Episode 6

♪ ♪ CLARA: Laudanum!

I didn't agree to poison her!

♪ ♪ CHARLES: I'm not doing this for money, but for love.

FRASER: I say to you now in all sincerity, you have never looked lovelier.

COLBOURNE: Lucy and I married young.

She wanted to stay in London.

CHARLOTTE: That's where she met Colonel Lennox.

COLBOURNE: I went to London, only to find she was with child.

His child?

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (seagulls squawking) (people talking in background) ♪ ♪ (hoofbeats resume) So it was the colonel that stole Mr. Colbourne's wife?

He's the villain of the story, not the victim?

Mr. Colbourne is not at all the man I had been led to believe.

ALISON: I cannot believe how the colonel treated you.

I shall never forgive myself.

All these weeks, we've been urging you to consider him.

Last night, we insisted you dance with him.

We were all deceived.

ALISON: It seems I'm a woeful judge of character, at least where gentlemen are concerned.

Perhaps there's a lesson to be drawn.

Soldiers are not to be trusted.

Better stick to... Artists?

For example.

(chuckles) ALISON: Not all soldiers are untrustworthy.

I know one who is in every way admirable.

I cannot think who you mean.

ALISON: I think I shall miss him more than anyone else I have met here.

Is it not peculiar?

How we can be strangers to our own affections?

♪ ♪ It isn't peculiar at all.

♪ ♪ (birds squawking) FUCHS: I was witness to your behavior at the ball last night, meine Dame.

We were all greatly concerned.

Und when you returned, I am told you tried to take the baby.

(weakly): No.

I would never hurt my child.

FUCHS: Your child?

I did not mean... My dear Lady Babington.

You have to help me, Doctor.

I cannot tell what is real and what is the work of my imagination.

Sometimes I want to dash my head against the wall to rid myself of these thoughts.

(crying) (groans) ♪ ♪ (Fuchs sighs) (horse whinnying outside) ♪ ♪ (doorbell ringing) Miss Heywood.

I thought I might have missed you.

Will you come in?

Thank you.

(door closes) What I have to say will only take a moment.

(exhales): I'm not a man adept at expressing his feelings, Miss Heywood.

Honesty has an eloquence of its own, don't you think?

Then let me just say that these past few weeks, I have grown to... ...to consider you a friend.

And so, I came to offer you this token, something to remember me by.

♪ ♪ Only... Do not open it until you are returned to Willingden.

Will you promise?

I promise.

Well.

Goodbye, then.

♪ ♪ Goodbye.

♪ ♪ Damn!

(seagulls squawking) I fear she's become a danger not only to herself, but to those around her.

FUCHS: That you have asked me here the morning of your wedding, Kapitän Denham, speaks of the depths of your concern.

And you are right to be alarmed.

I believe her hysteria has advanced beyond the point of no return.

LADY DENHAM: Oh, nonsense!

There must be some treatment we can find to shock her out of this malaise.

This is no malaise, milady!

Alas, I fear the time has come for drastic action!

You don't mean... Not an institution.

♪ ♪ BEATRICE: I see you have been packing up your materials, Mr. Lockhart.

You are not leaving us?

Alas, yes, Miss Hankins.

This very day.

What a great shame!

I've a restless soul.

And where will that restless soul be taking you next?

I shall be touring the continent.

With a dear companion.

A friend?

Rather more than a friend.

BEATRICE: Congratulations, Mr. Lockhart!

And who is the fortunate young lady?

Suffice it to say, she is the most inspiring muse an artist could wish for.

♪ ♪ It is done.

♪ ♪ Well, Miss Lambe?

Have I captured you?

Utterly.

♪ ♪ I've been doing some calculations.

Here's the total owed to our shopkeepers and hostelries by the colonel and his men.

And this is your debt to the colonel.

Mary...

Apologies serve little purpose, Tom.

Right now, we need to decide what is to be done.

We must simply borrow from the children's savings.

FOOTMAN: Sir.

♪ ♪ Oh, Sidney's possessions.

At last.

(stammers): Have it set down in the study.

