Elizabeth felt for a few moments like the entire porch was spinning. She had to grasp a piller to avoid fainting dead away. She felt Mrs. Radcliffe race out the door and catch her arm quickly. "What on EARTH is going on around here?" she asked, more alarmed than Elizabeth had ever heared her.

"I'll tell you exactly what is going on here," Anne said, "My own cousin, YOUR GODCHILD, has turned TRAITOR to this entire family and our family name!!"

"What are you talking about?! Have you heared from Sarah?"

"Heared from her?! Ha, a lot more than that! She is, at this very moment, locked in an unladylike way with a mere commonor!"

"A Commonor? What do you mean?"

"I mean, she's making a specticle of herself, in a public place, with someone who is poor and has no socal status that I know of!"

"Define 'specticle'," Elizabeth said to her neice.

"I mean she was locked in a passionate embrace."

"Are you sure she wasn't just giving him a friendly little kiss?"

"With her arms wrapped to tightly around his neck, and her arms buried in his hair? Absolutely not!!" Anne said angrily. "It is NOT enough that she converts to the side of the enemy, the same enemy that took the life of my dear brother Tom, but she has the audacity, the GALL to make such a showing in public..that's ..that's.."

"Unethical, immoral, completely IMPROPER!" Mrs. Radcliffe answered for her.

"Wait, wait,..maybe we're just blowing this entire thing out of proportion," Elizabeth said. "I mean, are you sure it realy was Sarah? I mean..could you really see her..maybe it was someone else who could have looked like her.."

"It was her, Aunt Elizabeth, I was standing not more than two feet from her, they were so wrapped up in one another they didn't even know I was even there! I had a good view, it was her!"

"Exactly HOW passionate was this?" Mrs. Radcliffe asked.

"Oh, just enough..she was kissing him..'

"Kissing him?" Elizabeth asked.

"And stroking his hair.."

"Stroking his hair?!"

"And tracing his cheek.."

Elizabeth seemed frozen to the spot. "All right, I'll say it, tracing his cheek?!" Mrs. Radcliffe asked.

"My God," Elizabeth whispered to herself, sitting down on the porch swing. "This is just too much for an old woman to take.."

"Absolutely right it is," Anne said. "When I think of my dear brother, laying cold in the ground, struck down by these people, these same people, one of whom Sarah. His COUSIN, with one of them, that no-account, traitorous, no-good.."

"ANNE, SHUSH!!!" Elizabeth said, standing up. "This boy she was with..did you get a good look at him?"

"Actually, yes," Anne said. "Let me see, he was rather skinny..of course he probably doesn't eat that much, judging the fact that he might not have as much money to buy a lot of food.."

"Just what he looked like, please, canb you tell me that?!"

"He had blond hair with a ponytail, not even a wig, just screaming for lice. He was rather tall and dresed in, let's see..a brown vest, light yellow shirt, leather knickers.

Elizabeth suddenly began to smile at this description. "Thank God," she said to the surprise of the women around her.



Sybil and her family were going over the ingrediants at the table for the wedding feast. Her father then walked through the door. "Hello, everyone."

"Hello, Father," Sybil said, running to hug him."Where have you been?"

"Oh, just getting something special for the weding," he said, pulling something out of a bag. They all gathered around to look at it.

"Wow, Father, wine!" Derek said.

"A real good year, I might add," he said smiling. "Hey, it's not every day you host a wedding in your house. Come, Sybil, let's put this away." They left the room, followed by Derek.

"Oh, Kate, remind me to pick up some peanuts for the cream-of-peanut soup we'll have as an appetiser. "

"Ok, I'll add it to the list long with the turkey, stuffing, cornmeal, and peas. What a banquet we'll all have!"

"Did you hear anything from the Adams's?"

"Nope, I think Sybil's all panicked over nothing, so they'll come, not like anyone else will know.."

Just then the door opened and a well-dressed man came through the dor carrying a basket of flowers. "Excuse me, pardon me..the Ludington house is it?"

