The Guardian

Episode 6 Part 3: The aftermath

Clara was trying to pin her hair back in place as Edward pulled his clothes back on following their intimate rendezvous. The will was no longer visible in the fire having been reduced to ashes and although the fact it had been destroyed was incredibly satisfying, Clara still felt mistrustful of Edward. Would he stick to their bargain?

"Are you going to tell Esther about the will? For there are no secrets between you two are there? She knew about what happened between us on the night of the ball. Will you tell her about our latest encounter?" Clara asked.

Edward glared at her. "I see no need for Esther to be involved in any of this."

Clara smirked. "She doesn't much like the thought of us being together, does she? I know that you two are rather close."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean, she sees you than more than just a brother and it's obvious you feel the same. I wonder what she will make of us having lain together again." Clara remarked. Edward scowled at her in response. "Or... perhaps she does not care at all! For she seems to be seriously contemplating Lord Babington's offer."

Edward huffed. "Esther despises Babington."

"If that is the case, then why is she yet to reject him?"

"She likes to play games, that is all"

"Perhaps she does, but there is more to it than that. Once Esther finds out about what just happened, she will be more inclined to accept him, don't you think?" Clara said smirking.

"What is it that you're getting at exactly?" Said Edward.

"I want half." She said.

"We agreed on a fifth."

"A quarter, or else I tell Esther exactly what happened here."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Try me!" Clara said glowering at him.

**********

Sidney couldn't sleep on the ride back to London, and it wasn't just because of the after effects of the adrenalin that had been pulsating through his body during the chase. Opposite him in the carriage were Charlotte and Georgiana. They had fallen asleep almost as soon as the carriage had set off back to London. Mr Lambe had also dozed off next to him despite the obvious pain he was in from the injuries he had sustained in the fight. But Sidney Parker would not sleep. He couldn't, because whenever he looked over to his ward, he could not stop thinking about all that had happened between them over the last 24 hours. Perhaps the most significant thing was that Charlotte had now called him by his first name. Yes, she had screamed it in a panic, but it was the first time he had heard it from her lips and it had stirred something deep inside him. He wanted to hear it again... not screamed this time, but said in a way that he wanted to say her name: like a sweet caress. Another thing was the look in Charlotte's eyes when she had thought he was hurt combined with her gentle touch on his brow, for Sidney was sure the whole world had melted away in that moment and he was sure she had felt something too.

Charlotte had also said she was worried about him in boarding house... Good God the boarding house! What must she think of him after that? Whilst the girls had served a purpose at the time, that was not what Sidney wanted anymore. In fact, it was never really what he wanted. Sidney always thought that if he could have anything he wanted it would have been her: Eliza, and as he could not have her, he had closed off his heart and instead engaged with the girls purely as a means to service his carnal desires. It was selfish, he knew that, but at the time he saw it as necessary in order to forget her, and in any case, it was just something gentlemen did... even married ones. However, he did not want Charlotte to believe he was that sort of man.