Certainly, sir.

♪ ♪ (birds twittering) (sighs) ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Miss Heywood.

I wondered if we might take a turn about the grounds.

EDWARD: Our work is all but done.

Babington will return to find his wife half-mad in the asylum.

The asylum?!

We must be sure we're rid of her for good.

We cannot let her take our money.

George's money.

Of course.

Keep her glass full at our wedding breakfast.

She will want to toast our happiness.

(softly): Yes, she will.

♪ ♪ (door opens) (door closes) ♪ ♪ He'd want you to have it.

♪ ♪ His playing cards.

I always hoped that I might one day beat him at vingt-et-un.

Brother.

It's Sidney's handwriting.

♪ ♪ (birds twittering) (Luna barking) I have been thinking on our conversation last night.

I must apologize.

I said too much.

I beg you never speak of it.

I won't breathe a word.

I too have known heartache and betrayal.

I had sworn off love and marriage.

And yet I have come to realize I cannot hide myself away.

I must live my life.

Is it not time you did the same?

♪ ♪ MRS. WHEATLEY: Mr. Colbourne!

Mr. Colbourne!

It is Miss Leonora, sir.

She is nowhere to be found.

TOM (voiceover): "I fear I am gravely ill and lack the strength to write "all that I wish to, "but suffice to say that you must bear no guilt "for my part in saving you from ruin.

"If you wish to honor my memory, "you must hold fast to your vision.

"Don't be afraid to keep on taking risks... (voice breaking): ...or what is life for?"

I left my purse behind.

Mm.

I'll only be a moment.

Mm.

TOM (voiceover): "But the most urgent matter "I must impress upon you "is the need to protect Georgiana "from the man who has been seeking to claim her fortune.

"He is a man quite without scruple.

"His name... ...is Charles Lockhart."

(both gasp) ♪ ♪ We have every last member of staff combing the estate.

We've already searched every inch of the house.

She can't have disappeared into thin air!

Leo!

Augusta.

(keys jangling) I gave her my word.

Augusta, for God's sake...

It's all right.

She woke me up late last night.

She, she was crying.

She said she overheard you talking.

Something about Colonel Lennox.

She's gone to speak with him.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Are you here to enlist?

I wish to speak with Colonel Lennox.

Hm.

♪ ♪ (wings fluttering above) HANKINS: Are we expecting more guests to join us at the church?

Oh, certainly not.

We want this ceremony to be as swift and discreet as possible.

Ah, well, to your first point, milady, I have chosen hymns of no more than five or six verses which I shall instruct my sister to play allegro.

And I shall limit my sermon to just half an hour.

Hymns are not required.

And we can certainly live without the sermon.

A funeral liturgy might be more apt.

Forgive Lady Babington, Mr. Hankins.

She's not entirely herself.

We must drink a toast.

LADY DENHAM: What shall we drink to?

May your union be blessed with children.

(Lady Denham chuckles) A little late after the fact, I'm afraid.

To my beautiful wife, Clara.

Thank you for making an honest man of me.

CLARA: No, Esther.

LADY DENHAM: Oh, Clara's right.

After last night's debacle, perhaps you'd better abstain, Esther.

Oh, one drink won't harm.

(smashes loudly, Lady Denham cries out) ♪ ♪ Will you admit the truth, Edward?

Or shall I?

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ BEATRICE: Miss Lambe?

You have visitors.

What is it?

He set out to convince you you were insane.

He took your deepest vulnerabilities and he exploited them.

To my eternal shame, I have not only remained silent, but I have aided him in his cruelty.

(pounds): This is preposterous!

You cannot believe her.

I told myself it was for the sake of our son.

That you stood in the way of his inheritance.

We have stolen every letter that Babington has sent you.

(exhales) We have led you to doubt the evidence of your own eyes.

And Dr. Fuchs's tincture... ...the tincture you placed your hope in, we replaced with this-- laudanum.

EDWARD: Can't you see what she's doing with these lies?

She's trying to turn us against each other!

You asked for forgiveness and I gave it!

You asked for shelter and I gave it!

