Dinner was fast approaching and the slumbering residents both in the hotel and Trafalgar House were waking up.

Charlotte managed to have a nap for half an hour but she was too excited to sleep longer than that. She was looking at her father's letter for her mother. It occurred to her that it would do no harm for her to write to her papa and her siblings. They would enjoy that.

She sat then and composed a long letter for her siblings and one for her father. The letter to her younger siblings was kept mostly light and playful in order to entertain them. However, the letter to her papa was more serious. She felt that she had to outline her relationship with Sidney, the details of her collapse and what happened after she woke up. She would do whatever she could so that her papa would be favourable towards her betrothed. So, she did! She put her heart and soul in that letter. She would give it to her mama to send out.

Sidney woke up from his nap and rushed to get dressed. He did not realise that it was already ten minutes past seven- he must have snoozed after the hotel receptionist woke him. He must have been very tired to sleep this long. He collected his letter and made his way out of his room. He met with the Heywood ladies and Lady Susan in the hotel's drawing room and all four of them made their way to Trafalgar House. Diana and Arthur joined them just when they reached it. Therefore, a merry party entered the house.

Mary welcomed her guests and encouraged them to join her at the sitting room and told them that dinner would be served shortly. Mrs Heywood and Alison excused themselves as they wanted to check on Charlotte. They found her ready and waiting to join the company for dinner, which pleased them immensely. Charlotte took the chance to give her mother her letters to her father and siblings as well as the letter that was sent for her mother's attention that morning.

Mrs Heywood missed her husband so a letter from him was a very precious commodity. She was very excited to receive it and both her daughters could tell as it was unusual for their mother to be all fingers and thumbs. Charlotte and Alison waited until their mother took her time to absorb the contents of the letter in her hands. They could see a number of different emotions passing through her face. She then looked at her two daughters, smiled at them and gave them the letter to read for themselves with a Cheshire-cat-like grin on her face.

The two sisters read the letter carefully and eagerly. Their papa told her mother about their siblings' adventures and that the whole family would arrive in Sanditon on Monday and stay for a week. They were also delighted to read that their family would be joined by their second cousin from their mother's side, Frederick Hanson and another guest. Their father wrote that he had some very important news to share with them upon his arrival.

Both girls flushed and their cheeks went beet red when they read that Frederick would arrive in Sanditon soon. They both used to have a childhood crush on him. It was a passing one for both of them as their hearts belonged to someone else at the moment- Charlotte was infatuated with Sidney and Alison with Mr Stringer, but they could not help themselves as their cousin was exceedingly handsome. He apparently turned heads everywhere he went which was a fact that did not leave the female members of his family immune to his charms.

Mrs Heywood knew exactly what her daughters were thinking. She secretly thought that getting their suitors a bit jealous and getting them to court them more openly would not do either of them any harm at all. Both Mr Sidney Parker and Mr James Stringer needed a push and Frederick was just the ticket. She was sure he would enjoy the sport very much. Oh, what fun she would have with her future son-in-laws!

All three Heywood ladies made their way to the dining room after the letter has been read. Charlotte was very excited to be able to have dinner with the rest of them instead of her bedroom. She could also hear Sidney's voice and she desperately wanted to see him, which was something both her mother and sister teased her endlessly about. She could only laugh and roll her eyes at both them good-naturedly. She would reveal the secret to them with Sidney after dinner. She could not wait!

Tom made his way down to the sitting room in trepidation. He thought of his father's words and he vowed to pay more attention to the people around him this evening. He entered the room, greeted the present company and kissed his wife's hand, which caused her to blush furiously. Just then Charlotte, her mother and sister entered the room and the whole room really came alive due to the sparks between Sidney and Charlotte.

Tom was amazed at the difference. It was as if his father's words had lifted a veil from his eyes. He found that just by not being the centre of attention, he could then see how the other people behaved. Sidney, Diana and Arthur were still wary of him. He could tell from their body language- it was stiff and defensive. Mary was cautious and did not know what to make of him. Lady Susan was her normal, polite self without revealing her thoughts to anyone but her chosen close circle of friends. Mrs Heywood and Alison were as amiable as ever. Charlotte was smiling at everyone spreading a wave of good will throughout the room. Yet, the moment her eyes fell on Sidney, she glowed like a diamond and so did he.