"Well.."

"I'm from the postal service. I have an order of flowers here."

"Oh, then yes, it is," Kate said, quickly taking them.

"Ah good, good. All right, bring them in, boys!" One by one more and more deliverymen came into the house, carrying baskets and bouquets of flowers. Roses, lillies, daffodils, and almost everything else, all fastened with ivory ribbons trailing down. Soon every available space in the kitchen had at least one bouquet upon it. They children all stood, speechless.

"Wh..where did all these come from?" Mary asked.

"Gee, I don't know, maybe there's a note." The man said, before taking some money from Mary and leaving. "Someone must like one of you girls a lot."

"This isn't for us, it's for the wedding!!" Mary called out after him.

Derek entered just then with Sybil and her father. "Looks like a garden in here!" he said.

"Wha..where did all of these flowers come from?!" Sybil asked.

"We've got to get them out of this kitchen!" Her father said angrily.

Kate looked around each bouquet until she finally found a note. "Where did all of them come from?" Sybil asked again. "Who sent them?"

Kate looked at the note. "The president," she said.

"THE PRESIDENT?!" Sybil asked, taking the note. "That's Mr. Washington's signature al right!!"

"Little louder, they didn't quite hear you in DELAWARE!" Mary said.

"I warned you," Sybil said angrily to Kate. "I told you.now the President knows about the wedding!!"

"Hey, you know, I bet that these would look great in the arc Steven and I are building. Can we have some of them, Sybil?"

"Heaven's alive, take as many as you want. Kate, help me move these flowers and get them outside."

"Outside?"

"Unless you want the wedding in the kitchen?"

"Hello, anyone home?" Moses csried out, knocking at the door and entering. "Well..uh..I can see you're getting prepared. Two things I don't understand, though. Why do they want this wedding so soon and what are these flowers all doing in this kitchen?"

"Because it's the birthday of our country, and getting in the way. Come on, we have to move them. I don't think we can exactly fit a wedding in the kitchen. Can you please help me get them into the backyard?"

"Sure," he said, taking a basket.

"Oh, by the way," Henry Ludington asked. "What would you do if there was a good chance the President of the United Sates were to show up here?"

"I'd get some more chairs!"



Anne and Mrs. Radcliffe stared at the relieved face of Elizabeth, who was sitting in the bench, fanning herself, with a questionable look of relief in her eyes. "Tell...tell me I'm dreaming," Anne said to herself. "Please, Mrs. Radcliffe, tell me I'm dreaming. Tel me this is all a dream. Tell me my own cousin is not making a disgrace of herself with a commonor, a commonor whose people were responsible for the death of my own brother, HER COUSIN..and tell me her mother did not just APPROVE of this!!"

"Elizabeth..what did you mean by what you said just now? What did you mean 'Thank God?'"

"I have my own reasons," Elizabeth said.



The French National Anthem floated through the shop and the door burst open as Henri burst in happily. "Mon a mi!" he called out as James came into the room.

"Henri!" He cried as Henri caught him in a bear hug. Sarah raced down the stairs and Henri repeated the same performance with her, kissing her on both cheeks.

"Henri, it's wonderful to see you again!" Sarah said, stepping back to look at him. Henri..you've GROWN!"

Henri looked down at his tall legs. "Yeah, a little," he smiled sheepishly. "But..what news! Mon a mi, I can fortell the future. My friends are going to be married!"

The door opened just then and the Marquet and his family entered the shop. "Where are the 'appy couple? Let's see them!" James and Sarah smiled. "Look at them, so perfect. Oh, my wife and my two daughters." They all shook hands and exchanged 'How do you do's.

"My usband had told me a great deal about you," the Marquis's wife said happily. "Warmest congradulations to both of you. Henri is so 'appy you asked 'im to be the best man, it's all 'e's been talking about."

"Please, please, sit down," James said, leading them toward the living quarters of the shop. The Marquis and his family settled down on the sofa, while Sarah and James settled down on the chairs. "So, how's France been?"

