Sanditon Season 2: The River and the Man

Chapter 8

Sidney sat in a tavern in the middle of London with Crowe and Lord Babington that night after his chilly dinner with Eliza Campion and her pestiferous group of devotees. He had the look of being in a fight earlier with a mildly bruised cheek and his suit was rumpled.

Sidney deep in his cups. The smoke of the gentleman's lounge hung in the air as men toasted to victories and drowned sorrows. He felt sick.

"I can't keep up the pretense with you two anymore," he mumbled.

Crowe perked up from his drinking to listen.

"I had hoped I could... but the further I am from her the worse I feel." Sidney slurred.

Lord Babington nodded knowingly. "Still thinking of Miss Haywood?"

He nodded. His brown eyes filling with anger, disgust, sadness.

"I thought maybe... That my love for Eliza would come back. She was the financially wiser decision...But, Charlotte." he drank and winced. "I am destroying myself over it. I hate what I have done!" He shouted. "I hate who I am now as she should think badly of me..." emotion choked his throat and he wanted to cry but he was still a man in a reputable gentlemen's establishment. He should not reduce himself to tears or ramblings of a mad man.

Lord Babington shook his head. "I would have sworn you were going to ask Miss Heywood at the Midsummer ball months ago. She could not have refused you. I would not believe it of her."

He nodded. "I was not able to ask her before that vile Lord Edward Denham burst in and made a scene forcing me to leave in the midst of my proposal."

Babington who was buzzed leaned forward shakily. "Then why did you not ask later?"

Sidney cringed at the truth of why he was so miserable. "Tom didn't insure and the fire wiped him out."

Lord Babbington looked astonished. "What?" He, after all, had a sizable investment in the venture himself.

"Close acquaintances, and friends like present company," he said gesturing to both of them. "-have invested in this."

Shaking his head resolved Sidney continued. "I could not lose face, and marry Charlotte under those circumstances. Too many people would lose their investment upon my overconfidence in my irresponsible brother. It would have not made for an easy start. In fact, Miss Heywood is better off without the scandal."

Mr. Crowe frowned. "Love...So glad I am immune." he drank deep.

"Charlotte is who I really love." Sidney drank again. "She once said marriage without love was slavery. She's a far more clever than I gave her credit for at the time. It used to enrage me, now I just ache." he slumped over the table in depression and numbing inebriation.

"I hate the kind of man I am without her. She brought out the side I thought Eliza killed." he slammed the glass down in anger.

"We can't have him speaking of this, especially at this volume." Mr. Crowe said to his friend paranoid. "If someone heard..."

Lord Babington nodded. "Let us take him to my place. He is in no condition to get all the way home."

The two men hoisted him so that his arms hung over their shoulders.

"Living with Eliza is going to kill me. At least while we are not married I can reasonably escape her," he said as they dragged him down the street.

"Well, she is a beautiful woman. Maybe you can find other benefits to the matrimonial state." Babington tried to offer brightly. After all the marriage bed was what brought him and his wife together best.

Sidney smiled recalling his most cherished memory of their kiss by the cliffs. It held so much promise of romance, passion, and lust. He knew that the marriage bed with charlotte would be much warmer than with Eliza.

"Why the smiled then the long face," Crowe asked pouting. His own drunken state feeding off his friend misery playfully as only the best friends could.

"I kissed Miss Heywood..." Sidney slurred.

Both Babbington and Mr. Crowe stopped in their stride and looked at him shocked much like they had the night he confessed to the naked bathing by the cove that Miss Heywood had seen. It was quite titillating just as it was now.

"It was-" Sidney's eyes rolled back reveling in the memory as he explained it to his friends. "I have never been more stirred in my entire life." he laughed at his honesty and pathetic longing. "I was on fire from it and it consumed me just as much as the fire consumed the pavilion. I hunger for her more than any woman I ever met. Anyone else would be a disappointment entirely." he slurred and almost fell over.

They resumed their trek back once they got him to rights. Other people on the street had to dodge their unpredictable swaying to Babington's residence. Mercifully soon they mounted the steps as a butler opened the door and three manservants took over for the gentlemen.

"My love, whatever is the matter with Mr. Parker?" Esther asked from the stairwell. Seeing Crowe deep in his cups was unremarkable, but the state of Sidney was astonishing.

He looked to her softly. "A great deal my dear," he confessed. "Mr. Crowe and Mr. Parker are going to stay the night, alright darling."

"I should have a darling," Sidney said drunkenly and Lord Babington shushed him and directed his servants to deposit him in a room.

Mr. Crowe stumbled as he followed but Lord Babington remained and sighed heavily.

"My love, what is the matter?" she asked.

He looked at her sweetly and kissed her cheek. "I just realized how lucky I am to have you my dearest," he whispered.

She shook her head. "No, about Mr. Parker." she looked back at the stairwell. "I have not seen him like this in ages. Indeed I don't think I have ever seen him this bad." she frowned. "But it is strange. He has his old love, why on earth is he still tortured?"

He looked glum. "Because Mrs. Campion is not where his heart lies."

She furrowed her elegant brow and looked puzzled. "But who?"

He sighed. "Miss Heywood," he said pouring himself a final drink. "He was about to make her an offer, but then the pavilion burned down and the fool Tom did not have the good sense to insure it."

Esther's jaw dropped in shock. "No, But dearest are not your own interests involved?"

He nodded. "Not heavily. Worry not my dear, I am still obscenely rich." he sighed. "I will make some inquires with Sidney and get to the bottom of all this. Maybe something can be done."

Esther looked down in thought. "Mrs. Campion is a cat. She has sunk her claws into him. I doubt she intends to let him go easily. She could ruin him and his reputation if she had the inclination."

"Even so, Sidney is a man of his word. I'm not sure he would call off the engagement," he said sipping his brandy.

She shook her head. "I bet the Ton half expect it. They see how she and Mr. Parker act. Not much like they are so in love as Mrs. Campion would like to pretend." Esther lifted her elegant hand to her mouth and thoughtlessly chewed on her nail.

"Why are you up so late my dear?" he asked noting the strange occurrence.

Her eyes looked at him with a sweet smile. "I had hoped you would be home earlier. I have something to tell you," she said stepping closer.

Lord Babington's eyes grew wide. "You're not?" he shook his head a fraction.

Her mouth broke into a joyful smile. "It's been confirmed. I'm with child," she said with tears coming to her eyes.

Love encircled the couple as he embraced her joyously and a hand went delicately to her belly and she covered it with hers.

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