Sanditon: A Sisterhood Forms

26

Mary heard the familiar shout from the front entrance of Trafalgar House as she and Georgiana were wrapping up their final day of document review. He had returned far earlier than expected, and her heart jumped into her throat of its own accord. Georgiana responded similarly, leaping up from her chair, feverishly beginning to pile up the documents she had been working through, until Mary caught her eye. "Georgiana. It's alright. We must come clean."

Georgiana froze, a letter in hand. "Mary..."

"You are dismissed for the day if you would rather stay out of this. It may be for the best."

"But-"

"It's alright. Truly," she nodded at Georgiana calmly, resignedly. "We must get to the bottom of this, and he will know more than we are ever able to find."

"...Right," she said apprehensively. "Well, then I suppose I shall wait for you to call for me tomorrow? If you require more assistance, that is."

"Always, dear. I don't know how I could get through my day without you," Mary smiled affectionately at her companion.

"Well...then I suppose I wish you luck," said Georgiana, not in a state to respond with many words just at that moment.

"Thank you, dear," Mary whispered as Tom burst into the study.

"What...what is..." he asked, stopping mid-step, a look of bafflement upon his face.

"Wish Georgiana a good afternoon, Tom," Mary said.

"Good afternoon," he murmured, bewildered, as Georgiana exited the room. "Mary, what is th-"

"Sit down, Tom."

"But I-"

"I said SIT. DOWN."

He looked about the room, as if there might have been a chance she had been speaking to one of the children, and then obeyed, sitting upon the chair that Georgiana had just vacated. "Right..." he said, and swallowed nervously, looking as if he were awaiting a punishment.

Mary stood from her own desk, opened a side drawer and pulled out the letter that Georgiana had discovered the week before. She walked over to him and placed the document upon the desk. " Explain yourself," she said, her tone livid.

He looked up at her, his eyes devoid of any semblance of guilt as he reached for the papers. He opened them and read, glancing up at her as he progressed, and then, upon reaching the document itself, his eyes became glued to the paper, moving more rapidly, astonishment crossing his face as he noted his very signature at the bottom. His jaw had dropped in shock as he lowered the paper to the desk. "I-I...Mary, I have never seen this in my life...where did you-"

"It was in a stack of papers in this very office, Tom. Try again."

"Mary, you must believe me, I would never-"

"Look at the signature. Is it not yours?"

"Yes, I admit it does look like mine, but...I would not have signed a document such as this. Sidney would not have signed this, and yet his name is upon it as well."

"Tell me, Tom - when Mrs Campion came to visit during Sidney's recovery, what was discussed during your time with her? I know that you did spend some time with her in your study, going over plans for the new terrace, was it not?"

"Yes, yes I showed her the plans and then she had-" He froze.

"She had what?"

"It was only a small stack of papers - insurance, contracts for suppliers, the sort of thing that Sidney would bring from London, but he was so ill..."

"And you signed them blindly?" Mary seethed, controlling her instinct to shout, to hit, to storm out of the very room.

"I-I had just shown her the plans, Mary, and she was very approving, very approving indeed of them. She would never-"

"If you knew that woman at all, Tom, you would never underestimate precisely what she is capable of. She is not to be trusted, and if I have my way with her, she will never come near the Parker family again."

"But Mary, we are quite out of options. We will be ruined."

"Which," she sighed in resignation, "is why I must go to London, after all."

"To - to London?" Tom looked as if he were about to faint in his chair.

"Someone must make an attempt to fix this mess you've made, and right now, you are the very last person I would choose for the job."

"Mary, I know that I have made mistakes, I have, but you must trust me. I would never do such a thing to Sidney, or his ward."

"Her name is Georgiana, Tom, and she has been more instrumental in helping your brother than all of you Parkers combined."

"Please, Mary, allow me to-"

"Don't even think about it. I'm going alone."

----------

The Parker carriage bounced along the cobblestone side streets of London, moving rapidly enough to catch the attention of passersby, sending page boys darting out of the way, and yet neither baker nor clerk could quite place who might be inside or, indeed, why they were in such a hurry, for the carriage itself remained unmarked and featureless, indistinguishable from any other in the city. A knock came from the carriage body as they neared their destination, and the driver halted the horses abruptly outside an equally nondescript building, marked only by a worn wooden sign, its hinges creaking in the breeze.

A black-clad figure emerged from the carriage, signalling briefly to the driver to leave, and walked brusquely to the entrance of the offices of Charles Bicknell, Esq. The door opened as if of its own accord as he approached it, and he froze, mid-stride.

"Mr Parker, I presume?" A gentleman, short and squat, stood in the doorway, blocking his path, and Sidney Parker glanced over his shoulder, taking stock of his surroundings.

"Yes...I have a meeting with Mr Bicknell," he said quietly.

"Precisely, Sir," the man said, and moved to make room for Sidney to pass.

Sidney looked him up and down suspiciously, then finally stepped across the threshold. The man closed the door quickly after he was through, and promptly bolted it.

Sidney spun around at the sound, his heart beginning to pound apprehensively. "What is the meaning of this?"

But the man's gaze had become fixed on something else in the room, and he did not answer.

"Mr Parker," said a voice behind him, and he turned. "We've been expecting you."