Chapter 7
The coach bounced along the road to London. Georgiana watched morosely as the landscape passed outside. She was glad to be going to London, but miserable out of principle for being uprooted yet again. Sidney sat across from her looking out the opposite window looking stern as ever. The ride had been a quiet one, and neither of them had, up to this point, ventured to break the silence for fear of breaking the rare peace that resided between the two. Sidney was the first to speak.
"I hope you are agreeable to coming to London and staying at Bedford Place."
Georgiana continued to look out the window, "Do I really have a choice?"
Sidney looked at her and sighed. Would there ever be a time she didn't treat him with such disdain? He allowed the silence to overtake them once more.
This time it was Georgiana who filled the silence. "I would like to see Charlotte when we arrive."
Sidney perked up at this, "Yes, of course. I can imagine she will be happy to have another friendly face in London."
"So, you've seen her then?"
"Yes, I saw her at a ball a couple nights ago."
"I hope she ignored you."
Sidney replied, "Why would you say such a thing, Georgiana?"
Georgiana pinned Sidney with cold, dark eyes, "Because you broke her heart. I told her not to trust you."
Sidney's eyes darkened and challenged Georgiana's glare; his anger boiling over, "What have I ever done to make you say I am untrustworthy?! Was it when I took responsibility for your wellbeing? When I rescued you from the clutches of an evil, money hungry wolf?! When I paid off the debts for your Mr. Molyneux and allowed you a proper parting?! What will it take to gain your trust? Your approval? Or at the very least, your civility?"
Georgiana was quiet for a moment. Leaning forward, she said through clenched teeth, "Creed."
Sidney's eyes widened and he sat back, suddenly bewildered he quietly replied, "Creed?"
"I don't know what you said to make my father hate him, but it's your fault I never saw him again, I know it."
Sidney took a deep breath, debating whether or not to tell Georgiana the truth. The truth she may very well never believe. He looked at her with new eyes. Is that what all this pent up anger had been about? Deciding it was time to make all known, he began to tread with care. "Georgiana, what do you know about Creed Wilkins, exactly?"
"I know that he loved me, was ready to marry me and said as much, and then one day, he was gone, and you had something to do with it."
Sidney smiled sorrowfully and replied, "Your father had reason to believe that Mr. Wilkins was the reason for your mother's death. Mr. Lambe was also concerned there would be an attempt on your life, and that Mr. Wilkins' part was to lure you to a certain place at a certain time. He told me as much and asked me to investigate, to keep tabs on him. So, I did. What I found was a confirmation of your father's suspicions and fears. Wilkins planned to sell you and put you on the next ship bound for Georgia. Finding out about your mother took more time and investigation, but I finally found out through some witnesses that he had taken advantage of your mother, strangled her, and then dumped her body in the harbor…" Sidney stopped and gave Georgiana a moment to digest the information.
Georgiana had leaned back in her seat, and her eyes had grown sad and angry. She sat on her hands to keep them from trembling, but didn't have as much luck with her lower lip. She blinked and a single tear fell from her right eye and landed onto her traveling coat. Georgiana looked down at her lap for several minutes. Anger flashed in her eyes as she looked up at Sidney, "What happened to him? Tell me you killed him, Sidney."
Sidney narrowed his eyes and furrowed his brow, as if trying to see the memory more clearly in his mind, remembering. "I'm not sure if he was dead or not. The day he was set to lure you, I beat him to a bloody pulp and put him on a ship bound for New Holland. That was when your father decided that I would be your guardian when the time came."
Georgiana reached a hand across the coach and squeezed Sidney's hand. The gesture took Sidney by surprise and he nearly flinched. "I'm sorry, Sidney. Thank you for what you have done for me. I wish you had said something sooner."
Sidney squeezed her hand in return and smiled wryly, "I would have if I thought you would've let me speak long enough to get it all out."
Georgiana laughed, her spirits restored. She pulled her hand away and folded her hands in her lap, pinning Sidney with a conspiratorial look, "Now, how are we going to resolve things with this wretched Mrs. Campion so you can marry my best friend after all?"
