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Chapter Text

Saturday afternoons were the best part of the week. Charlotte on the sofa, an array of notes and books on either side of her and a notebook in her lap. Sidney was sitting in a nearby armchair, his feet sharing space on the large ottoman with Charlotte’s calico cat, Elsie, who was draped over one of his ankles. He was trying, and failing, to read a novel.

Every so often, Sidney’s phone would buzz with a text message. The first few times, he had looked at the screen to see the notification, but now he’d started ignoring them altogether. The pace of the incoming missives was increasing, distracting Charlotte from what she was working on.

“Maybe if you answered them, they’d stop,” she suggested without glancing up from her notes.

“I’d rather they think I’m ignoring them,” she could hear him turn a page. “Because I am.”

“And yet, they’re annoying me,” Charlotte used her teacherly tone to let him know she was displeased with the interruptions.

Sidney raised his eyes to meet hers. He could probably tell she was irritated, not mad; thankfully, he knew not to let Babington and Crowe’s persistence aggravate her further. Though he rarely turned his phone off, he did so now. “There, no more buzzing.” He held it up to demonstrate the silence.

“What do they want, anyway?” her concentration was broken, so she set her notes aside and stood up. She bent down to grab her mug, which prompted Elsie to awaken in anticipation of a walk to the kitchen.

“They want to use my promotion as an excuse to go out,” he closed his book and put it down, Elsie making her way to his lap to receive some praise for not disturbing his reading. “I’ve told them I’d much rather stay in, with you.” He scratched Elsie’s ears, eliciting a loud purr. “Yes,” he said to the cat affectionately, “with you too.”

“You should accept their invitation,” Charlotte stopped next to the armchair and mimicked the motion of Sidney’s hands by running her fingers through his delightfully curly hair. “I’ll get more accomplished on my paper if you’re not here distracting me.”

Sidney tipped his head up to make eye contact. “I’ve silenced my phone, and have no wish to celebrate anything with anyone but you.” He took her hand in his and placed a kiss on the back of it.

She sighed, pulled her hand away and walked to the kitchen without another word.

It didn’t take long for Sidney to follow her. Charlotte could hear him pour some food in Elsie’s bowl before he came to stand next to her at the sink where she was taking an overly long time washing her mug.

“I’m sorry I didn’t shut off my phone sooner,” he apologized, reaching out to take the mug from her so he could dry it. “And I’ll leave, if you want, but I honestly have no wish to go out drinking with Babbers and Crowe tonight.”

“Why not?” she turned off the water and dried her hands on the towel too. “And don’t use me as an excuse.”

“An excuse?” he frowned. “Since when is me wanting to spend time with you a bad thing?”

Charlotte sighed again. “You shouldn’t give up your friendships because we’re a couple.” It was a half-truth. A deflection. She didn’t want to admit to Sidney what was actually bothering her, as it was petty and made her irritated with herself. She was envious that he’d been promoted to Senior Lecturer. Not that it was a competition, being older he was further along in his career and he’d achieved the new rank at the appropriate time.

Unfortunately, his good news had caused her to think about her own progress toward promotion and she knew she had some definite deficiencies. A lack of REF-able publications for starters, plus she didn’t participate in enough academic conferences.[1] While Sidney had used the summer enrichment programme the previous year to get the students to function as his research assistants, Charlotte kept creating mock crime scenes to simply teach them. And her non-traditional teaching methods didn’t leave much time for research, nor did the time she was devoting to building a relationship with Sidney.

While she was lost in her thoughts, he’d put the mug in the cupboard and left the kitchen. When she realized that, she went to find him. He was standing by the window closest to the front door, obviously unsure if she wanted him to stay or go. Charlotte walked directly to him for a hug. “Sorry,” she wrapped her arms around his waist. “I just need to get more done on this paper before we’re in the full swing of classes, because I know I won’t get time to do it later.”

“I understand,” he held her to him, the fingers on one hand gently caressing her neck to relax her. “I’ll leave you to it, though not for drinks with the guys.”

Charlotte pulled away so she could read his expression. “I won’t think less of you if you go out for drinks. Get plastered, if you want to, you’ve earned the right to celebrate.”

“And as I keep telling you, you’re the only person I want to celebrate with,” he tried to keep his tone light, but she could see he was now getting frustrated with her. “But you need to prioritize work this weekend, I get that.” He kissed her on the forehead and let his lips linger there. “If you do decide you want a distraction, you let me know.”

He released his hold on her and stepped toward the door. Much as she wanted a proper goodbye kiss, she knew that would create an extreme distraction from her work. “Better switch your phone back on, in case I need you.”

“Will do,” he said in a sad tone, with a forced smile.

Closing the door behind him, Charlotte knew she’d hurt his feelings by not being more enthusiastic about his promotion. He’d been downplaying it, kept saying it was no big deal, yet she could tell now that he had wanted to celebrate it… with her. The fact that the notification had come right before the weekend she’d set aside to work on her conference paper was awkward for them both. As compatible as they were as a couple, there would always be times that their professional trajectories were incompatible.

–––––

Sending Sidney away did not result in the productivity Charlotte hoped for. Far from it. She struggled to focus and had made little headway with her outline. She knew what she wanted to say, why was it so difficult to find the right words? Or even to come up with some order for her ideas?

Maybe she should turn in early. Since she and Sidney got together, they’d spent almost every night together, usually at her place. Not having him here was a void she wasn’t prepared to think about. There were so many unspoken feelings between them. She knew he loved her, and she loved him, although neither had said the key phrase aloud. As soon as they did, all the other discussions would inevitably follow – Should they move in together? What about marriage? When should they start trying for children? Hugely important subjects that they’d only talked about in the vaguest, most hypothetical terms lest they endanger what they had by asking for too much too quickly.

In case Sidney caved went out with Babbers and Crowe, she chose to text him rather than call.

Charlotte: Sorry I sent you away. 🙁

The three dots indicating he was replying appeared almost immediately.

Sidney: You have no need to apologise; I knew you wanted to work this weekend.

Charlotte: I should have pivoted, so we could celebrate. I’m so proud of you!

Sidney: It’s a busy time, you’ve got your conference to think about. Believe me, I DO get it.

Charlotte: We should do something to mark the occasion. Maybe a dinner party?

Sidney: After your conference?

Charlotte: No, we don’t need to put if off that long. I need to recalibrate my work-life balance, that’s all.

Sidney: Easier said than done.

Charlotte: True. But I’m willing to try if you are.

The three dots appeared and disappeared a few times, as if Sidney was unable to determine what to say next. It worried Charlotte; had she made that big a mess of it today?

Sidney: How about the last Friday in October?

Oh, he must have been checking his calendar, she exhaled in relief. Why he picked that particular week was not apparent to her. It was a week before her conference, and she damn well better be finished with her paper by then, but it was an oddly specific choice.

Charlotte: Why the last Friday in October?

Sidney: Because Tom, Mary, and the kids will be on their half-term holiday. Much less hassle if we leave them off the guest list.

Charlotte: You really want to exclude them? That’s more than half of your family.

Sidney: Yes, I really do. Let’s make it an ‘adults only’ dinner party.

Sidney: Better yet, we could make it fancy dress – celebrate my promotion and Halloween! 👻 

Charlotte: Are you sure?

Her phone started buzzing then, Sidney calling so they could talk about it instead. When she answered, he began by answering her question.

“Yes, I’m sure,” he affirmed. “I know you love Halloween, but you’re probably going to brush it aside preparing for your conference and worrying about work. If we make this party fun for you, I will enjoy it all the more.”

She hadn’t realized she was quite so transparent to him already; she did, indeed, love having an excuse to put scary decorations in her front garden, but had already decided to skip it this year when she chose to do the conference. “Okay,” she replied quietly.

“Okay?” he asked in a teasing tone. “You gave in fairly easily. I had several more arguments ready for you.”

Charlotte cracked a smile, aware that he was grinning on his end of the phone. “I admit, you’re a persuasive guy.”

“Even when I’m far away?” he sounded smug.

“Always,” she acknowledged, wishing he was with her and heightening her regret at sending him away this afternoon. “So, who shall we include on the guest list?”

“Arthur and Diana,” he began listing people, “Babbers and Esther. Crowe and whomever his flavor of the week is…”

“How about friends from work?”

“I have no friends at work,” he said without a moment’s pause, “other than you.”

“Aren’t Georgiana and James your friends?” Charlotte didn’t know how she’d survive life in academia without friends to lean on. Sidney did approach his career much differently than she did hers, however.  

“Umm… sort of,” he did pause this time. “I see them as your friends whom I’m friendly with. But if you want to invite them, that’s fine.”

She wasn’t certain if she should comment on that assessment or not, but played it safe by moving the conversation along. “Okay, so James and Hannah and Georgiana and a plus one. That gets us to ten guests, plus us. A dozen could make for a good number. Or is there anyone else you want to include?”

“A dozen works,” he agreed. “And, so you don’t go overboard with the planning, we’ll have it at my place.”

“Right, well, Elsie’s not one for co-hosting parties anyway,” Charlotte joked.

“Plus, if we don’t feel like cleaning up afterwards,” she could tell he was grinning again, “we can avoid it by retreating to your place.”

The remark made Charlotte laugh, if a bit uncomfortably. They did need to talk about how and when they spent time at his place or hers, or if they should move in together. Perhaps this party would be a step toward mixing their lives together more. While she was ruminating on that, Sidney spoke.

“Shall I invite everyone?” he offered.

Shaken out of her reverie, she responded, “That would be great. Thank you, Sidney.”

Sidney cleared his throat before speaking again. “I’m sorry I didn’t give you a proper kiss goodbye earlier,” he took a breath. “But I didn’t want you to think I was trying to distract you more.”

