Sanditon Season 2: Finding Their Way Back To Each Other

Chapter 1: Morning Post

"The morning post has arrived," my brother George announced coming through the door. "I've never seen so many parcels. All for Charlotte, of course. How many people are there in this Sanditon place anyway?"

Hearing the word Sanditon made my heart clench. I loved Sanditon but thinking about what might have been, what I lost, made fresh tears well up in my eyes.

My brother continued babbling about the morning post while I paid no attention to what he was saying and continued to stare out the window. "Mrs. Parker, Miss Lambe, Mr. Parker, Mr. Stringer, Lady Denham, Lady Babington, another Mr. Parker, and a Miss Parker..."

My breath hitched for a moment when my brother announced another Mr. Parker. I expected a letter from Mr. Tom Parker, but not another Mr. Parker. It couldn't possibly be from the Mr. Parker I longed to hear from. He would never be so improper though, would he?

I jumped from my chair and jerked the letters from my brother's hands. He looked at me with a shocked look, as did my parents who looked up from what they were doing in total surprise of my actions.

"Charlotte, what has gotten into you?" my father asked.

"It's not polite to announce every letter I receive," I said angrily. "I can read them myself." I stormed out of the house and ran to my favorite spot on the bridge. There was a little makeshift stairway that led to underneath the bridge with a stoop to sit on where even if someone came across the bridge, they would never know I was there.

I sat down and quickly started flipping through the letters searching for the one from Mr. Parker. I daresay I had wishful thinking going on inside my mind. Could it be?

I quickly ripped open the letter and discovered that it wasn't a letter from Sidney, of course it wasn't. In fact, it was a wedding announcement from Mrs. Eliza Campion and Mr. Sidney Parker. Fresh tears streamed down my face thinking on it and reading the words over and over again. Sidney would never send this to me. It had to have been Mrs. Campion. She was an evil woman who was trapping Sidney in a marriage I wanted to believe he never wanted. I thought about our parting when he told me he didn't love her. How the look on his face told me everything I needed to know about how he felt about me, about her, about his family. If it hadn't been for the fire, I would be the one on this wedding announcement.

I took a deep breath and steadied myself, wiping the tears away with the back of my hand. I needed to focus on something else. I ripped open the letter from Georgiana hoping that letter would make me feel better in some way. Unfortunately, it didn't. Georgiana's letter consisted of her detest for Sanditon, for Mrs. Griffiths, for Mr. Hankins, and of course for Sidney. She reprimanded me for falling for someone like Sidney Parker and thought I had more sense than that. She then went on and on about how her Otis had left her for the Navy and may never return. She was heartbroken for sure, but it didn't give her the right to reprimand me. We had both made mistakes in love. But somehow, we would both mend our broken hearts.

I went to Jenny's letter instead thinking that one might bring me some joy. Indeed, it did, as both Jenny and Alicia had drawn portraits of the boats sailing on the river. Jenny had even written on hers "Admiral Heywood is our hero" which made me smile, yet long to go back to that special time I spent with the children and Sidney. Everything about Sanditon made me think of Sidney. I couldn't get away from him.

I read the letter from Esther Babington next as the last few weeks in Sanditon we had become close. She talked much about her new life with Lord Babington and how fond of him she had become. She tried so desperately to push him away at first, but realizes now how much she truly cares for him and wants nothing more than to make him happy and be the wife he deserves. She thanked me for being a good friend and seeing a better version of herself than she saw. I didn't believe I saw anything better. I just saw someone who needed a good friend and I was happy to be that for her. I couldn't be more thrilled for her also. She truly deserved her happiness and Lord Babington was her perfect match.