It seems that the Trafalgar House sitting room was overflowing with people. Every nook and cranny of the rooms was full of them, adults and children alike, enjoying the refreshments.

On the one hand, Mary, ever the considerate hostess, ensured that the whole Heywood family and their two guests, especially the children, had access to tea and ample snacks to recover from their long journey.

She was keeping a watchful eye on how quickly they ran out of a particularly favourite treat and asked the maid to bring more of it straight away. She noticed, for example, how much the Heywood children enjoyed the sweetmeats and the savoury pies. She smiled indulgently when she thought of Charlotte's food choices when she was recovering. She understood now where those culinary choices originated.

On the other hand, the two prospective sons-in-law, Arthur and Sidney, for the two Heywood daughters, had unconsciously placed themselves in the enviable position of observing of what their future family life might look like.

They observed how extremely close-knit the large family was. How both parents took their time to talk both to each child and each other, how the eldest children helped their youngest siblings to food and drink and how Captain Frederick and Miss Anne Elliot entertained the children who had already finished their meal. All that was done in an apparently seamless and unaffected manner with not so much as one loud voice or sound being uttered from the very well-behaved family. Their manners were always impeccable and the familial bond between them seemed unbreakable. It was like watching a well-practised and pleasing dance that you wished never ended.

Both men understood that, should they be fortunate to be allowed to wed their chosen ladies, they would be the luckiest men alive. Tom was also very interested in the dynamics of this family. He had of course already experienced it first-hand in Willingden, but seeing it again reinforced his wish to get his own family life back on track.

In fact, the whole Heywood family thrived in being reunited again despite the open scrutiny that they were unintentionally currently under. Both Mr and Mrs Heywood were thrilled to have all their children in one room and more importantly to be back together again. Their marriage was a true love match and this time apart has been difficult for both them. Sidney could tell from his future in-laws' demeanour that they could hardly wait to spend some time together.

Dr Levinson also took his chance to speak to Diana. He explained to her what had happened when he spoke to Sidney about their courtship and about his wish to open a new surgery in Sanditon. He also told her that her brother would speak to her about it. Diana was thrilled to hear of this update. She tried to give her best attention to Dr Levinson as she truly did like him. However, it was so very distracting having Captain Wentworth in the same room. She has not liked a gentleman for a long time. Now she liked two at the same time! Oh, how confusing it all was! It was just lucky that Dr Levinson could not read her thoughts or at least so she thought.

Mr Thompson ended up having an interesting discussion with Lady Susan about his practice in London. The lady was interested in speaking to him as he oversaw the legal affairs of the Sanditon project. The solicitor himself was more than keen to speak to her as he understood that she would be a valuable contact in the beau monde for future business opportunities.

However, this did not mean that Lady Susan forgot about Frederick's presence in the room. He was an engaged man. Therefore, she would never cause a scandal in addressing him or even showing that she already knew him. This did not stop her though from thoroughly enjoying his magnificent presence once again as he was a delight to look at. He really was too handsome for his own good! What made it more appealing was that he was unaware of the stir that he caused whenever he went.

Without anybody noticing two hours have passed until the whole party in the sitting room had full bellies and was amply refreshed. It was right on cue then when the Parker children were brought down by their nurses.

It was a truly comical scene for everyone but the children themselves. The three Parker children stood at the entrance of the sitting room as still as statues with confusion written all over their young faces. They could not understand how so many children came to be in their parents' house. The adults in the room were trying very hard not to laugh at them!

Charlotte, who was as amused as the rest of the adults in the room from the Parker children's reaction, went to them and asked gently,' Alicia, Jenny and Henry, my family is here. Will you come to meet them?'

Jenny was the first to recover from the shock and nodded with a shy smile at Charlotte. Her sister and Henry did so as well. Charlotte took the children to meet her father, Frederick and Miss Elliot, who greeted them pleasantly and then introduced each child to the siblings that they had not met yet. Neither Parker child was shy, so they were soon absorbed in the throng of the youngest of the Heywood clan as if they had never been apart. This did not go unnoticed by neither Sidney nor Charlotte. He flashed a smile and winked at her and she returned the smile back at him.

Mr Heywood noticed this exchange between them and looked at his wife. She only gave him a knowing smile and nodded. He had intended to give this Mr Sidney Parker a bit of a hard time, but Charlotte's radiant face and his wife's knowing smile aborted his plans, which of course his wife had already guessed.

