Sanditon Season 2: The River and the Man

Chapter 51

Charlotte smiled and talked with the Prince Regent most jovially as they watched the prop version of a hot air balloon rise up on stage then fall down on an actor below making a dramatic fall that the crowd laughed at.

"Are there truly such things?" Charlotte asked the Prince.

He laughed and his eyes turned up happily. "Why yes my dear Miss Heywood. I have yet had the courage to ride in one, but I do have a friend with a connection. Maybe one day you will soar up in the clouds."

She laughed. "Or just float." she smiled. "I hope it would not fall like that."

He laughed. "Susan my dear, who are your other guests tonight? I do not believe I have met them." he nodded. "One looked rather roughly handled recently," he said referring to the bruising of Sidney.

Lady Susan nodded. "They are Mr. Sidney Parker and Mrs. Campion. It is my understanding that he received it in a boxing match with a large German fighter."

The Prince smiled. "Was he the victor?" he asked hopefully.

Lady Susan shrugged. "I fear I was not there."

He laughed. "I should hope not."

Charlotte turned to the Prince, " Your Highness I must take a breath. I feel quite overwhelmed at the moment." she confessed and looked to Lady Susan appealing.

"Oh, course Miss Heywood. A delicate nature is very becoming in a young woman. Please, take the air outside and come back once you are composed." he said smiling.

Charlotte curtsied and stepped out and leaned her back against the door closing her eyes.

She did not see Sidney sitting off to her right in the shadow just behind a small curtain.

"Quite the spectacle tonight Miss Heywood," Sidney said. His voice low betraying the dark tone of his thoughts.

She gasped and threw her head back frustrated. "You are everywhere I turn of late," she said frustrated.

"I seem to recall you being thus to me once upon a season," he answered simply.

Charlotte shook her head. "Why are you not in there watching the play?"

He shook his head. "I can't watch something when my thoughts are full of another. I can't help sitting and wondering to myself, what would Miss Heywood think of this," he sighed and blew smoke out. He did not offer to politely put it out. "What kind of observation would she impart."

Blushing she struggled to smile. "It is the same for me."

Startling she looked down the saloon corridor to see someone come out of a private box far down the hall. The man took no notice of them.

She stood uncomfortable a moment and wrapped her shawl around her more thoroughly for modesty. "Why do men do that?" she asked.

He looked at his smoke and frowned. "Do you not like it?"

She looked conflicted. "It is tied to a-" she struggled to finish.

"Tied to what?" He asked and stood eager to know what she thought.

She watched him take another drag and she met his deep eyes. "A memory," she whispered.

He exhaled and the smoke filled her senses and she closed her eyes reliving it. His study smelled like this, his clothes when she clung to him when he kissed her smelled burnt and warm like the scent of a home fire.

"Would you like to try it?" he asked. "It isn't a ladies habit, but you can play cricket can you not?" he said taking it from his mouth and passing it to her.

She took it from him their hands grazing the other for the briefest of moments.

Sidney watched as she took his long cigarette holder to her mouth and sucked in slowly. It was timid and he was glad for it because she did not cough.

She exhaled and handed it back. "Oh it hurts," she said frowning.

"It can." he smiled his first genuine smile in a very long time.

Shaking her head she looked up at him. "Why do you do it?"

Taking another drag he exhaled. "Because it feels good too."

She looked up at him and his battered face. "You look much improved since the other day," she said wanting to touch her finger to his healing lip.

He nodded. "Yes the swelling lessens, maybe I will be handsome once again."

She shook her head. "You will not lose that. You will just look more dangerous," she said softly.

Sidney smiled and looked at her face tenderly. "How shall we be able to navigate this mire we found ourselves in?" he asked her with a heavy tone.

She smiled and took his smoke in hand from him. "We must know where the line is and never cross it." Breathing out the smoke she felt strong, lightheaded and relaxed. Perhaps this was why he smoked.

He looked at her seriously. "Where is that line?" he stepped close but she shook her head and pressed her hand gently to his chest and his hand went to it holding it there.

"I won't tarnish your reputation, but I cannot easily watch another have you," he whispered. "Please not him." He begged her.

She shook her head. "Don't waste thought on that. I have no wish to marry."

Sidney looked down to her upturned face hungrily. "There are other ways to have a woman besides marriage," he whispered his voice dark.

She blushed and backed up handing him back his cigarette. "Your smoke I think it quite left a bad taste in my mouth, Mr. Parker," she said frowning. "If you will excuse me," she whispered and entered the Prince Regents box as swiftly as she had come out firmly escaping him for the moment.

Back inside the box she curtsied and took a seat.

"Why Miss Heywood you smell like the gentlemen's club." the Prince Regent laughed.

Charlotte nodded. "Apologies, someone was smoking in the-"

The prince turned back to the play. "Never-mind that," he said and his servant offered her a glass of wine.

Lady Susan could see how flushed Charlotte was and handed her the fan she used. She could see Lady Susan knew just who had been outside just by the careful shift of her gaze to the occupants of her own box.