The Guardian

Episode 6 Part 1 - The search begins

"Look at you all, watching me like vultures waiting for my demise." Lady Denham said weakly as Clara, Edward and Esther clustered around her bed. She looked terribly ill, her skin pale and grey, her eyes sunken and her voice seemingly catching in her throat.

"Aunt, really, how could you think so?" Edward replied.

Lady Denham huffed. "I know you are all only here because of my money. You might as well know now that my solicitor knows exactly where my will is, not that I have any intention of dying from a common cold."

"Aunt I do not doubt your resolve, but Dr Fuchs believes you are gravely ill." Esther said.

"I do not trust that man one bit after what happened to Clara! No, I would do better nursing myself back to health! More seawater." Lady Denham said to Clara who fetched her the water and helped her sip it. Once she had taken a sip she turned to Esther. "Now Esther, when are you going to write to Lord Babington and tell him your answer?"

Clara looked over the Esther and smirked whilst Edward looked at her nervously. Esther cleared her throat. "I told him I needed some time to consider his offer. He has returned to London for the time being and I will not see him again until the Regatta."

Lady Denham sighed impatiently. "I do not understand why you need that long to consider it, Esther! He is such a good match for you. You do not want him to change his mind while he waits!" She said, then started to cough violently. Causing Clara to rush to her side to sooth her.

"Oh stop your fussing child, I am perfectly fine." Lady Denham said as she rallied herself once more. "Or I will be when Esther accepts Lord Babington. And what about you Edward? How goes your pursuit of Miss Heywood?"

Edward frowned. "I am still working on that one."

Lady Denham smiled wickedly. "You mean she rejected your offer of courtship? Or was it her guardian that did so? You will need to work harder if you are to secure her hand. A girl like Miss Heywood is not so easily seduced by your charms, especially as she seems so keen on maintaining her independence. Perhaps you ought to give up that chase and find a new one. I have a book in the drawer of my bureau that has a list of potential candidates. Have a read and see if any of the young ladies are of interest."

"You have a list? That is very... assiduous of you Aunt." Edward replied through gritted teeth.

"Yes I know. Now, be off all of you, I need to rest." Lady Denham said as she dismissed them.

Edward looked at Esther as they all left the room. "To hell with her list! I am more interested in that will."

"Her will? You heard what she said, it is already written, there is nothing we can do about it now."

"Of course there is. While she lives and breathes there is still time to change it, even if I have to put the pen in her hand myself. I'm going to look in the drawing room."

Esther sighed impatiently. "Fine, I will help you, where shall I start?"

"No. It doesn't make sense both of us looking. You go and update everyone about our Aunt's condition." Edward responded.

Esther was not sure she trusted her brother's instructions, but she agreed to go anyway.

********

The carriage jostled about as Sidney, Charlotte and Jane made their way to London. Each party was tense, but it was a markedly different tension to that experienced on the journey from Sanditon to Willingden. In the end, the tension became so unbearable that Charlotte had to say something.

"Mr Parker?" She said. Sidney turned his head to face her as he tried to keep his expression neutral, but he already knew what she was going to say. "I know you are against me accompanying you around London to find Miss Lambe, but I am struggling to see what could be so dangerous about it. It will not even be dark when we arrive." Charlotte asked.