Sanditon: Episode 9

5

The next morning, after a late breakfast, Mrs Griffiths took Georgiana and the Beaufort girls to the dress fitting for what was to be the final ball of the season that evening. Charlotte stayed behind. She knew what she was going to wear, there was no need for an extra fitting. Instead, she hoped that she would finally manage to write that letter Alison had been waiting for far too long. When she heard someone knock on the outside door, she didn't make much of it, assuming it to be the Reverend on his daily round to his bouquet of blossoms – just until the door was opened and Sidney Parker walked in, unannounced as always at this place, dressed in black again and looking even more harassed than the day before.

Charlotte jumped up, turning over the letter in which the name »Parker« featured prominently. »Georgiana's out,« she said without a greeting, in case he had come to berate his ward and announce her imminent departure to the Welsh mountains.

»I haven't come to see Georgiana,« he replied, remaining where he was, close to the door. She took a step back, touching the table for support.

»I would have expected you to be busy. Preparing for the wedding.«

»Mrs Campion is. But I realised I could not go forward with it without setting matters between us straight. My behaviour yesterday was ... a great deal less than that of a gentleman. I'm all too aware of it, and I apologize.« Charlotte just nodded, unable to do or say anything else. He moved a step closer. »You said that I could not have both worlds, and that we would have to live our own lives. And you are right in that, of course. But the truth is ...« He made another step, and now she saw the sorrow in his face, the pain in his darkened eyes. »... the truth is, the more time I spend in Mrs Campion's world, the more I feel I transform back into the man I was before this summer. And I don't like that man very much. I like the man I am when I'm with you.«

Charlotte closed her eyes, allowing one single tear to escape. So she had been right. He had felt it as well. Drowning, fighting for breath in his fiancée's net, getting more and more entangled in it while trying to escape. When she opened her eyes again, he was standing right in front of her, his forehead nearly touching hers. »Charlotte ...«

A knock on the door drew them apart. »Mr Heywood,« the maid announced, and Charlotte's father walked in, a bit dusty from the journey, but nevertheless: her father. »Papa!« she cried, and: »Charlotte!« he replied and opened his arms to welcome his daughter.

»But what are you doing here?« she asked.

»Well, may I not see my daughter when I feel like it?«

»Of course you may, but I thought it was your principle never to go more than five miles away from home.«

»There are occasions on which one has to rethink one's principles,« Mr Heywood said. Only then did he notice the tall, somewhat dark and harassed looking gentleman standing between the table and his daughter. »I see you already have a visitor, Charlotte.«

»Oh. Oh, yes. This is Mr Parker, Papa. Mr Tom Parker's brother, that is. Mr Sidney Parker. Mr Parker, allow me to introduce my father.«

»Mr Sidney Parker,« Mr Heywood said, and that sounded a little more meaningful than one would have expected.

»Pleasure to meet you, sir,« Sidney said in his most well-behaved manner, bowing quickly to Charlotte. »I shall not disturb you any longer, Miss Heywood. We can sort out these business matters later.«

»Thank you, Mr Parker.«

»Miss Heywood – Mr Heywood–« He was gone.

»Business matters?« Mr Heywood said.

»Yes. He's Mr Tom's business partner, and I'm helping out on the administrative side.«

»Administrative side.« Mr Heywood took a step back. »Why, my little girl has grown up.«