He would have to accept his fate to relinquish his daughter to another man. He sighed at that thought, which was met by a comforting squeeze of his hand by his wife. She knew what he was thinking. Yes, he was very glad to have his wife back. Very glad, indeed. They could somehow communicate without speaking and this soothed him immensely. He had missed that when she was away from him.

By the bye the Parker children asked permission from their parents and the Heywood adults to take their new friends at the nursery to play. Both sets of parents agreed. Thus, the three Parker children, Christian, Thomas, Mary, Michael, Laura, Ben, Gina and Beth returned to the nursery under the care of the two Parker and two Heywood nurses. The boys had already made plans on how to conduct their next battle with their soldiers and the girls were eager to share the adventures of the Parker dolls. However, Emily chose to stay in the sitting room to Arthur's relief in order to catch up with her sisters.

The departure of the children created a bit of an awkwardness in the room to begin with. However, Mary navigated through that with the practised ease of an excellent hostess. It was at times like these that she thanked her mother for teaching her all her skills.

Thus, she secretly signalled Diana and Arthur with one look for them to engage Mr Thompson in conversation. They took the hint and immediately started asking their family solicitor about his family and London. Mr Thompson liked those two more easy-going Parker siblings and he was happy to speak to them. In fact, Miss Diana was a favourite of his wife's and she never failed to invite her for tea whenever she knew that Miss Parker was in London. She would expect him to tell her all about this conversation at his next letter to her, so he gave his full attention to the Parker siblings.

Sidney picked up his sister-in-law's intention and engaged Mr and Mrs Heywood in conversation, which was a move that earned him a bright smile from Charlotte. She wanted Sidney to get to know her father better in order to smoothen over any upset she might cause him when they asked for his permission for Sidney to court her.

Charlotte and Alison were catching up with Emily whom they have both sorely missed. They heard all the news from home and what their siblings have been up in their absence. Emily also told them of what was happening at theWillingdenvillage and their friends there. The three of them painted the pretty picture of three sisters who finally reunited after a long absence. In truth, Charlotte's attention was divided between speaking with her sisters and observing Sidney's interactions with her parents. She caught him looking at her as well when her parents pretended not to notice.

Dr Levinson addressed Captain Wentworth, having been apprised of his profession, and they started a discussion on the latest medical developments in the navy. The doctor was a keen supporter of the nation's sailors and took every opportunity to have a discussion with one. Captain Wentworth was also interested in this discussion as his men have just recovered from a bout of scurvy- a fact that interested Dr Levinson immensely.

Anne Elliot looked with amusement at Frederick. He certainly loved his profession and she knew that this discussion with Dr Levinson would be very enjoyable for him. She also knew that her Frederick loved her. That is why his reaction to Lady Susan puzzled her so much. Thus, she decided to get to know the lady and ascertain what could be the matter before speaking to him. She was given the chance to do so after being addressed by the lady herself. They had a very pleasant conversation and Anne found that she liked Lady Susan very much. Then why was Frederick giving her anxious looks? She knew when he was upset about something as his eyes changed colour from light and clear blue to a turbulent dark blue one.

Lady Susan was also very keen to make the acquaintance of Frederick fiancée. She found her to be charming lady with a sensible head on her shoulders and one whom she would be glad to get to know better. She also sensed that Miss Elliot was head over heels in love with him as he was with her because they kept sneaking glances at each other whilst continuing with their own conversation.

Lady Susan was a realist. She knew that she stood no chance with Frederick. She knew what a man in love looked like. She could tell that Frederick adored Miss Elliot from the way he looked at her. Then why not help the lady? Lady Susan herself had the Regent and her friends after all to occupy herself. She has had her chance with Frederick, and it was now gone.

Thus, Lady Susan decided to help Miss Anne Elliot as much as she could for the sake of Frederick and the warm regard that she herself still held for him. It could never atone for the pain that she had inflicted upon him in their younger days, but it would make her feel better about it if she eased the path of the woman that he loved in London society.

This left the hosts, Tom and Mary, to themselves for some minutes. Tom told Mary about their morning with the children and what they did at the beach. Mary told him about what she had supposedly achieved with her household planning. She abhorred lying to her husband, but she could never tell him about their visit to Lady Denham. All would be revealed tomorrow morning. Thus, for the first time in her life, Mary Parker lied just to keep the peace within her family.

