Beginnings Beyond Endings (A Sanditon Fanfiction)

An Invitation to Russia

London,

May 1826

Lady Susan had been asked by the King to join the party representing the crown at the coronation of Nicholas I in Moscow and, knowing that there was likely to be little female companionship to be found during the long sea voyage, she had resolved to invite Charlotte to accompany her. And so, she sat at her bureau and began to pen a letter to Charlotte.

Cambridge,

May 1826

Charlotte was in the breakfast room with her sisters, Anne and Julia, and her nieces enjoying the morning meal as Fellows delivered to them the morning post. While her sisters and Esther, who had been invited to remain at Walcot until her husband returned from his latest trip to Edinburgh for she wished neither to travel such a distance with a new born infant nor to remain in London at a time where she would be very much lacking in good company, were occupied with the society pages, Charlotte's attention was captured by a letter in Lady Susan's hand.

~•~

Dearest Charlotte,

I have been asked by out generous King to join the party that shall represent the Crown at the coronation of Nicholas I, Emperor of Russia which will take place this coming autumn. Knowing politics as I do, I am quite well aware that there is likely to be very little female companionship throughout a journey such as this. I have decided to extend to you an invitation to join me as my companion and I would be delighted if you should accept my offer.

If you will agree to accompany me, I shall send my carriage to collect you on the first day of July and bring you to Town. We shall both need new garments to both keep us warm and to impress other attending dignitaries in the drafty halls of the Russian court in St Petersburg.

The journey to Moscow will be largely by sea to St Petersburg then overland to Moscow itself. The ship we shall travel on will depart on the first day of August and we will expect to arrive in the city a clear week before the coronation ceremony and intend to remain through September complete. We will therefore be unlikely to return to English soil until late October at the soonest, all being well.

I dearly hope you will agree to join us for I am certain I should be terribly lonesome without such good friendship and companionship for long a period.

Ever your friend,

Susan

~•~

Charlotte let her hand, which was holding a loaded fork of kippers, fall back to the table as she processed the contents of this latest correspondence from Lady Susan. Surely her friend could not be serious? It was one thing for Lady Susan to introduce her to some of her own high society acquaintances but to extend an invitation to a royal coronation was surely beyond the realm of possibility.

St Petersburg,

August 1826

Charlotte breathed in the sea air, strolling the deck of their ship and observed the growing mass of the Russian coastline as they approached the port at St Petersburg. The air around her was sharp in its chilliness and she found herself glad to have wrapped her shawl around her shoulders for it muted the bite of the wind. They had been at sea almost a month complete and, though Charlotte had long prided herself on the strength of her own constitution, she found herself greatly anticipating setting her feet once more upon steady ground.

"Quite a sight is it not, Charlotte?" Lady Susan asked as she too ventured outside. Charlotte smiled at her friend and wrapped the thick merino shawl tighter around herself in response.