Castaway

Chapter 12: A school for Sanditon

It only remains for me to tell you what I'm sure you can already surmise. Mr and Mrs Parker, together with their dear daughter Molly, settled happily in a comfortable but simple cottage near the sea, a little way from the bustling enterprise of Sanditon. Although they lacked for nothing in material comfort, Sidney having secured a sizeable portion of his brother's fortune and a fixed annuity from the Parker estate that Tom was unable to touch, they in fact lived very simply, much as before, tending their own vegetable garden, drawing their own water from the well and chopping their own firewood. Eight months after their marriage, Mrs Parker was delivered of a son, George Henry Robinson Parker, much to the delight of his elder sister, and of course his father, who had never thought he would see the day when a child of his own made its appearance into the world. Their marriage and the birth of their son were greeted with great joy by all their friends and family. Lord Babington in particular was delighted to be reacquainted with his old friend and thrilled that he had finally won his heart's desire, his precious Charlotte.

Although their situation was idyllic, and their happiness complete, over time the new couple grew a little restless. Sidney had no desire to return to his former business dealings, and even less to become involved in his brother's hare-brained schemes (although he kept a controlling interest in his enterprise and always made sure he paid his insurance premiums). Yes, although some readers may have wished for a more just end to the foolhardy exploits and blind selfishness of Mr Tom Parker, I am afraid to say that this type of man seems to have an unerring ability to bounce back, whatever befalls him.

However, Sidney and Charlotte had a plan. They decided that what Sanditon really needed, much more than fancy bathing machines or extravagant regattas, was a school. Somewhere for the town's children – the ones who could not afford private tutors or governesses – to better themselves and learn about the world around them. So, with the financial backing of Tom Parker and following some discussions with Sanditon's new vicar, a charming young man named Elton, a school was established on the edge of town, managed by Mr and Mrs Sidney Parker, who employed a young schoolmistress, a Miss Eyre, to assist them.

Charlotte was in charge of the curriculum, a significant portion of which was dedicated to exploration of nature. During regular class excursions to the beach and the nearby woods, Sidney would accompany them and impart his extensive knowledge to the eager pupils, showing them how to identify plants, light fires and catch fish. The children would collect sticks, leaves, shells, seaweed and whatever else they could find and take them back to the classroom to study them further and create their own works of art. One day, they were even visited by a young palaeontologist, a Miss Anning, who taught the children a great deal about fossils and helped them search for specimens on the beach. Some people raised their eyebrows at this unusual curriculum, but the children loved it.

As the years passed by, more Parker children were added to their growing brood and more and more children flocked to the town's school, and Sidney and Charlotte were obliged to recruit more teachers. The reputation of their educational enterprise spread across the whole country and was imitated many times over. Sidney could not have been happier that his wonderful, intelligent wife would be able to leave a legacy on this earth of her hard work and dedication, and he was also strangely satisfied that his ill-gotten fortune was now employed to good use. Perhaps Eliza would even have approved.

As their fame grew, curious visitors flocked from far and wide to see the real-life "Robinson Crusoe", although he was known to be very reclusive. Those lucky enough to catch a glimpse of him remarked that he looked very well indeed for having spent so many years alone on a desert island, existing on nothing but fish and tropical fruit. They were also curious to see his beautiful wife, the woman he had travelled continents, endured perilous sea voyages and undergone so many trials and tribulations for, the woman who had waited patiently for him for so many years. At least that was how the slightly romanticised version of their love story went. Charlotte would laugh when she heard some of these tales and Sidney would joke that, one day, she should write a book about it. "Yes," she mused. "Perhaps I will."

Fortunately for them, Bartholomew Grant never returned from Africa to reclaim his wife and child (two resurrections might have stretched the reader's credulity too far, I decided) and so Mr and Mrs Parker were able to devote themselves to each other's happiness to the end of their days. Despite their busy employment and their many domestic cares, they always found time, on warm evenings, to sit, hand in hand, in the shade of their pretty garden, conversing easily together and sipping elderflower cordial as the sun went down, after which they would retire happily to their chamber to continue their most affectionate and most intimate conversation.

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THE END.