She also asked her husband if he minded them inviting the Heywoods and the rest of their guests for dinner this evening and postponing their picnic for another day. She stated that this was the least they could do after all their hospitality that the family had shown towards them in Willingden. Tom agreed to that suggestion and promptly invited their guests to dinner, which invitation they accepted. Mary briefly excused herself to make the necessary arrangements and left them to get acquainted.

Mary's departure left Tom with an immediate decision to make. He decided to avoid any confrontation with their family solicitor and decided to join Dr Levinson and Captain Wentworth's discussion until dinner time. They welcomed his contributions as they were at the point of their discussion where the benefits of sea bathing were mentioned. This was a topic that Tom excelled at, so he gave it his all.

The discussions in the sitting room were going on nicely whilst Mary spoke to her cook and explained that they had guests for dinner. This very efficient lady had already guessed her mistress's conundrum before it was stated to her. Mary was told that dinner was already being cooked and that the maids were already preparing the dining room for the meal. All she had to do was set the places on the table. Mary had never felt more grateful for her cook's proactiveness. She was a treasure!

Thus, relieved from some of her duties, she entered the study to prepare the place cards for the table.

She decided to sit Mr and Mrs Heywood next to each other. She could tell how much Mrs Heywood had missed her husband whilst she was nursing Charlotte to health. They would appreciate being placed next to each other.

She took a moment to think. Ah, her brooding brother-in-law! Sidney would appreciate being seated between Mr Heywood and Charlotte. It would be best to keep his temper even as she noticed how annoyed he got with Captain Wentworth. Sidney was completely besotted with Charlotte. It gladdened her heart to see that as she had lost all hope that her forbidding brother-in-law would ever settle down.

Then, who else? Diana showed some partiality towards Dr Levinson. Why not seat her next to him? They seemed to enjoy their discussion. They could simply continue it over dinner time. Yes, that would work nicely. Well, Mary, she told herself, your matchmaking skills are incomparable!

Where to put Arthur? He could not stop looking at Emily, the other Heywood daughter. Mary knew in her heart that Arthur had fallen for this girl and he would relish any chance to speak to her. She would help him, so she put Emily next to him opposite Dr Levinson and Diana. She was unsure what Emily's feelings were towards her younger brother-in-law, but she would leave Arthur to charm the girl. He was certainly capable of doing so when he pleased.

She, of course, placed Tom at the head of the table and herself at the other side. She would have Charlotte on her right side and Diana on her left. She decided to place Mrs Heywood on Tom's right side and Alison on his left. Both ladies seemed to know how to manage him very well. They would keep him out of mischief throughout dinner.

She had to be careful where to sit Mr Thompson, though. She could tell that Tom's suspicions have been roused. She hesitated for a moment but then decided to place the family solicitor between Alison and Lady Susan.

The last two would then be Captain Wentworth and Miss Elliot sitting next to each other. Captain Wentworth would be seated between Lady Susan and Miss Elliot. Mary was sure something was off when Captain Wentworth was introduced to Lady Susan. The poor but very handsome man went white! Mary wondered whether he realised how good looking he really was. Well, thought Mary, it will all come out in the wash. They can sort it out between them.

Mary was satisfied with all the arrangements. She placed the cards on the table and then went to her room to change for dinner. She decided to dress up a bit. She was excited. She has not planned a large dinner for ages! She was looking forward to it like a debutante who was going to her coming-out ball!

After her attire was changed to her satisfaction, she entered the nursery to check up on the children. The scene that greeted her made her smile. The boys were engrossed in their battle trying to outdo each other whilst the girls were having tea with their dolls. The four nurses took part in both games motivating the children in their perspective games. The nurses greeted her with a smile, but otherwise did not say anything else. Mary motioned one of them to come to her and told her to give the children their dinner at the nursery this evening. The nurse nodded and went back to play with the children.

Mary was more than sure now that the arrival of the Heywood children would be the making of her own children. There was no squabbling, no arguing, everybody shared their toys and they were having the best of times. If only it stayed like this until the end of dinner, she would be a very happy woman!

Her final stop was at the kitchen where she was informed that dinner would be ready in 15 minutes' time. This was Mary's cue to get her guests to the dining room.

Her guests would never have guessed their hostess's thoughts and how well pegged she has had them. They continued their conversations undaunted and unaware of the frantic preparations for their dinner until their hostess arrived to usher them to the dining room. Tom marvelled at how handsome his wife looked in her evening wear. He really was a very lucky man. If only she would forgive him!

