This chapter takes place on the day after the last meeting between Charlotte and Alexander on the cliff tops. Charlotte travels to Willingden to speak to her father and to Ralph Starling. Her father is the man she admires the most in the world, and she is concerned about disappointing him. As someone who has been through heartbreak twice, she will be gentle with Ralph Starling's heart and do her best to give them a proper parting.
Chapter Nine: Her Father and the Gentleman Farmer
On Charlotte's trip to Willingden, she thought of Mr. Colbourne and their new understanding. She marveled at how such a private man was so willing to share his thoughts with her by allowing her to read his journals. She admired him greatly for it and loved him even more because she knew his heart.
But first things first…..
Her thoughts turned to the man she admired more than anyone, her father. He was not going to be happy with her news that she was going to end things with Ralph Starling. He had long wanted her to marry the gentleman farmer and to settle in Willingden.
When the carriage got close to Willingden, she tapped on the top of the carriage to signal to the driver she wanted to speak with him. She asked him to take her to Alison and Declan's first.
Her sister greeted her at the door and was surprised to see a carriage drop her off. Charlotte always walked to the Fraser home from Heywood Manor, so apparently, she had not been to their parents' home yet.
The two sisters hugged, and Alison asked, "Are you home to stay this time, Charlotte?"
Charlotte said, ``No, I am not, and I need to talk to you about all that has happened since I last saw you before I speak to Father."
Alison filled the tea kettle and set it on the stove to boil.
Charlotte helped put the tea things on a tray and when the ladies both had a steaming cup of tea in their hands, she began to talk.
"Alison, Mr. Colbourne loves me, and I love him. I cannot marry Ralph."
"Charlotte, I am happy for you, but Father is not going to accept your decision easily. I think you can understand his point of view, dear sister. You came home not once, but twice, with a broken heart from your trips to Sanditon."
"Ralph Starling is a good man who would never hurt you because he does not inspire that kind of love and passion in you. As your sister, I want you to have the happiness Declan and I have, but I need to understand what has happened to change your opinion of Mr. Colbourne."
Charlotte asked, "Is marriage so wonderful, Alison?"
"It is if you are married to the right man, as I am. I want that for you, as well."
Alison asked, "What happened between you and Mr. Colbourne after you saw him at the ball, Charlotte?"
"Mr. Colbourne was very brave, Alison, to be so vulnerable as to share his deepest and most private thoughts with me. He showed me who was through his words by letting me read the journals he has kept over these last months."
Alison smiled and said, "Much like my Declan did with his book of poems."
Charlotte said, 'Yes, you are right."
Just then, Declan came into the house and greeted the ladies. 'I saw the carriage pull up and thought I would give you ladies a moment to catch up before I joined you. Are you back in Willingden for good this time, Charlotte?"
Charlotte and Alison filled him in on the reason for Charlotte's homecoming, and he said. "Your father is going to be unhappy with this news, as I am sure you are aware."
Charlotte replied, "Yes, I am aware, and that is why I have come here first. I need your guidance on how best to convince him that Mr. Colbourne is the right husband for me, not Ralph Starling."
Alison reminded Charlotte that she was closer to their father than any of the other Heywood siblings, and he only wanted her happiness.
Delcan said, "I know Colbourne to be a good man. I have seen with my own eyes how much Colbourne cares for you. I was at the encampment the day Miss Colbourne came to confront Lennox about being her father, and I heard more than I should have. I have great admiration for Mr. Colbourne stepping up and raising Lennox's daughter as his own."
"Charlotte, that day, I saw Lennox as a petty and vindictive man. He taunted Mr. Colbourne in a way that no man of honor would ever do. I was never able to look at him as a decent human being from that time forward. I resigned my commission to be near Alison, but I would have asked for a transfer to another commander had she not accepted me."
"To his credit, Colbourne did not lose his temper, but I do not know that I have ever seen such pain on another man's face. Lennox is notorious for hitting his target with his words, and he did not miss his mark that day with Colbourne."
Charlotte knew from Mr. Colbourne's journals what had happened that day, but Declan added more detail and it hurt her anew that Lennox had intentionally set out to hurt Mr. Colbourne.
"Thank you, Declan, for telling me about that terrible day. It changed the course of our lives for these past months, but now, I believe we are back on course to a life together."
"First, I have to end things with Ralph, and I need Father to understand that I could never marry one man when I love another so dearly."
Declan said, "Then tell him just that, Charlotte. He loves you, and more than anything, he wants your happiness."
Alison said, "We will go with you, Charlotte. Declan's word has weight with Father, and I think it will help that he can tell Father that he knows Colbourne to be a good man despite the fact he hurt you."
Charlotte stood up and said, "There is no time like the present, so let us go to Heywood Manor and speak to him. And…just so you know, Mr. Colbourne and the girls are coming to Willingden tomorrow."
Declan said, "We best get going then."
Within ten minutes, the threesome arrived at Charlotte's childhood home, and they were greeted by the younger Heywood siblings.
Charlotte's mother was glad to have her eldest child home and showed the trio to the study where Mr. Heywood was working on his ledgers.
