Alexander Colbourne watched as Charlotte walked away from him, their beautiful dance ended, leaving his heart aching.
His first thought when he set eyes on her tonight was that she was most beautiful woman he had ever seen.
Lucy had been very pretty, but she could not possibly hold a candle to the enchantress that was Miss Charlotte Heywood. No woman on earth could.
Over the past weeks, he told himself over and over she was only his governess. Very recently he finally admitted the truth - he was lying to himself.
He was in completely in love with her, and had been for some time.
When had it begun?
Not the very first meeting, where she passionately upbraided him with her ideas about what his girls should learn. "Then society is wrong, sir," she argued. He had been angered and shocked by her tone, but found himself reluctantly intrigued by her intelligence and spirit. Despite his misgivings, he found himself riding after her on Hannibal to hire her that very same day.
Had it begun a week later? When, after the cacophony of playing an out of tune piano and Leo's dramatics, he required she come to the study to tell her she had failed in her duty? He remembered feeling arousal stirring in his blood – something he had not felt in many years – as Charlotte declared Heyrick Park a house of silence, a masoleum, her eyes flashing sparks at him all the while. This was when he had started fighting with himself, awash in an intensity of feeling that he had never before imagined, or experienced. Alexander was terrified of the passion he felt, yet he longed to feel even more.
These feelings had only continued to grow, his desires merging with admiration and respect for Charlotte's intelligence and kindness, her compassion, especially for Augusta who had been very rude to her in the beginning.
He was no longer lying to himself about his feelings for Charlotte, but he was lying to her. His entreaties to come back to Heyrick Park were for her as a governess, not as the wife he truly desired her to be. He spoke of "we", not "I" when talking about the transformation of his family, and his home. He desperately wanted her by his side, bound to him and he to her, forever.
What an incredible thing it would be to find himself the husband of a woman as extraordinary as Charlotte! So many nights she invaded his dreams, bringing joy and love and passion, happiness and bliss. In the cold light of day, these dreams faded away in the face of his past. He was too afraid of what she would think of him once she knew the truth about him to admit his feelings to her.
He could not survive if he lost any good opinion she might have of him.
It was torturous bliss to hold her in his arms as they danced. He realized he had never touched her before. There had never been any appropriate reason to do so. What he had been missing! It was glorious to hold her small hand in his larger one, feeling the heat of her through her satin glove. He noticed she wore no necklace, but imagined his late mother's pendant of rose quartz set in gold gracing her lovely decolletage.
He felt ill, watching her gracefully ascend the stairs to the balcony above. However, she had not said yes or no his pleas to return to Heyrick Park. After all this time, after all their clashes, he knew Charlotte Heywood would tell him very clearly exactly what she wanted. She would not leave things undefined with a comment such as her uncomfortable "excuse me." He had little anticipation of a positive answer, but until he heard a definitive "no", he would hold onto a sliver of hope.
A soldier walked up the stairs to stand by Charlotte. He grimaced, recognizing Colonel Lennox talking to her. Alexander felt dread flick up his spine. After the man's behavior at the garden party, and his own forceful entreaties, she still did not stay away from him? Before he could make his own way to the stairs to the balcony, a young gentleman applied to him for Augusta's hand for the next dance. He tore his eyes away from Charlotte to scrutinize this dandy.
By the time he had asked his questions and allowed his niece permission to dance with the man, a Mr. Jonathan Smithington of London, Charlotte and the Colonel were no longer standing at the balcony.
Where was she now? Were they still together?
Keeping one eye on Augusta, he glanced around the room, not seeing Charlotte or Lennox. Perhaps he would try the balcony. He needed to make sure she was well and safe.
As he got closer to the top, he thought he heard a sound, a faint voice, but he could not make out the words. "Miss Heywood?" he called. "Miss Heywood, are you up here?"
The sound got louder as he got closer. His eyes widened, hearing faint moans and crying.
An anguished cry escaped his lips as he stepped onto the balcony and saw her lying on the floor.
"Charlotte!"
He ran to her, dropping to his knees beside her. Alexander wanted to touch her, but did not. He had no idea the extent of her injuries. What he could see with his own eyes was bad enough.
