A/N: These are small snippets of dialogue that I am calling "Missed Opportunities." Although it is a collection of five scenes, they are not connected. Each begins with a line of dialogue or description of an event from the show and then at some point it takes a turn toward a HEA for Charlotte and Alexander. I was playing with the idea of how one simple turn of a conversation can lead to a different outcome. Some are subtle, some are sweepingly romantic, some are silly. I hope you will enjoy them! Let me know which is your favourite!

The Dances at the Ball

Charlotte's head was spinning faster than the dancers on the floor. One moment she was telling her sister about her growing feelings for Alexander Colbourne, or attempting to anyway, and the next Colonel Lennox was kissing her! Without her permission! In a public place! She needed to get away. She looked down at her feet on the stairs, attempting to go as quickly as she could without falling or seeming ungraceful. Another set of shoes appeared in her narrow view.

"Miss Heywood."

The voice belonging to the shoes was the one she most wanted to hear. Why? She looked up, gasping for breath.

"What is it? What did he say to you?"

His soft brown eyes were a place of refuge. Why? Dancing. Dancing would help her to regain her composure.

"Nothing of consequence." She swallowed hard. "Shall we dance, Mr. Colbourne?

"If that is what you wish, certainly."

The dance was a two-line set and it was not long before they were both smiling, but the uptempo music did not leave time for talking. They weaved through the other dancers, finally coming to the end to join hands and gallop through the centre of the lines, peeling off to become the bridge at the other end. They both realised about three beats too late that the music had ended. He let go of one hand, but retained the other as he bowed. The music for the next dance, a stately sarabande, began.

His eyes were full of questions and, if she was not mistaken, desire. He squeezed her hand and quietly said only her name.

"Charlotte?"

It would be their third dance.

She assumed a dancing posture and they began to move. "The room will be buzzing with gossip."

"Will it?" His formerly questioning eyes now sparkled.

They raised their hands, palm to palm, and took three steps before he turned her under his arm and put his hand in the small of her back to spin her.

"You dance very well for a man who cannot be persuaded to dance under any circumstances," she chided.

"You are very persuasive," he whispered into her ear before turning her back to face him.

"Alexander."

"Yes?"

"I would be bereft to leave you."

The Kisses after the Ball

"A future that I imagine could be very dear indeed."

Thoughts flew through Alexander's mind like a line of soldiers firing musket balls one after another. Had she actually said that? Was she implying that she wanted to be a part of that future? Two weeks ago, she was saying he was a terrible father and preparing to march out his door. Yesterday, she had said her position was becoming untenable. At the ball, he had attempted to let her know that he wanted her to stay, but he'd not said so directly. If he kissed her, her position would become untenable–unless it was what she wanted. Her words seemed to imply that she did.

None of these thoughts stopped his momentum. His body moved of its own accord. He explored her lips tenderly first. He had not kissed a woman in a very long time. Her lips were dewy and soft. He felt her give way and before he could comprehend what was happening, he was cradling her neck and pulling her closer, kissing her with every ounce of passion within him. If he was not mistaken, she was returning it in equal measure. With every moment of contact he became more convinced that he could not give her up.

"Stay," he whispered as he brushed some stray hairs from her temple and tucked them behind her ear.

"What?"

"Stay."

"Stay! Of all the…" Her face looked as though she might growl as she slipped from his grasp and stood to leave. She was halfway to the door when he found his voice.

"Charlotte! You misunderstand."

She froze and turned, slowly.

"I am sorry. I am not good with words. Please come back."

Surprisingly, she did as he requested.

"I did not mean 'stay tonight.'" He reached out with his thumb to touch her cheek, watching for an objection. She gave no sign of one. He raised his other hand on the opposite cheek. Still, she did not object. He leaned his forehead to hers. The contact aided him in finding words. "Stay forever. Be a wife to me and a mother to the girls and just…stay."

A smile crossed her lips and the tightness in his chest released. She closed the small gap between them and it was he who gave way, nearly melting into the warm softness of her lips and body.

"I will stay, Alexander." She spoke against his lips.

"Call me Xander."

"I am sorry for doubting your intentions, Xander." By this time his lips had left hers and he was allowing them to wander of their own accord along her hair- and jawlines.

"My intention is to stop kissing you, but I cannot seem to do so."

She giggled, "I am enjoying it, too."

"Well," he finally found the wherewithal to stop and placed his thumb in the dimple on her chin, "I suppose that is a positive start." He leaned in for one more kiss to her forehead and then stood to offer her his hand. "I will ask Mrs. Wheatley to see you home. Be sure that both of you are seen outside the carriage, lest someone believes it to be me inside."

"I will."

"Until tomorrow then?" He kissed her hand.

"Until tomorrow."

The Knee Under the Tree

"Is it not time you did the same?"

He had been so open with her last night and Charlotte had lain awake thinking about what she would share with him. She was not sure how he would react. Immediately kissing her, and with such ferocity, was not something she had considered. Now, she swayed in his arms in time with the branches above.

Then, he stopped.

"I am sorry. I have gotten ahead of myself." Her heart skipped as she watched him kneel. She tried very hard not to smile until he spoke the words. "Charlotte," he took her hand in both of his. "You have transformed our lives in such a short time. Leonora adores you, Augusta respects you, and I cannot remember that last time I sat at a picnic and laughed. I can no longer imagine our lives without you. Would you do me the honour of…"

"Mister Colbourne! Mister Colbor….. Oh my." Mrs. Wheatley put her hand on her heart and tears immediately came to her eyes. "I am sorry, Sir, but Miss Leonora is nowhere to be found."