I chose to believe your remorse was genuine!

More fool me!

You're despicable, the pair of you.

I can think of no punishment severe enough!

No, Aunt.

Clara deserves no punishment.

She is as much his victim as I am.

We cannot cast her out.

For George's sake, as much as hers.

(inhales, groans softly) ♪ ♪ LEONORA: This one is a colonel, like you.

He commands a battalion of a thousand men.

If I were a boy, I would be a colonel, too.

Or maybe a duke.

Do your parents know you're here?

I do not have "parents."

My mother is dead.

I'm sorry to hear that.

It was not long after I was born.

I never knew her.

But you did.

(scoffs) Her name was Lucy Colbourne.

♪ ♪ I wanted to meet you to see if it's true that you are my real father.

How, how old are you?

I shall be nine in October.

(footsteps approaching) I beg your pardon, Colonel.

Leo!

LEONORA: Well, sir?

Are you?

♪ ♪ No.

No, I'm not.

That man is your father.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ COLBOURNE (voiceover): Why did you not come and talk to me?

I thought you'd be angry.

No, no, I'm not angry.

But whatever you thought you heard, I am your father, and I always will be.

But last night... All I meant was that I have not been the father that you deserve.

But I will endeavor to be better, I give you my word.

LEONORA: I'm glad it's you.

Even though you're not a colonel, I was sad to think I might not be your daughter.

♪ ♪ (breath trembles) ♪ ♪ COLBOURNE: Will you take her home?

I need a last word with the colonel.

Of course.

Thank you.

♪ ♪ Shall we ask if her sister has left yet?

I have said my farewell.

I've always looked up to you, Fraser.

For the first time in your life, you are acting like a coward.

♪ ♪ (birds twittering) I came to thank you.

For sparing Leonora the truth.

What good would have come of it?

(exhales) I only hope you take better care of her than you did of her mother.

Whatever you told Miss Heywood...

I remember the state Lucy was in when I first met her.

Lost.

Abandoned.

I know I could have been a better husband.

But I never abandoned her.

It was you who preyed upon her vulnerabilities.

It was you who made a victim of her.

All I did was offer her the comfort her husband couldn't.

♪ ♪ You know I speak the truth.

Miss Heywood's plainly in love with you.

Can you trust yourself not to fail her as you failed Lucy?

♪ ♪ You are not fit to speak their names.

(horses trotting, people talking in background) (laughs) I was beginning to fear you would not come.

Are you sure you still wish to marry me?

Given that I am the mulatto daughter of a slave who conspired to claim the fortune of a white man who is not even my father.

That was your argument, was it not?

Georgiana... That because you are his nephew, you have a greater claim to my fortune than I.

♪ ♪ (softly): May we talk apart...

This was always your plan.

Your suit had failed, so you thought to gain my money by marrying me.

Was any of it real?

Yes!

The more I have grown to know you, the more I have come to ardently admire you.

Things needn't change.

We can still marry, still travel the world.

Can you honestly say that you would rather remain here in this stifling place, with these preposterous people?

We may be preposterous, Mr. Lockhart, but we are honest and sincere.

These people have shown me a kindness a man like you could never understand.

TOM: Leave, Mr. Lockhart.

Now.

♪ ♪ I've been considering which punishment best fits your crime.

I will spare you the trouble.

I assume I'm banished forever.

What is the point in throwing you out when you will only return like the bad penny you are?

So, instead, I propose a vigorous program of reform.

You will submit to hard labor, religious instruction, and whatever daily humiliations I can devise.

And in return, once I am satisfied that you are genuinely repentant, I will consider a small monthly allowance.

I would sooner die in battle.

(chuckling) (people talking in background, seagulls squawking) (horse nickers) Now that we have dealt with one treacherous interloper, we must deal with the other.

But how?

What would Sidney say, were he standing here instead of me?

He would tell me the only way to conquer a man like the colonel is to beat him at his own game.

♪ ♪ (seagulls squawking, breathing heavily) ♪ ♪ MRS. WHEATLEY: You had us worried sick, Miss Colbourne.

Mr. Colbourne?

