Chapter 9
Sidney lay awake in his bed staring at the ceiling. For the first time since he and Charlotte parted on that cliff top in Sanditon, he felt…hopeful. He heard the echo of her voice in his mind. Sidney had kept replaying her overheard words in his memory all afternoon, "I love him." It was all he could do to feign ignorance throughout the visit. By the end, Charlotte's nearness was too much for him to resist any longer. Sidney had put off telling her how he felt for too long. His actions were downright scandalous for his current position, but he hadn't cared in that moment. His fingertips gently brushed her cheek and ear as he'd replaced that beautiful, wayward curl. She had closed her eyes after his admission. Sidney leaned in; nearly close enough to rest his forehead against hers gently. He had come so close to sealing his declaration with a kiss. But at the last moment, he remembered himself and had as good as run away in a bid to put as much distance between himself and Charlotte for propriety's sake. Sidney got up, walked across the room to where his coat hung on the back of a chair and reached into the pocket to retrieve the key to his desk drawer. His fingers collided with a stiff bit of paper, which he retrieved, along with the key, with a bit of confusion. Ah, yes, the letter he'd stowed in his pocket upon arrival in Sanditon. He'd never read it. Sidney walked over to his desk chair and sat, lighting a candle. He did not recognize the handwriting or the wax seal securing the correspondence. Sliding his finger underneath the seal, he opened the letter and leaned closer to the candlelight in order to read.
Dear Mr. Parker,
I'm a bit put out that you were either not creative enough, or perhaps bold enough, to come to me when all other doors in London were closed to you. Instead, you've made a deal with the devil.
Your luck is about to change, Mr. Parker. Believe me when I say that you have substantial grounds to call off your engagement to Mrs. Campion. Sanditon will be saved without her wretched money (or lack thereof).
Fight for love, Mr. Parker. Marry for love. Goodness knows you deserve a bit of happiness in your life after all the misery you've lived.
Sincerely,
Your Fairy Godmother
Sidney felt his heart pounding in his chest and heard blood rushing in his ears. This was surely too good to be true. He got up, paced several times, and returned to his desk to re-read the letter over and over. He went to the wash stand and splashed his face with cool water to make sure he was truly awake. Much to his delight, he was indeed awake. With purpose, Sidney strode back to his desk and opened the drawer. He pulled out the velvet box and opened it. The gold heart locket glittered in the moonlight shining through the window. The front was decorated with a seashell which held a pearl at the very center. Inside he'd had a favorite Heraclitus quote engraved, "It is in changing that we find purpose." Then a personal note, "You are my purpose. Love, S." He'd seen it in the jewelry shop window when he was in London frantically trying to find a solution for Tom. As soon as he saw it, he'd smiled, thinking of Charlotte. Sidney had purchased it and planned to have it delivered to her on the morning of their wedding. He snapped the box closed and sighed with determination.
A couple miles away, Charlotte lay awake staring at the moonlight streaming through her bedroom window replaying Sidney's admission over and over again. She touched her cheek, still feeling his soft fingertips as they brushed past gently, lovingly. Charlotte closed her eyes, stretched, inhaled deeply, and sighed contentedly. She had walked around the rest of the day in a euphoric type of haze. Lady Susan had listened to Charlotte's recounting of her afternoon. She'd observed Charlotte with a knowing smile, feeling rather pleased with the current turn of events. Things were in full motion now, and it seemed everyone was playing their parts perfectly. Whether or not they realized they had parts to play was of no consequence at this point. Lady Susan had reminded Charlotte that there are no foregone conclusions when it comes to love.
The next morning dawned bright and hopeful. Charlotte dressed quickly and made her way downstairs to the breakfast room. Lady Susan was already there, reading correspondence. "Good Morning, Charlotte! Did you sleep well?"
"Yes, very. What's the news of London today?"
"The Prince Regent is hosting a ball at the palace three days hence. We have been invited, my dear girl. We have much to do today to get ready."
"How exciting! But…"
"Why are you suddenly downcast, Charlotte?"
"Well, Georgiana has a dress fitting today and had asked me to accompany her, and I promised I would."
"Perfect! As luck would have it, you also have a dress fitting today, darling."
"Oh, of course! The Royal ball. Forgive me Susan, I am still feeling a bit out of sorts today."
"Not at all. All will be well. Do you trust me, Charlotte?"
Charlotte's head snapped up as she looked at Susan, "Implicitly, Susan."
"Good. Now, eat up. You'll need your strength for the day! Oh, I almost forgot…there are a couple of letters for you."
Charlotte brightened and took the offered letters from Susan, "Thank you."
The first letter was from Alison, regaling her of all the happenings of Willingden. It was true, nothing ever happened in Willingden. Her breath caught as she looked at the second letter. With shaking hands, Charlotte opened the missive. Her heart started to race as she read. It was unsigned, but after months of working as Tom Parker's secretary, she'd recognize Sidney's handwriting anywhere.
Might I have reason to hope for the honor of the first and last with you at the Regent's Ball?
Charlotte bit her bottom lip trying hard not to giggle foolishly. She excused herself from breakfast and rushed back to her room to pen a reply. Sitting down, she dipped her pen in the ink and took a deep breath to steady her trembling hand.
Charlotte sealed the letter and walked as quickly as she dared to place the message on the silver plate by the front door for outgoing messages.
At Bedford Place, Sidney had just settled himself at the breakfast table to discuss the day's plans with Georgiana. "What's your day look like, Georgiana?"
"Dress fitting with Charlotte and Lady W. You?"
"I have some business correspondence to catch up on, and a few calls to make."
"How exciting," replied Georgiana, dryly. "Aren't you going to tell me what happened between you and Charlotte after I excused myself yesterday?"
Sidney smiled slightly and looked down at his plate. "No, Georgiana, not yet, at least."
Georgiana sighed, put out. "Spoil sport."
The butler brought in correspondence and placed it next to Sidney. "Thank you."
Sidney rifled through the pile, "Ah, here's one for you, Georgiana, from….Arthur?"
Georgiana snatched the letter excitedly from his hand, "What? I'm allowed to have pen pals."
Sidney raised his eyebrows, "Indeed." When he got to the bottom of the pile he stopped short. His heart felt as if it would beat right out of his chest. He quickly opened the response and read it:
There's always reason to hope, Sir.
Sidney smiled a wide, boyish grin, feeling an excitement in the pit of his stomach that he hadn't felt since the day after the regatta, when she'd agreed to take a walk with him.
