Sanditon Season 2: Finding Their Way Back To Each Other

Chapter 31: Heraclitus

~Charlotte~

I laid on the cold, wet sand for what seemed like forever. My world felt like it was coming to an end. My heart hurt. I felt as if I couldn't breathe. I had to keep telling myself this wasn't going to be forever. I had to keep going. I had to face each day knowing it was one day closer to Sidney returning. As difficult as it might be, I had to continue living.

With a heavy sigh, I pulled myself off the sand and stumbled back up the embankment to walk back to Sanditon House. When I arrived, Lady Susan and the Prince Regent were preparing to leave.

"Charlotte," Lady Susan gasped. "What's happened to you?"

"Sidney left for London. He will leave for Antigua in a few days."

She took my hands in hers and gave me a sympathetic look. "I will check in on him when I return to London. You both have weathered bigger storms. This one shouldn't be any different."

I tried to smile. "This seems like the biggest storm we've had to face."

"Don't lose hope, Charlotte. I'm confident everything will work out," she assured. Her words gave me little comfort. I swallowed against the lump in my throat and nodded my head, trying my best to not show how upset I was.

Lady Denham and Alison joined me outside as Lady Susan and the Prince Regent came to give their goodbyes. They both looked me up and down; Alison with a look of understanding and Lady Denham with a look of disgust.

"Lady Denham, you have been a wonderful host. We appreciate your hospitality dearly," Lady Susan said.

"I'm happy to oblige," Lady Denham said.

The Prince Regent looked at me with questioning eyes. I'm sure I looked a fright. "Miss Heywood, you have given me a great deal to think over. I have come to enjoy my time here in Sanditon and wish to return in the near future. I have decided I appreciate your notion of building a playhouse, but I think it needs to be a proper theatre. I have decided to invest in your ideas and hope to return for the first ever Sanditon Theatre production. You are a true visionary, which has surprised me entirely, but I am greatly intrigued to see what else you can accomplish. Perhaps you will write the first play."

I glanced at Alison and then Lady Susan who both had large grins on their face. As sad as I was, this gave me a small glimmer of happiness. People from all over would come to see plays and spend their holidays in Sanditon. "Thank you." I didn't know what else to say. I hadn't expected anything. It was enough he came to visit and enticed plenty of visitors to follow.

He nodded his head towards all of us before boarding his carriage. Lady Susan said goodbye one last time before joining him in the carriage and driving away.

As soon as they were out of sight, Lady Denham began rambling on. I didn't listen and instead left to head back inside. I went straight to my room and crawled under the covers. Not a soul bothered me the entire day, which I was grateful for. I spent the day crying, staring blankly at the wall, sleeping, or simply dreaming of chasing after Sidney and not allowing him to leave. My anger towards Lady Denham only grew with every thought going through my mind.

The next day, I didn't wish to get up. A tray of food was brought in, but food had little interest for me. Alison tried to crawl in bed with me to talk and encourage me to get up, but I rolled over and didn't talk to her. Later in the day Mary and Diana came by and tried to encourage me to get up saying they had a gift for me. I asked the servant to tell them to leave it downstairs and ask them to leave. I had every intention of asking to stay at Trafalgar House with them, but right now I couldn't bring myself to leave the bed. I just wanted to be left alone.