“That’s pretty much the same reason I didn’t kiss you, either,” she resisted the urge to say ‘I love you’ as well. She did not want to tell him something so important over the phone.

“You should get back to work,” there was a new softness in his voice, “or get some sleep.”

Charlotte felt tears forming in her eyes; Sidney always took such good care of her.

They were both silent for several beats. There was no good way to end the conversation as long as they continued to resist saying the inevitable.

“Dinner tomorrow?” Sidney broke the silence.

“Yes, please,” she sighed lovingly this time.

“Come over when you’re ready,” he would continue giving her all the space she needed. “I’ll have something delicious waiting.”

“Oh, I know you will,” she would use that thought as motivation tomorrow. “Goodnight, Sidney.”

“Sweet dreams, Charlotte,” he ended the call before she could.

Nestling into her bed alone, Charlotte reached out to start the metronome on her nightstand ticking. She’d seen a character use one in a movie once, to soothe them to sleep. When she’d encountered a particularly stressful patch during university, she tried it and found it worked remarkably well. Sidney didn’t seem to mind, even starting it for her on occasion. For the first time in years, Charlotte wasn’t sure it would be enough to ease her mind. Resisting the temptation to call Sidney back and ask him to come over, she closed her eyes and focused on the steady tick-tock of time passing.

[1] REF = the Research Excellence Framework. For more on what is considered REF-able scholarly output see https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/2017/02/09/the-importance-of-being-ref-able-academic-writing-under-pressure-from-a-culture-of-counting/

Chapter Text

Sidney opened the door to his flat anticipating a kiss from his girlfriend, but was met with instructions instead.

“Put this in the refrigerator,” Charlotte thrust something shaped like a brain into his hands. “I have to get the cupcakes and my costume,” she turned to head back to her car before he could respond.

He slid the doorstop in place with his foot, so the door would stay open for her return. Despite his encouragement that she not go overboard with the party planning, she was visibly reveling it. Charlotte had not completed her conference paper, but he figured she wouldn’t appreciate a reminder of that right now.

Setting the gelatin dessert on a shelf in the fridge, he wondered if anyone would actually eat something that probably looked more realistic than it should. He heard the front door closing before a soft thump came from the same direction. Charlotte must have dropped her garment bag on the floor near the stairs. They hadn’t told each other what their costumes would be, wanting to maintain the suspense, but he imagined she’d be sexy in anything she wore.

She made her way to the kitchen with the cupcakes and a couple carrier bags filled with party supplies. Once she set them on the counter, he finally got his long-awaited kiss.

He could feel Charlotte melt into the sensations momentarily, before she pulled back to say something. “It’s going to take me a while to do my hair and makeup,” she had a devilish glint in her eye. “Mind if I set up camp the bathroom?”

“No, not at all,” he gave her another quick kiss. “I’ll start setting everything out, aside from the brain and the punch. I assume you’ll want to handle those.”

She nodded adamantly, a grin on her face. “Absolutely, but you are allowed to see the cupcakes before showtime if you like.”

He reached for the container and lifted the lid. His eyes widened when he saw the tombstone and ghost motif she’d chosen. “Spooky and adorable, just like the woman who made them,” he leaned in for a third kiss, hoping this one might last longer than the first two.

After several minutes, Charlotte was again the one to end their embrace. “Spooky is good, but with my costume I’m going for scary,” she made it sound like a promise.

“My costume won’t take long to change into,” Sidney noted, “but I will need to shave… some.” He didn’t want to say more than that lest he give away anything about his costume.

“Aww, goodbye to scruffy Sidney?” she pouted. “I was getting used to this,” she ran her fingertips along his beard.

“Not for now,” he confirmed. “But it can be regrown if it’s what my lady desires,” he winked. “How about I go up and get ready, then I’ll come back down once you’re in the bathroom?” he suggested.

“Sounds like an excellent plan,” she gave him a final quick kiss then nudged him away.

As Sidney made his way to the bathroom, he considered how right it felt having Charlotte here. Anytime he’d tried to – hypothetically – bring up the topic of her moving in with him, she sidestepped it, making him certain she wasn’t ready for that. He remained hopeful and had even started shifting some of his possessions to make room for hers. Maybe once Charlotte survived her conference, they could finally talk it through.

–––––

Crowe was the first to arrive, having hired a car service to drive him so he could drink to excess. “For the punch,” he handed Sidney an unduly expensive bottle of vodka. The contrast between his lecherous demeanor and the costume he’d chosen for the night – a white suit with angel wings and a fuzzy halo – was no doubt intentional.

“Angels shouldn’t be trying to get people drunk,” Sidney said wryly. “And Charlotte’s in charge of the punch, so there’s no telling what she’ll spike it with being that she is a chemist.”

“Who’s spiking the punch?” Esther asked from a few paces behind Crowe, with Babington a half step behind her.

“Charlotte,” Crowe answered cheekily, taking in Esther’s choice of costume. “You’d better watch out, whatever she laces it with may make you shrink down so Babbers has to carry you around in his pocket!”

“Maybe there are biscuits that make her grow taller too,” Babington joined in the conversation. “Isn’t that how it works, Alice?” he asked his wife as they followed Crowe inside.

“Who are you supposed to be?” Sidney asked Babbers, not knowing what the cape he was wearing was meant to signify.

“I’m disappointed, Sidney,” Babbers pouted. “I thought all people with doctorates knew each other.”

“Huh?” Sidney was perplexed. “No one I know in academia wears a cape, though I’m sure some of them wish they could pull off the look.”

“Academics are not known for their fashion sense, no,” Esther gave Sidney a distinct once over. “Though you are looking quite dapper tonight, Dr. Parker.”

“Why, thank you, Lady Babington,” Sidney bowed slightly, in keeping with his Regency attire.

Esther rolled her eyes. “Congratulations on your promotion, Sidney,” she handed their host a bottle of wine. “Are the sideburns and moustache required for Senior Lecturers?”

“Hardly,” he led the group into the living room, setting the bottles on the table near where the punch bowl would be set when Charlotte had it ready.

“Looks like Sidney was drinking when he put those up,” Babington remarked, having noticed the zigzagged shelves Sidney had put on his wall on either side of the front window.

“They’re for Elsie,” Sidney answered without elaborating.

“My, my,” Crowe began spreading some red caviar on a cracker. “I didn’t realize you had more than one lady on the go, Parker.”

“Yes, surprising,” Babington agreed. “And here I thought you and Charlotte would be the next ones to the altar.”

“Uh, no,” Sidney faltered, “we’ve got no plans to marry.”

Babington began coughing loudly, right as Sidney finished his sentence. Crowe began pounding him on the back as if trying to dislodge some food, although Sidney was positive Babbers hadn’t eaten anything.

“Can I get you some water?” Charlotte asked, startling Sidney who spun around to see her in her costume for the first time. She had an indistinguishable expression due to the scary, red and white clown makeup she was wearing. Had Babington feigned the coughing in an attempt to drown out Sidney’s remark or because he was scared of her appearance?

“Yes! Please!” Babington continued to draw the focus to him. “Thank you, Charlotte!” He coughed some more, Crowe smacking him on the back merely because he could.

“Let me give you a hand,” Esther sent a scathing look at all three men for their antics as she followed Charlotte into the kitchen.

Once the ladies were out of earshot, Sidney reprimanded his other guests. “What is wrong with you two?”

“What’s wrong with us?” Crowe retorted. “You’re the one installing shelves for another woman.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?!” Sidney whisper-shouted in response. “Elsie is Charlotte’s cat!”

“Oh!” Babington chuckled. “Apologies, then.”

Crowe was undeterred in his troublemaking, “Maybe Charlotte didn’t hear the part about you not wanting to marry her.”

Of course, that would be the point at which Esther returned carrying a glass of water for her husband, with Charlotte alongside carrying the oozing gelatin brain. The doorbell rang, preventing Sidney from assessing if Charlotte had or had not heard what any of them said.

Arthur and Diana were the next to arrive, dressed as Elton John and Florence Nightingale respectively. Diana brought black roses for their hostess, embracing the theme of the party. The gesture resulted in Charlotte being separated from him again when she went to put the flowers in a vase.

His brother delighted Babington by immediately recognizing that the caped costume was that of Doctor Strange. “I’m glad to see some Parkers know their superheroes,” Babbers grinned at Sidney. “Maybe there’s a Sidney in an alternate reality who would have known whom I’m dressed as.”

“Feel free to head to that alternate reality any time you like,” Sidney’s frustration was bringing out his sarcasm. The party was off to an inauspicious start.

James and his girlfriend, Hannah, who had been dating approximately the same amount of time as Charlotte and Sidney arrived soon after the Parker siblings. They had chosen for a couples’ costume, more or less, Hannah being dressed as the giant doll in Squid Game and James wearing one of the green tracksuits the players wore.

“Oh my,” Arthur shuddered when he saw Hannah. “Squid Game has got to be the scariest thing I’ve seen. I had no idea what I was in for when I started watching.”

“Leave it to Netflix to start all the big trends,” James put an arm around Hannah’s waist.

Sidney was about to introduce them to everyone when the doorbell rang once more. “I’ll leave you all to get acquainted,” he went to let Georgiana and her date in, as the final people that needed to arrive.

“No date?” he asked, awkwardly, when he opened the door and saw her standing alone.

“Well spotted, Sidney,” she scoffed. “Is that a problem? Must we women always be paired up with some undeserving male?” He figured the word undeserving was directed at him, rather than any other man in Sanditon.

“Sorry, it’s…” he halted, not knowing where his comment was going. Until he spoke with Charlotte, he would be out of sorts. “Please, come in, Dr. Lambe. Or should I say, Dr. Dragon?” Unlike Crowe’s choice of angel wings, Georgiana’s dragon wings suited her fierceness.

