Sanditon Season 2: The River and the Man

Chapter 97

His neck aching Sidney was nudged back to consciousness by the bristles of a broom against his leg.

"Off with you," he muttered in reply to the disturbance with a residual drunken slur of his speech.

The night before had been rough since he had caused a minor brawl in the hotel the night before. His ill-temper had been enough to stir up trouble for him. But it had not been enough to be kicked out of the establishment as he would have in London.

All of Sanditon knew he held everyone's fate and livelihoods in his hands and so far had done better than his brother. In the eyes of the townships that almost gave him license to behave poorly without consequence.

Crowe beside him slumped over on a bench muttered similar sentiments.

"Come now, gentlemen. You both made quite a mess." he hotel manager said armed with his broom poking at them both again.

"Come now man, haven't you any mercy?" Crowe said trying to snuggle back into the odd position he had been awakened from. He turned his face and the other cheek that had been pressed up against the dark oiled wood bore a strange pattern.

Sidney tried to sit up and he panted angrily. "I'm up Sir," he said glaring and looked to his friend. "We dunk ourselves to sleep Crowe." he groaned. "Come, perhaps we should find you your bed."

Crowe shook his head. "No, mine is taken by the lovely Miss Brereton. I do so wish I could have it back but with her in it too," he muttered snuggling the hard surface comically.

Sidney shook off his hangover but found it persisted. "Well, if you asked nicely perhaps she would allow the liberty." he rubbed at his face.

Crowe sighed. "I was thinking of possibly asking her a more sobering question."

Sidney frowned and looked at him seriously. "I hope you will give that great consideration for I fear she is not without scandal."

Crowe laughed slightly. "Well, I am not a stranger to such a state. After all, look how I spend my nights with you now that Babers is no longer free," he replied as he poured himself a glass from a stale bottle of wine and the sour face betrayed its terrible taste, but he was trying to chase his hangover away.

With a hiccup, Crowe continued on the vein. "Not to worry, I love the bachelor life. It is hard to give such a thing up." he slurred sloshing his cup.

Sidney shook his head thinking of his own unmarried life and thought not of Eliza but of Charlotte. "Not when you have found the right one," he said rubbing his eyes thinking of how he had never been more desiring of leaving such a way of living behind him if only it was spent with the woman he really loved and desired.

Looking up at the second floor he noticed Clara Brereton had emerged from her room and was looking around.

"Oh look," Sidney muttered. "Perhaps she heard you." he slugged his friend without coordination. "I'm going to the beach for some sobering clarity that only the fridged waters can bring me," he said glaring up at the woman who had so easily read his heart and voiced it the night before.

Reaching for his cane he grabbed his hat and regarded the Hotelkeeper with a nod.

The portly man just stood bracing himself on the broom as if ready to scoot them off again.

"Miss Brereton!" Crowe said drunkenly. "Come to join me to break your fast?" he asked as Sidney stumbled from the room.

She shook her head. "No, I was waiting for a friend," she said with a kind smile. "Perhaps lunch, or tea?" she asked.

Crowe sighed and shook his head. "I don't know if I will manage to be awake for that," he said seriously and looked to the Hotelkeeper. "I will give you five shillings to sleep in your bed for a number of hours," he said looking to sleep hard.

The hotel keeper shook his head. "Ten, and don't you go and mess them up with bile from your putrid stomach. I will charge you extra if you do," he said moving on to sweep with an impatience they could all feel. "You young London gentlemen keep such odd hours," he said to himself as he went about the duties, clearly put out.

"Just point me the way to the pillow my good man," he said reaching in his pocket to offer the compensation.

Clara eyed the gentleman seriously and her eyes focused on the sum he laid out. He doubled the agreed sum and she frowned. Was Crowe a man of fortune or waster like Sir Edward Denham was? She had not thought on him much from the beginning since she had her focus on Lady Denham's fortune and alert for the trap Esther and Edward were spinning around her, and she had neglected to properly inspect the man who had shown such interest.

Sidney had just rounded the corner that led to the beach and he pressed on to his private cove for a morning swim when Charlotte had just come round the finished part of the Pavilion and on to the Crown Hotel, narrowly missing each other by fractions of a second.

The events of the night had left him with a pounding head and a dark mood. He had probably upset his fiance Eliza having left mid-performance, but he could not abide a love conquering all story when he could see his own was too dark to navigate to a successful end.

Charlotte had looked exceedingly well and had been his focus at all points of the night whilst overhearing the dialogue of the actors and he had grown enraged once Miss Brereton had whispered her observations in his ear.

His feelings were never going to be easy to hide, and regardless of Lady Denham's expectations, he would never be easy working with the object of his affection when he was otherwise engaged to Mrs. Campion. Was an impossible business and only thing keeping him was the fact that if he left Tom in charge he would again overspend and extend the venture even further beyond repair, and Mary again in heartbreak over it all.

Stripping his clothes he threw them down with rage as he did not even stop to keep his things in a tidy pile or drape them on a rock. He just threw them as he plowed into the cold and yelled angrily at God for his bad fortune. That scream turned to a sob as he plunged down and began to swim. He had no direction. Just out.