4. A day in London Town

The tour began at 10 after everyone had dressed and eaten breakfast. The carriage was a perfect size for the party as it fit four comfortably. The ladies sat across from the gentlemen and everyone was all smiles and laughter. It was to be a day of fun, not worry.

They stopped at a square with a large statue. Lottie walked towards the statue gesturing at something and excitedly telling Henri the history of the thing.

James and Sarah abandoned the teens and walked down a lovely street with shops and people.

"Everything here is so…" James searched for the word.

"Ancient." Sarah laughed.

"Well that, and dignified." He said, "Every square has a statue of some sort of hero or knight. Every home has a medieval king who designed it. There's so much, going so far back. It's very fascinating."

"I suppose." Sarah glanced back to see if Henri or Lottie had followed, but neither was in sight. She wanted to say so much to James perhaps this was her only chance- but a street with other people about hardly seemed the best place for a heart to heart. Then she remembered a place from her childhood. "We should go to Vauxhall Gardens! It's beautiful and sometimes there are traveling performers there. My father used to take me when I was young. It's in the city but we'll have to take a boat." Sarah seemed to be carried away by the idea. James followed her lead.

They found the others and headed to the gardens, a prospect Lottie also seemed thrilled by. It was clear why, as soon as they arrived.

The gardens were verdant and springing to life. Couples walked hand in hand and the air smelled fresh. Some of the garden paths were smaller and required them to walk two by two, again pairing Henri with Lottie and Sara with James.

The younger two excitedly rushed ahead as Lottie wished to show Henri something. The pair looked at something and laughed, then rushed off to see something else.

James noted this was perhaps as pretty a place as he might find in the city and a good place to say what he had been feeling but Sarah began before him.

"I'm so sorry that you and Henri have to dine with Lord Wilson tonight."

"Sarah, I'm sorry you have to dine with him tonight. How unromantic, some guy shows up and demands that he have dinner with you because he's rich or something."

"Well, it isn't ideal." Sarah frowned.

"I bet he's ridiculous. He's probably one of those rich guys who doesn't know a thing about the real world. Everything handed to him on a silver platter." James said.

"I'm sure he can't help being rich," Sarah said, stopping to look at some flowers.

"We should come up with a signal for every time he says something ridiculous. Oh, scratch your nose every time you think he says something snobbish." James smiled. "Like this." James Scratched his nose as an example.

"Thank you for the demonstration, but what if he's a perfect and intelligent gentleman?" Sarah has meant to tease James but that had come out almost sounding hopeful.

"Well then, um," He hadn't expected her to say that.

"I mean, he could be a very nice, handsome person that didn't mean any harm and was just following convention." Sarah wanted to shove the words back in her mouth. It was sounding like she wanted to meet Lord Wilson.

"I didn't think you were excited to meet him. Yesterday you seemed so against the whole thing. I thought," James stopped himself. He had almost admitted his feelings. That could have been humiliating.

"I don't know what I'm feeling, James." She wanted to scream. She could hear what she was saying but it wasn't at all how she wanted it to sound.

"I see." He turned to the path ahead. "We better find Henri and Lottie. It's getting late and we wouldn't want you to be late."

"I don't want to go back yet, please. Can I just have this one day with my friend without thinking of courtships and marrying?" She had reached out and taken his arm.

"Sarah, it's not the same anymore, is it? You feel it, I know you do." He said.

She stepped in front of him. "Please, James. You are my dearest friend and I need you. I'm so unsure of myself, of what I want and it's all so new. I can't do this without you." She felt she had laid her heart right out in the open.

"I can't watch you be courted by some British prick-" he shouldn't have said that.

"You don't even know him!" Sarah didn't know why she felt so defensive.

"Neither do you!" James shook his head.

Why are we arguing? Sarah thought. Why am I defending Lord Wilson?

"Maybe I don't know him, but then I didn't know you when we first met and had I just given you a chance maybe we would've been friends longer." She said.

"We are friends Sarah, and that's the problem." James wanted to say something romantic and make some kind declaration but he fell silent looking for the right words.

"Sorry to be such a disappointment, James. I didn't know being friends was such a problem, I actually thought, for a moment- that night, I felt like maybe you felt- It doesn't matter. You're right. We should get back before dinner. We wouldn't want to keep our friends waiting." Sarah stated and marched past him.

James clapped his palm to his face, what an utter disaster that had been.

A very awkward carriage ride followed. Henri and Lottie kept trying to start a conversation but Sarah and James wouldn't speak to each other. Henri knew they were both being silly and stubborn and that they would be friends again in no time but Lottie was frantically trying to make small talk and get either one to say anything.

Finally, after half an hour they were back at Lady Phillips's large townhouse. Sarah has not spoken a word to James the entire ride and she wanted to cry. How could their friendship be a problem? What was wrong with her? Had she entirely misread that night he had first arrived. She could have sworn James wanted to kiss her. How horrible it would have been if she leaned in and he'd laughed at her or something?! Did he really still hate her after everything? What was he thinking? Was there any way to fix this?

When they got out James extended a hand, like a true gentleman, to help Sarah down from the carriage. She took it but tried not to look him in the eyes, those blue eyes. Just feeling him look at her made her doubt that he actually hated her. Maybe he hadn't meant what he said. Maybe he had tripped over his words too, Sarah certainly had. It must have been a misunderstanding. She met his eyes.

He had a pleading look. Of course, James had meant something entirely different from what he had said. Why would he come all the way to England and stay for several weeks with someone he hated? He would always be her friend.

Lady Phillips swung open the front door. "Sarah, hurry! We don't have much time to get you changed for dinner. Lord Wilson will be here any minute!"

Both James and Sarah frowned. There was no time to apologize. He watched as Lady Phillips dragged her daughter inside and couldn't help but feel that she was headed into the lion's den.

— about an hour later —

James noticed that Lord Wilson was taller than him. This for some reason was unforgivably annoying. He was not bad looking, but he stood a little too proud like he was judging everybody.

When Lord Wilson had been announced and walked into the room, instantly Lady Phillips showed signs of approval.

"Lady Phillips, your parlor is stunning. Rather fashionable. For a moment I believed I was back at Versailles." He said.

"Thank you. These chairs are French since you mention it." She said, feeling very proud of her room.

Henri entered the room unannounced. The butler stepped quickly in behind him and tried to make up for the faux pas. Lady Phillips watched to see if Lord Wilson would say anything but, of course, his good breeding prevented him from embarrassing a lady. Next, Lottie came in, properly announced. Lord Wilson stood and the other boys followed suit. James noticed Henri staring at Sarah's cousin. Lottie had changed into a dark purple dress that suited her nicely. She kept smiling at Henri.

Those two are determined to find trouble. James thought.

Then finally Sarah entered. His jaw dropped. She wore a deep green dress, which was stunning. Sarah nervously looked at James, who managed to close his mouth and smile at her.

Lady Phillips introduced Lord Wilson to Sarah and he took her hand and kissing it said, "You are a vision in emerald."

James met Sarah's eyes and was glad to see her biting back a laugh. Then to his absolute joy, she reached up and scratched her nose.