She moved past him and screamed excitedly when she spotted Charlotte’s costume. “You look fan-tastic! Totally scary,” she complimented the hair and makeup. “The red hair is intense!”

There was no faulting Georgiana’s opinion; he was currently quite afraid of what Charlotte might be thinking. The makeup was making it more difficult for him to read her mood than usual. Therefore, he took hold of her elbow and dragged her into the kitchen for a private word.

“Sidney! What’s wrong?” her brow creased in confusion.

“I’m so, so sorry, Charlotte,” he began begging for forgiveness.

She crossed her arms, adopting a scolding pose. “What happened? Did you spill something?”

It was Sidney’s turn to look confused; had she really not heard his or Crowe’s comments? “No… no one’s spilled anything…” Should he explain why he’d apologized? Would it create a problem where there was none?

Charlotte’s posture relaxed some. She stepped closer to examine him. “Are you feeling okay, Sidney? You’re so wound up?” She set a hand on his chest and would be able to feel his heart racing.

“I love you,” he blurted out without expecting to. There was a momentary look of surprise in her eyes, that was quickly replaced by one of adoration.

“I love you too, Sidney,” she smiled, creating an odd contrast with the otherwise terrifying clown makeup. “I should probably say it again when I look more like me… and when you look less like a character from a Jane Austen novel… but I do love you. Very much.”[1]

“A villain from a Jane Austen novel,” he corrected while giving her his most roguish grin.

“No one would ever believe you were a villain, Sidney,” she bit her lip temptingly.

He had to resist the urge to smother her with kisses, aware that she’d devoted much effort to her costume. “Did you use the edible fake blood on your face?” he ghosted a finger down it, making sure not to smear it. “If so, I can help you remove it after the party,” he flirted in lieu of kissing her.

“Nope,” she shook her head at his mischief. “You are welcome to help me remove it in the shower later, however.”

That possibility spurred Sidney to action. “Let’s get that punch together, so this party can be underway and over soon!”

Charlotte laughed at that, opening the refrigerator to hand Sidney various bottles that would be combined in the bowl. Then she opened the freezer where the latex gloves she froze water in were waiting. Adding them to the beverage added the right amount of spookiness to the drink, which Sidney carried out for their guests to enjoy.

The conversation when they returned was about how James and Hannah had gotten together during Charlotte’s crime scene scenario.

Diana drew Charlotte into the discussion by offering to play a part in the future, especially if it meant collaborating with Dr. Fuchs. Apparently, Diana had heard him do a pseudo-TED Talk and was now a devoted fan.

Crowe mentioned his ‘participation’ in the project, by lending Sidney his flask and deck of cards, though he bemoaned the fact that they were only planted to misdirect.

“Can I be the victim next time? Or maybe the killer?” he asked Charlotte. “I wager I’d be riveting in either role.”

“Don’t those wings signify that you’re dead already?” Georgiana cocked her head to the side as she spoke, prompting Sidney to wonder if she was toying with Crowe.

“Perhaps,” Crowe accepted a glass of punch from Charlotte. “Do yours signify that you breath fire?”

“You better believe it,” Georgiana reached for one of the cupcakes with a tombstone on it. She removed the paper wrapper, “Where would someone like you meet your demise?” Rather than take a bite of the dessert, she licked some frosting off in a tantalizing manner.

Sidney chose to move away, not wanting to hear any more of his colleague’s banter with his most lascivious friend, but more power to them if they were both into it.

He remembered he’d made a playlist of songs that related to the party’s theme, so he switched it on at a low enough volume that the conversations could continue. Sidney realized when he was putting it together how many of the titles fit Charlotte perfectly, a fact he was reminded of as the first few songs played. Ella Fitzgerald’s “Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered,” summed up his mood all evening, as did Nina Simone’s “I Put a Spell on You” and Frank Sinatra’s “Witchcraft.”

When the fourth song – Dusty Springfield’s “Spooky” – came on, Sidney couldn’t resist asking Charlotte for a dance. Esther and Babington joined them. Everyone else did once the songs were more uptempo, Oingo Boingo’s “Dead Man’s Party” and Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition” being the ones that got everyone into the spirit.

The rest of the evening proceeded smoothly. Plenty of conversation, food, drink, and dancing. Although Sidney had wanted to hurry the party along, in the end he was glad it lasted well into the night. Seeing Charlotte letting loose and forgetting the stress of work made him happier than any promotion could.  

Their personal celebration wound up being even more indulgent than the party. It started in the kitchen then progressed upstairs; Sidney’s costume being strewn about as they went. He did indeed assist Charlotte in removing her makeup in the shower, taking his time and being oh so thorough. Eventually they made their way to the bedroom, where they remained ravenous for each other until daybreak.

[1] Search #SidlotteFanfiction on Twitter to see their costumes.

Chapter Text

Charlotte dragged herself into the bathroom to brush her teeth. Sidney had left the bed earlier, going to the kitchen to start the coffee. He’d already been asleep when she got into bed last night… no, make that this morning… though he’d instinctively enveloped her in his arms not long after.

She’d finally finished up her conference paper and accompanying slides. Her self-imposed deadline had been the end of October, so she could feel good about sticking to that. Sidney hadn’t made it easy; although he made an effort not to distract her, his very existence was distracting. She’d finally snapped at him yesterday afternoon, “You do want me to make it to Senior Lecturer too one day, don’t you?” It was unfair, she knew that as soon as she’d said it and immediately apologized.

Sidney nodded in understanding and gave her some space by going to his barber to return to his typical appearance, not wanting her parents to wonder about his sideburns and moustache, nor his longer-than-normal hair. He promised to return later with a takeaway to ensure Charlotte took a break to eat something.

She missed him in the few hours he was away, an indication of just how addicted she was to his presence. They spoke during dinner about her building stress regarding the conference. “I’m the one who put the panel together and submitted the proposal; I can’t appear the least bit underprepared…”

He’d tried to encourage her, making her smile when he said, “You could talk about this topic in your sleep – and do, occasionally – so you’ll breeze through the Q&A.” He offered to be a test audience if she wanted to do a practice run, but she felt he’d make her more nervous for some reason.

She agreed that she should time herself to guarantee that what she’d prepared was the right length, so she arranged a Zoom session with her mentor, Susan Worcester, who would be chairing the panel. As an added bonus, it would give them an excuse to leave Sunday lunch with her parents early today.

–––––

Sidney had met Fitz and Lizzie Heywood several times already and had easily charmed them. Most of those interactions focused on getting to know him, but today’s conversation was bound to be more about them as a couple. After his unexpected declaration Friday night, which he’d reasserted in several ways in the intervening hours, Charlotte was confident they were in the same place emotionally. All those other topics – like moving in together and getting married – would be too tempting for her mother to resist.

To Charlotte’s surprise, almost nothing about the afternoon went as expected. It started off normally, her father asking how the academic year was going and congratulating Sidney on his promotion. However, Lizzie was unusually quiet, bringing the food to the table and not even asking Charlotte to carry any of it.

“Is everything okay, Mum?”

“What?” she paused to look at her daughter. “Yes, yes, of course, Charlotte. You must be proud of Sidney,” she tried to engage in conversation.

“Perhaps more envious than proud,” Charlotte admitted. “But I know he’s earned it and intend to do the same myself.”

They took the final components of the meal through to the dining room, where Sidney and Fitz were discussing a new biography of John Milton they were both reading.[1]

“Enough of that,” Lizzie interrupted them, setting the roast on the table.

“Yes, dear,” Fitz shared a knowing grin with Sidney. Heywood women were all the same, ordering their menfolk around. He began serving the roast to everyone before his wife told him to.

“So, Sidney,” Lizzie began scooping some peas onto her plate. “Charlotte says you wanted to have a fancy dress party to celebrate your promotion…” she left the sentence dangling.

“I know Charlotte loves Halloween,” Sidney helped himself to a Yorkshire Pudding, “made sense to lean into that so the party was for her too.”

Charlotte passed him the gravy, then reached for the carrots. “It was a small group, mostly Sidney’s friends and some of his siblings.”

“Only some of your siblings?” Lizzie asked as though she knew there was a story there.

“My eldest brother and his family were away on holiday,” Sidney didn’t feel like getting into any Parker family drama. “My other brother, Arthur, took part in Charlotte’s crime scene in the summer, and my sister, Diana, says she wants to assist with the next one.” He tried to shift the focus away from himself.

“Never thought our daughter would be creating crimes for people to solve,” Fitz finished loading his plate and prepared to dig in.

“Too many criminals in this world,” Lizzie muttered, as though she was referring to someone in particular.

“Mum, is something wrong?” she wondered. “You’ve not been yourself since we got here.”

“Oh, I’m sorry Charlotte,” Lizzie apologized. “I didn’t mean to put a damper on the day. We should be celebrating Sidney!” she forced a smile.  

Seeing her father set his hand on her mother’s, in a consoling gesture, Charlotte became concerned. “What’s going on? Don’t tell me nothing, it’s obvious something’s very wrong.”

Fitz waited for his wife to give him a nod of approval to fill Charlotte and Sidney in on what was happening in Willingden. “It’s a group of developers,” he began, “they’ve started buying up land. At first it was a small parcel here or there, so it didn’t raise anyone’s suspicions.”

“But now?” Sidney’s tone indicated he could tell where this was going, but he urged Fitz to continue anyway.

“Now it’s become apparent that they plan to take control of the whole town,” the older man grumbled. “We don’t know if they want to transform it into some sort of newfangled monstrosity or will raze it to the ground.”

“How long has this been going on?” Charlotte did not hide her annoyance that her parents had not told her sooner.