"A Bustle of excitement, the talk of the revolution has really been 'eating up, I think it might just happen."

"I am taking notes on everything, I save them for you," Henri said, giving them over to James.

"This is great, Henri," James said, looking through the notes. "These will make great columns for the paper. Look, Sarah, these will make great stories!"

"So impressive, Henri," Sarah said happily. "You have the making of a fine journalist."

"'E 'as the makings of a fine son as well," the Marquis said.



"Come on, everyone, there's no way we can give them the wedding of the year if we all don't pull together," Sybil said quickly. "We HAVE to thank Moses for helping us arrange those flowers, they really look gorgeous outside. Mary, how are you coming along with the decorations?"

"Great, Sybil. Look at this," she picked up a folded peice of paper from the table and unfolded it to reveal paper doves. "I was working all morning on them. Won't they look cute hung all around the backyard?"

"Oh, yeah, they look great. Now, I finally got the fabric for the wedding dress. Sarah's gonna come over tomorrow and I'm gonna need the help of all your girls to work on it."

"Oh, Sybil, I almost forgot to ask," Kate said, grabbing a bunch of flowers in each hand. "Which flowers should we use to make the crown for the veil, the white ones, or the red ones?"

"Well, if we use the red ones, nobody will be able to see it," Sybil laughed. "I think we should go for the whites."

Moses and Mr. Ludington came into the room just then, carrying some more chairs. "Oh, more chairs, great! Thanks, Moses."

"You're welcome, the neighbors are so generous letting us borrow these for the ceremony. So, just out of curiosity, how many more people will you be expecting," Moses asked.

"Actually, we really don't know, no thanks to Kate.."

"How was I supposed to know the President was coming to this?"

"I told you NOT to invite upper-class people.."

"I didn't know he knew the president.."

"You shouldn't have taken that chance.."

"He didn't even look upper-class..."

"All right, all right," Moses said. "It was an honest mistake."

"Just a mistake, didn't even look rich, how was I to know? We're just farmers, I didn't even know who he was.." Kate said to herself.

Derek came through the door just then carrying a small box and a letter. "Uh, Sybil, you better look at this," He said. Sybil came and took the box.

"What is it, what is it?" asked her brothers and sisters.

"It's..it's from Mrs. Adams," she said, showing them the contents. It had ribbons, lace, and tiny ribbons. There was a small note on the top.



My dear Sarah,

Congradulations, we will be right there for your wedding. I thought you might be able to use this in making your wedding dress. After all, you should look special on the most important and romantic day of your life. Much love,

Abigail Adams



Sybil opened the other letter and quickly closed it. This other one..it's from Thomas Jefferson and his wife..now they're gonna come.



Samuel sat next to his wife, squeesing her hand gentily as they sat together on the sofa. "The important thing is that we know now where she is," he said.

"But, I just don't understand, why didn't she come to me? She could have talked about this with us, we could have talked about it like we always did."

"Maybe they think we wouldn't understand." he sighed. "Maybe we should have told her, Elizabeth."

She looked down at her clasped hands. "Maybe we should have," she agreed. "Oh, this is all my fault, I....I just wanted her to have the best...just to be happy."

"But..perhaps she IS happy, having adventures, traveling to new places.."

Elizabeth smiled at this. "Samuel.she IS your daughter in every sense of the word But, you're right. We have to find out where she's staying...and finally tell her the thruth, God knows we've kept it from her long enough."

Samantha dismounted from her horse, out of breath. God knows how long she had ben traveling around, searching for her wayward cousin. She had al but given up looking for this prodigal daughter anyway., As far as she was concerned, she was welcome to stay whereever she was. She went into a nearby tavern. Usually someone of her family and positions wouldn't even DREAM of coming to a place like this, but she was thirsty. Just a glass of water, that was all, just a glass, than she would start back no matter WHAT Aunt Elizabeth said. Opening the door, she walked inside. Sure enough, this place was filled with nothing but uncivilized people, all hanging around, drinking up a storm and talking gossip, so imature. She took a seat near the door as a waitress came over. "Helo, I'm Diane, I'l be your waitress, what can I get you?"