He wanted one last word with Colonel Lennox.

But all is well?

All is well.

(seagulls squawking outside) (horse whinnying outside) GEORGIANA: Lockhart is a disgrace.

If only I'd seen these sooner.

Georgiana, there's something else you should know.

Something Sidney mentioned in his letter to Tom.

What is it?

In the process of building his case against Mr. Lockhart, Sidney learned that contrary to what you believe, your mother did not die when you were a child.

As recently as five years ago, she was still hoping you might be reunited.

She left you this to remember her by.

♪ ♪ Sidney tried to ascertain your mother's present whereabouts, with no success.

But there's every reason to believe that she's still alive.

(sobbing) (softly): My dear... ♪ ♪ Colonel.

Not now, Parker, I'm not in the mood.

Uh, I'm sorry, what I have to say will not wait.

In the guise of friendship, you and your men have taken gross advantage of this town.

You behaved abominably towards Miss Heywood.

You insulted me and my family.

And I will not stand for it.

What are you going to do?

You claim to be a man of honor.

I ask you now to prove it.

(laughs) Are you... Are you challenging me to a duel?

Here is the money I owe you.

100 pounds.

(soldiers whispering) You can take it right now.

Or... Or... You can accept my wager.

What's the stake?

If you win, you keep our money, and I shall honor the shopkeepers' debts myself.

And if you win?

Then you will pay every penny that you owe the town, you will write off my debt, and you will leave Sanditon, never to return.

Very well.

One round of hazard.

ARTHUR: Ah... No.

This time, we choose the game.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ARTHUR: Colonel.

Will you stand or choose another card?

♪ ♪ (exhales) ♪ ♪ My late brother and I could never agree on the nature of this game.

I've always thought it was a game of luck.

But he claimed it demands strategy.

LENNOX: If I put all my faith in luck, I'd be long dead.

As would most of my men.

(knocks on table) ♪ ♪ ARTHUR: Tom.

♪ ♪ Then again, I never won a game against Sidney.

So I have to concede he may have been right.

♪ ♪ (exhales) ♪ ♪ 20.

(soldiers murmuring) So, Colonel.

Can you match me?

Or do you surrender?

♪ ♪ (gasping, soldiers groan) ARTHUR: 19.

Game to Mr. Parker.

(laughing) Please.

Here you go.

Feed your families.

You did the Parker name proud.

You did Sidney proud.

No, Arthur, we did.

♪ ♪ (crowd applauding) (crowd exclaiming) CARTER: Short honeymoon, Denham?

I came to the conclusion marriage isn't for me.

Denham!

Your aunt writes to inform me of your recent conduct and that you have no means of paying for your commission.

You are a disgrace to yourself and the company!

You're not fit to call yourself an officer.

Out of my way!

(horse whinnying in distance) ARTHUR: Your sunny presence will be much missed.

(Alison laughing) TOM: You are always welcome.

MARY: We will miss you, my dear.

ALISON: I will miss you all dreadfully.

(laughs) You must be sure to write at least once a week.

GEORGIANA: I am sorry you did not get to say goodbye to Captain Fraser.

As a matter of fact, he called on me earlier.

What did he say?

He said he'd grown to consider me a dear friend.

Friend?

ALISON: And he gave me a small gift to remember him by, but made me swear I wouldn't open it until I got home.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ It is a book of poetry.

There is a flower marking a page.

♪ ♪ This is the poem William sent me.

"Her face, it bloomed like a sweet flower and stole my heart away."

♪ ♪ Except it wasn't William.

It was, it was Captain Fraser.

It was always him.

This was not given in friendship, Alison.

♪ ♪ (chuckles) ♪ ♪ What will I say to him?

Tell him he has won your heart, just as you have won his.

Could it be that my cynical sister's heart has softened?

♪ ♪ Excuse me, sir.

I'm looking for Captain Fraser.

Gone, miss.

All of them.

Posted to India.

♪ ♪ India?

♪ ♪ (birds twittering) All my fears that he would abandon me, that he stopped loving me, they were just ghosts in my mind, nothing more.