He stood up, hugged his oldest daughter, and welcomed her home. Mrs. Heywood asked Charlotte's sister, Rachel, to bring tea.
After everyone had a cup in their hands, they were left to speak in private.
Charlotte began, "Mother and Father, I have decided not to marry Ralph Starling because I will marry Mr. Alexander Colbourne instead."
Mr. Heywood replied, "No, Charlotte. It has been decided, and the wedding is in only three months."
"Father, it would be wrong for me to marry one man when I love another man so much."
Mr. Heywood set his cup down and started pacing the room.
'My dear girl, you came home from Sanditon both times with your heart broken. I tried to warn you that people there are different. They are not like us, and I do not understand why you cannot accept Ralph and allow love to grow between you."
"Charlotte, he is a good man, and he will be a good husband to you."
She got up and stood before her father, "You are right, Father, he is a good man, and he would be a good husband to me, but he cannot make me happy because my heart belongs to Mr. Colbourne. I want what you and mother have, and what Alison and Declan have found with each other."
"I cannot marry Ralph, Father, not even for you. I love and admire you more than any man on earth, but it would be unfair to Ralph for me to marry him."
"I would never marry a man whom I knew loved someone else. I cannot stand before our family and friends, and promise to love, honor, and obey Ralph with so much love for another man in my heart."
Mrs. Heywood was not surprised because Charlotte was a determined young woman, and when she made up her mind, it was settled. She knew her daughter was showing her respect for the two of them by speaking to them first before she spoke to Ralph.
The room fell silent, and Declan felt he could smooth things over.
"I know Mr. Colbourne, Mr. Heywood, and I like him. It is his place to explain his side of things of what happened before Charlotte returned home from Sanditon after the summer, but I believe him to be a man of integrity."
Mr. Heywood said, "That is good to know, but what changed between you and Mr. Colbourne, Charlotte?"
"Father, when I was his governess, we developed feelings for each other, and he sent me away to protect me for many reasons. However, he has done a great deal of self-reflection, and is ready to be a husband to me at this time."
"Father, I know his heart. I have forgiven him and moved past the heartache of all that had passed between us."
"He is the best of men, and I know that once you get to know him, you will come to see it for yourself, just as Alison and Declan have."
Charlotte turned to address both of her parents and said, 'I love you both so dearly, and it hurts me to disappoint you, but I cannot marry Ralph, and I intend to tell him this evening."
Her father sighed, "Once you have made up your mind, you will not be deterred. Your mother and I only want your happiness, and if you love this man, then I will not stop you. As a woman of three and twenty, you are mature enough to know your own mind, and you do not need our consent."
Charlotte hugged him and her mother and said, "I may not need your consent, but I wish for it, nonetheless. He will be here with Miss Colbourne, his daughter, and Miss Markham, his niece, tomorrow."
Mr. Heywood just shook his head, and said, "You better send a note to the Starling home and invite Ralph for dinner tonight."
Alison and Declan left for their home and dropped the note to Ralph on their way back. Charlotte settled into her room before coming down for lunch.
The rest of the day was spent pleasantly, and Charlotte was glad to be home, albeit temporarily. She loved her family dearly, but she missed Mr. Colbourne fiercely.
That evening, Ralph came for dinner, and afterwards, he and Charlotte took a walk.
Charlotte began speaking, "Ralph, I have come back to Willingden to talk to you. When I came home from Sanditon after last summer, I was very much in love with another man, but my heart was broken. I have been hurt twice by love, and if I am to be honest with you, I knew that I could trust you not to hurt me. However, as I told you at the time, my heart belonged to him."
"You deserve so much more than I can give you, Ralph. I cannot marry you, and I am so sorry. When a man offers marriage to a woman, he does her a great honor, and I will never forget that you chose me. I hope someday you can forgive me."
Ralph said to her, "I would have done anything to make you happy, Charlotte. I have loved you for a long time but being second best in your heart is not what I want for my future."
Charlotte said, "Ralph, I want us to have a proper parting, so if you have questions, then I will answer them."
"You were honest with me when I proposed, so I was not misled, but you must know that this is not what I want."
'I know, Ralph, but you deserve a woman who will love you as much as you love her, and I am not the woman. I was wrong to accept your proposal, and I can only ask for your forgiveness."
Ralph smiled sadly at her, and said, "There is nothing to forgive, Charlotte. We are just not meant to be. I hope in time I can put it all behind me."
"I wish you every happiness, Charlotte."
He walked her back to the house and left without another word.
Charlotte felt sad, so incredibly sad, to have hurt Ralph. She had been wrong to give in to the pressure from her family to marry him, but women had few choices in life. At that time, she chose to marry over seeking employment to spare her family the burden of caring for her and to make her father happy.
These past months of angst and heartbreak would be replaced with new memories, happy memories, and Charlotte counted her blessings to be so loved not only by her family, but by Mr. Colbourne as well.
Tomorrow, her beloved would arrive in Willingden, speak to her father, and then finally, they could finish the conversation they began on the cliff tops.