“Not long, Charlotte,” her mother assured her. “Only started last year. And, as your father said, it appeared to be small changes at first. Necessary ones, even, buying land from people who were ready to move away.”

“Are they getting more aggressive?” Sidney’s train of thought was similar to hers. Charlotte wondered if the residents of Willingden could withstand such an onslaught of greed.

“The coercion’s increasing,” Fitz admitted. “Been some suspicious activity, like that tractor catching fire at the Hollis place this summer.[2] The police aren’t willing to get involved, but it’s worrying nonetheless.”

“Of course, it is,” Sidney acknowledged. “Is there anything we can do?”

“Not that I can think of,” Lizzie was the one to reply. “And we didn’t want to worry you. You both have more important things to focus on.”

“Mum,” Charlotte tried to keep her feelings in check, “If you’re in danger, then I want to know about it.”

“Danger’s probably too dramatic a word,” Fitz said hesitantly. “So far, at any rate.”

“The situation’s escalating, though,” Sidney drew the logical conclusion.

“That it is,” Fitz concurred, “that it is.”

The rest of the conversation during lunch was led by Charlotte’s father, detailing some threats spraypainted on the sides of barns and a pub. Although they may be the result of teenage pranks, which is what the local constabulary had determined, there was a sinister feel to them that had begun to concern the Heywoods and several other families.

Much as Charlotte had wanted to keep today’s visit to Willingden short, in order to get home and revise her paper some more, it was clear that her parents needed input and support. She sent Susan a message bumping their Zoom call into the evening.

They came to no conclusions by the end of the afternoon. Charlotte did get her parents to promise to keep her and Sidney informed of any developments. Though they hated to admit it, until the greedy developers did something egregious, there wasn’t much they could do to stop the land grab aside from encouraging their neighbors not to give in.

–––––

By the time they got back to Sanditon, Charlotte had fallen asleep in the passenger seat. In the blurry recesses of her mind, she heard Sidney coaxing her to consciousness, “Charlotte, we’re home.”

“What?!” she jerked awake, suddenly. “Oh, shit… sorry, Sidney.”

“No need to apologize,” he brushed a few stray hairs away from her face. “I’m glad you got some sleep. Should I head back to mine? That way you can concentrate on your chat with Susan.”

“Umm,” Charlotte considered it. “Actually… you can keep Elsie company, if you like. I’d sleep much better if you were here tonight.”

“You’ll get no argument from me on that,” he smiled. “You know I’d rather sleep with you than without; I even miss that damn metronome of yours when I’m at my place.”

“Maybe we should bring it with us to the conference,” she tried to lighten the mood. Charlotte released her seatbelt to get out of the car, then grabbed the leftovers her mother had given her from the backseat. “I can’t shake the feeling that something sinister is going on in Willingden.”

“I tend to think you’re correct about that,” Sidney locked the doors with his key fob as they walked up the path. “Why don’t I do some research while you’re talking with Susan. Maybe I can find out something your parents haven’t been able to.”

Charlotte stopped short of opening the front door to pull Sidney in for a hug. “Thank you,” she squeezed him tightly. “I know my hometown’s not all that remarkable, but I’d hate for it to be destroyed by corporate greed.”

“Me too,” he gave her a kiss on the top of her head. “And it never hurts to score points with your girlfriend’s parents.”

She laughed at that; Sidney had no need to score additional points with her parents. “Would you rather research downstairs or up?” she walked inside.

“No, no, no,” he closed the door behind them, “you pick where you want to be for your Zoom call and I’ll be wherever that’s not.”

Elsie came to greet them, rubbing herself along all four ankles in turn, not knowing which human would be her servant this evening. "Fine, I’ll go upstairs and you and Elsie can stay down here.” Charlotte gave him a quick kiss and headed for the stairs.

–––––

Charlotte had been on her Zoom call with Susan for more than an hour. They were well past conference prep and were now discussing Sidney.

“And here you thought he was grumpy and unattainable,” Susan teased.

“Well…” Charlotte drew out the word, “I’ve discovered that he’s got his university persona and his usual self. I should probably follow his lead more on that, if I ever want to make Senior Lecturer myself.”

“I’m also concerned,” Charlotte continued, “that we’re not at the same rank anymore. Do you think we need to speak with Human Resources about it? He’s not in my division and will never be my supervisor, but I’d hate for anyone to think something untoward was happening.”

“It’s not like you’ve been hiding your relationship,” Susan was aware of how they’d gotten together. “Didn’t you say the colleagues who worked on the project with you had no problem with the fact that you and Sidney became a couple.”

“No, they didn’t… I mean, they don’t,” Charlotte corrected her tense. “But Georgiana and James have no clout.[3] It’s the administration I’m worried about. You know how much harder it is for women in academia, especially if we get derailed by non-work.”

“It’s not like you’re going to start having his babies immediately, are you?” Susan asked bluntly.

Charlotte chuckled, reflexively. “No, definitely not. Sidney’s not even considering proposing, he said as much at the party on Friday.”

“Wait… you heard what we said?” Sidney appeared in the doorway. Had he been eavesdropping? He must have been listening in for a little while, at least.

“Yes,” Charlotte hesitated, wondering how long he’d been there and replaying the last few comments she and Susan had made.  

“You didn’t say anything,” he stepped closer. “Weren’t you upset?”

“No… should I have been?” she tilted her head to the side. “Everything you said was correct – we have no plans to move in together or get married.”

Susan could see now would be a good time to end their chat, “Sounds like you two have much to discuss. Can’t wait to finally meet you in person at the conference, Sidney.”

“Uh, you too,” Sidney stepped closer to see her on the screen. He waved awkwardly before Charlotte said her own goodbye and ended the call.

She closed the laptop and set it aside, pivoting to face Sidney completely. “We are on the same page with moving in and getting married, aren’t we?”

“Yes…” he trailed off then redirected himself. “Except… that’s what I want… eventually, that is. I want to get married, have kids, the whole ‘happily ever after’ thing.”

Charlotte broke into a smile. “Good, so do I.”

“With me?” he sounded quite boyish and surprisingly lacking in his usual confidence.

She reached for his hand to pull him down next to her on the bed, “Absolutely with you, Sidney. I arranged a whole crime scene to ensnare you, I’d hardly do that if I wasn’t seriously interested in you.”

“You what?” he sputtered in disbelief.

“I’ve been flirting with you since that first message I sent, asking if you’d be interested in participating,” she brought his hand up and kissed the knuckles. “Did you really not know that?”

“Uh, no… can’t say I did,” Sidney was blushing, amazingly enough. Had women never pursued him before? Charlotte found that impossible to believe.

“I didn’t anticipate you volunteering to be the dead body," she interlaced their fingers, "but was so pleased when you did. It meant we got to spend much more time together, up close and alone.”

“Oh, I noticed,” Sidney smirked.

“When I see something I want, I go after it,” she shrugged, acknowledging her behavior might seem brazen and not caring one bit. It was the 21st-century and women should be equal to men in all respects, even instigating a romantic relationship.

“Well then,” he tugged her hands so she'd move toward to him. “Consider me endlessly pleased that you set your sights on me.” He kissed her deeply, the conversation done for now.

Charlotte began unbuttoning his shirt, ready to feel rather than think, for there was no place she preferred being than in Sidney’s arms.

[1] Reading John Milton: How to Persist in Troubled Times by Stephen B. Dobranski is due to be released in September 2022. I included it as a nod to Seven.

[2] Mr. Hollis is a character in Austen’s fragment about Sanditon. There have actually been several tractors on fire in England during their heatwaves this summer.

[3] As a reminder from The Usual Suspects, Charlotte, Georgiana, and James are all Lecturers. For more see - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academic_ranks_in_the_United_Kingdom

Chapter Text

Not wanting Charlotte to split her focus more than necessary, Sidney took charge of researching the company trying to takeover Willingden. He’d hit one dead end after another as he tried to uncover more about PBS, a meaningless set of initials, as far as he could tell. Searching online was proving difficult because there is an American television network of the same name, but Sidney had no idea why they’d want to acquire a rural, English village.

The fact that there was zero paper trail for the land purchases was dubious at best. Charlotte’s assessment that something sinister was happening was looking more probable the more he couldn’t find about who they were or what their aims were.

He would wait to discuss his lack of findings with her once the conference was behind them, when everything would be calmer and they could figure out a different approach to take.

After his final Friday class ended, Sidney walked home to get his car. Charlotte vetoed his suggestion that they take the train to Oxford, despite it being more environmentally friendly.

“What if there’s another strike?” she suggested.

“What if Extinction Rebellion close down the motorway with another protest?” he countered. There was also the astronomically high cost of petrol to consider, he thought but did not say.

“You historians,” she huffed, somewhat amused. “You probably want us to go back to horse and carriage.”

“Uh, no,” he gave up on arguing with her. “We both saw that news story about the horse in New York this summer.”[1] That deflated any more bickering they might do. In the end Charlotte’s need to feel they were in control of their progress would win out over all other arguments. And, as it was her conference they were going to, Sidney accepted that she should choose their mode of transportation.

When he arrived at her place, the door was locked. Charlotte must have been delayed on campus. He pulled his keys back out and used the one she’d given him to let himself in.

Unlike most days when he walked through the door, Elsie did not come to greet him. Charlotte mentioned the other day that the cat was preventing her from packing by sleeping on her suitcase, so he imagined that’s where Elsie was now.

He got his phone out to check for any messages from Charlotte he might have missed and was about to text her when she stormed in.

“I’m so glad you’re here already!” she dropped her bookbag on the entry table and hurried toward the stairs. “Can you put out extra food and water for Elsie, please?” she shouted over her shoulder as she rushed up to the bedroom.

Sidney silently did as asked. The cat was already angry with Charlotte, he didn’t need those claws turned on him next.

