Sanditon Season 2: The River and the Man

Chapter 148

Sidney entered Trafalgar House and found Mary sitting at the table with her head on her hand. Diana was slumped over and passed out on the settee.

"Why are you still up?" Sidney asked hanging his coat.

Sighing and yawning she stretched. "Oh, it is not good news." shaking her head she looked at her cooled cup of tea. "Mabbin ran off."

Sidney frowned. "And I'm just hearing about this now? When did he leave?"

She rubbed her face. "Sometime after he ran from us at Sanditon House."

Sidney paced a moment clearly agitated after his calm night of revelry in his luck. "And how do we know he left?" he asked hoping they were all jumping to conclusions.

"His things are gone," Mary said with frustrating finality.

Sidney cursed his minor drunkenness. For it would greatly impact his ability to think critically or track.

"And when were you going to tell me?" he asked.

She just sighed. "I am so tired Sidney..." she shook her head. "Tom said to let him handle it. I think his pride is..." she sighed again. "I think he feels like he has failed everyone you included and he wants to fix it before you were bothered."

Sidney's hand balled up in a fist and he sighed. "Mary, I really could use a break from my brother trying to fix things himself. He has a tendency to make a real muck of everything just when things look up."

Mary leaned her head back in exhausted exasperation. "I know." she lamented. "But he is Tom." she closed her eyes full of disappointment. "And my husband."

Sidney shook his head and went to ready himself. "I need to borrow a horse. I don't have time to-" he said as he readied himself.

"You may find that difficult as Arthur took the other horse," she said regretfully.

"The both of them?" Sidney said aghast. "How am I supposed to go after Mabbin?" he asked.

Mary shrugged. "You could always just sit around and wait with us, hoping that Tom and Arthur have some luck?"

Sidney frowned and shook his head. "You mean, leave it up to him?"

Mary shrugged. "Tom has a lot to make up for, let him do this."

Sidney hesitated and thought a moment. "I promised that boy a future... not Tom. I will not let it be for naught because the boy blames himself for a fire that I caused because I could not hold my temper over Charlotte." he scratched his nose.

Mary smiled and cocked her head. "One day you will make a wonderful father."

Sidney looked down pensively and sighed. "Oh for gods sakes..." he moved to the chair. "Is the tea at the very least hot?" he asked sitting stiffly.

Mary laughed slightly and shook her head. "No."

Sidney sighed and fidgeted as he thought of Mabbin. How he had been neglecting him like he had Georgiana and shuffling his responsibilities on others yet again. Too caught up in saving his brother and getting free of a terrible match in favor of another. Wincing internally he rubbed at his face agitatedly.

"Mabbin will be alright," she whispered.

He shook his head. "Better be, or I will have another blackened mark on my conscience."

Taking his hand. "You take things to heart very much where your brother Tom is a bit stunted in that area of the heart."

Diana shifted. "Oh Sidney, You are here."

He nodded. "Yes, I have just heard the news," he said pouring a cold cup of tea.

"Is that the sun rising?" she asked.

Sidney nodded. "Yes, it is near morning."

Sitting up and wiping the drool off her face she looked around. "So young Mabbin has not been found?"

Mary shook her head as they heard a carriage pass. But when it seemingly halted outside Sidney stood.

"Tom and Arthur went on horseback, but that is a coach I hear," Diana observed acutely.

Sidney went to the door and opened it wide and found his brothers bracing up a man.

"Who is this Tom," Mary asked astounded at the sight before her. A man held up by the two of them.

"We need Doctor Fuchs. This man has a head injury." Tom said slightly breathlessly.

Sidney stood aside. "What of Mabbin?" he asked impatiently.

Tom and Arthur did not respond but he startled as a voice spoke from the shadowed dawn of the streets. "Here Sir." his voice soft and timid.

Sidney turned and reached for the boy and grasped him by the shoulders. "I was worried for you," he said with a tight tone. "If you want to leave I will not keep you, but let me at least take you where you want to go," he said softening.

Mary stepped forward. "Mabbin, oh-" she swept in and pulled him into a motherly hug. "Thank god they found you," she whispered and kissed the crown of his confused head.

"What a fuss." the boy muttered confoundedly.