Sanditon Season 2: The River and the Man

Chapter 151

Georgiana sat at the warm dining table of the Heywood family and smiled. They had arrived at midday without so much as a warning of their arrival and yet Mr. and Mrs. Heywood graciously let the two strangers in. But she supposed that was on account of them already knowing who they both were and that in many ways they were not strangers at all.

Charlotte had not been at home on account of being on the moors hunting cottontail. Now returned after a tearful embrace she entered the dining room with her sisters and the food and laid it all out while taking a younger sibling into her lap to assist in feeding and more space at the table.

Her hair was pulled up, but whisps fell from the lack of a maid tending it and she wore a dull brown dress. Charlotte was far from the more refined version Georgiana had just gotten used to and more like she seemed last year before London, and Sidney.

"What a lovely meal Mr. Heywood," Otis observed. "Many thanks for your gracious hospitality."

Georgiana smiled at her husband as he served her and the family dug in.

"So what is all the news in Sanditon?" Charlotte asked breathless wishing to know everything. "How was Lady Denham's funeral?"

Georgiana shrugged and shook her head. "I wouldn't know from firsthand, but I saw the aftermath and it was a fiasco." she rolled her eyes.

Otis scoffed and continued seeing Charlotte's distress. "The stables burnt down after a fight between Mr. Sidney Parker and Sir Edward Denham."

Georgiana elbowed him discreetly and he winced.

Mr. Heywood who had been sitting silent frowned and sighed. "I have come to understand the Parkers are impulsive." he flashed a serious glance to his daughter Charlotte who was concerned about the mentioned fight.

"Was anyone hurt?" she asked not allowing herself to be distracted by her father's comment.

Georgiana raised her brow. "You mean, was Sidney hurt?" she suggested.

Giggles broke out at the table as the younger family had come to guess that Charlotte was involved with Mr. Sidney Parker.

Charlotte blushed.

"Mr. Parker is only impulsive where his heart is engaged and truth be told, it often is not," Georgiana admitted candidly referencing Mr. Heywood's earlier comment.

Mrs. Heywood nodded. "It is my understanding he was your guardian?" she asked.

Georgiana and Otis both nodded.

"And you two ran off together?" Mr. Heywood questioned without condemnation but sobering seriousness.

Otis smiled and nodded with ease in the midst f the uncomfortable topic. "With Charlotte's help, though she did not know she was helping us elope," he said taking his wife's hand.

Mr. Heywood frowned at Charlotte. "Aiding and abetting elopement... this is the excitement you were after?" He grumbled seriously with judgment only against his daughter, not the couple before him. "And this...Mr. Sidney Parker raced to Scotland to stop you I imagine?" he had turned his attention back to the couple.

Georgiana shook her head. "I thought he would, but he made it in time to be a witness with Charlotte. There was so much more to the story I can promise you. And he was more interested in saving Charlotte than he was stopping our wedding."

Mrs. Heywood had to shush the girls and boys at the table to stop their whoops and hollers. The mother blushed embarrassed at the children's bad manners.