Tom felt like a fool. He saw the same reaction between Sidney and Charlotte at the ball in London. He thought that it was Mrs Campion that made Sidney happy! Well, he was blind! His father was perfectly right to take him to task in that letter. He did not pay any attention to anything! Tom Parker, told he, to himself, you are a blundering fool! No wonder your wife wants nothing to do with you. Look at how Sidney looks at Charlotte and she at him. That is what being in love means. Not what you do! I say again you are a first-rate fool! You better find a way out of this and soon.

The rest of the group were not witness to Tom's internal telling-off to his own self as they were not used to him observing them. They did not make much of it. Yet, Mary noticed a slight difference. Her gregarious husband's eyes were fleeting from person to person with interest noticing what each of them was doing, saying or feeling. A slight glimmer of hope entered her heart. Whether that glimmer of hope would turn into a flower, that was up to Tom. All she could do was wait for his next move. For it was definitely his move and not hers!

The whole party walked into the dining room. They settled down to their dinner without the children that evening. Mary imparted to the company that the children had had their dinner earlier and went straight to sleep after their day at the beach. They would enjoy an adult dinner this evening.

Mary made sure to place Sidney and Charlotte next to each other. They were so close to each other that Sidney took his chance to hold his betrothed's hand throughout dinner. He could feel the warmth of her body and it drove him mad. He relished touching her bare skin and the effect it had on her. She was blushing furiously and she kept throwing him not so secret glances and coy smiles which were only too obvious to the rest of the people in the room.

Yes, Charlotte did indeed find it really difficult to eat as Sidney's touch on her bare skin was very distracting. All she could do is smile at him to show him how she appreciated what he was doing. What she really wanted was to be alone with him in the room- it was one of those times where being proper weighed upon her a bit too much.

Mrs Heywood and Lady Susan exchanged silent glances of their hostess, who with just a slight nod of her head imparted the knowledge of Charlotte and Sidney's courtship to them. They understood of the secrecy, smiled at each other and each of them promised to be surprised when they heard of it.

It was certainly a novelty that Tom even noticed that silent communication between the three women. He wondered what they were telling each other. It must be good news judging from their smiles. He was always amazed how one woman could exchange one look with the other and they could communicate a million things. He wondered why could not men do that? What a shame it was!

The dinner was proceeding nicely until Mrs Heywood decided to start the fond torturing of her future son-in-law. She mentioned her family's visit to Sanditon on Monday as well as Frederick's and the other guest whom she did not know anything about.

The whole company delighted in hearing of the Heywood family visit. Some dreaded it as well though- Sidney for example would meet Charlotte's father for the first time. That was enough to make him nervous. Yet, he had the strangest feeling that both Charlotte's and Alison's cheeks went a touch redder at the mention of their cousin's name and both girls focussed on their plates for an unusually long time. He did not like this and the green monster of jealousy came out with a vengeance. Charlotte was his and his alone! Her cousin would just have to do without her or else!

He knew she loved him. He was sure of that! Nevertheless, it would do no harm to ask her about this cousin of hers. The only man she should be blushing would be him alone! His mind has already started looking at ways he would get her to do just that! He might just drop a hint to Mr Stringer to get a move on if he did not want to lose his chance with Alison. He made a mental note to do so on Sunday during their meeting.

Sidney's slight change of emotion did not go unnoticed by Charlotte as he was still holding her hand when he momentarily went all stiff at the mention of her cousin's name and a slight scowl spread on his face. She grinned at him for that and she nearly wanted to laugh aloud at his puzzled expression when he looked back at her!

He was jealous! Well, she loved him dearly, but she thought that a bit of a push for him to make more of an effort during their courtship would not go amiss. Yes, Frederick's visit was very well timed, indeed! She only had brotherly feelings for her cousin so she was looking forward to seeing him again. He was an excellent conversationalist so she enjoyed talking to him very much.

Charlotte kept on with her thoughts whilst eating her dinner. Her mama was a very wise woman, which Charlotte acknowledged by looking at her mama and nodding her head slightly in agreement. Mother and daughter understood each other perfectly without any explanations or statements. Lady Susan caught on what was happening and grinned at both Charlotte and her mother. She would grill both of them for information of cousin Frederick at the next appropriate moment.