“ELSIE!” he heard Charlotte yell at the top of her voice.

Taking the stairs three at a time, he ran up to find out what happened, half expecting to find a gruesome crime scene.

Rounding the corner into the room, he saw Charlotte standing over her open suitcase. Elsie was snuggled inside, looking like she was ready to go with them to the conference.

Charlotte heard him arrive in the room, “I’ve told her we’ll only be gone for two nights, but her response when I tried to pick her up was the nastiest hiss I’ve ever heard from her.”

“Shall I try?” Sidney offered, wary that he’d end up as streaked with blood as Charlotte had been the night of the fancy dress party.

“Would you?” she implored, eagerly.

He moved to crouch down, tentatively reaching out to scratch Elsie’s ears and see how receptive she’d be to being picked up. When she nuzzled him slightly, he seized the moment and seized the cat.

“Why am I not surprised?” Charlotte’s eyes rolled at the ease with which Sidney soothed the cat.

“I simply have a way with the ladies,” he joked leaning toward her for a quick kiss. When Elsie began growling, he responded by stepping farther from Charlotte. “Guess I’d better separate you two, since this one,” he held Elsie up slightly, “appears unwilling to play nice today.”

“She’s never been this bad,” Charlotte bent down to lift her suitcase up onto the bed to assess the amount of fur on its contents. “I’ve been on plenty of trips; she knows I always come back to her.”

“Maybe she’s worried I’ll whisk you away for longer than usual,” Sidney shrugged, continuously petting Elsie’s ears to keep her calm.

“Then why isn’t she hissing and growling at you?” Charlotte pouted. She shook out a dress and then brushed at it with her hand. The next step was rooting around for a lint roller that she’d already packed and running it over the fabric. Satisfied that it would deal with Elsie’s shedding sufficiently, she refolded the dress and returned it to the suitcase.

Elsie, who was also observing Charlotte’s actions, started growling again. “Right, to the kitchen with you, little lady,” Sidney spoke quietly to the cat.

“Don’t reward her with treats!” Charlotte called after him as he headed for the stairs.

“We’ll pretend we didn’t hear that,” he said even more softly to the cat. “You don’t want to be abandoned by her; I can empathize with that.”

When they got to the kitchen, he added some of Elsie’s favorite treats to one of her food bowls. Since he’d never had a pet before, he was still learning about feline behavior. If Charlotte said the hissing and growling were out of character, he’d have to take her word for it. He was pleased that none of it was directed at him thus far.

About 20 minutes later Charlotte made her way downstairs.

“All set?” Sidney was sitting on his usual chair, with Elsie in her usual place on the ottoman. He waited to stand, wondering how the cat would react.

“Yes, I’m ready,” Charlotte set her suitcase by the entry table. “She less upset?”

“No more unladylike sounds,” he smiled. “Maybe she has accepted that we’re leaving.”

“Or she thinks only I am, and you’re staying to keep her company,” Charlotte grumbled.

“I can, if you want,” he reached forward to pet Elsie again.

“Are you talking to me or her?” Charlotte smirked.

“When we planned this excursion,” Sidney hedged his answer, “you said she’d be fine on her own for a couple nights.”

“She will be,” Charlotte remained certain. “I have no idea why she’s quite so grumpy. Must be your influence, Dr. Parker. You’ve got a reputation as a grump.”

Sidney stood up before responding, wanting to take Charlotte in his arms first. “I was grumpy, until a charming chemist captured me with her cunning.”

She laughed at his remark. “So many Cs, Dr. Parker. Have you been working on that long?”

“I tried to fit in how intoxicating I find you, but couldn’t make it work,” he pulled her closer and dropped a kiss on her forehead. “Now, if you want to make it to the opening reception, we’d better get going.”

“Right, yes,” Charlotte glanced around the room, checking to see if there was anything else she needed to bring with her. “Let me try another goodbye, then we can leave.”

She walked over to Elsie and attempted to stroke her head. Anticipating more hissing or growling, the resulting bite on her hand was so drastically unexpected Charlotte shrieked and stumbled backwards. “Elsie!!! What the fuck?!”

Sidney ran to Charlotte to assess her wound, tugging her into the kitchen to run it under cold water. The fact that it was bleeding as much as it was, he knew, was a good thing. Her body was cleaning out any bacteria from the cat’s mouth. However, seeing Charlotte bleeding was not something he was prepared for. It reminded him of her ‘death’ during the crime scene scenario, causing him to wrap and arm around her and hold her close.

“She must be picking up on my stress about the conference,” Charlotte was muttering possible justifications for Elsie’s aggression. She removed the hand from the stream of water. “Can you get me a clean towel from the drawer?”

He pressed it down on the wounds on her index finger, hating when she flinched at the pain. “Sorry, it needs to be firm to get the bleeding to stop.”

“I know, I know,” she leaned her good arm on the counter. “Do you think I need to see a doctor?”

“Well…” he tried to remember what he’d read in his cat research. “Are you up to date on your tetanus, Dr. Heywood?”[2] He assumed she was, considering all the sharp metal objects she worked with on a daily basis in the lab.

The sheepish look on her face answered his question for him.

“A stop at A&E on our way out of town, then,” he moved her injured hand toward her chest, so she could take over holding it. “Let me shoo the vicious tigress upstairs.”

He cleared the way for their exit, gathering Charlotte’s bookbag and suitcase for her on their way out.

–––––

The waiting time at A&E felt interminable, though it really wasn’t that long. The triage nurse determined that Charlotte should get the wound cleaned and dressed, plus a tetanus booster. And while none of that was too time consuming, there were many other patients whose needs were more urgent.

Sidney maintained pressure on her index finger, holding it to his chest above his heart. She leaned on him, figuratively and literally, as she patiently waited her turn.

“Me getting any piece of luggage out of the closet always upsets Elsie,” she continued trying to make sense of Elsie's attack. “Even if all I’m doing is trying to rearrange, it upsets her to see it.”

“Uh huh,” he let her know he was listening, rubbing her shoulder with the hand wrapped around her back.

“But today was… confounding,” she could not comprehend the violent outbursts. When she nuzzled her face into his shirt, he realized she had started crying.

“Stop blaming yourself, Charlotte,” he remembered her comment earlier about Elsie picking up on her stress. “You’ll be fine, she’ll be fine,” he whispered in his most soothing manner. “Next week you two can spend lots of quality time together. I’ll even stay at my place.”

She tilted her head back so she could make eye contact. “No, I think that’s part of the problem. You coming and going, me coming and going.”

“You’re not breaking up with me, are you?” he swiped playfully at her nose, well aware that she was not contemplating such a thing.

“Of course not,” she affirmed. “I just think we need to talk seriously about moving in together.”

“Yes, please!” his eyes lit up like a kid in a sweet shop. “You and Elsie are welcome to move in anytime you like, I trust you know that.”

Charlotte returned to her position tucked into his side. “You’re so sure we should move into your place; mine’s plenty cozy… and historic too!”

“And today it became a crime scene,” he gently repositioned her injured hand. “We could look for someplace new, if you like.”

“Because we have soooo much time for that,” she chuckled. “Well, maybe you do, Dr. Senior Lecturer.”

“Don’t forget,” he squeezed her shoulder, “I now have to work my way toward Reader. There’s always another obstacle to overcome.”

“Yes, true,” she agreed forlornly. “The constant assessment is so draining.”

Sidney wasn’t an expert on Charlotte’s moods yet, though he remained intent on learning everything he could about her. He hoped this melancholy was temporary, brought on by the conference and Elsie’s strange behavior.

“I probably shouldn’t have selected a party date right before your conference,” he acknowledged. “It was wrong of me to select it purely to avoid inviting Tom & Mary.”

“If you didn’t want them at your party, they shouldn’t be there,” she sighed. “I shouldn’t have worried about making cupcakes and everything else I did. It was my choice to get so involved.”

“Yes, you could have waited a week and used this,” he tapped a finger on her injury, “instead of all that bloody face paint.”

“Too soon, Sidney,” she rolled her eyes. “I won’t be able to laugh about Elsie biting me until I know she’s forgiven me.”

“Okay, sorry,” he hugged her to his side. “Thank goodness she didn’t see you in that clown get up or she would have attacked you sooner.”

“Hey, maybe that’s it!” Charlotte exclaimed, and Sidney could feel her mood lifting. “I’ve got that photo of us at the party on the fridge. Maybe it’s creeping her out.”

“Fairly certain cats can’t see photos,” he didn’t want to deflate her enthusiasm, but they were both realists. “And she’s a little too short to see it, don’t you think?”

“Another good point,” she granted. “You’re eminently sensible; I guess I should listen to you more often.”

“I’ll remind you of that the next time we have a fight,” he grinned, knowing he’d never dare to do such a foolish thing. “Before I let you win, that is,” he kissed the top of her head.

–––––

There was another wait once Charlotte was moved to an examination room. She gave him Susan’s number and asked him to text her, filling her in on their predicament. Susan replied with comforting words about Charlotte’s injury and said she’d see them in the morning.

The drive to Oxford was speedier than usual, since they were on the motorway well after any commuters were at home. Sidney was relieved they’d opted not to take the train in the end, as it would have added even more stress to their day. He tried to keep the conversation light so Charlotte wouldn’t dwell on what happened today or what she was facing tomorrow.

When they arrived at the hotel, they were both exhausted. Sidney aided Charlotte with her evening routine, with her now bandaged hand. “Elsie would bite me on my dominant hand,” she sighed. At least the doctor didn’t insist she splint her finger to fully immobilize it. Instead, Charlotte brought the splint with her in case it become necessary later on.

“Luckily you have a willing lady’s maid,” he teased as they got into bed.

