The arrival of Tom and Mary at Trafalgar House also coincided with the arrival of a messenger and the postman. The messenger had two messages for Sidney- one from Lord Babington confirming the morning visit to Lady Denham and another one from the new investors confirming their arrival in Sanditon on Tuesday morning. The postman also brought a letter for Mrs Heywood which Charlotte took in order to pass on to her mother when she arrived for dinner.
Tom seemed unbothered by all those arrivals. He was still lost in his own world and did not notice the knowing looks that Mary, Charlotte and Sidney exchanged when they read the messages. He simply left them to retire to his room in order to refine his strategy to win back his wife and his family. His blindfold to achieving that one goal only- not Sanditon on this occasion- and ignoring everyone and everything else has been resurrected in its full force. He was determined to write down a plan of places that he would take her and gifts that he would give her.
He did not want to waste one moment. Therefore, he started looking through the letters that they exchanged when they were courting for the first time. He hoped to find a hint of what she liked and what she did not like. He read through each of her responses greedily and made notes on what information he could use from them.
He kept on when he picked up the last letter from the pile. He thought that it would be another letter from Mary, but to his utter surprise it was not such a thing at all. It was an unopened letter from his father dated the day before he died.
Tom's initial reaction was to let it drop on the floor as if he had been burned by it just by touching it and refresh himself with a drop of red wine. He simply could not believe that his father would ever take the time to write to him. He had always been of the opinion that his father did not care for him further than the fact that he was the oldest child and that he had to do his duty to the family. However, his curiosity has already been roused. One thing that Tom could not resist was a sealed letter- especially one addressed to him.
He kneeled, picked the letter up and opened it with trembling fingers. The pages were crisp and white as if the letter was written yesterday. They still smelled of sandalwood and cigar smoke, which was his father's signature smell when he was alive, and the handwriting was strong albeit a bit messier than his father's normal handwriting.
To Tom, my heir and first born
This letter will surprise you as I am most likely dead when you read it. You are probably thinking now why I am even saying such things to you now of all times. I will explain. I am dying, my son. I will not get another chance to tell you all this. I hope that God will grant me the strength to finish this letter before he takes me in his embrace.
I have not been a good father to you- I am heartily sorry for that as this was not my wish. I have never written to you when I was alive and I sent you away to school. In fact, I have never sat down to speak to you as a father should have done because I did not want to be seen as weak. I have never sat down to play with you despite knowing how jealous you were when I did so with your brother. I have relied on your tutors to teach you what you should learn to be successful. I have told you off when I should not have done. I have stopped you from your passion of carving when I knew that you enjoyed it.
I have done all those things. However, I have not told you that I love you. I have not told you that the sight of you when you were born was the most memorable and happiest day in my life.
I am proud of you, my son. I am proud of what you have achieved in your life so far. You have finished your schooling trying very hard to please me. I know that you disliked all the subjects that you were taught and that all business topics were abhorrent to you.
Yet, you are a clever man, Tom. You can apply what you have learnt and make it count. Use your creativity and your business knowledge. Become a great man!
Did you know that you are very much like me when I was young? I was an enthusiastic child thriving on all creative topics and ignoring any serious business-related topics. My gracious parents granted me my wish. I thrived on learning to carve both stone and wood. I was a skilled craftsman. I craved to be become a craftsperson throughout childhood and young adulthood.
All my actions were guided then from my one deep-sided desire to achieve that goal unknowingly endangering my own family's fortune. This indeed happen in my twenties after unsuccessfully attempting to open my own crafts workshop. I had the skill to do the crafts work, but I could not manage my finances. That led to direct failure.
I was lucky that your uncle bailed me out and paid the debts. I was not married to your mother when that happened. Had I done that, then our whole family would have been in disgrace. You see our father, your grandfather, was dead by that time. My brother got me to learn the financial side and both of us worked on the family's businesses. We were a good team until the day he died. I then managed everything myself.
