Beginnings Beyond Endings (A Sanditon Fanfiction)

One's Truest, Fullest Self

The rest of the ball was uneventful. Or at least, it seemed that way after the earlier excitement of the evening. There were no more ruinations to be had and both Sidney and Eliza Parker seemed to have moved past their sour moods and were much more animated in their conversation for the rest of the evening.

Charlotte and George danced one more set with each other and another again with different partners and found themselves quite exhausted when they eventually retired upon returning home in the small hours.

Sanditon's society slept late the next morning and many of its denizens rose only when the sun had already taken its place high in the sky. The Viscount and Viscountess were among this number and noon had long passed when they eventually ventured forth after a light luncheon. It was the final day of the regatta and those who intended to remain flocked to the gardens of Sanditon House to enjoy pleasant conversation and the mild entertainments typical of garden parties.

Charlotte and George intended to remain the week complete and would depart after attending church the next day. Charlotte had been quite insistent upon it, they having foregone the practice almost entirely since their arrival. Presently though, they were walking sedately along the cliffs to join their friends for a final afternoon before they would make their way east to London for the little season and then northward to the moors and dales of Yorkshire and Castle Howard for the Winter.

When they arrived to the lawn of Sanditon House, the garden party was well under way and the crowds were milling about greeting friends and exchanging gossip and taking their leave of acquaintances.

It did not take long for Charlotte to spot Georgiana and Charity and make her way in their direction while George forwent what was sure to be an emotional round of tearful hugs and anticipatory leave taking to be repeated on the morrow. He parted with his wife in favour of card tables spread about under a marquee.

Charlotte did greet her two friends with hugs and if all their eyes were a little dewy when she informed them they would be leaving the following day, no one spoke of it. And indeed, there was little time for such sentimentality as Mr Crowe arrived to maintain his end of the courting charade he played with Charity and escorted her on a reluctant promenade about the grounds of Sanditon House.

Charlotte, being the only suitable chaperone in near proximity, Georgiana being unwed and Lady Babington, who was resting nearby, too ungainly in the advanced state of her pregnancy to participate in much more than a brief and sedate stroll, followed after the couple as chaperone. That being said, Georgiana's status as an innocent did not prohibit her from being pulled into assisting the young Viscountess in her responsibilities. And so, for the next hour, the three ladies were to be found walking amongst the grove of trees and formal gardens, Miss Entworth being well-entertained by her would-be suitor and her friends deep in conversation as to the eventual outcome of that plot.

"I do believe they might be quite well suited." Charlotte murmured as they strolled through the gardens, trailing after the couple for whom they were acting as chaperones.

Georgiana looked at her older friend askance. "Charity and Crowe? Are you sure, Charlotte? Charity did not seem best pleased about this false courtship scheme."

"I would not be surprised to learn there is more to him than he lets us see," Charlotte ignored her friend's protestations and continued. "and I believe Charity sees that too. She may complain to us about being forced to act as though he is really her suitor, but it seems to me that her protests are more about the deception than the man himself. Indeed, I suspect she may even be disappointed that it is not real. Have you truly not noticed that she seems to tolerate his company with barely any attempts to avoid it?"