Beginnings Beyond Endings (A Sanditon Fanfiction)

An Awkward Interlude

Charlotte snapped her head round to look at her husband who was sat beside her on the carriage bench and trying to supress his amusement at her reaction. He did not succeed. Eventually, Lord Morpeth gave in and a wide smirk stole over his face.

"George..." Charlotte began but left her question unspoken.

George, however, knew his wife well enough to determine her thoughts and responded to her obvious desire for information. "Yes, love, we are headed to Sanditon. You always speak so fondly of it and I thought you would like the surprise. Besides, were it not for this town, and of course, Lady Worcester, we might never have met and my world, at least, would be a duller place. How could I not want to see it for myself?" He explained.

Charlotte's toying her bottom lip with her teeth betrayed her inner conflict. She was, mostly, delighted to be once more in the lovely seaside resort town, and very keen indeed to witness the changes and progress over the years since her departure that were sure to be seen. But for all the happy wonderful memories she had made here, there would always be a part of her that was afraid to venture close for fear of the pain of those last few days resurfacing.

Charlotte would not be cowed, however. They were here now, and very soon it would be too late to turn back without being seen. She would face it all head on and she would not allow her fears to batter her spirits. What cared she to encounter Sidney Parker? Whatever they had shared was not to be and she had long accepted that; she had, most whole heartedly, moved on. She would not be where she was now, married, as she was, to a man she loved, had she not.

But perhaps that was cruel of her? She had loved Sidney Parker once; and she was not so foolish as to believe that love ever really disappeared. Not truly. Not completely. Perhaps the better truth was that she had known love and grown from it and was thankful for it; but it had torn her down. And then, she had rebuilt herself, stronger for it and it had formed her into the woman she was today.

Charlotte was happy. The love and sadness that had once been inspired in her by Sidney Parker were things she could not regret, and only rarely did she wonder how things might have been. Yes, Charlotte thought, should they encounter one another, she was strong enough to face him. And there was no certainty they would. Indeed, the man may not even be in Sanditon.

"You are far too good to me. Sometimes I wonder if you are quite real." She said at last as their carriage came in view of the town. "It will be delightful and I am sure you will love it as I do before you can even comprehend it is happening." She smiled and then asked how long they were to stay even as she began to almost vibrate with excitement.

"What say you to remaining the summer in its entirety? I've a house on a sea front terrace leased through August complete, and I am assured it is a most masterful construction with views to the sea and parade as well as the town. We would travel directly to Castle Howard then, in lieu of returning to Town, as the season will be much passed. Though of course we may leave whenever we wish."

George shared his plans with her; what plans he had that was, for they were admittedly rather threadbare in content. But their conversation halted there as they rolled to a stop outside a middling sized town house of white and brown brick with a vibrant red door set between two large sash windows each of which were mirrored on larger scale at the first floor with two dormer windows standing out from the roofline. The row of houses was set back from the street a way and boasted simple but excellently maintained arrangements of planted flowers and box hedging to complement the short paths and steps up to their doors.

Charlotte and George were greeted at the door by the housekeeper and butler, who maintained possession of its keys during unoccupied periods, when they departed the carriage and a footman set to helping Colin and their coachman cart their trunks inside. Alyona hopped down from the second seat on the driver's bench and was taken around the back to the servants entrance by a housemaid who would show her to the small attic room she would use during their stay and all the realms under the servants' purview.