Her lovely dress was ruined, the bodice ripped and bloody. Her hair, her curls pinned high in their flattering arrangement, were completely askew. Her face – her dear, precious face – was battered. He knew she would be black and blue tomorrow, if not sooner. Blood trickled from her nose and lips. He could see red marks on her neck, the marks of fingers pressing hard into her milky skin. Tears trickled down his face at her pain.
Her eyes were closed, but she was crying. Her whimpering struck his heart.
"Charlotte! Charlotte, can you hear me?"
Her voice was so shaky he could barely it. "Mr. Col – Colbourne."
"Your head, did you hit it against the floor?"
"N-no," she managed. "My side hurts – my shoulder. Len-nox kicked me. My ribs. Other places."
Fury mixed with his fear. The man was a true villain! Worse than a liar and manipulator! Alexander wanted to find him and kill him. He vowed he would find him and kill him, but not now. Charlotte came first. "Charlotte, I need to get help. I'll go find Mary Parker."
"No! Don't leave me! Please don't - don't leave me," she cried out. Her voice was hoarse and weak. "Please. I'm scared. So cold."
"You are going into shock, Charlotte." Good God, what was he going to do? How could he get help and leave her that way, alone? He wanted to take her in his arms, get her off the cold marble floor, but he did not want to make her injuries worse, especially when she may have broken ribs. Stripping off his coat, he placed it gently over her in an attempt to warm her.
Suddenly a woman's scream rent the air, startling him.
"Charlotte! Charlotte! What are you doing to her? Get away from her!"
This ball was not progressing the way Alison Heywood expected.
She thought she might sit out the dances most of the night, dancing a few obligatory dances with Mr. Tom Parker, Mr. Arthur Parker, and possibly some others. Then she would go home tomorrow, and not return.
Instead, the evening was a whirlwind of feeling, and dancing.
She did not want to see Captain Carter, the weak, dishonorable liar who had played a game of pretend from the very beginning of their interactions.
She could not believe a man could have so little integrity as to pretend the acts of heroism and valor by another man were his own. It was a vile and despicable thing Captain Carter had done! She could never forgive him. She never wanted to see his face ever again.
However embarrassed she was by the events of the garden party, she realized she was not the party at fault. Her only crime, one borne out of innocence, naivety, and too great a reliance on the words of the poets, was love. She had been a fool, but with good intentions.
Determined to have an enjoyable final night in Sanditon, Alison dressed with care, as her real self, in her may day dress. Wearing her simple armor, she broached the entrance of the ball with her beloved sister and her new, wonderful friend Georgiana.
They were wonderful in their support of her, their protection, but she needed to say what she said to Carter. She had never done something like it before! To confront a man for his poor behavior, in public no less! What would her mother say? Alison was nervous, but she felt quite content with herself afterward. She said what she needed to say, and closed this particular chapter of her life forever.
But that was not the only satisfying moment for her.
The dance with Captain Fraser had been very enjoyable indeed. She might even call it wonderful. Who could imagine such a beautiful dance with the rudest man she knew? But it was. Twirling and dipping, his firm, strong hand holding hers, their arms about each other's waists, smiling at each other. She had not wanted that dance to end.
Declan Fraser really and truly was a good man. A man of honor and integrity, as she had said to Captain Carter earlier in the evening. And he was the true hero of Bidassoa, even though he dismissed it this morning. If only she had not been so silly earlier, with her mind filled with poetry, being in love with the idea of being in love! Perhaps there could be something between them now if she had not been so enamored of a pretty face! But she would leave Sanditon tomorrow, he would leave for his next assignment, and they may never meet again.
To chase away these bittersweet thoughts, she focused on her sister. It was entirely possible that Charlotte might become engaged tonight! She admitted to Alison she felt alive after dancing with Colonel Lennox, alive in the way she felt with the late Mr. Sidney Parker. Her sister's heart was finally healed! Colonel Lennox was a true hero and man of integrity. She would be honored to be his sister-in-law. Alison was so excited to see him meet her sister at the balcony. At a ball, what more romantic place for a proposal was there?
She stood to the side, watching Georgiana dance with Arthur Parker. Sparing a glance for the balcony, she noted that Charlotte and the Colonel were no longer there. Intensely curious about what they had talked about, if there was indeed an engagement, she looked around the dance floor for her sister, but did not see her.
"Has Charlotte come down yet?" Georgiana asked, coming to her side after the end of the dance.
"No, I have not seen her, nor the Colonel."
