Whilst Charlotte and Sidney were healing their emotional wounds and taking the first steps towards their common happiness, Tom and Mary were spending some quality time with their children.
Both parents went to the nursery, where the nurse had already given the Parker children their dinner and their baths had also been taken care of very much to Mary's relief, to check up on their three children just after they bid their guests goodnight. She loved her children dearly, but she dreaded their bath time as she always came out of the room with drenched clothes. She was wearing her favourite gown and thus getting it wet was not a pleasant thought. Not to mention the unnecessary work for her maid.
The children cheered loudly when they saw their parents. They have had the best afternoon in ages, so they could not wait to tell them what they did with the Heywood children. They were sitting on the carpet playing and that was where both Mary and Tom were asked to sit. The moment they sat down, the two girls took Mary to their side and started telling her about their games with the Heywood girls. How their dolls took their tea, how many cakes they have had and how many visits they have paid to each other. All the stories made Mary smile widely. To her delight, her girls were happy. Her expectations that they would thrive under the care of the Heywood siblings have been confirmed.
Tom was listening to his son's stories on the battles that they had won against the French along with the description of the outfit of each soldier. He was astonished again on how well developed his son's language was for his age. He kept to the promise that he had made himself to encourage him. He prompted him with open questions, nodded to show his interest in the stories and even added some points in them himself. He realised that he was thoroughly enjoying his conversation with his only son. He could also feel his wife's eyes watching him, which served his purpose in getting back into her good graces.
The children eventually started yawning and they were thus carried to their beds by their nurse. Each child got a kiss and they went off to sleep. Tom and Mary strolled out of the nursery taking up their time before speaking to each other.
Tom looked up at his wife and stuttered, 'Mary...May... I show... you... something at our room?' Mary did not know what to expect from her husband but stuttering at her was not it. Her curiosity was aroused. She nodded her head cautiously and followed him towards the direction of their bedroom.
Once they were inside, he fetched one of the comfy chairs from the corner of the room, asked her to sit down and then walked towards his chest of drawers with Mary's curious eyes following his every move. He was frantically searching for something from the top drawer. It took him some time to find it. She knew instantly when his search was successful as he sighed with relief at the sight of it. Without uttering a word, he crossed the room, gave her a letter to read and sat on the chair next to hers.
Mary stared at her husband and gave him a quizzical look. He simply said, 'Please read it, Mary'. She nodded and started reading the contents of the documents. To her surprise, she was reading a letter addressed to Tom from her father-in-law. She read the first two paragraphs and looked up at him as if to ask whether she should be reading this. Tom smiled and nodded. She continued reading until she reached the end of it.
She then sat in silence for some minutes before voicing her thoughts aloud 'Why did you show me this letter, Tom? Your father wrote this letter only for you to read. Surely it is against his wishes for anyone else to read it.'
Tom hesitated but pressed on, 'Mary, you are my wife. My father would have wanted you to see it. You see, Mary, I need your help. I am as weak as my father when it comes to recognising what other people feel and how to read them. I am utterly inept at it unless someone points out the signs to me.
Arthur did start teaching me during the picnic. We did some people watching and it was a good start. I have also been practising by myself. I have noticed everyone's reactions during dinner. How everyone, especially the ladies and yourself, reacted to the story. How you wore your finest dress tonight and how beautiful you looked in it. How you all played me to agree for the children to go to the picnic tomorrow morning. How suddenly Sidney wants to spend some time with me when I know for a fact that he despises me.
Listen, I am not telling you this for you to tell me what you are all hiding from me. Lord knows that I have hurt a lot of people and I have nearly single handedly destroyed Sidney and Charlotte's happiness with my stupidity in financial matters as well as our marriage. You will tell me what is going on at the time that you all see fit.
However, I would like to become a worthy man again. I would like to gain your trust and be the husband that you deserve. I love you and our children, Mary very much. I do love my siblings- I just cannot show it- I don't know how.
All I need is someone to stop me before I go down the wrong path again. Someone to take me aside and put me back in the right path. Arthur promised to help. Will you? I will also show this letter to Diana and Sidney next time I see them and ask them the same.
I know it will take a while for all of you to trust me again. I certainly do not deserve your charity on this as I brought this all upon myself. I am willing to work hard and try, though. Will you help me?'
Mary listened to Tom's words trying very hard to keep a straight face. She found that concentrating on a crease of her dress helped her hide a triumphant grin threatening to escape. What she really wanted to do is get up and dance in jubilation. She has been secretly hoping to hear those words of reassurance from him ever since he started putting Sanditon's affairs before the welfare of his family.
Her poor husband's timing was dreadful as always. Just tomorrow the carpet would be pulled off his feet. He would lose his fortune and his pride all in one go. She loved him, the fool that he was, but she loved her children's future even more. She was now independent of him. She had a secure future thanks to Sidney and Lady Susan. She would not risk that for the world as she knew full well that any other woman would kill to be in her current position. She would simply need to make him see that she would not tolerate coming second to Sanditon anymore without revealing anything concerning the agenda of the family meeting.
She composed herself and looked up at Tom's pleading eyes. She said, 'Tom, thank you for your words. I sensed that you were trying harder. I saw it and I was very proud of you for trying. I would help you gladly, but something stops me from doing so.
Tom, I do love you. I have never stopped. However, I do not trust that at any moment you would find another obsession to replace the Sanditon one and leave your family in ruins without a care in the world. Do you realise that your children have no dowry for when they get married? Do you know what you have really done? Do you realise that your financial incapability impacted on every single household in this town? Do you even realise how many people depend upon the income that we provide for them?
I do not trust you. Words mean nothing. I have heard them before. If you want me to start putting any faith in your words that you love your family, you need to show us- both your siblings and myself and the children- that you mean what you say.
I refuse to come second to Sanditon or any other obsession of yours in future. Yes, you can be told when you make a fool of yourself. Yet, you are the only one who can make yourself stick to your resolution to save our marriage and your relationship with your siblings.
I need to see something binding- something legal- something where there would be consequences if you break your word. You need to choose Tom. Abandon your Sanditon obsession or else our marriage does not stand a chance. If you do not, I will leave you and take the children with me.
It is not an idle threat, either. I will do so and I know my parents will support me on this point. Did you know that my father knew that you would end up getting in financial trouble? He warned me. Yet, I chose to trust you and you trampled upon that trust.
Change your ways, Tom, or else you are going to lose everything. Make sure that you are in the study tomorrow morning at nine without fail. Your future depends upon it. Now I will let you think upon this. I am tired. I am off to bed.'
She got up, kissed the cheek of a teary-eyed, shocked Tom and departed without looking back. She wanted to do so. She wanted to console him. She did not do so, though. She knew that this was it- tough love. If her husband did not mend his ways after that ultimatum, then there would be no marriage to save. She sighed inwardly and went to the nursery to cuddle with her children and attempt to enjoy a good night's sleep.
Tom still sat there in shock. The change in his wife's attitude towards him was obvious. In the past she was happy to take him at his word. Not anymore. The ultimatum was clear. Reform or really lose everything.
Suddenly, he realised how late it was. He got up himself and started readying himself for bed hoping that his dreams would be pleasanter than his current reality.
