When I'm with you

Sorrows and joys

With a deft movement, the waiter placed a plate of eclairs on the table. Charlotte smiled at him, thanking him for his excellent work, and returned to her companion.
"So you've already told your parents?"  Lady Worcester asked, sipping her fragrant tea and a beautiful china cup, " it's not every day their daughter gets married."
"No," Charlotte said hesitantly, " I didn't have any free time. So many things piled up. But I'll definitely tell them... after the festival..."
"Charlotte Heywood, you surprise me. Are you afraid of your parents?", Susan asked, "I don't think they'll be so hard on you. These are not the right times to be polite. And your choice isn't bad enough to be ashamed of."
"They live in the country and are extremely traditional", Charlotte admitted, "I think that my father is waiting for my fiance to come and ask for my hand in marriage... My mother has been preparing my dowry since I was a child... I understand that it's not important now, but still..."
"You sincerely respect their opinion", said Susan, "it's commendable..."
"I knew you'd understand," Charlotte said, relieved.
"Well, then, what else are friends for?"..  Lady Worcester said with a smile.
Charlotte nodded happily.
"Business requires my presence, but I promise to be back in about a week, just in time for the festival to begin.", Susan said, "I am sure that its opening will be grandiose."
"Oh, if you could see the assembly, and the old conservatory, and the gallery," exclaimed Miss Heywood, " what James was able to do there is really amazing. And Esther's efforts are simply impossible to describe in words. "
"You're all a great team," Lady Wooster said with a sly smile, " so it couldn't have happened otherwise. "
"Thank you, My Lady," Charlotte replied.
"What really happened to Mrs. Campion?"  Susan asked?, " Was it really Clara?"
"Yes," Charlotte said, looking confused, pretending to look at the tea leaves in her cup. Susan immediately realized that her friend was not telling her something and it was very tormenting her. 
"Is there anything else you want to tell me?"  Lady Worcester asked again, "I can see that something is bothering you."
Charlotte hesitated, not daring to tell the truth.
"Come on," Susan said, " I don't bite. What did you want to talk about? It bothers you..."
"The fire at Sanditon five years ago," Charlotte blurted out.
"Fire?" Lady Worcester asked, " Why you remember this now?"
"It was Eliza and Edward who set the office on fire. He admitted it himself," Charlotte rattled on, relieved of the burden of secrecy, " we think that's why Clara was at Campion Cottage that night."
Lady Worcester looked thoughtful, as if weighing the pros and cons.
"Does Sidney know?", she finally asked .
"Yes, It's a good thing Eliza isn't here, I don't know what he would have done to her." Charlotte said.
"He should not spoil his life again because of some trash", said Lady Worcester sagely, "your fiance will soon calm down and realize that fate itself will punish Eliza, maybe much more harshly than he could himself."
"I understand," said Miss Heywood sadly.
"But that's not all?"  Susan asked.
"It's not fair that someone else should be responsible for Campion's sins: Clara, Edward, Sidney and I, " Charlotte exclaimed," and I don't think we'll ever be able to prove her involvement.  If, of course, Eliza gets out..."
"I'm sure that this snake is very tenacious", said Lady Worceter, "will lie under a stone and again begin to sting everyone with its poison."
"But nothing is clear yet… I'm so sorry for Clara, I don't believe she wanted to kill Eliza", Charlotte said sadly, "Allison said that Daniel had found a good lawyer. A Mr. Williams. I hope it helps."
Susan smiled enigmatically and sipped her tea again.
"Do you know him?" , Charlotte asked, "Is he really a professional?"
"I have known him for a very, very long time," lady replied, still smiling, "Colin is the best. He would help her in any way, even if it was Clara's fault."
"Colin? Do you call him by his first name?" asked Miss Heywood.
"Yes," Susan purred." we are.. good...a very good ... friends, we are very close..."
"Oh... I'm sorry, for God's sake... "I didn't mean to," Charlotte said, " I didn't know.."
"There's no need to apologize, my dear," Lady Worcester replied, " we all have our own private lives, and I'm not the least bit ashamed of mine."
"I understand, but...," Charlotte began.
" No buts, my dear", interrupted her lady, "and now I have to go, I'm leaving today, and your fiance is already waiting for you. This is the third time he's peeked out from behind that curtain."
"Sidney?"  Charlotte asked, looking back at the entrance.
Realizing that he had been spotted, Mr. Parker hurried to join the group.
"Here you are, I have already searched", Sidney intervened in the conversation, "Lady Worcester, my respect."
