A/N: This was how I had originally written the dinner scene for Someone Else's Constellation before I decided it didn't work and deleted it. After all, the story takes place between the picnic and the ball, and Charlotte and Colbourne are still uneasy with each other. I didn't think Colbourne would be willing to try to get this close to Charlotte.

A reviewer on AO3 said they'd like to see more spice between Charlotte and Colbourne, so I decided to clean this up and post it.

The title pretty much tells you what it is about. Colbourne teaches Charlotte of the fine art of billiards.


Charlotte entered the dining room promptly at seven. She had done her best to tidy her hair and freshen her face, although she still felt uneasy about her clothes. Fortunately, Colbourne hadn't dressed for dinner either. He was wearing the same shirt, waistcoat and trousers he'd been in earlier, although the girls had clearly changed their dresses.

"Ah, Miss Heywood," Colbourne said. "You are right on time. Please, allow me." He pulled a chair out for her.

She sat. "Thank you, sir. I apologize for not dressing. Circumstances..." Her voice trailed off.

"Of course, we understand," he replied. He moved to his niece and pulled the chair out for her, and then - to his daughter's delight - repeated the process for Leonora. The young girl giggled.

"I suspect we have you to thank for my uncle dining with us," Augusta said to Charlotte. "He usually works late and dines alone."

"Does he?" Charlotte asked. Feeling bolder, she raised an eyebrow at Colbourne as he seated himself at the end of the table.

He shrugged. "This is a large estate. It commands a good deal of attention. I often work into the evening."

It was an excuse, and he knew it as well as Charlotte. When she said nothing and continued to regard him, he paid unnecessary attention to his napkin as he placed it on his lap.

After a moment, he cleared his throat. "Did Mrs. Wheatley get you settled, Miss Heywood? I trust your accommodations are satisfactory." His voice had become businesslike, a return to the day he interviewed her for her position as governess.

Annoyed, Charlotte replied, "Quite satisfactory, sir," in an equally cool tone.

He heard it. "I beg your pardon. We don't have guests very often. I am afraid I am out of practice."

Then why did you require my presence at dinner? I could have dined in the kitchen with your other employees.

"I can't remember us ever having a guest," Augusta said.

Cobourne shrugged once more. "I have a reputation as a recluse. I like to uphold it."

"From what I hear from the residents of Sanditon," Charlotte said, "you are succeeding admirably."

He smiled then - a hesitant smile, as if reluctant to admit to a sense of humor. To her dismay, Charlotte found the smile appealing. He looked younger, less careworn. She wondered if she was seeing a glimpse of the man Lucy Colbourne had fallen in love with.

They held each other's gaze for a moment before Colbourne turned to Leonara. "So - what did Miss Heywood teach you today?"

"History!" Leo exclaimed.

"Did she? Tell me about your lesson."

Delighted to have her father's attention, Leo gave a recital of the kings and queens they had studied. Colbourne listened and continued to ask questions — but gently, not as an examination. Charlotte thought it a shame he did not spend more evenings with the girls like this. She had never seen Leo so animated and even Augusta appeared entertained. The child remained buoyant throughout the meal, chatting happily until Mrs. Wheatley came to escort her to bed.

They watched the young girl leave. The room felt quiet without her presence.

Colbourne took a sip of wine and turned to Charlotte. "Tell me, Miss Heywood. Do you play billiards?"

Augusta stared at her uncle. Not certain she had heard correctly, Charlotte said, "Excuse me?"

He returned his glass to the table. "It has been a while since I have been out in society, but if I recall accurately, this is the part of the evening where the gentlemen retire for brandy and billiards and the ladies go off to do whatever it is that ladies do. Since there are no other gentlemen, I was wondering if you played. I've already seen that you're a more than passable archer."

"'No other gentlemen,'" Charlotte repeated slowly. "That posits that we have at least one."

"Yes. I put myself in that category. I hope I am not presuming too much."

"I don't know, sir. I've yet to come to a conclusion."

Colbourne looked as though he were suppressing another smile. "I see," he said. "And does your indecision impact your willingness to play billiards?"

Charlotte frowned. "Does society not have rules against this? You know, inviting a woman to join a gentleman in the inner sanctum of the billiards room?"

He shook his head. "Come now, Miss Heywood. A woman who is not afraid to state that society is wrong cannot be opposed on principle to females spending time at billiards. It is only a game, after all. And Augusta can serve as chaperone if you are worried about propriety."

Augusta, whose glance had been moving between Colbourne and Charlotte with each utterance, lifted a hand. "Do not involve me. I have no interest in watching either of you smack balls across a table. I am retiring to my room and my book." She turned to Charlotte. "But you need not worry," she added. "You are quite safe with him. My uncle is a great believer in proprietary." She rose from her chair. "And now, if you will excuse me..."

She departed the room, leaving Charlotte and Colbourne alone. They regarded each other silently.

"Well?" he said eventually. "Shall we go?"

"You're serious."

"Yes. One of the advantages of being a recluse is that there is no one to observe and tell tales. We may do as we please and no one will be the wiser."

Charlotte shook her head. "I'm sorry to disappoint, but I don't know how to play."

"Would you like to learn?"

His expression told Charlotte that it was a genuine offer. Curious, she shrugged. "Why not?"


Colbourne led her down the hall to the billiards room. Having spent little time in one (neither her family nor the Parkers had a billiards room), Charlotte didn't know what to expect. A masculine retreat furnished in dark wood with paintings of the hunt? Or perhaps a cigar-scented chamber with furniture upholstered in brown leather. The room in fact looked like much of the rest of his house; painted in soft colors - neat, without being obsessively tidy. She walked slowly around the perimeter, taking in the ambiance. She guessed the mementos placed on shelves and tables were inherited from earlier generations. She saw nothing of Colbourne in them.

