When I'm with you

Step forward

"... boarding houses? Charlotte beat him to it.

"Yes, and about them, too," he agreed.

"How did it happen?", she asked.

"Do you really want to know?" Sidney asked.

Charlotte briefly nodded in response.

"After Eliza got married," he began with a heavy sigh, "my life, which had been very happy and successful up to that point, went downhill. I started drinking, smoking weed, and gambling... for big money, Charlotte... visit boarding houses. I was losing my human form and myself, and Beecroft" on friendship " opened up new and new facets of pleasure for me.”

"Is that when Tom intervened?", Charlotte asked.

“Yes, he appeared in time”,Sidney agreed,” a little more, and he would have had no one else to save. The next step would be heavy drugs and death. I often thought about how my life might have ended if Tom hadn't shown up and insisted I leave.”

"I'm sorry, Sidney," Charlotte said.

"It's all right," he said, " too much water has flowed away to still suffer for it. Tom knows that I am grateful to him and will always lend a helping hand, that's enough.”

"I'm sorry I reminded you...”, Charlotte said.

“Forget it”, smiled Sidney, “that was, that was”

“We're having lunch together," Charlotte said, " me, Sophia, Susan, Esther, and Allison."

"It's like a women's club," Sidney said, " and you're going to wash everyone's bones."

"Get ready to hiccup all day, Mr. Parker!", she admitted.

"That sounds threatening," he said, smiling.

Her clear, happy laugh filled the room again.

"Actually, I'm a little worried," Charlotte said, “ About Allison. She's afraid to meet a Lady Worcester... You know, Broome is her cousin...”

“Allison believes that Susan is going to evaluate her?” Sidney asked.

"Yes," Charlotte breathed.

"Your sister doesn't have to worry about that," Sidney said, " I think Daniel is so in love that he doesn't care about any opinions.  Even Susan would have to accept his choice.”

"I hope you're right," Charlotte said, smiling.

"You'll see, I'm right," Sidney said, kissing the top of her head gently.” Maybe you going to eat. I didn't cook all these delicious things for nothing”.

“Mmmm.... It sounds very tempting, " Miss Haywood purred in his ear.

Less than half an hour later, as the future newlyweds had breakfast and even had time to wash the dishes, when Sidney's phone rang.

He stared at the screen in disbelief.

"This is Fran," Sidney said thoughtfully, answering the phone” Hi ! What is it?... is something wrong?" Is something wrong with Georgie?