"Just some water.please," Diane nodded as walked off as a couple of young men came over and sat down next to her table.

"So, what are you gonna wear to the wedding?"

"I don't know..when is it?"

"July 4th, just a couple of weeks."

"That soon? Man, that's way to short a time."

"Have you SEEN James's fiancé?"

"Yeah..I don't blame him."

Samantha couldn't help biut listen as Diane came back with the water. "Talking about the wedding again, huh? I tell you, thus is DEFINITELY the weding of the year, it's al everyone here has been talking about."

"Goodness, everyone here? Who on Earth is getting married?"

"Our friend, James Hiller, do you know him?'

"Not personnally, but I believe he's a friend of my cousin,"

"Yes, he's getting married..to a Sarah Phillips I believe." There was a small crash as the glass slipped out of Samantha's frozen hand. She stared with complete shock on her face. "Are you alright?"



A messenger apeared at the Ludington's door. Sybil came downstairs from where she , Sarah, and her sisters were sewing the wedding dress. Derek followed quickly. "Who now?' he asked.

She sighed. "William Dawes is coming also, and he's bringing Paul Revere and Phyllis Weatly."

"Well, what I relief, for a moment there I was worried Paul Revere couldn't make it."



Samantha stared straight ahead, not wiling to believe a word of what she had just been told. It couldn't be true..it couldn't be. "I..I'm sorry.." she whispered, "Did you say her name was.."

"Yeah.yeah, Sarah. Sarah Phillips. Yeah, that's her name. He only brought her in here once or twice, but I gotta say you'd never know she came from a upper-class household..well, except for the accent. She's so nice, so down to earth..you know I think it was Carla's niece who came in here once she wanted to learn to read, but she was having trouble..and Sarah gave her some nice advice and helped her. She didn't HAVE to do that, she just did it. James made himself a good choice." She left to get her another glass. Samantha stared almost into space, not being able to BELIEVE what she had just heared. Sarah...engaged? To..a poor man? Sarah? Sarah PHILLIPS?! Of the respected Philips of London, England? Daughter of Major Phillips?! Can't be..this can't happen!!! This isn't normal..this isn't RIGHT!! She finished her drink and paid for it, stumbling out of the room in a daze.



Two days later...



"Hello, anyone home?" A voice said as a fashionable young woman knocked at the door. Sybil came over to answer it and stood stunned beyond belief. She was looking into the face of Abigail Adams!

"M..M..Mrs. Adams, Mrs. Abigail Adams! she studdered, quickly standing aside. "Oh, my all means, come in, please come in!"

"Hello, dear, you're Sybil Ludington, right?"

"Oh, yes, nice to meet you, Mrs. Adams, we've heared such a great deal about you."

"I have as well. Would Sarah be here?"

"Oh, yes, Mrs. Adams, she's upstairs with us, we're helping make her wedding dress."

"Oh, how splended, that means I'm right on time. I've brought over a few things that I think would look pretty on her dress." She held up some tiny beads and colored ribbons. "I thought it would look so pretty. I even brought some tulle to help in making the veil."

"Oh, thank you," Sybil said. "We were starting to run low. We got the package you sent."

"Wonderful. May I see Sarah?"

"Yes, you may, please follow me." She lead Mrs. Adams to the bedroom and knocked on the door. She waited for the 'Come in' and opened it. Sarah was sitting on one of the two chairs, Mary and Kate were on the floor cross-legged, between the three of them was a huge half-finished dress. They were putting on some ribbons and lace upon the skirt when they all looked up. Sarah's face broke into a happy smile as she recognized her old friend.

"Mrs. Adams!" she called, standing up to give her a hug.

"Congradulations, Dear," she said happily. "I've come to see if I may gave you a hand with your dress."