There you have my reason, Tom, for pushing you so hard when you were young. I could see you repeating my own mistakes and I was afraid for your future.
You focus on one goal, like me, and you, like me, ignore everyone and everything else around you, exactly like me. I hoped that, by giving you all the necessary training and education to be a gentleman and care for your fortune, you would you be more successful in your younger years than myself. Perhaps I was wrong but perhaps I was not. Only the future can tell- alas I cannot predict it!
We suffer from the same fault, my son. It does run in the family. You cannot fight it, but you can control it. It takes everything out of you and it is a constant battle. It caused me to cause pain to my family and ignore my relationship with my wife, your doting mother, in the first years of my marriage to her. Only when your brother, Sidney, arrived did I realise that I had to rethink my priorities lest I lose my family.
I tried my very best to increase the family fortune so that you all have a good inheritance. It was hard work, Tom. I am leaving some amounts to your brothers and sister, but the bulk of it will fall to you, Tom. Take care of it and make it last. Ask for help when you need it. Work with your siblings to preserve your inheritance. They can be your helpmates just like my brother was mine. Take their wishes into account.
You would need to be strong and set your priorities correctly. Being the centre of attention, as you wish to be-again exactly like me- will not help you in finding the ultimate satisfaction in your life. Balance it out. Notice what is happening around you. Mind people's feelings and wishes. Help others.
When you marry, Tom, honour your chosen mate with your full attention at all times and love your children unconditionally. Spend time with them.
I cannot make up from all my faults as your father. It is too late. All I ask of you, my son, is not to repeat them.
Love your family and your siblings. Both your mother and myself loved you all equally. There was no favourite despite what you may have thought. It is just difficult for some people to show their feelings. Your mother was good at that, but sadly, I have never had the talent for it. Yet, I tried in my own way.
I bid you goodbye, my son, until we see each other again.
Your father,
William Parker
Tom folded the letter, put it on the table and simply sat there looking at the white wall for the next five minutes. He was speechless and he was shocked beyond belief after reading this missive from his dead father. He could not believe that his own honoured father had been just like him. He could not believe that his father had also made mistakes.
On the one hand, he felt lighter with that knowledge. It felt good to know that his father had not been without faults. On the other hand, he understood that he had repeated his father's first financial disaster- Sanditon in his case. Tom was at the same crossroads as his father. Tom was also losing his family. His father acted promptly and he saved his. It stood to reason that if Tom did the same and mended his ways, then there was no reason for things to go wrong. This made him smile and gave him hope.
Yet, he was afraid. Very afraid. His father's insistence that he would need to constantly fight against his natural fault of being oblivious to other people's feelings and intentions scared him. He could not manage that himself. He could not tell when he succumbed to it. Could he ask Mary and his siblings to guide him? It was a worthy thought. He would show them the letter soon. Tom then put the letters in a safe place and decided to rest for a bit.
Whilst Tom was being enlightened by his dead father, the unacknowledged betrothed couple knew that they needed to part their ways at least until dinner. Charlotte excused herself to her room for a short nap giving a loving look full of promise to her betrothed which Sidney acknowledged with a wide smile. He kissed her hand and told her that he would see her at dinner. He then retired to Tom's study to compose the letter to Mr Heywood and respond to Lord Babington's and the investors' messages.
Mary observed their interaction and knew that there was something different about them. They were bathed in a mist of love that only belonged to people who were courting. She sighed at that. She knew that this is how Tom should behave with her, but her dear husband simply did not have the strength of mind to think of anything apart from his goal- whatever that might be- at the present moment. She would need to see how he behaved before she made up her mind about the fate of their marriage. This meant another night in the nursery with her children- not that she minded. She always found that she slept better there these days anyway. Sleeping with Tom in the same bed was more than she could actually bear at present.
Betsy was on her way to the kitchen when Mary asked her of the whereabouts of the children. Betsy confirmed that they were taking a nap. This was a brilliant opportunity to plan tomorrow's morning visit with Sidney. Therefore, she went to the study to find him.