“Luck had nothing to do with it,” she retorted, her spirits mostly back to normal. “Now, let me sleep; I’ll thank you for your assistance tomorrow.”

“I look forward to that, Dr. Heywood,” he closed his eyes and joined her in slumber.

[1] Ryder survived his collapse and is being retired - https://gothamist.com/news/group-calls-for-cruelty-probe-into-nycs-horse-carriage-industry

[2] With no rabies in the U.K. or Ireland, that’s not a concern for Charlotte or Elsie. (And real-life Elsie and her sister, Ecosse, are vaccinated annually for rabies. #GetVaxxed) For the NHS advice on cat and dog bites see - https://www.gloshospitals.nhs.uk/media/documents/Dog_and_cat_bites_GHPI0819_04_19.pdf

Chapter Text

Sidney sat on the edge of the bed, watching Charlotte flit around their hotel room. She was dreading her presentation and wished it was over already. It didn’t help that she was having to do everything with her injured finger. Each time she bumped it she was reminded of how upset Elsie had gotten yesterday and it made Charlotte worry today would go equally badly.  

“Do you have your business cards?” Sidney asked as she picked up her bookbag.

“Yes,” she nodded, “do I really need them?”

“Of course, you never know what influential people you might meet at such a gathering…” he stopped speaking when he saw her reaction. “Hey,” he held a hand out encouraging her to join him on the bed. “You’re brilliant and will do wonderfully today.”

“I should have practiced more,” she knew her tone was defeated. “When you offered to be a test audience, I should have taken you up on it.”

“There’s still time?” he put a finger under her chin to make her look at him. “We can skip breakfast and you can run through it.”

She inhaled purposefully. “No, it is what it is at this point. I just hope I don’t wind up embarrassing myself… or you or Susan, for that matter.”

“Embarrass me?” his eyes widened in surprise. “That’s an impossibility. I’m never anything but awed by everything you do.”

That got her to smile, only slightly. “Too bad I can’t absorb your charm and make it part of my personality.”

“You’re plenty charming, all on your own,” he cradled her face in his hand. “Your crime scenes are inventive, and I have no doubt the whole audience will end the day as amazed by you as I am.”

“But it’s pedagogy, not research,” she voiced one of her biggest worries – that her scholarship was not at the level it needed to be to succeed in academia.

“Academia needs both,” he stated simply, reading her thoughts. “If it concerns you that much, we’ll spend the next month camped out in the library doing old-school research, side by side. That doesn’t mean your paper today isn’t a valuable contribution to knowledge.”

Charlotte sighed, wanting to believe he was correct. “I’m not sure we’d get much research done, if we were together in the library.” She forced herself to say something lighthearted, even if her heart were anything but at the moment.

“You may have a point,” he smiled. “As for today, say what you have to say and then enjoy the Q&A.”

“Enjoy the Q&A?” she was stunned. “That’s the worst part. Having to defend attacks against what you created, when everyone’s trying to rip it to shreds.”

“Well, if that’s your attitude going in, it wouldn’t be very enjoyable.”

“Are your history conferences so different?” she wondered.

“Uh, no… there are some like that,” he acknowledged. “From what I’ve seen those sorts of questions and comments come from insecure people. The ones who are jealous that they aren’t as creative as you. Or, with respect to your topic today, not as willing to take risks in the classroom.”

“Not as crazy as me, you mean,” she tried to remain self-deprecating, not used to hearing his praise and feeling unworthy of it.

Sidney placed a hand on each of her shoulders and looked directly in her eyes. “I’m only going to say this one more time – brilliant and inventive. That’s what you are; don’t doubt yourself.” He paused for a breath. “Answer the questions directly; don’t deflect by saying you had to cut out something on account of time constraints, and they’ll love you.”

She could see what he was trying to do and loved him even more for it. “You’re biased, Dr. Parker.”

“So, what if I am, Dr. Heywood?” he grinned. “That doesn’t mean I’m wrong, does it?”

“No, I guess not,” she accepted as graciously as she could. “We’d better get a move on. I could do with a coffee… or six.”

He laughed, gave her a quick kiss then pulled her up from the bed so they could be underway.

–––––

When they arrived at the check-in table at the conference venue, Sidney took her nametag out of her hand before she could put it on. “Get out some business cards,” he instructed.

Somewhat baffled, she did as he requested. When she handed him half a dozen or so of them, he tucked them in the back of the nametag holder where they were hidden from view. He then draped the lanyard around her neck. “Now they’re easily accessible,” he smiled proudly. “It's also a good place to put your banquet ticket, were we going to the banquet.”

“Susan says, ‘unless you’re the keynote speaker or are introducing the keynote speaker,” Charlotte shifted her bookbag on her shoulder, “it’s best to avoid the banquets.’”

“That I do…” a familiar voice sounded behind her.

Spinning around to see her mentor, Charlotte suddenly felt much happier, “Susan!” They clasped hands, minus one forefinger, and kissed each other on the cheek in greeting.

“Oh, you poor dear,” Susan noted the bandage on Charlotte’s hand. “So unlike Elsie to do that, but I’m glad it wasn’t worse.”

“You and me both,” Charlotte agreed.

“Make that three of us,” Sidney joined in the conversation, not waiting for an official introduction.

“Ah, yes, you must be Dr. Sidney Parker,” Susan extended her hand to him. “Charlotte’s told me all about you.”

“I’ll trust that she was fair in her assessment,” he retorted. “She says nothing but glowing things about you. I must say I’m a bit envious; my supervisor was far less supportive.”

“Let me guess,” Susan had an appraising look on her face, “your supervisor believed in the sink-or-swim method. If it was good enough for him, it would do for you as well.”

Sidney chuckled. “Yes, pretty much spot on. The only thing he said to me before my viva was ‘don’t screw this up!’”

“Ah, I know the type,” she commiserated. “It’s always been my goal to be the antithesis of that approach, since it’s what I experienced myself.”

“And all of your doctoral students appreciate you as a result,” Charlotte confirmed. “Sidney, do you think you could get me some coffee?”

“Of course. Can I get you anything?” he asked Susan.

“No, I’m fine. But thank you,” she smiled in response. After Sidney walked away, Susan could not refrain from commenting. “Well done, Charlotte. I know you said he was impressive, but that’s an understatement.”

They watched as Sidney began chatting with the other people in line for the continental breakfast buffet. “Most of the time, I can’t believe we’re together. It happened so fast, all things considered.”

“From what you told me, it was mutual attraction,” Susan reminded her. “Mutual denial of said attraction, naturally, but if the attraction is there the result is almost always a foregone conclusion.”

“Almost always?”

“If one of you had been married, that would have posed a problem,” Susan pointed out. “But, from what you’ve said, even that would not be enough to keep you and Sidney apart. I’d wager you two are meant to be together.”

Charlotte saw Sidney remove one of his business cards from his nametag and hand it to a rather attractive blonde woman, just before they reached the front of the line for coffee.

“…don’t you think?” Susan said loudly in her ear, causing Charlotte to realize she’d been staring so much she was not paying attention.

“Don’t I think what?” she asked awkwardly. When Susan smirked at her, Charlotte could tell she was blushing intensely. “Sorry, he’s… conferences are his natural habitat, and he’s got so many publications and I…” she resisted finishing her thought to avoid disappointing her mentor.

“Are jealous?” Susan challenged. “Of him? Or of her?” she indicated the woman Sidney was speaking with.

“Not of her, no,” Charlotte shook her head. “I’ve got no idea who she is, and I trust Sidney.”

“So, you’re envious of Sidney then?” Susan pressed the issue. “Maybe a little imposter syndrome creeping in?”

“Not exactly,” Charlotte tried to explain. “It’s more that I’m worried he’ll hear me present today and decide I’m not the one for him after all.”

Susan turned her attention back to Sidney who was now walking back toward them with Charlotte’s coffee. “That’s not the face of a man who has any doubts about you, whatsoever,’ she said emphatically. 

“Here you go,” Sidney handed the mug to Charlotte. Unsurprisingly, he’d prepared it exactly how she liked it. “Am I interrupting your reunion? I can make myself scarce again.”

“No need,” Susan answered quickly. “Charlotte was expressing some apprehension, but I’ve told her she’s got nothing to fear.”

“Indeed. I keep telling her the same thing,” he placed a hand at the small of Charlotte’s back as a gesture of support. “Perhaps you’ll be more successful convincing her.”

“You two don’t need to talk about me like I’m not here,” Charlotte felt herself getting exasperated. “It’s normal to be nervous before a public speaking engagement, isn’t it?”

“Yes, but my presence is making you more nervous,” Sidney noted.

When Charlotte hesitated, he took that as affirmation. “I don’t have to attend, you know. I won’t be offended if you’d prefer I not be in the room.”

“No, no, no,” Charlotte was adamant, “I want you there, truly, I do. But maybe don’t sit directly in front of me. You’re such a distraction sometimes,” she suggested playfully.

“So, you’ve told me.” He rolled his eyes. “More than once, if I remember correctly. A recurring theme, if you will,” he directed the final remark to Susan.

They all laughed at that, as they began making their way toward the room the panel would take place in.

–––––

Susan and Sidney chatted while Charlotte and her co-panelists pulled up their slides on Charlotte’s laptop and got it connected to the projector. Dr. Brown was a medical examiner in Somerset and Lt. Smith was a retired Met officer.[1] Together they would be talking about the forensics workshops they do, often for American college students on study abroad courses.[2]

Honoring Charlotte’s request, Sidney sat off to one side so he was not in her direct line of sight while she presented. She did sneak a peek at him as Susan introduced her. The mention of her previous consultation on police cases during her doctorate, which is how she met Lt. Smith, was something she’d never told Sidney about and she was curious to see his reaction.