Alexander sighed, "Leave it to Leo to interrupt one of the most important moments of my life, even by her absence."

Charlotte could no longer contain the corners of her mouth and laughed through an exuberant smile. "Shall we go and find her to tell her that I am to be her new mother?"

"Yes?"

"Yes." She nodded enthusiastically and tugged on his hand to help him stand. He used the momentum to pull her lips to his. They swayed with the branches once again until she finally remembered Mrs. Wheatley's presence. She pulled away, but did not let go of his hands. "Now, let us go and find this wayward daughter of ours."

The Yeses In the Study

"I owe you an apology."

"For what?"

"My behaviour has been unforgivable."

"Then mine has as well."

"No. You are the girls' governess and I am master of the estate. I am your employer. It is deeply inappropriate and…"

She cut him off. This was her chance to determine if his feelings were growing along with hers. "It is only inappropriate if we meant nothing by it."

"We?"

"Yes, we. I was an equal participant."

Alexander crossed the room to her in three steps and grasped her face on both sides. His lips met hers in a torrent of passion, grasping and clinging like a drowning person trying to stay afloat. She could feel herself falling deeper and deeper into him, collapsing into his arms until they were the only thing keeping her standing.

When she finally found her feet beneath her, she spoke almost demurely. "I am not thinking of you as my employer when you kiss me. Especially if you kiss me…like that."

"How do you think of me?"

"As Alexander."

"Xander."

"What?'

"Please, call me Xander."

"Xander," she cherished the feel of her tongue on the back of her teeth when she said the name.. "How do you think of me?"

He whispered almost inaudibly. "As Mistress Colbourne."

"Xander. Are you asking me to be your wife?"
"Yes." He sounded unsure.

"Yes?"

"Yes." He leaned down to kiss her again, but struggled to pucker against the power of his glowing smile. She could not contain her own smile.

"Yes. I will be your wife."

And outside the window, they heard, "He is kissing her! Augusta, he is kissing her!"

The I at Trafalgar House

"So you are here at Augusta's request, not of your own volition."

"No. The house feels your absence already." He stepped toward her but halted. He wanted nothing more than to feel her in his arms again. "I feel your absence already, and I am here to ask if you might consider returning."

Her voice was nearly spiteful. "What happened to shame and regret, Mr. Colbourne? I cannot be governess in the household of a man who would treat me with so little respect."

"I…" He allowed his eyes to close so that he might find the proper words. "My shame is that I was not truthful with you. The truth is that I respect you more than anyone I have ever met." He took a deep breath and continued, "My regret is that I did not have the courage to follow my heart."

He watched as tears began to well in her eyes. He did not want to hurt her and for a moment he contemplated turning and walking out the door, but his feet were lead weights refusing to move. He'd been a coward earlier but dammit, he would not be now.

"I am not asking you to return as governess."

A smile began to show on her face as she realised what he was asking and for the first time he believed that he might receive a favourable response.

"I am asking you to return as…my wife."

She stood stock-still for longer than he would have liked as tears streamed down her face. She finally wiped them from her cheeks with her index finger. He felt his own eyes turn wet and gave a valiant effort not to blink, but he eventually did and a few errant drops fell. She immediately crossed the room and wiped his cheeks as she had her own. Then, she leaned in and pressed her lips to his in a salty stillness.

"Might I take that as a yes?"

She nodded. He laughed.

"Why are you laughing?"

"Because I cannot remember a time when you had nothing to say!"

They both smiled through their tears.

"When will we tell the girls?" she asked.

"I…I do not know. Just…just come here." He pulled her into his arms and rested his chin atop her head, swaying a bit as he found his composure. "I just want to hold you for a moment to be sure this is real."

She allowed her own arms to wrap around the small of his back and spoke into his chest. "It is real." She took a deep breath and spoke the words again in a whisper, as if she was also convincing herself. "It is real."

He replied as he brushed his lips in her hair. "The girls will be waiting at home, with bated breath. They will want to know the news as soon as I return."

"Shall we tell them together?"

He pulled her to the settee and sat beside her. "I did not bring the carriage, I'm afraid. I rode Hannibal."

"I would happily ride with you if not for the damage it might do to the Parker's reputation."

He brushed her cheek. "I can not wait to take you riding–when we are not retrieving a child!"

She laughed and an idea occurred to her. "You know the riddle of the man who must cross the river with the fox, the chicken, and the grain?"

"Yes. I am familiar with it."

"Leave Hannibal at the stable in town. We shall walk together to Herrick Park. Georgiana can chaperone, if you like. We can all return to Sanditon later in the carriage. The carriage can then return empty and you can ride Hannibal home."

He could not resist kissing her. "Beauty and brains are an irresistible combination."

Charlotte smiled and then turned serious. "Thank you, Alexander, for coming to find me. My heart was breaking when I left Herrick Park this morning."

He placed his finger under her chin to force her to meet his eyes. "You will never have cause to doubt me again, Charlotte. I give you my word."

"I know."

He stood and opened the door.

"Miss Lambe?"

Georgiana stuck her head out of the front room.

"Would you do me the honour of helping me escort the future Mrs. Colbourne back to Herrick Park?"

Georgianna flew past him with a screech and hug for Charlotte, then turned to him. "It would be my honour sir."

And the three of them left to share the news.