"Well?" he said.

She raised an eyebrow. "Well what, sir?"

"You have breached the fortifications of the billiards room. What do you think?"

"I am here, and yet the world appears to be turning as usual."

He chuckled. "You really have never played?"

"No. Does that surprise you?"

"A little, given that you have other interests not traditionally pursued by females." When she frowned, he added, "That is not a criticism. It's fortunate for me that you have such interests, otherwise Hannibal would be halfway across England by now."

She shrugged. "As I said, I was raised around horses."

"Yes. You also mentioned, the day we met, that you have eleven siblings. I assume some of those are brothers. I thought one of them might have played billiards with you."

Charlotte shook her head. "My family has no table." She paused and smiled. "I will own up to playing cricket with my brothers, though. I am quite a respectable batsman."

"I can believe that. Well...billiards are nothing like cricket, or archery for that matter. What do you know of the game?"

"Only that the object is to sink the balls into the pockets." She pointed at the table where a dozen colored balls were scattered across the green felt surface.

"Right. Then I will demonstrate for you." Colbourne stepped to the rack of cue sticks hanging on the wall and retrieved a stick. He returned to the table and paused.

"Just a minute," he said.

He laid the stick on the table, then unbuttoned the cuffs of his sleeves and began rolling them up to his elbows. The cords in his forearms flexed as he deftly turned the fabric. These were not the arms of a man who spent the entirety of his days in his study, she mused. But then she had been surprised at how much outdoor work Colbourne took on rather than delegating to a servant. The activity had evidently left him fit.

She realized she was staring at his arms. She fervently hoped he hadn't noticed.

He gestured at the white ball. "You sink the balls by striking them with the cue ball."

"Yes, I comprehend that much."

He smiled. "Then it's merely a question of acquiring a feel for the speed and angles." He leaned forward over the table and rested the tip of the stick on the fingers of one hand, an inch or two behind the cue ball. With his other hand, he slid the stick back and forth a few times before striking the cue ball, which in turn struck one of the colored balls. The colored ball rolled smoothly into a side pocket. He repeated the demonstration a second time. "Now you," he said.

It looked simple enough. Charlotte took the stick from him, leaned forward, and copied his stance. She slid the stick experimentally and frowned. It felt awkward, not at all the easy, fluid motion that he had made. But when she looked at him, he nodded encouragingly.

"That's it," he said.

She pulled the stick back and struck the cue ball. It careened wildly off at an angle, missing all the remaining balls.

She grimaced. "It's not as easy as it looks."

Colbourne didn't laugh. "That's what I meant about getting a feel for it," he explained. "It comes with repetition. You must hit some more."

She tried again and improved only marginally.

"Here," he said, "why don't we try a few together."

She nodded, wondering what together meant. From what she had seen thus far, billiards seemed a solo activity. He answered the question by stepping behind her, so close that his chest lightly touched her shoulder blades. Then he reached around her to take her hands in his.

"Left hand here," he said, placing her hand on the table by the cue ball. "And right hand holds the stick...here." He slid her right hand down the polished wood, stopping about six inches from its end. "It's easier if you don't have your hand at the very end of the cue stick."

"I see," Charlotte replied. Having corrected her position, she expected Colbourne to release her. He did not.

"Now we line up the shot," Colbourne continued. He leaned them both forward, his chest pressing more firmly against her back. "Don't grip so tightly," he suggested, tapping her right hand gently. "It helps if you relax."

Relax? She could feel the soft puffs of his breath on the back of her neck every time he spoke. The sensation was alarmingly pleasant.

"Let's shoot one together," he said. "All right?"

Charlotte nodded once more, not trusting herself to speak. Good heavens, men and women don't stand in this proximity on the dance floor. If he got any closer, she would be able to feel his heartbeat through the cloth of his shirt and waistcoat. She couldn't help noting that Colbourne smelled good. He must have been to the shore that day because he emitted a wonderful combination of soap and ocean breeze. She hoped her own scent was equally as agreeable, particularly after her long walk with the girls. He was certainly close enough to discover it.

"Here we go." He slid the stick back and force a few times, then guided her hand forward and struck the cue ball cleanly. It sent the bright blue two-ball into the corner pocket.

"There," he said. "You sunk a ball."

"We sunk a ball," she corrected.

"Hmmm. Shall we sink another?"

He appeared in no hurry to let go of her. Charlotte frowned. I cannot pretend this is proper, having his arms around me like this. I ought to step away. She knew if she did, he would release her in an instant. But the truth was, she didn't want to. She liked the feel of his arms.

He leaned them forward and they struck the cue ball once more. The eleven ball fell cleanly into a side pocket.

"You are becoming proficient," he teased, as they straightened. "That's two balls in succession."

As agreeable as this is, I don't think we should go for a third. She cleared her throat and hoped her cheeks were not very red. "Yes, well, I believe I am getting more familiar with the motion. Perhaps I should try the next one on my own."

He dropped his arms immediately and took a step back. The space around her suddenly felt empty and cool.

"Very well, Miss Heywood. Let us see what you can do."

Charlotte lined the stick up behind the cue ball, trying to ignore the thumping of her heart. She struck the ball, sending the the eight ball into a corner pocket. She wondered why her success did not give her more pleasure.

Colbourne was silent for a moment. Then he nodded. "Well done, Miss Heywood. You are a quick learner. It is clear you no longer need my help."

He sounded disappointed, and for some reason, she felt a need to reassure him. "Well, not with this, sir. But I suspect there will be other opportunities."

He smiled.