They smiled at each other, and Georgiana laughed. "Perhaps they are still upstairs, sneaking a kiss in the privacy of one of the alcoves."
Alison beamed at her. "Let us go up and see!"
Arm in arm, the two ascended the stairs, whispering to each other about how the Colonel might have proposed.
Georgiana gasped in horror as they made it to the top step, making Alison stumble, almost losing her footing. "What is the matter?" She looked up and could not finish her sentence.
Her sister lay on the floor, crying, a man dressed in black kneeling beside her.
She rushed forward, Georgiana right beside her, screaming her sister's name.
"Charlotte! Charlotte! What are you doing to her? Get away from her!"
In their fright, neither Alison nor Georgiana noticed that the musicians stopped playing, that the ballroom below suddenly became perfectly silent.
In a rage, Georgiana grabbed the man's shoulders to pull him away from her friend, shrieking at him. "You beastly fiend, what have you done?"
"Mr. Colbourne!" she gasped, seeing the man's face for the first time. She was stunned. He was a father, and Charlotte's employer. Why would he beat her?
Charlotte reached out, grabbing Georgiana's arm. "Stop!" she said, looking up at her with pleading eyes. "Not - not him. It was Lennox. Get Mary. Please."
She stepped back, looking in anguish at Alison, who was kneeling by Charlotte's head, weeping piteously, unable to speak. Then she glanced at Mr. Colbourne, who was calmer but no less affected. She could see the evidence of tears on his cheeks. "I will stay with Charlotte, Miss Lambe," he said quietly. "Miss Alison should also stay. You need not worry that they will be left alone."
Swallowing back her tears, she nodded. "I will return as soon as I can."
Running down the stairs as fast as she could, Georgiana did not notice that almost all the people below were staring up at her, nor did she hear the buzz of whispering that began. She only had eyes for Mary Parker, who was running up the stairs to meet her, Tom and Arthur Parker at her heels.
"Georgiana, what is going on?" Tom demanded.
Tearfully, she looked at Mary, and took her hand. "Charlotte needs you, please, she's upstairs." She choked on the words, unable to say more through her grief and guilt. Had she and Alison not promoted the man to Charlotte repeatedly through the past weeks? And now to find he was a devil? How could they have been so wrong about him? Why did he attack her?
"Charlotte! Oh, Charlotte!" Mary cried out. "Mr. Colbourne, what are you doing here?"
Georgiana stood by Alison. She wondered the exact same thing. Knowing he was not the villain made her feel much better about him, but it did not solve the mystery of his presence or the fact that he looked so distraught. She wondered if he was in love with Charlotte. He could not pick a better woman if he did love her.
"I found her like this, Mrs. Parker. Charlotte said Lennox did this to her. She may have broken ribs, maybe an injured arm or shoulder, in addition to what we can see."
"Tom, Arthur, go see if Dr. Fuchs is still here! Hurry!"
"We will be discreet," Tom promised. "We don't want to cause further scandal for Charlotte."
Georgiana was aghast! Charlotte was seriously injured and all he cared about was scandal!? She opened her mouth to upbraid him for insensitivity, but Mary beat her to it.
"Tom! That does not matter now! Go! It is far too late anyway, the entire ball heard the screams. Charlotte's reputation is ruined," Mary said. She sounded sad and weary.
Alison gasped, then began to cry. "When our father hears of this, he will make her go home and marry Ralph! But Charlotte doesn't want to marry him at all!"
Georgiana felt even worse, for it was her fault and Alison's that they had screamed, that all the people downstairs - the beau monde - knew something terrible had happened. If only she was of age, with her inheritance under her sole control! She could have Charlotte live with her and they could travel to places where no one knew them, where no one cared about propriety or reputation!
"Mrs. Parker, I offer my hand in marriage to Charlotte, if she will have me," Mr. Colbourne said, his voice low but clear.
For a long moment, no one spoke a word. Alison continued to weep, but silently. Georgiana put her arms around her, wondering if this offer was based on gallantry or true feeling. They knew so little about this man! Could he be trusted to treat Charlotte well? As her husband he would have complete legal power over her. He could hurt her like Lennox had and no one could do anything about it!
Mary looked stunned. Then she started to speak. "Mr. Colbourne, I don't think that now is -"
"Mary, stop," Charlotte said weakly, cutting her off. "Mr. Colbourne, I accept."
