Sanditon revisited

2: An unaccomplished young lady

- o -

In which a new acquaintance makes Charlotte Heywood feel first intrigued, then silly and deflated

- o -

Charlotte Heywood was lying in her bed staring at the ceiling, unaware that Sidney Parker was doing the same in his hotel room further down the same street. Her emotional state was different from his though.

Charlotte's natural disposition was adventurous and merry, but now she felt deflated, sad and confused. Up until this evening she had considered herself very fortunate to be here in Sanditon and appreciated the circumstances that had brought her a long way from home, to such an exciting place. Now she was not so sure anymore.

Three weeks ago, the carriage Mr. Tom Parker and his wife Mary had broken down on the way from London to Sanditon. The carriage overturned on the bumpy country road not far from Charlotte's father's estate in Willingden and Charlotte had been the first to come to their rescue. Unfortunately, Mr. Parker had sprained his ankle and the Heywood family generously offered the two travellers to stay with them until he had recovered, and the capsized carriage had been mended.

The Parkers saw themselves forced to stay with the Heywoods for nearly a fortnight because spare parts, which were hard to get by, were needed to fix the carriage. Even if they were very grateful for the hospitality, Mr. Parker was eager to return to Sanditon and talked about it with longing as if it were the most wondrous place in the world. Charlotte was the one who mostly attended to them and kept them company. She was thrilled over the unexpected, exciting guests and listened attentively when Mr. Parker enthusiastically spoke of the growing town and his vision to turn it into a fashionable seaside resort. Curious as she was, she asked many questions and he was more than happy to answer because Sanditon was his favourite conversation topic. He spoke with such fervent passion that Charlotte clearly could visualise new buildings taking shape, the seaside promenade filled with fashionable strolling people and the brand-new bathing machines which enabled ladies to go swimming respectably. When Mr. Parker talked of the invigorating fresh air, the beneficial sea water and the seagulls flying above, she could almost smell the sea weed, taste the saltiness and hear the cry of the birds. She had never set eyes on the sea, never been far away from home at all except for where her beloved books took her, but now a longing for the coast and the unknown town was evoked in her. She wished intensively she could experience the wonders of Sanditon first hand but never imagined she would have the chance for real.

The last evening before the Parkers were to resume their journey, Tom generously invited the entire Heywood family to come visit in Sanditon. Considering they had fourteen children, a testament to the Heywood's affectionate marriage, it was something of a relief to Mrs. Parker when Mr. Heywood turned the offer down, saying that he as a rule did not travel more than five miles away from home. However, she noticed the disappointment on the eldest daughter's face and nudged Tom to ask if at least Charlotte could be allowed to join them as their summer guest. She had grown fond of the witty girl over the last weeks and knew she would enjoy having her as company over the summer. Tom was happy to oblige as he in Charlotte sensed someone who appreciated the grandness of his vision and he realised she could also be a companion for Mary when he was busy achieving it, thus keeping his wife content.

It took some persuasion before Mr. Heywood reluctantly agreed to let Charlotte go. He was harder to convince than his wife because he had come to depend on his eldest daughter's advice on nearly all matters concerning the estate and knew he would miss her dearly. He also knew that even if she was highly intelligent, brave and capable, she had led a protected life and had little experience of the vices of the world. He feared she may come across bad people, or even worse, a good man and fall in love. Then she would be lost to them forever. Mrs. Heywood knew his mind well and told him all that was selfish thinking. This was an excellent opportunity for Charlotte to see something else than Willingden and experience more of society than they ever would be able to offer her. Mr. Heywood was a country gentleman of some fortune, but their status and wealth was not such that their daughter would ever do a season in London. Visiting the Parkers, Charlotte could amuse herself under safe circumstances and it would be foolish to keep her from that. In addition, Charlotte would never forgive him if he did not allow her to go, Mrs. Heywood confidently informed her husband.