A carriage ride trough Willingden

A carriage ride to Sanditon

As soon as the first bird chirped, Charlotte got up, washed herself and was barely dressed when she was already running down the stairs. Today, a new chapter in her life would begin, today she would travel without her parents! And not only to her aunts in the next village... No! In a modern fashionable Seaside resort.

What she will experience there! The sea, which she only knew from her father's collected pictures! What it felt like to bathe in the sea? The air should also be completely different. All the new people she would meet. And the pleasures. In any case, there would be a ball, to which she had sewn a charming new dress with her mother. It had been her mother's wedding dress, which they had now covered with new fabric and embroidered with appliqués. Would society notice it? What would Mr Parker think if she wore such a beautiful dress for the first time instead of her linen dresses? Would he like it?

Charlotte shook her head. How could she think such a thing? He would know, of course, that she hadn't bought it new in London. He'd see that underneath the enchanting embellishment was an old linen dress. Besides, it made no sense whatsoever that he'd see anything different in her than a country girl... ...an acquaintance. A friend perhaps, but certainly no more. He was so natural ...with her. She wondered if it would stay that way when he was back in his real world, where he didn't depend on getting help from her and her family. Would they still be so friendly with each other?

Sidney felt her presence before she could make herself known in any way. Her energetic presence made him fidgety, too. He was never nervous. Not at business meetings, not at social gatherings. Especially not in the presence of young girls. Or women in general. But around her, he was so aware of his surroundings. The perception of her feelings had become so natural that he worried about what it would be like in Sanditon when they didn't have so much to do with each other anymore and he had to return to London. Whether they became strangers again?

Slowly he turned to her. She already had her travel clothes on, but not yet a coat or hat. Her cheeks were flushed with excitement and she seemed to bounce, although she stood there quite still. Her liveliness also made his heart beat faster. 

It was a strange feeling.

"Good morning, Miss Heywood."

"Good morning, Mr Parker, I see you're saying goodbye."

Asked Charlotte with a smile and he looked down at Grumpy in his arms once more and cuddled the little dog.

"Yes, I... I kind of took him into my heart." He looked Charlotte right in the eye and you could almost think he wasn't talking about the dog.

"I don't think Father would mind if you keep him."

Sidney laughed briefly and then explained that he could not take care of a dog.

"Why not? It's not that difficult."

"You're right, Miss Heywood, but I'm away on business a lot and I'm afraid that I well, that I would neglect him."

At the words Charlotte's heart was opened. She had never met a man who cared about animals. Well, maybe it was the men she'd met before. None of them could afford the luxury of caring for a dog. An embarrassing silence fell over the two of them until Grumpy wriggled in Sidney's arms and jumped down.

"You see, he's already running away," laughed Sidney, and they both walked slowly to the carriage that was waiting.

Doctor Fuchs was just talking to Mrs Heywood, but then greeted Charlotte with a kiss on the hand and Sidney noticed her slight blush and found her indescribably sweet at that moment. They had already been in many exciting situations, yet such a physical greeting seemed to suprised her. What will it be like to dance with her? What she will look like in an evening gown....the thought made him come to his senses and he now walked down the row of siblings to say goodbye.