"Thank you for that rescue," Sarah let out a sigh of relief as Amelia steered them in a path away from Mr. Young.

"He is quite charming, isn't he?" Amelia commented, her eyes sparkling with amusement, Sarah smiled at her.

"Quite," she agreed.

"Are you enjoying yourself, Sister?" Amelia asked lightly, but Sarah knew her to be trustworthy.

"I confess, I am not," Sarah admitted as the two continued to glide on the outside of the groups that filled the Drawing Room.

"Has Charles done something foolish?" Amelia's tone immediately dropped to one of seriousness. With a glance in his direction, Sarah leaned in to whisper to her friend.

"He kissed me," Sarah imparted, and then glanced again at the culprit himself. He was watching her, and it left her stomach aflutter.

"Did he indeed?" Amelia responded with mocked surprise, "Pray tell, how is it so foolish for a husband to kiss his wife?" she asked, smiling at Sarah as she whispered her query.

"He doesn't even like me!" Sarah blujrted out, and then covered her mouth in haste. After a moment and a few more paces in silence Amelia responded.

"What on earth gave you that idea, Sarah?" Amelia asked, her surprise very earnest now.

"It is nothing," Sarah said, her face Turning hot under Amelia's scrutiny.

"Tell me," Amelia commanded quietly, but with one more glance in Charle's direction Sarah lost her resolve.

"Do you remember, when we were children?" she started, holding both hands to her head in humiliation at the memory, Amelia barely nodded, "He told me then."

"He told you what?" Amelia prodded, Sarah still couldn't look up at her.

"That he was glad Richard was the one... " Sarah exhaled sharply and looked up at Amelia again.

"You could not have been children for such a thing to bother you," Amelia objected to Sarah's omission.

"It was the last thing he said to me," she finally admitted in an unhappy tone and another glance in his direction. He was still watching her.

"How old were you?" Amelia asked gently.

"Sixteen."

"He is a fool, then," Amelia declared mercilessly. She stopped and turned to face Sarah.

"Then what can he mean by kissing me?" Sarah still whispered.

"I am sure it will come to you, dear," Amelia teased.

"And how is your heart, Amy?" Sarah challenged with a wicked smile.

"I think you've known very well all along that my heart is a fool as well," her counterpart admitted ruefully.

"All these gentlemen and still, it will only be Henry?" Sarah asked in a more serious tone. Amelia looked away from her, in the direction of the man himself and nodded.

"It only ever will be, I fear, dear Sarah," she answered with such sadness that Sarah reached out and touched her arm.

"He loves you, Amy," Sarah insisted, "He made you such promises before he left... you both did." Amy merely nodded to concede.

"Perhaps he did love me, then," Amelia said with a shrug as if trying to ward off the terrible possibility, "But I believe he has not felt that way for sometime. I doubt he's felt anything for sometime."

"You must not give up hope," Sarah encouraged, still in a whisper, Amelia returned a small smile.

"Then you should kiss your husband back," Amelia giggled.

"Ridiculous," Sarah replied.