Beginnings Beyond Endings (A Sanditon Fanfiction)

This Familiar Coastline

Charlotte woke with the sun the next morning as Alyona entered her bedroom with a light breakfast tray and a smile. A chambermaid followed behind her lugging a bucket of steaming water and disappeared into the dressing room to begin the process of filling the copper tub that had been placed in there the day before.

Charlotte tumbled out of bed and sat the small writing table to enjoy a breakfast of tea and toast as attempted to settle her nerves. Her whole life would change today and nothing was ever going to be quite the same. Her two sisters entered her chamber sleepily as she ate and served themselves with tea from the pot despite their preference for different blends than Charlotte's favourite.

The women chatted as they waited for the bath to be filled and raptured over the recent additions to Charlotte's wardrobe and Anne debated which jewellery she should wear for she did not agree with Charlotte's choice. Madelaine kept her silence on this topic for she knew that neither of her sisters' choices would be the ones that were worn that day. She had been quietly tasked with ensuring Charlotte wore something simple, that could be removed and kept safely with ease, and was of the mind that the pearl cross and earrings her sister had already determined on were the best choice to achieve this.

Charlotte slipped into the bath which had been filled and the water scented with flowery oils. She cleansed herself and washed her hair with plain soap, thankful that, despite its thickness, it dried quickly after becoming wet.

Once clean, she was helped into the first layer of her garments, namely her chemise, stockings and corset which was fortunately a simple construction and laced only loosely for the figure of her dress did not require the absolute crushing of her lungs. Charlotte was lucky to have a healthy complexion, though it was somewhat browner than was vogue, with little marking left behind from childhood illnesses as to make cosmetics largely unnecessary.

Her hair was then dressed with a thick braided coronet at the crown of her head and a few ringlets left loose to frame her face and soften the look. Some the smaller flowers from the white sweet peas in her bouquet were secured into the coronet with bronze pins matched to the shade of her dark hair. Simple pearl drop earrings and the pearl cross were added to her ears and neck before she stood and was helped into her dress and shoes by Alyona and her sisters.

Her sisters had retreated to their own chambers to dress and hurry the men along while Charlotte had been bathing and submitting to the styling talents of her maid. They had since returned, each dressed in lavender purple for Anne and grassy spring green for Madelaine, though the latter's dress was cut to accommodate her progressing pregnancy with a larger number of folds in the skirt.

They had returned with Reignette in tow just as Alyona finished securing the back of her dress. The women all then happily set to securing a small number of bluebell and sweet pea buds to Reignette's bonnet and depriving some wildflowers of their petals to fill her basket alongside the herbs and seeds intended to bring fertility to a union that would later be scattered as the newly wed couple departed the church.

By the time they were finished, it was approaching ten of the clock and the family departed with haste for St George's as the ceremony drew nearer. There were no crowds or noise outside the church when they arrived and the inside was equally quiet and solemn as the guests took their places in the pews and George, Anne and Frederick stood before the alter. George looked bit the dashing lord, his head adorned with a tall top hat and dressed in the white shirt, cravat, dark coat and knee breeches and stockings that were typical of a gentleman's formal wear though his coat was of a dark royal blue velvet and his breeches a light camel buff in place of the standard black.

Charlotte had been met outside the church by Lady Howard who had presented her with a beautiful set of diamond, sapphire and silver jewellery and instructed her daughter-in-law to remove the cross and earrings she wore and pass them to Madelaine for keeping. The Countess then deftly placed the new necklace in its place, electing to keep the bracelet and earrings in the case and arranged a sparkling matching kokoshnik tiara on her head, pinning in place a lacy veil that swept over her hair and down her back.