Sidney finished his perusal of the messages from his friend and the investors. He was just finishing his responses to them when Mary entered the study. He confirmed who would be attending Lady Denham in the morning as well as the plan that he had hatched with Charlotte. He also wrote to the investors asking them to meet him at the hotel on Tuesday morning- heaven forbid that Tom got wind that they were here. He would ruin the whole thing before it got started.
Mary asked her brother-in-law with a mischievous smile, 'Well, Sidney, do you have any news for me?'
Sidney pretended to be ignorant of Mary's real question and impishly responded, 'Why, Mary, I do not know what you could possibly mean.'
Mary laughed aloud at that response, 'You could not hide your happiness even if you wanted to- you are terrible liar, brother. She said yes to courtship, didn't she?'
Sidney grinned happily and nodded his head vigorously, 'Yes, she did, Mary and I could not be happier-I am floating on air at present with no wish to come down to earth. I am about to write to her father to ask for permission as we speak.'
Mary gave him a warm hug, 'I am so happy for you both. If anybody deserves to be happy, it is you two. I will keep it to myself until you announce it formally. I promise to be very surprised!'
He kissed her on the cheek and said, 'Thank you Mary. We will tell her mother, Miss Alison and Lady Susan this evening. The official announcement will be made once her father gives his permission. Now that you are here, shall I tell you our plan of attack for tomorrow morning?'
Mary nodded and agreed to the suggestion. Sidney then went to tell her what he discussed with Charlotte and her plan for when they visited Lady Denham. He also told her of the investors' visit. Mary listened attentively and said, 'I agree with Charlotte. That is a very good plan. We are still keeping the visit a social one but still getting the chance to entice Lady Denham to sign the document. Your plan with the investors sounds good as well. Did you say that Charlotte with join us for dinner tonight?'
Sidney responded, 'Yes, she said she would do. She is feeling stronger. I wonder whether it would be wise for Dr Levinson to check up on her again? She wants to spend all her time outside now and I worry that she might overdo it. Not that the good doctor could stop her even if she wanted to do anything. Yet I just don't want her to relapse. I do not believe I would handle that well at all.'
Mary smiled at him, 'I understand completely. A last check-up would not hurt her, but please be prepared to be the receiver of her tantrums if the doctor says anything that she does not like. I will ask him for tea tomorrow.'
Sidney breathed out his relief, 'Thank you Mary. I know she will not like it. I will tell her that I have asked you to call him. However, I cannot help but worry. She is too precious for me to lose. I can sort out any potential tantrums in my own charming way with her.'
Mary laughed aloud again and got up to leave to the direction of her own room for a well-earned rest. Sidney asked her to send for two messengers to him. She said she would do so. Five minutes later his messages were on their way to their destinations. Thus, Sidney refocussed his attention to draft his letter to Charlotte's father. He knew that this letter was as important as his letter to Charlotte's mother asking her to read his letter to her daughter. He could not fail at this as his happiness depended upon it. He would need to be eloquent and take his time with it.
He wrote:
Mr Heywood,
my name is Sidney Parker and I am the brother of Tom Parker whom you met in Willingden. You might have heard of me from your wife, Mrs Heywood. I wrote to her asking her to read my letter to Charlotte.
I love your daughter Charlotte and she loves me. She has graciously accepted my proposal for a courtship. I would like to ask your permission for me to court her. Would you allow me to visit you in Willingden to discuss this with you?
Your gracious servant,
Mr Sidney Parker
He released a deep breath after writing this missive. He re-read it, sealed it and put it in his jacket's breast pocket to give to Mrs Heywood later on. He looked at the time. It was six in the evening and dinner would be at seven thirty. He was exquisitely happy and tired at the same time. He thought that some rest would not go amiss for him either. He made his way to his hotel. It only took him five minutes or so and by quarter past six he was in the land of Nod having previously given instructions to the hotel reception to be woken up at seven.