The guests made their way to the dining room to enjoy a sumptuous dinner and excellent conversation. Most of them were more than pleased with the sitting arrangements.

Sidney was delighted to have been placed next to Charlotte as he had hardly said a word to her in the sitting room. He was not so delighted that he was sitting next to her father, though. He would not even be able to hold her hand without her father noticing. A thought that made him scowl even deeper.

She knew him well enough to know what he was thinking. Seeing that they happened to be standing next to each other, she coughed slightly to get him to move the chair for her to sit down. That got him to turn his attention to her person, her brown inquisitive eyes and teasing smile. It did not take long for him to get her to sit down and return her happy grin. As a reward she secretly held his hand for a moment and laced her fingers with his. Sidney kicked himself for not giving her more credit. His Charlotte was not so clever for nothing.

The two of them thought their interaction was discreet, but her parents knew exactly what was happening. Mr Heywood resolved to speak to this young man soon before anything untoward happened. His eldest child was a smart one. Yet, she was in love. Common sense would not come into play on this occasion. Despite everything, the Heywood patriarch was not displeased. The little time that he had spoken to his future son-in-law, he approved both of what he saw and heard. He would need to observe his person and habits further throughout this visit to form a full opinion of him.

Emily felt completely out of place, which did not go unnoticed by her parents. She was a shy girl with excellent manners. They followed her with their eyes to see her reaction when Arthur helped her sit down. Then they smiled at each other as they now understood that Emily was fond of the other Parker brother.

Emily herself was used to being in a room with her noisy siblings and her whole family. Yet, she felt like a fish out of water in this room despite the presence of her parents, sisters and cousin. She was to be seated next to Mr Arthur Parker. He felt him looking at her both when they were first introduced and at the sitting room.

She did not know what to make of him. He seemed to be a jovial and open-hearted man with pleasant manners. She thought that he was very pleasant to look at and she liked his smile very much. Was he really a nice man? Would he be nice to talk to? A thousand doubts plagued her. She sighed and resigned herself to find out if he spoke to her during dinner.

Arthur's brain stopped working the moment he saw that Mary arranged for him to sit next to Miss Emily. He looked at his sister-in-law, who was expecting his questioning look, in wonder. How did she know? Mary merely smiled and encouraged him with a nod. Arthur could only move his head in disbelief at Mary's matchmaking. Not that he objected, of course. Far from it. Thus, the offensive to charm Miss Emily Heywood began by moving the dining chair for her to sit down, which earned him a quiet 'thank you' and a shy smile.

Mr and Mrs Heywood were more than happy to be seated next to each other. They relished the chance to have an adult dinner, which was a rare occasion in Willingden. One of them always had to take care one child or another. Now all the children were being taken care of and they could enjoy a well-earned break, interesting adult conversation and amusing themselves by watching their daughters and their suitors' reactions over dinner.

Tom was a bit disappointed that he would not be sitting next to his wife, but he understood that the protocol dictated that each of them sit at the head of the table. It gave him a good springboard on his mission to improve his observation skills in other people's body language.

However, Captain Wentworth went all stiff when he saw the sitting arrangements for him and Anne. He was placed between Lady Susan and his fiancée.

Captain Wentworth was dreading dinner. He was shocked beyond belief when he was introduced to Lady Susan and found that he was staring at his first love. He has lost track of her and has thought nothing of her for years. He has only had eyes for his Anne. He still did. The thing was that Anne knew nothing of his relationship with Lady Susan. The occasion to share this with her had never arisen due to their own set of troubles and their ultimate reunion.

Thus, he now was in real trouble. He knew that Anne had noticed his reaction. She would confront him about it. That was her way. He saw how well Lady Susan treated Anne and what a friendly conversation they have had. Could he trust Lady Susan's discretion, or would she reveal their past relationship to Anne? He made a note for himself to speak to Anne the moment they reached their hotel. They have suffered too much to have any secrets between them now.

He was determined to fix this! He could do this. He was a captain of the navy after all, for heaven's sake. He could endure a dinner being seated between the woman that he used to love and his Anne Oh, what a mess this was! He took a deep breath and helped both ladies to their seats.

Dinner proceeded with no surprises to Frederick's relief. The three courses were enjoyed thoroughly by all and everyone conducted themselves with decorum. No secrets were exposed, and everybody was in good spirits. The dynamics of the group only changed when they were gathered in the sitting room for their evening coffee and biscuits.