"Oh, of course!" She said, giving her the chair she was siting on. Sybil let Sarah sit on the other chair and she took the bed. They continued knitting the dress. Mrs. Adams showed her the box of pearls and colored ribbons she had bought with her. "Oh, Mrs. Adams, they're all so lovely ..I think this shall be the most beautiful dress I have ever made!"

"Well, Dear, your wedding should be the most beautiful and most special time in your life, and you should have a very special dress to wear in it. I also bought some tulle to use in your wedding veil." She took it out of the box and held it up."

"Oh, thank you, it's so beautiful."

"Thank you, Mrs. Adams, we were wondering how we were going to be able to afford it.."

"Why, you should have told me," Sarah said. "I would have helped...."

"But, it's your wedding, Sarah.You shouldn't have to pay for anything. Weddng's are a gift..OUR gift."

Sarah blushed, these people were nicer to her than her own family. "But I'm helping with the making of the dress and the cooking.."

"But you're not paying for any of it," Sybil smiled. "Don't worry, we have everything all taken care of."

"Yes," Mrs. Adams said. "And John and I will be only too happy to help. After all, we like to think of you, James, and Henri as our own children as well." She smiled and brushed Sarah's hair out of her eyes. "I do have a special fondness for you, Sarah. You are like another daughter to me."

"Sybil come down and see!!" Matthew's voice came from upstairs.

"What?" she asked, as they all came down. James and Henri were there, admiring the creation. There, between him and Derek was a huge wooden arc. It stretched between them nicely and looked like something out of a fairy tale. "It's lovely. Wow, you guys pulled this off in no time."

"Hey, you're talking to the #1 wooden artist in New York," Matthew said.

"The Legend Continues," James said, bowing to them. "Once the flowers are al over it it'll look great!"

"I can 'elp with that!" Henri said happily. James went over to Sarah and put his arm around her, kising her tenderly.

"James, I can't wait to show you my dress. Mrs. Adams gave me such beautilful things to wear on it."

"I can't wait to see you in it," he said honestly, looking lovelingly at her.



James tenderly led Sarah down the grassy field. "What is this you want to show me?" she asked him happily.

"A surprise, just wait..almost there," he finally stopped as Sarah gasped at what lay before her. An elaborate spread was before her eyes, a romantic picnic. She stared , open mouthed. James smiled. He had been preparing this picnic as a surprise, had thrown himself into these preparations with all his heart and soul to show Sarah how deeply he loved her. After all, it was officially one week until they were to be married and he wanted to do something special for her. Fortunately, with the help of Mr. Adams, who had dropped in the print shop to see him and wish him congradulations, he had been able to afford many of her favorite foods. A big basket was overflowing with them, squabs wrapped in bacon, plumb, apple, and pumpkin pastries, a huge apple pie, white bread tied into little knots, buttered, and baked, fruit cocktail, and some actual mint tea. For dessert there was fresh strawberries in chocolate and homemade chocolate cake he had spent a great deal of the day making. He had to get up early in order to get the paper printed and have the time to do all this, but from the look on her face, he knew it was worth it. A wooden dinner tray was set up to be a table, and two white candles were lit on either side. A bouquet of fresh flowers sat between the candles. Sitting next to the table was the final touch, James's gifts to Sarah. He had wrapped them in brown paper, but there was a small red bow on top. Sarah's eyes filled with tears of surprise.

"James," she whispered, looking up at him. "You did all this for me?"

He nodded. "Kind of in honor of the fact that we're getting married in only a week. Sit down, open your gifts."

"Which one?"

"Um..that one," he said, pointing to the bigger one. Sarah took the large, rectangular-shaped one and carefully peeled back the paper. She gasped. He had taken the first article she had ever had published in the paper- one about Billy Dawes's ride through the streets to match his own about Paul Revere- and had it framed. She smiled and picked up the other one. Unwrapping it, she gasped, it was a beautiful brand-new journal! "For all your future articles," James said. Sarah smiled and reached across the blanket for James and pulled him near.

"Thank you, James. You're so sweet and good to me.."

