Return to Sanditon - A Novella

~ Epilogue ~

Sanditon, Five years later.

"You have a letter from Boston, Charlotte," Sidney handed the envelope to her and smiled. He waited a moment for her to scan the contents before asking, "Well, is it a boy or a girl?"

Charlotte smiled, "A girl! Otis writes that Georgiana is in good health and the birth was uneventful, thankfully." Charlotte grinned, "They have named her Charlotte." Swiping at the tear that dampened her cheek she laughed, "Pay me no mind, your child is turning me into a watering pot."

Sidney rounded the table and helped his wife to stand. "Come, Mama, we have to get ready. It's the cricket match today, and the children wish to get there early."

As they approached the beach where the annual Sanditon cricket match took place, they noticed they were not the first to arrive.

"Charlotte!" Alison waved. The marquees had been erected, and food was being laid out within.

"Sidney, James is over there with the little ones," Alison pointed to the dunes beyond the tent. "He will be glad of some company – he has a strategy to win back the trophy," she laughed.

"Ah, then I cannot wait to hear it," Sidney replied with a wink. He wandered off towards the dunes where their four-year-old son, Harry and two-year-old daughter, Susan had already joined their uncle and cousins.

"Mrs Stringer?" Asked one of the labourers who was helping to lay out tables and chairs, "Can I borrow you for a moment?"

"I'll see you shortly, Charlotte," Alison called as she followed the workman over to inspect some matter or other.

Charlotte smiled; Alison had met James during their brief stay in London. Their romance had developed gently through frequent correspondence until Mr Stringer had returned to Sanditon after being offered employment as an architect. The development was still expanding and became more and more popular every year. He and Alison married three years ago and were the proud parents of twin boys.

A short while later, others began to appear. Mary, and her daughters each laden with trays of sandwiches and cakes arrived and greeted Charlotte warmly.

"How are you faring?" Mary inquired. She regarded Charlotte with concern, "Most ladies, so far along with child would be enduring their confinement and resting. Are you sure you're not doing too much?"

Charlotte rolled her eyes at her sister in law, "This is my third child, Mary. I know what to expect, and I should be bored witless if I were unable to get out and about."

Mary chuckled, Charlotte had been just as reluctant to slow down when she was carrying her first child, Harry.

"If you so much as touch a cricket bat today, I shall not be responsible for the consequences," she warned, laughing.

Esther and Lord Babington arrived shortly after, escorting the indomitable Lady Denham, who had softened somewhat, upon the arrival of her great-niece and nephews.

Esther carried their latest addition, swaddled and content. She smiled at Charlotte as she approached.

"Well met, Charlotte." Esther too, had changed over the years. Her wit was as sharp as ever, but her happiness was apparent for all to see, and her set downs, while brutal, were never born of malice. Her love for her family was undeniable. Like a lioness, she fiercely protected those she loved.

"I swear Babington is descended from vampires. His latest progeny is sucking the very life from me." Esther turned and winked at her husband, who rolled his eyes dramatically and laughed. Theirs had been a slow-burning love, born of friendship and understanding.

"Charlotte, my dear. How well you look. Is your scoundrel of a husband about?" Babington asked, "I must warn him that Crowe will be joining us."

"Sidney is with James and the children," She pointed to the dunes where she witnessed her usually pristine husband rolling around in the sand with Harry atop him, giggling. She shook her head, "Join them if you dare, Babington."

Before long, Crowe had indeed arrived. Sidney greeted him with a handshake.

"Good to see you, Crowe. It's been too long. What's new?" He asked.

Crowe turned to Babington, "You didn't tell him?"

Babington smirked, "Hell no. It's far more amusing coming from you."

Sidney raised his eyebrows, "Well?"

"Hmph," Crowe began, "My uncle passed away a few months back. Dreadfully dull chap. He never married." Crowe scowled, "I have inherited the estate. Seems the old miser was sat on a pile of blunt."

"Surely that's good news?" Sidney replied.

Babington was no longer trying to hide his amusement, "Just wait ... there's more," he laughed.

"It seems I also inherited a blasted title. You are looking at the newly minted 7th Earl of Frogmore," Crowe, grimaced, flicking a piece of imaginary lint from his coat sleeve. "That's not the worst of it. The old curmudgeon stated in his will that in order to inherit the unentailed wealth, which makes up the largest part of the estate, I must marry within 12 months. Seems the old bastard didn't wish to leave things to chance."

Crowe gestured dismissively behind him to a group of three young ladies stood a few yards away, "Not only must I marry, but I must marry one of those simpering misses."

"Why them specifically?" Sidney regarded the ladies for a moment. They seemed nice enough.

"Damned if I know," said Crowe morosely. "They were his wards. Cousins on his mother's side or some such."

Sidney regarded Crowe for a moment, "I am not calling you Frogmore," and then doubled over with laughter.

Crowe sniffed dismissively, "While you two entertain yourselves at my expense, I shall be drinking myself into oblivion." With that, he stalked off in the direction of the refreshments.

The cricket got underway and after a closely fought battle, not to mention dubious tactics, the workers prevailed as they had for the previous three consecutive years. The gentlemen took defeat with good grace and accepted the gentle ribbing from their opponents as their due.

Charlotte was born of a healthy boy two days later. Her husband sat beside her staring down at the new life they had created.

"What shall we name him?" She asked sleepily.

"Well, we named our first boy for his godfather, Babington. We could name his little brother for Crowe?" Sidney looked up and grinned.

"I'm not sure I've ever known Crowe by anything else. What's his given name?" Charlotte asked, curiously.

Sidney chuckled softly, "Well, much like Crowe's current predicament, we have three to choose from - Frederick Cornelius Barnabas Crowe," he managed to say with a straight face. "Which shall he be?"

Charlotte giggled, "Gosh. I had no idea." She thought for a moment then looked at her newborn child sleeping peacefully within his father's arms, "Welcome to the family, Freddy Parker."

The End

This work belongs to: Angie Stenning

Part 1 of the Return To Sanditon - Novella Collection