Sanditon Season 2: The River and the Man

Chapter 75

Lady Susan stood with Charlotte in her room and looked about the space. "The accommodations are perfect," she said with smiling eyes. Her personal maid and Bell hurried to put things away.

"Come allow me to change my shoes and into something more domestic before we go down," she said kicking them off.

Charlotte obliged and sat down in a huff. "You cannot imagine the day I have had." she started.

Lady Susan frowned. "No indeed." she looked to the maids. "Ladies, please give me and Charlotte the room," she said realizing Charlotte could not tell unless she felt it was private.

"There, better?" Lady Susan said with a knowing smile.

Charlotte relaxed. "I know the servants here gossip," she sighed.

"Now...tell me." Lady Susan said seriously.

"Ugh," Charlotte huffed.

Lady Susan smiled and laughed. "Oh, it must be terribly vexing to pull a sound like that from you, my dear."

Charlotte leaned forward and put her head in her hands defeated. "I'm not going to make it through this ball or this party. Three weeks...how am I going to endure it?"

Lady Susan came to her side and took her hand. "My dear, please don't lose heart. Everyone is coming to the Ball tomorrow. The entire Beau Monde and that will irritate the Prince Regent so much that he just might come for the later events." she said seriously. "I am hoping to tempt him here before going back to London in April. It will mark Sanditon as acceptable for all the aristocracy to come and invest. After all, I have done for you, I cannot see this venture fail. Can you?" 

She asked trying to rally Charlotte. "The race is not yet won is it not?" she lifted Charlotte's chin.

With a nod, Charlotte looked down. "Sanditon needs to thrive," she said seriously.

Lady Susan nodded. "It does, and you simply need to tell me what has you so shaken?"

Twisting her dress Charlotte closed her eyes. "Well first, your cousin came into my room last night uninvited." her eyes darted sideways to meet hers.

Lady Susan looked shocked. "No, the scoundrel. I would have him flogged for such an indelicacy!" she shook her head. "I will have words with him," she warned Charlotte.

Charlotte nodded. "He said he wanted to warn me about his intentions in the coming days that I may look on him poorly," she said with a frown.

Lady Susan squinted confused and looked down. "What is his aim?" she muttered and thought to herself a moment. "Did he say anything else?" she asked.

Charlotte shook her head. "I made him leave. I did not want him in my room to be caught and then ruined in society's eyes. My family would never forgive me.'

Lady Susan laughed. "My dear, Warrick does not want to ruin you. But he might gamble on something that could..." she bit her lip. He always liked a good risk with high yield potential. Even better if it would never blowback against him, she thought to herself.

Charlotte shook her head. "Captain Warrick is not even really the problem. Mr. Parker has barely maintained decorum in less than a day." she threw herself back in the seat and pressed against her eyes.

Laughing Lady Susan pulled at her arm. "Do sit up straight my dear." she lectured. "Your Mr. Parker is an honorable man. Only the highest level of emotion could induce a man such as he to even threaten to break his code." she shook her head. "We just need to be sure you are never alone with him again and the problem will be solved," she said squeezing her hand.

Charlotte closed her eyes and breathed. "Then Mrs. Campion was very unkind to me at dinner tonight."

Susan cocked her head. "What did she say?" she asked.

"I delivered a message to the post for Lady Denham," Charlotte said simply.

Lady Susan nodded. "It must have been important to have entrusted it to you," she said.

"Yes, but she thought I was not so much a companion as I was acting as a servant," she said feeling a blush creep up.

Lady Susan stiffened. "The classist social viper." she shook her head. "She was once not as wealthy as she is now." she cringed. "And I am helping her to make more by helping you and your Mr. Parker. That is cutting indeed."

Charlotte shook her head. "He is not my Mr. Parker." she protested.

Sparkling eyes held her. "Oh yes he is my dear, and you are his Miss Heywood." she reached up and stroked her cheek. "My dear Charlotte when will you understand the race is still not yet won." she smiled brightly. "Now, come, we can face the tides of love and fortune down bellow now can we not?" she asked.

Charlotte nodded. "Better with you here I think." she shook her head. "Maybe Mrs. Campion will be better behaved."

Lady Susan laughed. "I rather hope she is not. It leaves her open for my sting."

Charlotte shook her head. "I just want tranquility."

Lady Susan nodded. "As do I but between those stretching periods of peace there is war and once must not back down from a battle you could so easily win."

Charlotte shook her head. "Honestly I see not battlefields or games to win." she sighed. "I just see people's lives."