When they organized the panel, the men had insisted that she present first. They claimed it was so they didn’t have to worry about watching the clock as closely and not an archaic ‘ladies first’ mentality. Since Charlotte would rather get her talk over with, she had readily accepted.

She took a couple deep, centering breaths and got underway. Seeing her title slide – “How to Read the Room: Teaching via Mock Crime Scenes” – being projected settled her nerves some. When she clicked to the next one, she loosened up more. And by the third one, with this year’s colleagues’ names on it, she was perfectly at ease. So much so, that she actually introduced Sidney to the audience, letting them know that he was not only her partner in crime, but her partner in life as well.

He was beaming with pride throughout, especially while she laid claim to him in front of Susan and everyone else in the room. Charlotte occasionally stumbled on a word, yet each time she glanced at Sidney she felt more tranquil instead of more anxious.

The second paper was a seamless follow-up, showing the many interactive ways crime investigation could be taught as a way of recruiting young people into such professions.

Susan flawlessly directed the Q&A portion of the panel. No one dared ask one of those rambling questions where they try to show off their own knowledge, lest she scold them for taking time away from the panelists. Because she’d mentioned Charlotte’s doctoral research on restoring serial numbers on firearms during the introduction, someone asked more about that too.

Each time Charlotte finished an answer, Sidney would give her a nod or would quirk an eyebrow to show he was impressed. All those fears she’d had that he would change his mind about being with her were so far from reality that she wanted to kick herself for entertaining them. By the end of the session, she felt certain he was more in love with her than ever.

–––––

The entire panel, plus Sidney, had a celebratory lunch when the session was done. Dr. Brown and Lt. Smith asked him loads of questions about what it was like playing dead during the mock crime scene. Did he have difficulty staying still? How did he resist saying something when everyone was speculating about his motives? Etc.

“I did break character once,” Sidney admitted, “when one of the students proved particularly… uncouth.” He chose the word carefully, not wanting to disparage Charlotte’s project in any way.

The conversation evolved into stories about how student misbehavior might be predictive of future criminal activity, considering both Charlotte and Sidney believed several of her students that summer were destined for a life of crime.

When they headed to the afternoon sessions, Charlotte paid little attention to what was being said. She and Sidney sat at the back of the room, his arm around her shoulder, relaxing and appreciating that they could spend the remainder of the weekend focused on each other if they wanted to.

[1] Dr. Brown and Lt. Smith were both mentioned in Austen’s fragment about Sanditon.

[2] Workshops for American college students do happen, as I had my own students participate in one when we were in London in 2019.

Chapter Text

Unwinding once the final session of the afternoon ended, Sidney was grateful that Susan was opposed to attending conference banquets. A nice, quiet meal amongst friends would do far more to restore Charlotte to her normal self than time spent in a stuffy, formal setting ever could. She needed laughter and fun, not mansplaining from whoever had been chosen to lecture the audience tonight. The stress of recent months had transformed Charlotte into someone who was, at times, unrecognizable to him. Now that her presentation was over, Sidney wanted nothing more than to resume their courtship or romance or whatever word best suited their relationship.

While he was musing about her, Charlotte studied the menus of local restaurants online, trying to find something she felt like eating for dinner that would not be too challenging with her injured hand. She selected one called The Seven Stars, which she noted had the same name as her favorite pub in Willingden.[1] After calling to book a table for three, she had Sidney text Susan and arrange to meet in the hotel lobby.

Dinner conversation was fairly standard, beginning with Susan and Sidney getting to know each other better. Charlotte also described Elsie’s attack the day before, lamenting the fact that she couldn’t order wine with her tortellini because she didn’t want to risk mixing her antibiotics with alcohol.

The initial serenity of the evening shifted when Charlotte placed her injured hand on his thigh under the table. At first, Sidney thought it was an innocent action. Soon, however, he realized she had a different purpose in mind – tormenting him.

“…I’d be glad to let the two of you use the reservation,” Susan looked expectantly in Sidney’s direction, her remark being meant for him, though he had no idea what reservation she was talking about.

“Umm…” he tried to focus on what was being said.

Charlotte jumped in, aware that Sidney was too distracted to provide a suitable answer. “No, I’ve definitely been looking forward to our girl time at the spa in the morning. Sidney and I can do a couple’s massage some other time.” She purposefully caressed the fabric of his trousers with her three uninjured fingers.

Sidney cleared his throat and reached for his water glass. “Right, thanks,” he mumbled almost unintelligibly.

Susan then asked Sidney a question about 19th-century weaponry. He tried to pay attention, hearing her mention her research on gunshot residue, something about the Napoleonic Wars, and understanding she was attempting to find a topic of mutual interest to discuss. Each time he opened his mouth to respond, Charlotte’s hand traveled farther up his leg. A question about Nelson’s maneuver at Trafalgar coincided with an exceedingly indecent movement and corresponding gasp by Sidney.

He dared not comment, giving Charlotte a sharp, silent, side-eyed reprimand as he excused himself to the restroom. It probably came across as curt or rude, but he had no alternative.

Once in the restroom, he splashed cold water on his face in a vain attempt to get his desire for Charlotte under control. Had she really been encouraging a conversation about explosives?! He was about ready to explode, but it would be better if they got back to their hotel first.

As he tried to strategize a way to extricate them from the meal before dessert, his phone buzzed in his pocket with an incoming text message.

Charlotte: Don’t hide away too long.

Charlotte: I miss having you next to me. 😘 

Proof, not that he’d needed it, that she was intentionally stoking his passions.

Sidney: Temptress. 😈 

Charlotte: Just ordered us dessert to share. Shall I ask for one spoon or two? 😋

Sidney: For fuck’s sake, Charlotte. Are you trying to kill me?! 🥵

Charlotte: Oh no, you’re much more use to me alive. 💋 

He returned to table as dessert was being served. Charlotte ordered a sinful, seven-layer tiramisu along with an espresso. The look in her eye got hungrier the closer he got to the table, like she wanted to put him in the dessert and eat him along with it.

“You never have caffeine after lunch,” Sidney observed the combination of dessert and drink. Perhaps a mundane topic of conversation was the way to keep Charlotte's lust under control.

“Oh, well, I thought I’d like another burst of energy for later,” she added two sugar cubes, stirring it slowly before blowing on the hot beverage and taking a sip. “Did you want to order something hot to accompany dessert, Sidney? It is Bonfire Night, you know.” The heat in her eyes being directed at him was undeniable.

Susan laughed, obviously knowing that Charlotte was messing with him. From Susan’s expression, she approved of the tactics her protégé was using.

“Although I’m not sure what you were discussing while I was in the men’s room,” Sidney put his napkin back in his lap, “I can guess.”

“It’s all good, Sidney,” Charlotte giggled as she delicately scooped her first bite of tiramisu, “I promise.”

“Uh huh,” he took her injured hand in his and set them both on top of the table. “I’d say you’ll be the death of me, but considering you’ve already killed me once that seems unnecessary.”

Susan joined in with Sidney’s laughter. Charlotte may well decide to murder Sidney several times over in her mock crime scenes and he'd willingly agree to every scenario she created.

–––––

They parted ways at the restaurant, Susan going to meet Dr. Brown, Lt. Smith, and some other conference participants for a nightcap while Charlotte and Sidney strolled back to the hotel. It was a chilly night, but Sidney kept an arm wrapped around her waist securely, ensuring she remained warm. They occasionally ducked into an historic archway, where he peppered her with kisses, she’d wound him up so thoroughly during the meal.

Somehow, they managed to get through the lobby without doing anything overtly scandalous. The lift was agonizingly slow, but the CCTV camera inside prevented them from giving into their lustful inclinations until they reached the privacy of their room.

As was typical for them, Sidney launched into an interrogation of her earlier actions. “You were naughty this evening, Dr. Heywood. What could have possessed you to do such things in a public place?”

She shrugged with false innocence. “You’re always distracting me, I wanted to return the favor.”

“I see,” he began loosening his tie, while she sat down on the bed to remove her shoes. “So, once again, everything’s my fault, is it?”

“Mmm hmm,” she crossed her legs to pose enticingly. “Perhaps I need you to educate me, Dr. Parker, on how I should behave when I’m with you. I wouldn’t want to do anything that would disappoint.”

He ran his tongue across his lower lip buying time to decide how he wanted this scenario to play out. “You’re injured,” he reminded her. “I wouldn’t want to do anything that might put you at risk of additional harm.” He’d let her lead the way; there was nothing he found more seductive than her cunning.

“My hand has plenty of mobility,” she dragged her bandaged finger along her own thigh, mimicking what she’d done to him at the restaurant. “And if I set it on something soft, it won’t cause any problems.”

“Soft?” he raised his eyebrows quizzically. “Like a pillow.”

Charlotte nodded, ever the temptress. “Like a pillow, but definitely not a pillow. More like a peach,” she teased as she stood up to move toward him. In a hushed tone she added, “I’ll need some assistance getting undressed too.”

Sidney ran the back of his hand down her cheek, “I think I can manage that.” He drew her to him for a kiss, then proceeded to remove her dress and undergarments, followed by his own clothes, at an agonizingly slow pace. Barely-there touches and kisses, accentuating whispered promises of what was to come. He needed to repay her for the torture during dinner after all.

By the time they fell into bed together, it did not take long for them to complete their union. Sidney showed great care for Charlotte’s damaged finger, ensuring she had nothing to worry about when she was with him. The words they’d only dared to say a week ago were repeated over and over, endlessly, effortlessly.

When Charlotte later curled into Sidney to sleep, he could feel her relax fully for the first time in weeks. Whether they were lying in bed, sitting in a restaurant, or attending a conference, they were meant to do it side by side. And it was with that comforting thought that Sidney switched off the bedside lamp so he could drift to sleep along with Charlotte.

