Walk after lunch

further conversations

Again and again Charlotte dared to look over her shoulder. Repeatedly she caught Mr. Parker doing the same thing.
Their gaze met constantly and then a warmth spread in her, as if she would hold a hot brick on her stomach.
Her heart made a strange jump and her cheeks began to glow. Again and again.

Astonished Sidney looked over at Miss Heywood. Suprised at the twist the conversation took and the feelings which had triggered in him.
Amazed that he cared what she thought and what she felt. After all, he had assured her, and himself, that this was not the case.
Taken aback whether this girl, no, this woman, could perhaps be more than just his brother's annoying guest.

He shook his head, but couldn't avoid a grin, just at that moment she looked back at him. His smile disappeared and the beating of his heart was so rapid that he had to stop walking for a minute. A slight smile twitched at the corner of her mouth and for a blink of an eye, Sidney felt that they were both completely alone.
The babble of voices mixed with the sound of his blood and the beating of his heart.

Only when Mary touched Charlotte's arm could she detach herself from his gaze. Her cheeks were reddened and Mary followed the direction Charlotte had stared.
But there was no one left. She looked around and saw Sidney hurrying away with quick steps.
She smiled and took Charlottes arm in hers.

"How did you like i tat Lady Denhams, Charlotte?" she asked neutrally.
"Erm, yes." Charlotte answered absent, but then regained her composure and after breathing a moment, she continued.
"I liked it quite a lot. Of course not how she talked to Miss Lambe, but otherwise. It was very ....entertaining."
"I saw you talking to Mr. Crow and Sidney earlier. How do you find him?" Mary looked out of the corner of her eye and Charlotte was nervously blinking her eyes.
"Yes, yes. Mr. Crow is...well...cheeky."
Mary laughed heartily and asked her if Sidney had been cheeky, too.

"No, he was...he was...erm" Charlotte was looking for the right words and Mary had to bite her lip not to laugh.
"...he can also be cheeky, even impertinent." Said Charlotte confidently and nodded to give her words even more strength.

"But like I told you before, he's got a good heart. He is a good guy. I would be happy for him if he finally settled down."
"But you were worried whether it was in his nature at all." Charlotte was curious and you could hear it in her voice. Mary grinned and answered with conviction,
"Yes, I know. But now, I think, it depends on the woman."
"well, that will be difficult then. With his behaviour." An ironic smile surrounded Charlotte's lips. Mary glanced to her again and explained further,
"...if it's the right woman, then he will... "
Charlotte's heart pounded up to her neck, she didn't know why she was suddenly so excited.

"He will what?" Asked Charlotte a little too fast and Mary sighed, stopped and looked seriously into her eyes.
"He will behave like an idiot."
"Oh," that wasn't the answer Charlotte had been expecting.
"He'll try to keep her at arms length, because he's lost faith in love."
"oh,...I'm sorry..to hear that."
Charlotte said with compassion and looked in his direction. She carressed his face with glances before he looked up and she quickly lowered her eyes.

"But he's worth it!" Mary patted her arm and went on.
Why do I have the feeling I missed something? Charlotte asked herself.
She had to accelerate her pace to keep up with Mary. And when she walked next to her again, she noticed that they were almost back with the men.

Sidney felt her presence before he saw her. His hair on his neck stood up and his heart began to beat faster again.
Like several times when she had looked over to him. He had to leave. Again he speed up his pace so to not run the risk of having her near him again.
It was confusing enough! But when she stood next to him, so close, too close, then he couldn't think clearly and maybe said something like before again.
Something clearly ambiguous. And he didn't want to be to blame for confusing a young lady.

To escape her, he said his goodbyes to the company without looking in Charlotte's direction again and disappeared with Mr. Crow to the carriages.
Miss Clara accompanied Mary back to the house to pick up Tom. Lord Babington offered Charlotte his carriage to take her back to Trafalgar House.
But she refused as she preferred to go for a walk. And to be alone with her thoughts.

Sidney looked anxiously in Charlotte's direction as she started her journey home all by herself. He looked to the sky and knew that the weather on the coast was changing fast and that a young girl from the country didn't know the dangers so well.

"If you want to take her....," Crow remarked smirking, "...just ask her."
"What? No, no." He replied quickly, "I just thought that the weather would change soon and she...she...".
"She'll arrive totally soaked at Trafalgar House?" finished Crow Sidney sentence.
"Erm, well..."
"Oh, then I'd know what I'd do." Crow grinned dirty.
"What then?" Sidney curiously asks his friend.
"Well, wait in your brother's house, with warm blankets."
"Ah," Sidney nodded to himself.
"The sight must be divine." Sidney looked over at his friend and already suspected that the next sentence would be clearly ambiguous.
"Miss Heywood, soaked from the rain. The wet hair sticks to her face, the wet clothes to her..."
"Stop it!" Sidney shouted possessive.
No one, really no one should speak about young ladys this way. Or think this at all. Especially not about Miss Heywood!
Although Sidney had to admit that he couldn't shake off the picture in his head.

"As if you hadn't imagined it!" laughed Crow, "I saw you staring at her!"
"Crow!"
"It's all right. She's a hell of a girl."
"Crow!
"All right, all right! She's not my type." He calmed down his friend.
Sidney grumbled something to himself. Until his friend once again said something that hit the nail on the head.

"But as it seems, she is yours."