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Chapter 12
AFTER CONTINUING in this uneasy manner a quarter of an hour they heard quick steps across the hall, Miss Brereton appeared and Charlotte`s interest in the visit immediately revived. She now saw Clara`s white ribbons at closer quarters, was struck once again by so much beauty and elegance, but found a new spice added to the fascination in trying to decide whether there was the least appearance of guilt or deceit on that lovely countenance. Miss Brereton apologised calmly to the visitors with a brief explanation for the length of her absence: she would have hurried back had she known of Mrs. Parker`s intention to call, but she had been all this time sitting with old Mrs. Jackson; and to Charlotte`s observant eye, her cheeks suffered no variation in colour as she offered this as her sole excuse. Mrs. Parker, already rising, was beginning to suggest they should now all walk back in the direction of the Terrace, when Lady Denham suddenly and perversely summoned the servants to bring refreshment. Charlotte, agreeably surprised by the variety of hot-house fruit which Sanditon House could produce at a moment`s notice, wondered why this gesture had been withheld when most needt`d to fill a void, and made when the importunate guests were on the point of departure; and she followed Mrs. Parker`s lead to the buffet table, her orderly mind still trying to grapple with the kindly intentions, shrewd calculations and capricious behaviour which combined to form the character of their hostess. Their visit, however, soon afforded further exercise for her powers in summing up an even more complex situation. The entrance of Sir Edward Denham was apparently quite unexpected by everyone except herself -- and presumably Miss Brereton; but Charlotte, scrutinising him closely throughout his opening speech, could at least feel some astonishment in the complete self-possession with which he accounted for his appearance. He had been speaking with Mrs. Whitby that very morning and, hearing of Miss Lambe`s need for a chamber-horse, had hurried to pass on the news to Lady Denham -- with earnest assurances of perpetual regard for her concerns, delivered with all the flourish of which Sir Edward was capable; he had come to Sanditon House direct from the library, he said. There was not the slightest embarrassment in his manner as he told this shameless lie; and Charlotte knew not what to infer. She moved her eyes to Clara and saw that, with an air of indifference towards Sir Edward, she was entertaining little Mary and helping her to a bunch of grapes. Charlotte had observed this studied lack of interest in Sir Edward on previous occasions but now it occurred to her that these had all taken place in Lady Denham`s presence. That Clara encouraged his addresses and listened to Sir Edward more favourably in private meetings seemed equally obvious. The connection between them was as ambiguous in some respects as it was plain in others; and Lady Denham, listening to Sir Edward very complacently, accepting both his exaggerated deference and his insistence on calling as her due, was clearly being deceived quite systematically by them both. For CharIotte had seen enough in this one instance to convince her that their secret encounter that morning had been neither by chance nor the first of its kind. Unless Sir Edward and Miss Brereton were practised conspirators, she could scarcely believe they would carry through their duplicity in so normal a fashion. "Miss Brereton is certainly at fault in concealing her meetings with Sir Edward from Lady Denham," she decided. `But she is in a difficult position, no doubt. If she were more open about his courtship, who knows how Lady Denham might reaco She expects Sir Edward to marry an heiress -- and although he might equally expect Miss Brereton to become an heiress in time, his calculations on this point and Lady Denham`s might not exactly coincide." To be continually at the mercy of such an old lady`s whims struck Charlotte as being particularly hard upon a young couple. But it did not alter her original judgement in condemning their deceit and in resolving to be very circumspect over her own dealings with both of them in the future. So engrossed was she in these thoughts and the various interpretations she could suggest for Miss Brereton`s conduct, that she was taken by surprise in finding herself addressed by her directly. In a most cordial manner, Miss Brereton seemed to be trying to further their acquaintance. She was asking Charlotte about sea-bathing. Whether she intended to bathe while at Sanditon and whether she had ever done so before? "I should like it very much," replied Charlotte. "And Mrs. Parker has been kind enough to suggest she will come with me the first morning we can arrange it." `Ah, I have been hoping you will accept my company on just such an expedition. I am sure sea-bathing must be delightful and have longed to try it; but the weather up till now has not been much in favour and besides, Lady Denham has not liked me to venture into a bathing machine on my own." "Oh pray, let us not be starting again on such nonsense, Miss Clara," cried Lady Denham. "All this to-do with bathing machines was not the fashion of my youth, let me tell you; and I now heartily regret allowing Mr. Parker to talk me into introducing them at Sanditon!" "But my dear ma`am, every resort must have its bathing machines these days," protested Mrs. Parker. "They are a great attraction. And you must surely agree ours are most conveniently placed -- so sheltered a cove for the very purpose just westward of the main beach." "Oh aye, spare me all the arguments in favour of them. If I heard them from Mr. Parker once, I heard them a thousand times. But the only one that came uppermost with me was the lack of expense. They`re among the few of Mr. Parker`s improvements that haven`t cost me a