"Mr. Parker," she said pleasantly, " I'm sorry, but I have to leave you. Things don't wait"
"Good day, Lady Worсeter," Sidney said.
"Have a good trip, Susan," Charlotte added.
Milady nodded and, with a sly smile, hurried out of the room, leaving Sidney and Charlotte alone.
"How long have you been hiding there?"  Charlotte giggled.
"You know, I called you, but you left your phone in the office, " he answered.
"I was so worried about Allison that I couldn't even think about anything", Charlotte said.
"Did it go well?"  Sidney asked.
"Yes, more than that," said Charlotte, " you were right, my sister was fooling herself. Has anyone been looking for me?"
"Yes. Georgie. She wrote that she was going to run away from Sanditon, " he said calmly.
"What? We need to find her immediately! Before our Georgiana does something stupid," Charlotte said.
"Don't worry. I went to see her, and we talked and sort of worked it out. Just for a while, "Sidney said," believe me, she's got someone who's going to take better care of Georgie than you and I are."
"Arthur or Daniel?"  Charlotte asked.
"Non of them. It's Fran. He came as soon as he'd dealt with Clara. There, by the way, everything seems to be not as bad as we thought, " he said.
"Tell me one thing at a time," Charlotte insisted, " because my head is already spinning."
"Sure, but let's not do it here," Sidney said, reaching out and helping Charlotte up from the table.
She smiled, rose, and followed her fiance.

The warm atmosphere of the cafe, the subdued light of the small lamps hanging like bunches of grapes from the ceiling, and the presence of Sidney helped Charlotte relax. She stretched out in her chair and, clutching a small sofa cushion, looked lovingly at her fiance.
"So no one's going to jail? It wae just an accident?" she asked happily, "You have no idea how happy I am."
"I didn't know you were so fond of Clara," Sidney said, sipping from a tall glass of beer.
"Do you think I'm insensitive, Mr. Parker?"  Charlotte teased him playfully.
"God forbid me from such conclusions," he replied, smiling, "in my opinion, you take other people's problems too close to your heart. After all, people must learn to take responsibility for their own actions."
"Even Tom?" she asked.
"Especially Tom," Sidney said, his face darkening, " I hope this situation will teach him something. Sometimes I feel very sorry for Mary, raising five children alone, where the eldest is well over forty …"
"Sidney Parker! Stop it! Your brother isn't that bad! He's a good father and husband. He loves his family. Tom is not angry at all", Charlotte exclaimed.
"But blind and deaf to the feelings and desires of others ... as stupid as a child," Sidney said dryly.
"He's not stupid, in some way your brother is a genius," Charlotte said, shaking her head. " His ideas ... they ... if it weren't for his ideas, we would never have met you."
"That's why I... " he continued, " I'm grateful to him. Hell, I'm mad at Tom, I've been mad at him all these five years for not insuring the project. But I needed to be angry with myself, it was my fault for what happened and recent events confirm this …"
Sidney paused and looked down into his glass of bubbling, sparkling drink. Charlotte paused, realizing how hard this admission had been for him. He and she knew perfectly well that there was some truth in what he said.
"You mean Eliza?"  Charlotte asked cautiously, tensing and rising in her chair.
"Yes," he said shortly.
"It's not your fault... " she began, trying to soften the situation.
"Then Who? You said yourself that if I hadn't brought her back, nothing bad would have happened.", he said.
"How were you supposed to know she was capable of such a thing?", Charlotte said, "You haven't seen Eliza in ten years, in that time. …
"No, you don't understand," Sidney interrupted, "I was the one who was blind. I couldn't see the real Eliza any more than I could see you at first…"
Charlotte smiled at him, and Sidney felt a little better.
"Perhaps we can afford to forgive this oversight," she said in a soft voice, " but in the end, it doesn't matter. What's important is that we're getting married soon and..."
" Did you tell your parents?" he asked.
"No," Charlotte said reluctantly", I'll tell them right after the festival ends. Now so much worries..."
"But after all on preparation for wedding will remain quite little time, am sure, have them, too, their plans and need warn ...", observed Sidney, "wait, maybe you are ashamed of me? Or do you still doubt that everything will work out? Miss Heywood, tell me honestly, do you want to tell your parents about our wedding?"
"Yes," Charlotte blurted out.
" But what's the problem?" Sidney asked, surprised, "I do not understand …"
"I don't want to ruin everything," she said quickly, " I want everything to be right this time, everything in order."