Placed there by me and Edward.

(George cooing) Edward exploited you.

He's incapable of feeling.

I am no different.

I've seen the way you look at George.

(cooing) I have never known love like it, Esther.

It is so fierce that it scares me.

I hope one day you will discover it for yourself.

It's not meant to be.

All the herbs and tinctures in the world cannot help me.

I shall just have to make my peace with it.

Lady Denham has been kind enough to offer me a cottage on an estate in Cumbria, far from prying eyes and the taint of scandal.

Will you take her up on it?

What kind of life will it be for George?

Growing up miles from anywhere, with only me for company.

As long as he is loved, what else matters?

(coos) ♪ ♪ We missed him.

Ah.

Here she is now.

(door closes) Is it not a strange coincidence?

Each of you was seeking the other.

♪ ♪ MARY: Thomas?

Yes, dear?

♪ ♪ Ah!

Yes.

(chuckles) Yes, come, Arthur, yes, we must, yes... (clears throat) They told me your company had left.

They have.

I resigned my commission.

What will you do?

I have no idea.

I'm from a family of farmers in Ireland.

(laughing) Why should that be so funny?

(laughing) I was always so determined I would never be a farmer's wife.

That seems rather a presumption.

I opened your book.

A terrible breach of trust, given I explicitly told you not to.

I never should have guessed that spartan Captain Fraser could have such a poetic soul.

Fool that I am, I have fought to hide my feelings from you, believing them to be futile.

Never daring to hope that you could bring yourself to love a coarse, battle-scarred soldier.

But, my dearest Alison, I stand before you now to ask you if you will honor me with the greatest rank of all, that of your loving husband.

Yes.

Yes!

Yes!

100,000 times, yes!

(laughs) ♪ ♪ (door opens) (Arthur laughing, clapping) (laughing, others clapping) (George crying loudly) Clara?

(crying) Aw... (crying, Esther cooing) (crying stops) (George fussing) CLARA (voiceover): Do not judge me too harshly.

The fact is that some of us are meant to be mothers, and some are not.

He is yours now, Esther.

You will give him the life I never could.

You will be the mother he deserves.

♪ ♪ (birds twittering) ♪ ♪ CHARLOTTE: Mrs. Wheatley.

Good morning, Miss Heywood.

You will find your charges outside, having breakfast with Mr. Colbourne.

Together?

Miracle of miracles, wonder of wonders.

♪ ♪ COLBOURNE: So, Luna has been telling me that she's rather lonely.

And she would like a dog companion.

That's what she told me.

I was thinking perhaps another lurcher?

I should like a mastiff.

(laughing) Good choice, Leo.

Miss Heywood!

We're going to get a new dog.

How exciting!

Miss Heywood.

I wondered if we might, um, speak in private.

Of course.

(seagulls squawking) GEORGIANA: I don't suppose you'll change your mind about marrying me.

(Arthur laughs) Then I would never have to consider the subject again.

Thank you, but I must decline again.

(laughs) I am more convinced than ever that marriage is not for me.

Anyway, I firmly believe the right man is waiting out there for you.

In the middle of the sea?

(laughs) (laughs) I meant figuratively.

I blame myself, you know.

For Lockhart.

You had your reservations and I urged you to ignore them.

I let his charm get the better of me.

He charmed us both, Arthur.

You are not to blame.

And he's gone now.

Let us never think of him again.

♪ ♪ Have you given any more thought to what you will do when you come of age and inherit your fortune?

For now, my only thought is to find my mother.

As for where I will go, it is strange.

Having longed to escape Sanditon, I'm beginning to think I might stay a while.

(chuckles): You must!

After all, you're a part of our family.

An honorary Parker!

(chuckles) ♪ ♪ (door closes) Miss Heywood...

I owe you an apology.

(laughing): For what?

My behavior has been unforgivable.

Twice I allowed my emotions to get the better of me.

Twice I have taken advantage of my position over you.

You make it sound as if I were not a willing participant.

You are the girls' governess and I am master of the estate.

I am your employer.

It was deeply inappropriate and I feel only shame and regret.