penny, I`ll say that for them," conceded Lady Denham. "The applications he had from people wanting to run them! Everyone in the village seemed to believe their fortunes could be made by starting up bathing machines. And yet I hear their terms are moderate. One shilling for each gentleman, Mrs. Whitby tells me, and one and sixpence for ladies -- with the price decreasing for regular customers. But some people are great fools. Why pay even that to ruin their complexions? You young ladies will only make yours rude and coarse by exposing them to salt water. But there, I suppose young people must always be trying out anything new and never mind how the wind may show their legs when they climb into them." Here Mrs. Parker again interposed, and placidly interpreting Lady Denham`s last grudging sentence as sufficient approval, advised Charlotte to accept Miss Brereton`s invitation. She herself was happy to concur with any suggestion which offered some prospect of pleasure for her young friend and she was a faithful enough accomplice of her husband`s to resist any slander that sea water could ever be harmful. "As to the complexion, I never heard of such a thing myself. Wind and sun perhaps have done the damage and salt water has been given the blame. I really believe that sea bathing in itself can do nothing but good," said she, "where moderation is shown and provided certain care is exercised." "Oh, certainly," agreed Sir Edward, who had been trying to encourage the bathing party for some time without actively opposing Lady Denham. "Saline immersion should not be prolonged if depression and languor are to be avoided. And then take, for instance, the hour of bathing. This must be selected with particular circumspection. It should be postponed till past noon if possible or at least some hours after breakfast, when the digestion of that meal may be supposed to be terminated. And a degree of exercise should always be taken previous to entering the water and also on Ieaving it." He went on at such length, interspersing his lecture with such minute instructions to the young ladies as to the exact time they shouId take their bathe, and the distance they should walk before and after it, that Charlotte began to suspect he was smoothing the way for his next assignation with Clara -- almost choosing the time and place -- in Lady Denham`s own hearing. The conjecture took away much of her inclination for the bathing excursion; but though publicly agreeing to join Miss Brereton on the following morning, she privately resolved to be on the lookout for Sir Edward and do whatever she could to thwart his obvious intention of escorting Clara home. "No doubt they are both hoping I shall be very useful to them; and Miss Brereton is trying to become friendly with me so she will have an excuse to escape more often from Sanditon House. But I want no part in such deceit and they will find me a very obstructive chaperone," were Charlotte`s thoughts as the three of them fell into a natural grouping behind Lady Denham, Mrs. Parker and Mary in the walk back across the park. Sir Edward, unaware of such meditated opposition to his plans and incapable of relegating any personable young woman to the role of chaperone, treated both Charlotte and Clara to equal excesses of gallantry as he walked between them. Still extolling the pleasures of bathing, he sought to entertain them with his longest syllables and most edifying sentences. "To plunge into the refreshing wave and be wrapped round with the liquid element is indeed a most delightful sensation, he assured them. "But health and pleasure may be equally consulted in these salutary ablutions; and to many a wan countenance can the blush of the rose be restored by an occasional dip in the purifying surge of the ocean. Not, he hastened to add, trying to bow to them both at the same time, "that either of my fair listeners would need the rose restored to their lovely cheeks." Charlotte could only gaze at him in astonishment; and even Clara`s fair cheek showed so little sign of blushing that Sir Edward, had he been a reasonabl.e man, might have felt abashed. He continued, however, much in this vein till their party was obliged to separate at the entrance drive to Trafalgar House. Extremely happy to be relieved of his company, Charlotte watched him take up his new position between Lady Denham and Clara, deferring so assiduously to the former and treating the latter in so offhand a manner as her mere companion that the mystery of the exact relationship between all three of them puzzled her more than ever. It was so very clearly not what it appeared on the surface. But what could it all mean? "It is very difficult for me to understand till I know more of both the people and the circumstances," said she to herself. "Lady Denham prides herself on being shrewd, but she is also very suspicious. And if she is always imagining hidden motives and anticipating deceit in everyone, perhaps other people should not be blamed for protecting themselves and not being entirely open with her." Charlotte knew her own first impressions were not without their defects; she had already changed her mind once about both Sir Edward and Lady Denham, and felt she should reach no more false conclusions by forming too rapid and definite an opinion of Clara Brereton. "But I do not think I will change my mind about Sir Edward again," she decided. "He is a very muddled and silly young man." Such were her musings as she walked towards the house, listening only half-heartedly to Mrs. Parker, whose sweet-tempered remarks could usually be ignored or agreed to without serious damage to any discussion. And Charlotte had said "Yes, yes" several times, "Oh, I agree, decidedly handsome, a very fine young man," and "Most elegant in his address," before she realised they were talking not of Sir Edward Denham but of Sidney Parker.
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