It had been five days since Charlotte had arrived in Sanditon and thankfully she had not had to spend the entire time indoors. Mrs Griffiths had taken Charlotte and the Beaufort sisters on a walk along the beach yesterday, although she would not let them too near the sea for fear of the skirts of their dresses getting spoiled. Charlotte did not fully engage in the conversation as she walked along the beach, instead preferring to spend the time surveying her surroundings, taking everything in as she went: the feel of the wind on her face (for it was very breezy); the sounds of the waves crashing on the shore; and the perfect straight line of the horizon where the sky met the sea. She would have been able to enjoy the experience a lot more, however, if it were not for the constant prattle of Mrs Griffiths complaining about the sand and the Misses Beauforts giggling every five minutes.
Oh to be free to explore Sanditon on her own! At her father's estate in Willingden, Charlotte had spent many a day roaming the fields with only herself for company, picking wildflowers, reading books under her favourite cherry tree, paddling in the stream, hunting rabbits... How she missed her home! Reminiscing her past life was futile, however, as Charlotte couldn't go back to Willingden even if she wanted to, for it was not her home anymore and Mr Collins had been keen to emphasise that point. Anyway, hadn't she always said that she wanted to have her own adventure? Perhaps Sanditon would offer her that? If Charlotte was ever to be given the opportunity to discover its secrets, that is.
It was so frustrating that, at least at present, she could no longer enjoy the freedoms she had in Willingden and all because she now had wealth and therefore needed to be controlled and managed. Did not Sidney or Mrs Griffiths know that wealth did not matter to her at all? She would gladly give all the money away if it meant she could be free to live the life she desired... Perhaps that life would materialise when she came of age in two years time and the fortune would be hers to do with as she pleased... that was if her guardian didn't marry her off in the mean time.
Marriage. It was a topic that Sidney had mentioned in their first meeting after Charlotte's father had died, but she was so grief stricken that she hadn't taken much in from that conversation at the time. Marriage was so far from Charlotte's mind right now. All she wanted was her independence back. She hoped that Sidney respected that and would not make any arrangements for her, for she was determined she would not enter into matrimony unless it was with a partner of her choosing.
Aside from the walk along the beach, Mrs Griffiths had also taken her charges to the shops, for the Misses Beauforts wanted to buy new headpieces for the ball. Charlotte still did not know if she was permitted to go to the ball, but there were a pair of lovely blue shoes in the shop window that caught her eye, and she couldn't resist trying them on. They fit ever so well, and so Charlotte decided to buy them. Even if she did not end up going to the ball, they would do well for a different occasion.
It was now only a day before the ball, and Sidney had still not arrived in Sanditon, or if he had arrived, Charlotte thought he must be avoiding her. It felt cruel to have to wait until just before the event itself to know whether she was able to go or not. Charlotte had tried not to think about it, but that was nigh on impossible, for it was all the Misses Beauforts could talk about to the extent that if Sidney said she couldn't go, Charlotte was sure she would be most upset. She mused, however, that at least if Sidney did say no, it couldn't be for any reason regarding her behaviour, for Charlotte had been sure not to put a step wrong, and even Mrs Griffiths herself had commented on how polite and agreeable she had been these past few weeks.
Sidney did finally appear in the afternoon that day, with only a little more than twenty four hours before the start of the ball. Charlotte was once again summoned from her room to meet with him in the drawing room. As with her last meeting, Sidney wanted the time alone with her which Charlotte supposed must not be improper, seeing as he was her guardian, even if it did make her feel rather awkward. She assumed her feelings on the matter were drawn from the fact that he was unmarried, combined with her assumption that he could be no more than ten years older than her, that made the situation feel rather odd. Again she wondered why her father saw fit to appoint Sidney to take on this role when his circumstances perhaps warranted an altogether different choice in person.
YOU ARE READING
The Guardian
RomanceThe letter had arrived two days ago and Sidney was still trying to comprehend its contents. The news contained within had both grieved him and vexed him in equal measure, so much so that he had struggled to compose a reply, for what response could h...