–––––

Several hours later Sidney was startled awake by a pained yelp from Charlotte.

“What’s the matter?!” he asked with concern, reaching to turn the lamp back on. If he’d inadvertently caused her any pain, he’d never forgive himself. No matter how temporary it might be.

The pout on Charlotte’s face as she examined the bandage on her finger answered his question before she said anything. “It must have been all the talk about weapons during dinner,” she frowned more deeply and began unwrapping the now loosened tape.

“Huh? How so?” without instruction, Sidney went to get the supplies they’d been given at A&E so he could rewrap the injury.

“My dream was fuzzy,” she tried to bend her finger and cringed. “But whatever was going on, I was firing a rifle at something… or someone.” She demonstrated with her other hand a pulling-the-trigger motion as additional explanation.

Sidney had no idea what to respond to that, so he got out the splint to keep her from making the injury worse in her sleep. “Yes?” he held it up for her approval.

“Yes,” she assented by holding her finger out to him.

He tenderly placed the foam and metal contraption on her and then looped the tape around it as neatly as possible. “There, done,” he kissed it with the utmost gentleness. “Now, much as I’d like a repeat of our earlier bedtime routine, you should get some more rest. Wouldn’t want you to oversleep and miss your spa appointment with Susan.”

“You’re so good to me, Sidney,” she repositioned herself next to him. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Charlotte,” he kissed her forehead and leaned away slightly to turn the lamp off for a second time. With any luck, this time she’d sleep through the remainder of the night.

[1] It’s also the tavern where Otis’ post was being sent in S1.

Chapter Text

Sidney rolled toward the window and the bright sunlight streaming in told him it was time to get up. He stretched and looked around, reminding himself that Charlotte was planning to spend the morning at the hotel spa with Susan.

When he went into the bathroom to get ready, he could see that Charlotte had hung up the dress she was planning to wear to the closing session of the conference. He imagined she’d worn something cozy to the spa and knew she’d be happier in a hoodie than almost anything.

Standing in the shower, part of Sidney wished he’d taken Susan up on her offer of converting the spa reservation. He supposed he could use it to his advantage later by asking Charlotte to demonstrate any new techniques she experienced this morning. As long as she appreciated being pampered, it was bound to benefit them as a couple.

He made his way to the restaurant for breakfast, glad to have his own low-key morning. After ordering a full English, he savored the coffee while thinking back on yesterday. Charlotte was a force to be reckoned with. That she had even the tiniest doubt about the strength of her accomplishments was something he was resolved to help her move past. If the confidence she displayed in pursuing him was the driving force in every aspect of her life, she’d be unstoppable.

Figuring Charlotte may be back from the spa by the time he finished his breakfast, Sidney returned to their room. She was not there, so he decided he might as well start packing. Once his bag was ready to go, he moved on to Charlotte’s, being careful to leave out anything she was likely to need today.

After another hour passed, Sidney started to get worried. Charlotte should have returned by now if they were going to make it to the final session. He called her to see if she was still planning to attend it and his heart lurched when her phone began buzzing in the room. It was not like her to leave without it, nor would she change plans without letting him know.

He called the spa next, asking for Charlotte or Susan and was told neither woman was there. Sidney wasted no time in going to the room where today's sessions were taking place, increasingly fearful that something dreadful had happened.  

Spotting Susan, he exhaled in relief, until he realized Charlotte was not with her.

“Hey,” he approached Susan swiftly. “Where’s Charlotte?”

“Isn’t she with you?”

“No, she never made it back from the spa,” Sidney began searching the crowd that was milling around, waiting for the conference to resume.

“What do you mean ‘back from the spa’?” Susan’s countenance altered. “She never made it to the spa. I assumed the two of you were having a romantic morning instead.”

“What?!” Sidney shouted, drawing the attention of the room. He led Susan out into the corridor so they could speak without disturbing anyone else.

“Charlotte never showed,” Susan repeated. “When I called to check on her, it went straight to voicemail.”

Sidney took Charlotte’s phone out of his pocket and typed in the security code. Susan’s voicemail was there. His hand clenched tightly upon seeing the time. Whatever had happened to Charlotte had occurred three hours ago!

“Go to the front desk and alert them,” Susan instructed. “I’ll go find Lt. Smith and see if he can be of assistance.”

Sidney nodded to let her know he’d heard her. Leave it to Charlotte to have someone from the Met Police on her panel who could now aid in locating her.

There was a flurry of activity, once the local officers arrived. The hotel was relatively well covered by CCTV cameras, unfortunately none of them captured what happened to Charlotte. She had left their room on her own, therefore she chose to leave her phone behind, but once she exited the lift on the ground floor and headed down the corridor toward the spa entrance she vanished.

Sidney was not allowed to watch the footage, and no one would tell him if they thought the cameras had been tampered with.

When he was questioned, it was clear that the police thought she may have wanted to get away from him. The fact that her conference paper was about staging crime scenes no doubt made them think she had orchestrated her disappearance for some reason. Lord knows what additional conclusions they’d draw once they reviewed the search history on her laptop. Charlotte’s reading habits would raise all sorts of red flags considering the circumstances.

He hoped Susan was able to convince them that he and Charlotte were in love, and that she’d never send the authorities on a wild goose chase, so they’d turn the investigation toward other suspects and theories.

–––––

By the evening, there was still no word on Charlotte. Susan and Lt. Smith did what they could to propel the Oxford police to take action. Sidney alternated between pacing and running his fingers through his hair, often doing both simultaneously.

The search of the hotel turned up nothing useful, meaning the city’s CCTV footage would need to be checked because Charlotte had evidently left the premises.

Eventually, Sidney became aware that the sun was setting. He knew he should let Charlotte’s parents know what was going on, but opted to wait to call them in the morning – let them have one more decent night’s sleep.

He was sitting on a sofa in the lobby, his elbows braced on his knees with his face in his hands when Susan came to find him. “Sidney, you should head home,” she sat down next to him. “There’s nothing more we can do here.”

“What do you think happened to her?” Sidney’s voice quivered. He wasn’t sure how he was holding himself together. “Honestly, please tell me, what do you think?”

“She didn’t run off and leave you,” Susan said evenly. “Don’t let yourself consider that possibility for a single second, no matter what the detectives imply. It’s plain as day how much she loves you – and how much you love her.”

“So, you think she was kidnapped?” he had not come up with another alternative.

“That’s most likely, although…” she paused mid-sentence.

“Although?” he encouraged her, wanting – no needing – the lifeline Susan might be able to provide.

“It’s possible there’s a middle ground,” Susan spoke guardedly. “Charlotte would never leave you or cause all this fuss, unless there was an extremely good reason for doing so. If someone was in danger and she thought she could be of service, for instance.”

Sidney instantly thought back to their conversation with the Heywoods. The shadowy PBS and their dirty dealings in Willingden. Could that trouble have reached Charlotte? Had she been targeted? Or was this a run-of-the-mill kidnapping that would become another in a long line of crime documentaries on Netflix?

He sighed, uncertain if he could function at all until Charlotte was back with him, safe and sound.

“Come now, Sidney,” Susan tried to bolster him. “If you were the one who was missing, Charlotte would not wallow. She’d regroup and figure out how to find you.”

Sidney cracked a small smile at the mental image. “That she would,” he agreed. “And she’d vanquish the evildoers while she was at it.”

“Most definitely,” Susan returned his smile. “I will be in constant contact with the local police and Lt. Smith. We won’t let grass grow on her case; I promise.”

“Thank you, Susan,” Sidney wished there was more he could say. “Charlotte’s fortunate to have you looking out for her.”

“Just as she’s fortunate to have you in her life, Sidney,” she mirrored his sentiment. “All is not lost. Not yet. Charlotte needs you to believe in that. In her.”

“Oh, I do,” he stood up, accepting that he needed to drive home while he had enough energy to do so safely. Charlotte would never forgive him if he died on her.

Susan gave him a long hug goodbye, reasserting her promise to let him know if there were any developments or if she had any new ideas about what might have happened to Charlotte.

–––––

Sidney drove straight to Charlotte’s place in Sanditon. Elsie would need feeding, plus he wanted to feel Charlotte’s presence as he attempted to find a way to bring her back to him.

Mentally, he cataloged what they knew and what they didn’t, ultimately accepting there weren’t any solid leads. He was reminded of something Charlotte had told him not long ago, that even having promising clues only led you to more clues.

It was like he was in a nightmare and he wished he’d wake up soon.

He unloaded his and Charlotte’s suitcases from the boot of his car, bringing them up the path to her door. At the threshold, Sidney’s attention was caught by a messenger approaching with a box.

“Pardon me, sir,” she was agitated, handling the box with care. “This is for you.”

“Uh, okay,” Sidney accepted the delivery. “Do I need to sign for it?”

“Nope,” the messenger turned to leave as quickly as she’d arrived.

After such a long day, Sidney did not try to make sense of the interaction and merely brought the box inside, setting it on the entry table.

Elsie was at his ankles, demanding attention. He picked the cat up and let her sniff the box. “You think that’s for you, huh? Because all cardboard boxes are for you, aren’t they?” He scratched her ears as he carried her to the kitchen to give her some food.

He leaned against the counter while Elsie enjoyed her meal. Could the cat sense that something was amiss? That Charlotte was missing?

Sidney’s eyes drifted to the photo of them from the fancy dress party that was stuck to the fridge with a magnet. One of them must have brushed against it, for it was hanging upside down currently. Rather than right it, he removed it entirely. The night they said ‘I love you’ for the first time, her smiling through the terrifying costume. He studied her eyes, wondering what kind of terror was she facing now?

“Hang in there, Charlotte,” he murmured. “We’ll get through this – we have to.”