When I'm with you

Doubts

He looked at Charlotte, who was sleeping peacefully, and smiled. Carefully adjusting the blanket so as not to Wake his fiancee, Sidney kissed her on the forehead with all the tenderness he could muster.
Getting out of bed and pulling on a t-shirt, Mr. Parker left the bedroom, closing the door firmly behind him.
He went into the kitchen and took a can of soda from the refrigerator, drained it greedily, and searched for his phone, which Charlotte had left somewhere in the kitchen.
A minute later, he was already dialing his friend's number. One long beep followed another, then another. There was no answer on the other end of the line. After a moment's thought, he dialed another number and prepared to talk. But there it was waited by a failure.
"What the hell is going on?", he asked himself.
He was in desperate need of Esther and her connection. But neither of the Babbingtons ' phones answered. This had never happened before in his memory. Sidney began to worry when their home phone answered him in dead silence." They couldn't all have fallen through the ground, could they?" There was a click, and Esther's voice rang out.
"You have called William and Esther Babbington, unfortunately we are not at home, but you can leave us messages. We will call you back"
After a moment's thought, he began to speak:
"Esther, William, this is Sidney Parker. I need to talk to you urgently. This is about Eliza Campion. Call me back as soon as you can. I'm waiting"
He looked at the phone in confusion and dropped it on the kitchen table, but a second later picked it up again and dialed the number.
"Yes," a male voice said, almost surprised.
"James, this is Sidney Parker," he said.
"Good afternoon, I have your number",  said James, "I thought we postponed our meeting until tomorrow."
"Yes, that's right, but it's not about the Assembly," Sidney said.
"I'm all ears," Stringer answered.
"It's about Eliza Campion..", said Parker.
"I don't think I can help you, I don't know anything about Mrs. Campion," James admitted.
"Yes, but Charlotte said you talked to her last night", came in Sidney from other side, "what did Eliza want from you?"
"Discuss the project, make her own adjustments," said James, "but I refused to cooperate."
"That's very wise of you," Sidney said, "She said anything else? For example, about Charlotte?"
He hesitated, not sure if he should repeat what Mrs. Campion had said.
"I don't think we should discuss this", James hesitated, "especially since it was so long ago that it doesn't matter anymore."
"Is this about your relationship with Charlotte, your infatuation with her?", got hook in Sidney.
"It's none of your business. Good - bye, Parker, " James said, almost hanging up the phone.
"Wait, wait, sorry this is really not my business, but it is very important",  almost pleaded Sidney, "I know that Charlotte is far from indifferent to you, maybe now in a slightly different status than before. Look, I know you have very good reasons not to trust me, but I just want to protect her from Eliza. She's up to something, and I don't know what it is yet. Eliza has already reached my brother and you, and I think Charlotte might be next. Believe me, I don't want that happend "
James paused for a moment, then took a deep breath and continued:
"What do you want to hear?", he said, "I've told you everything I know."
"What exactly did she say about Charlotte?", Sidney asked impatiently.
" That she... Mrs. Campion knows that I'm still in love with Miss Heywood," Stringer said grudgingly," and that I ... have to fight for my happiness."
"It's very clever to push us head - to-head. Masterly, quite in the style of Eliza....", Sidney answered, "Tell me, did you find anything strange during the conversation?" "
To be honest, this whole conversation was quite strange", said Stringer, "but most of all I was surprised by her awareness. Mrs. Campion spoke as if she had known Charlotte and me for a long time, and had often seen us together, even at a party after the regatta, but I couldn't even remember her face until she introduced herself."
" I wish I'd forgotten all about her", Sidney thought to himself. Stringer's words startled him.
"Wait, she wasn't at that party," Sidney corrected.
"Well, according to her, she was watching me and Charlotte during the dance," James said, " and don't ask, I have no idea how that's possible."
" I'm already don't understand anything at all," honestly admitted Sidney, "God, I'm already tired of all this... Hell, I didn't want to get involved with this woman at all ... in any case, thank you. See you tomorrow."
"Yes....", said James, and after a pause, he added, "Parker.... take care of Charlotte as she should, she deserves only the best..."
" I know", answered Sidney, with a smile, "I'll try not to strike in a dirt the person."
"See you tomorrow," Stringer said, and hung up.
Sidney got up, opened the refrigerator, took out another can of soda, turned it over in his hands, and put it back. His own thoughts haunted him. "What's Eliza up to? What was she doing at Sanditon after the regatta? Why didn't she want to leave him and Charlotte alone?" He rubbed his eyes, feeling incredibly tired and tired. After looking around, he finally decided to join Charlotte, so that at least until the morning to forget about problems and plunge into happiness next to the woman he loved.