Sanditon Season 2: The River and the Man

Chapter 62

Sitting stiffly in her chair at the head of the table Lady Denham tried to summon the energy for this long dinner for her guests.

The fluttering of candles hurt her head which still pounded but with great effort she was managing to be as agreeable as she could.

Miss Heywood sat to her immediate right and Mr. Sidney Parker and his fiance to the other side, while on the other side was Lord and Lady Babington and Captain Warrick opposite Mrs. Campion.

"Are the children settled in the nursery?" Lady Denham asked Esther.

Esther nodded. "Oh yes, after screaming all the way from London they are mercifully asleep after such a trying day," she said breathing out in frustration.

"Why didn't you have them go in the second coach with the wet nurse?" Mrs. Campion asked.

Esther closed her eyes hiding the eye roll she exercised as she turned her face to the woman. "I prefer my children to be with me when traveling such dangerous roads. After all, I remember what happened to bring Miss Heywood to Sanditon."

"Was it so great an accident?" Mrs. Campion asked.

Charlotte nodded. "Oh yes, it was very frightening. So early in the morning too and going so fast."

Sidney had turned to study her. He had not had such opportunity of proximity for some time and he relished in the way her mouth moved. Remembering that they were not alone he looked down at his food and tried not to look overly interested.

"What were you doing out along the road so early in the morning?" Lord Babington asked curiously.

Charlotte blushed and looked to Sidney and then the others. "I was... I was aiming to shoot a hare we spotted," she answered nervously.

"Really Charlotte, you were hunting?" Esther asked her with an amused smile.

Mrs. Campion scoffed. "Miss Heywood, you do have quite a colorful patchwork of talents don't you?"

Sidney glanced at her and blinked as he smiled at her. "And did you get the Hare?" he asked and leaned back smiling.

She shook her head. "No, I was about to. That was when we saw the carriage going far too fast for the road. You see right there the track is not the best to run the horses along at such a breakneck speed. Indeed it was mostly used as farmers carting road. Normally the carriages run along Delly, but I think the horsemen got confused in the fog. It had hung so low earlier that morning but had cleared up before the accident." She looked at the group. "I saw the carriage turn on its side and we rushed down to help."

Lady Denham turned. "Wasn't Mr. Tom Parker injured?"

Charlotte shook her head. "Not at first. He was fine."
"Then how did he twist his ankle?" Lady Denham pressed.

Charlotte looked to Sidney and the other guests. "Well you see Ma'am, all of them were fine, a little bruised perhaps and shaken up, but Tom received his injury in jumping off the side of the carriage to the ground."

Sidney winced thinking it would have been a hight he would not have attempted to jump from.

"How like the man." Lady Denham rolled her eyes. "They man never thinks before he leaps, does he?" she looked to Sidney and shook her head. "A man like your brother never learns."

Sidney clenched his jaw tightly and glanced at Charlotte and then Lady Denham. "No, I do suppose your observation has some merit." he turned to remind himself to look at Eliza and sighed.

"How do you find the work in Sanditon Mr. Parker?" Lady Denham asked changing the subject entirely disliking the subject of Tom.

He nodded grateful for the change of topic. "Ahead of schedule." he nodded and reached for his glass and his hand brushed her forearm and his stomach tightened in knots.

Charlotte shifted her hand away from his as she was briefly startled but his glance at her and slight smile told her it was an accident and she closed her eyes and sighed.

"The finished rooms seem ready for tenants and the guests I hope will be charmed by what Sanditon has to offer in the way of fine society," he said.

"All due to Miss Heywood." Captain Warrick said lazily as he spoke for the first time. "She was able to convince many of the Beau Monde to come at her own invitation. An impossible scheme made real by the connections she has made with my cousin and myself in London."

Mrs. Campion blinked and smiled. "Do you not share some ownership of this feat Captain Warrick?"

He scoffed and drank before answering. "My good Mrs. Campion, I was not interested in liking or supporting Miss Heywood in the beginning. I held her in much suspect until she too won me over." she raised his glass.

Charlotte blushed and Sidney turned to look at her and assess her reaction to the Captain's very open opinions of her.

"Captain Warrick, if she so easily won you over, why have you not purchased?" Lady Denham asked seriously. "Or...why have you not made this girl and offer?" she pressed.

Captain Warrick laughed and looked down. "She would not have me." his eyes met hers and then flicked to Sidney who stood uncomfortable amidst the conversation. "And I would not make her happy," he answered honestly.

Lady Denham frowned. "A Naval Captain with a large fortune, with the highest connections, how could you not make a woman happy?" she asked curiously. "Oh, I see..." she nodded. "Then what keeps you? Has Sanditon finally won you over?" she asked.

Captain Warrick smiled charmingly. "My attachment to Sanditon grows deeper still." He glanced at Mrs. Campion who eyed him curiously. "Indeed, perhaps I might invest heavily in this project after all," he answered and took a drink. "Talk to me again of this after the spring."

Sidney glanced again at Charlotte and found she had hardly eaten.

"You have hardly touched your food," he whispered near her ear.

She turned and looked at him startled. "I'm sorry. I don't have much of an appetite tonight," she said reaching for her wine and drank a large gulp which was probably not ladylike.