Frederick was asked to tell the group an amusing story from his time in the navy. Anne, who knew the effect her fiancé had on a lady of any age when he was talking about his work, saw exactly what she expected. Every lady's eyes, married or not, were ogling him, ready to eat him up and their cheeks were bright red. Yet, to her satisfaction, he was only looking at her throughout the telling of the story. It was all the proof she wanted that he was hers and hers alone.

It also amused Anne, to see the reaction of the rest of the men in the group. The rest of the men in the room, except Mr Thompson, were helpless. They could only watch their ladies go flush in front of another man and the jealousy burnt bright inside them. She knew it was not polite to laugh, but a small grin escaped her lips. She happened to briefly look at Mr Thompson who shared her amusement, so they nodded to each other slightly.

The story was successfully told to the relief of green-eyed gentlemen who flocked to the side of their ladies. It took all of Anne's good breeding and manners not to laugh there and then at the scene. It was at that time that one of the Heywood nurses came to fetch their mistress as the children were getting tired.

Mr Heywood then announced that the family was to host a picnic tomorrow morning. He cordially invited the Parker family to join them. Sidney and Charlotte exchanged a look the meant that one of them had had to intervene.

He nodded at her and thus she asked, 'Papa, you have not met Georgiana and the other ladies in her house yet. May we invite them to the picnic? I am sure Alicia, Jenny and Henry would also love to continue playing with our siblings. Mary, Tom what do you think? Will you let them join us? We will take good care of them.'

Mary knew exactly what was happening. 'Charlotte, that is a lovely idea. I think they would love that. Tom, shall we let them?'

Tom did not know exactly how, but he knew that he just been put in such a position that he could not refuse. 'Of course, they can, my dear.'

Sidney, Arthur and Diana breathed a silent sigh of relief. Oh, my clever Charlotte, Sidney thought. Mr Thompson was impressed. If this was Mr Sidney Parker's wife-to-be, then she was indeed a force to be reckoned with.

Mr Heywood understood that for some reason it was important that Mr Tom Parker was not to be alerted about something or other. His wife communicated to him as much with just one look. He decided to play along.

'Charlotte, that is a marvellous idea. It would be great to meet your other friends. We have heard so much about them. How about we pick the children up at nine in the morning to give you a chance to rest? Mrs Parker, Mr Tom Parker, what do you think?'

'Yes, of course. Mr Heywood. That sounds splendid. Doesn't it, Tom?'

Tom was again plagued by a sense of deja vu. He was being played by his own wife! What is going on? Again, he could only agree. 'Yes, it does, my dear.'

The Parker siblings, Mary and Charlotte looked at each other for a moment and the decision was made. Sidney said pleasantly, 'Tom, do you have time for us to catch up tomorrow morning? We have hardly spoken these past weeks. We could join the Heywoods after we talk, what do you say?'

Tom was flabbergasted. Sidney as well? He conceded defeat. He might as well agree and find out what has been happening.

'Yes, it has been a while. Sidney. I should like that.', said Tom.

The Heywood parents, Emily and Alison went upstairs at the nursery to collect eight sleepy children. The children dutifully followed their parents and their nurses, but you could see how tired they were. Arthur, Diana, Frederick, Anne, Mr Thompson, Dr Levinson and Lady Susan instantly offered their help to get them to the hotel which was gratefully accepted by the Heywood parents.

Charlotte wanted to join them as well, but Mr Heywood insisted that she rest for tomorrow. She went to wish goodnight to her siblings and mother, and this gave Mr Heywood the chance to give Sidney the green light for some private time with Charlotte.

'I will allow fifteen minutes of private time with Charlotte, Mr Parker. I would then like us to have the discussion, which I suspect you wish to have with me. How about after the picnic tomorrow? At three at the hotel? I would also need your help with something else in return. Mr Thompson is aware of what that is.'

Sidney was both elated and scared at this suggestion, 'Yes, sir, thank you sir. I will not fail you. How about I order us some tea and refreshments in my hotel room for us to talk undisturbed? Will Mrs Heywood and Mr Thompson be joining us?'

Mr Heywood replied, 'Yes, young man, she will be there throughout our meeting. I will call Mr Thompson to join us half-way through it. I look forward to our chat.' The two men shook hands and the rest of the group departed for the direction of the hotel.