That is all I am to you?

A member of your staff?

In the circumstances, I understand that your position here has become untenable and you will wish to leave at once.

I hope you'll accept six months ex gratia to compensate you for the loss of earning.

I don't care about the money!

What will you tell the girls?

We shall say that your term came to a natural conclusion by mutual agreement.

No.

This is your decision.

And yours alone.

♪ ♪ Miss Heywood!

Miss Heywood!

♪ ♪ You will regret this.

It's better this way.

For her sake.

Xander... Do not shut yourself away again.

Please.

♪ ♪ (exhales) My dear Lady Babington.

We heard you were leaving.

And we could not let the moment pass without coming to bid you bon voyage.

Well, you could have.

Thank you both.

(George stirring) HANKINS: But who is this?

This is George.

My son.

♪ ♪ (laughs) ♪ ♪ AUGUSTA: What did you say to her?!

That is not your concern.

I saw her leaving!

There are things you do not understand!

I understand that she brought light into a house which before her knew only darkness.

I understand that she brought us together.

That she cared about me and Leonora as if we were her own sisters!

I understand that she almost restored you to a... To a human being.

Are we to revert to how things were?

Augusta!

Oh, what is it you are frightened of, Uncle?

That we might finally be happy?

Go to her!

Please!

Ask her to come back!

Tell her that you made a mistake!

For our sake, if not for your own.

♪ ♪ (footsteps approaching) ♪ ♪ Having had time to reflect, I've decided to accept your offer.

(chuckling) I thought you might.

It seems marginally less horrifying than debtor's prison.

Oh, I wouldn't be so sure.

And with Esther and Clara safely dispatched, you shall have my undivided attention.

Where's my son?

He's on his way to a better life, far removed from his wretched father.

At least now that you're no longer working, we can enjoy the rest of the summer.

Father expects me home.

I've tried his patience long enough.

You have our friendship.

Is that not reason enough to stay?

You can help me find my mother.

I hope I shall always have that, Georgiana, whether or not we are in the same place.

And of course I'll do whatever I can to help you find her.

You'll be invited to Alison's wedding, so it shan't be long before we see each other again.

I do wish you would stay.

(door opens) Charlotte.

A Mr. Colbourne is here to see you.

I've been thinking on our conversation, Miss Heywood.

As have I. I came to tell you that I regret the circumstances under which we parted company.

You made yourself very clear.

Augusta's rightly furious with me.

She urged me to come and speak with you at once.

Then you are here at Augusta's request.

Not of your own volition?

No.

The house feels your absence already.

And I'm here to ask if you...

I'm resolved to leave Sanditon, Mr. Colbourne.

♪ ♪ You were right in what you said.

We let our emotions get the better of us.

I mistook what I was feeling for a certain kind of affection.

But I realize now I, I could never feel such tenderness for a man who showed me so little respect.

♪ ♪ I will miss the girls a great deal.

But I cannot be your governess, if that is what you came to ask.

♪ ♪ Thank you for making your feelings so clear.

♪ ♪ (sobs) ♪ ♪ (exhales) Enough!

(sniffles) Wilt thou have this man to thy wedded husband, live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of matrimony?

Wilt thou obey him and serve him, love, honor, and keep him, and, forsaking all other, keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both shall live?

I will.

(crowd murmuring) ♪ ♪ (church bells tolling) (crowd cheering) ♪ ♪ How long will we be gone, Father?

I cannot say.

We've been confined here too long.

We need a change.

All of us.

♪ ♪ (band playing dance tune) (tune continues) You must come and stay with us again soon, my dear.

All of our sea view apartments have been taken-- even one by Georgiana.

Sanditon goes from strength to strength.

I shall be holding a party for my 21st birthday.

Promise you will return for that.

Forgive the interruption, but I believe I am promised the next dance.

May I introduce Mr. Ralph Starling.

Charlotte talks of you often and with great fondness.

I assume she's told you our happy news?

What news is that?

Ralph and I are to be married.

(tune continues) LEONORA: You'll never guess who's returned to Sanditon!

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