said, frowned a little at her friend's teasing. "I do not wish to become a hoyden like you, Georgiana. I have not your inclination towards wildness. It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Morpeth, and you have my heartfelt congratulations on your marriage. Georgiana has spoken of you often and I hope we shall have the opportunity to become acquainted while you are with us here in Sanditon?"
The girl, who was but eighteen in years, spoke with a calm resolve and cheerful tone but her bright smile belied her gentle manners and revealed a little of the energy within. Charlotte could understand Georgiana's comments now. She too recognised that energy as being very similar to her own spirit, though better moderated than Charlotte knew herself to have been at that age.
The ladies moved inside then and sat down to enjoy a tray of tea and biscuits as they continued their conversation. Georgiana and Miss Entworth, Charity, please, she had quickly insisted, did not take long to quiz Charlotte on her plans for the duration of her stay here.
"Well we have a house leased through to the end of the summer and I doubt we will depart before the full heat of August. It has been too long since I have been to Sanditon and I did not realise how much I missed it until I was here again so I am in no hurry to quit it so soon." Charlotte said as she plucked a biscuit from the plate before them and nibbled at it a little before deciding the taste of it made her stomach turn a little too much to finish and set it upon her saucer where it would remain untouched.
"Then you will be here for the Sanditon Regatta and the Midsummer Ball. That tradition began the year after you left, I'm told, when Mr Parker decided the Regatta alone was not enough. Truly, that man's energy is exhausting! Are you acquainted with the Parkers, my lady?" Charity enquired.
Charlotte laughed. "I am acquainted with all three of the Parker brothers, but as you are speaking of energy I can only imagine you are referring to Tom Parker. And you are right; if he is unchanged then his enthusiasm is boundless!" she declared gaily. "It was Mr Parker and his wife, May, that I stayed with when I first came to Sanditon and I still consider them my friends though it has been far too long since I have seen them. I intend to call on them tomorrow!"
Charity could not help but smile at the Viscountess' energy and was drawn in and made comfortable by her happy manners and friendly countenance. Georgiana, who, for all her outward appearance of unchecked boisterousness, had truly matured a great deal in recent years, which was not to say that she did not still have occasional moments of truly shocking rebellion, was pleased that her two friends had taken so well to each other. She was delighted at the excess of fun she was sure to have now that she was properly reunited with her favourite friend.
The group had been chatting for close to an hour when Charlotte began to take her leave. She was in the midst of inviting the two ladies to take tea with her in a day or two when the door to the drawing room opened to admit another caller, led by a maid who informed them a gentleman had arrived for Miss Lambe but neglected to give his name.
He was a tall fellow, dressed darkly and with a rumpled look to him that was unusual to see in a gentleman of means. He had been facing away from them as he entered the room, in the process of removing his gloves and hat, but Charlotte gasped and almost froze as she recognised him when he turned to them.
"Miss Heywood!" he barked out as he ground to a sudden halt.
She had not expected to meet Sidney Parker quite so soon and floundered aimlessly for a second and missed his own shocked greeting. It was only Georgiana scoffing that brought her back to her senses as she said, "Good Lord, Sidney! I know you don't like to be bothered with gossip but it amazes me that you could be so completely unaware that Charlotte has not been Miss Heywood for almost two months now!" she berated her guardian. It was an unusual shift in their dynamic to be sure; usually it was him scolding her!
"Mr Parker." Charlotte greeted him in return with more strength in her voice than she truly felt. "You are well, I hope?" she asked awkwardly, entirely ill-equipped to know what to say to the man who stood before her. Esther was right, she thought, he does look exceedingly unkempt.
"Well enough, Miss He- Mrs …" he drifted off not knowing what to call her. "You have me at a disadvantage ma'am. You have witnessed Georgiana imparting the knowledge that you are no longer Miss Heywood but I have no knowledge of your husband. Perhaps you might fill the gap?"
Charlotte smiled at the mention of her husband, as she always did, and enlightened him. "My married name is Howard, Sir. My husband is George Howard, the Viscount Morpeth." She said and then felt compelled to fill the resulting silence. "I am pleased to hear you are well, and Mrs Parker, I hope she is well too." She said, a little residual bitterness over the whole affair with Eliza Campion lacing her tone when asking after that woman's health.
Sidney drew in a shocked breath at discovering Charlotte, no, Lady Morpeth, he corrected himself in his mind, he had lost the right to even think of her in so familiar terms when he had chosen to affiance himself to the harpy that was his wife, had married so far above either of their situations; his present and her former. But he supposed if anyone deserved such elevation, it was her. He did not like it though; to know that any chance he may have ever had was likely gone.
He succeeded in letting out only a strangled "quite" in reply.
Charlotte was thankful that Georgiana, who, though not acquainted with every detail, knew much of their history and previous unspoken attachment, decided to take pity on her friend and guardian and put them out of their misery. For a little while at least. It was not entirely selfless of her though; the whole brief interlude had been excruciating in its awkwardness thus far!
"Guardian," she began in the most spoilt and demanding tone she could summon, "Charlotte was just inviting us to take tea with her later this week before she departed. She must have much more important things to do, now that she is a great lady, than listen to your senseless blathering. You are barring her way! Do sit down and let her take her leave." She ordered, utterly without sympathy. "I'm sure Charity and I shall be delighted to join you, Charlotte. Send us a note with the time and place and we shall be there."
Charlotte found herself thoroughly dismissed and was relieved to escape onto the street where there was no tension at all to be found in the air. As she walked home, she considered the past few moments and concluded that it could have been a good deal worse than it had been. And now that the first meeting has been had, all futures instances could only be pleasanter by comparison, she thought.
No matter what she told herself though, Charlotte was not looking forward to meeting with his wife once more.