She was interrupted by the violent shouts of people who burst into the cafe. Charlotte and Sidney looked around to see what was going on, and were surprised to see the younger Parker with his girlfriend in his arms, who were met at the entrance by Fred and his wife. The sisters were hugging each other, as if congratulating each other on something. Fred also hugged Arthur, giving him a friendly pat on the back.
"What the hell is going on?"  Sidney asked, standing up and clearly intending to join the group.
"Oh, Sydney, Charlotte, how nice that you are already here", exclaimed Arthur happily, moving towards them, "I just came from Tom. Did Mary call you? The Babbingtons and James are coming. How do you feel about having a good drink? I think this event is worth it. Why are you standing there? Would you like to congratulate me?"
Sidney and Charlotte looked at each other absently, not understanding at all.
"What's going on, Arthur?" Sidney asked "did you sign a contract or something?"
"Oh, my God, did you do that?" Did you propose to Phyllida?"  Charlotte exclaimed, struck by a sudden realization.
Arthur nodded happily.
" Congratulations!!! How happy we are for you! To both of you! I'm sure you'll be very happy! It's so wonderful," she said cheerfully, throwing herself into the arms of Arthur and Phyllida.
"Welcome to the family," Sidney added, gradually recovering from the initial shock.
"Thank you," said Miss Beaufort, accepting the congratulations with a smile.
"I think it's time for a drink", said Fred, who came up to them, "Julia and I have cleared the next room, so I think no one will disturb us there."
" Great", said Arthur, "let's go already. I can't wait to tell you about our plans…"

Sidney listened with half an ear to the girls, Fred and Stringer, and watched Charlotte and Babbington play pool. They were laughing, teasing each other a little, and looking eagerly for a better position for the next blow. None of them wanted to give up, so the battle was going to be difficult. Flushed with excitement and alcohol, Arthur took over as referee. The whole atmosphere of the evening seemed so calm and homely that Sidney was finally able to relax and forget about the events of the last few days. He just sat there, drinking beer and looking at the woman he loved. What could be better than this? She was glowing with joy. Charlotte was so natural and real that Sidney thought, not for the first time that evening, how lucky he was to have her. He took another sip and set the glass down on the table, smiling to himself. Sidney must have been really happy at that moment. Even Charlotte's reluctance to tell her parents about the wedding faded into the background. All this is a matter of time and will soon be resolved on its own. He just enjoyed the moment and sincerely wished that it would never end.
The phone rang. Sidney looked at the screen and, seeing an unfamiliar number, was about to reject the call, but, obeying his good mood, still decided to answer.
"Yes," Sidney said, still watching Charlotte. Here she aims and strikes, a second, and the ball is in the pocket.
"Mr. Sidney Parker?" asked an unfamiliar male voice on the other end.
"Yes, I'm listening," Sidney said again, meeting Miss Heywood's eyes and smiling back at her.
" You are concerned about Dr. Peter Snoke from the National Hospital of Neurology and Neurosurgery", the man introduced himself, "we have a patient, Eliza Campion, does this name mean anything to you? Your number was on her cell phone"
"Yes, I know Eliza... but why are you calling me?" said Sidney, tensing, "Are there any changes in her condition? Is she dead?"
"Oh, no, no, Mrs. Campion is alive ", Mr. Snoke hastened to reassure him, " in fact, she has recovered and is quite well. Speech and coordination are not impaired, motor functions are normal. Of course, she will still need a period of rehabilitation, but in general, the prognosis is very good."
"Great, I think her mother will be very pleased," Sidney replied, this conversation was beginning to irritate him, "why don't you call her?"
"There's one nuance, Mr. Parker," the doctor hesitated, as if hesitating to say why he'd called in the first place.
"What nuance?" Sidney asked.
"Mrs. Campion has no recollection of anything that happened to her," the doctor continued, " and claims that it is 2002, that you are her fiance, and that she is..."
"I'm not her fiance, Mr. Snoke," Sidney interrupted, " we met many years ago, then worked together, but that's all in the past, I don't think I can help you in any way. I still advise you to contact her mother."
"I understand, and Mrs. Colins is already here, but Eliza refuses to eat, Mr. Parker," the doctor replied.
"Good – bye, Mr. Snoke," Sidney said dryly, and hung up.
He cast a quick glance at Charlotte, looked around nervously, and finished his drink in one gulp.
"Is something wrong?"  Charlotte asked anxiously, studying his face intently.