"All because of you, Sarah," he looked at her seriously. "I'll never stop loving you, Sarah. Never."

"Neither will I," Sarah said happily. They shared a tender, sweet kiss.



Samantha stared at the scene before her, unable to believe what she was looking at. It was by complete coincidence that she had stumbled upon this scene before her. She had been so filled with shock at the news Diane had told her that she had gotten herself lost and was now struggling to find the way back to the main road to Aunt Elizabeth's home. She toyed with the rains before her, knowing she should leave but unable to make herself. There, right before her, was her own cousin, locked in an embrace with a skinny, blond boy..no doubt James himself. Oh God, she was kneeling down in a grassy field, between them was an entire picnic! They were together, kneeling on the ground.in a PUBLIC PLACE!! As she watched, she saw Sarah stumble a bit over some rocks, and Samantha instinctively leaned forward, wanting to catch her, but it was James who got the job, steading her with a compassionate smile on his face. He was looking at her with complete adoration, and Samantha's face softened. He really did look like he loved her, but..this just can't happen!! NO, NO!! My God, what would society say?! That a well-respected soldier's daughter, an upper-class citizen, the child of one of the most promient well-to-do families in London could pledge her entire life to a commonor?! Someone with not only any money, but no socal standing, no parents, no ANYTHING?! No WAY, this did NOT make any sense, this was just not acceptable! Again, she studied herself on the horse, willing herself to leave, not to even lay eyes upon them, upon these mismatched people right in front of her, who were now busy eating the food in front of them. NOW they were starting to feed one another the food!!

Sarah and James.

The happy new couple.

Suddenly, she stopped dead in her tracks, her jaw almost hitting the ground. James had pulled Sarah close to him and was kissing her deeply, right in public! But rather than be disgusted or slapping him for making such a scene in public like the OLD Sarah would, she just threw her arms around him and kissed him right back. Oh, this was just too much! Samantha dismounted right off the horse, marching right over to those two. She'd tell them BOTH what she thought of them, she didn't care HOW big of a scene she made in public. But she stopped halfway there, horrified. James had tenderly moved down her back.. As the kiss continued, becoming embarressing in its length and intensity, Samantha just stood there, knowing they couldn't see her or anything right now. She figeted. But Sarah was STILL clasped tightly in James's embrace. The embrace continued and James tenderly moved his hands to her hair, and slowly pulled off her hair ribbon, letting her hair spill down, stroking her loose hair in his hands. Samantha's mouth dropped open in shock, but Sarah simply smiled approvingly and kissed her fiancé all over again. Samantha turned and wheeled back to her horse, mounting it again. She couldn't go over there now, everyone would see her making a scene, and the scene THOSE two were making was bad enough! She was unable to watch any longer. She was gonna GET IT from her family once they all found out! Sarah was gonna be disowned, or shot, or worse! "That's HER problem!" Samantha thought angrily. "She made this bed..now it's time for her to lay in it!!"



Four hours later...



Anne stared at the porch swing angrily, not being able to BELIEVE the past few days. It just couldn't be happening, just couldn't be. "This is not happening," she thought to herself. "This just isn't happening!!" Her cousin WASN'T making a huge specticle of herself, she WASN'T involved with a pauper, she WASN'T disgracing the entire family, it can't be happening!! Mrs. Radcliffe came out of the house to join her on the porch swing. Her head was shaking, she was thinking the exact same thing Anne was. "Please, Mrs. Radcliffe, I'm begging you, tell me I'm dreaming, please just tel me I'm dreaming this!" She heared a noise just then that caused both women to stand up. Samantha came running up the walkway on her horse. Anne quickly ran over to meet her cousin. "Samantha, where on EARTH have you been?!"

"Well," she said, dismounting in a fot of rage, "You will NOT believe what I just heared.."

"You mean about Sarah? Yes, I know."

"You know?"

"About her and that pauper.."

"James?"

"Oh, is that his name? Yes, that American..who is definitely no better than those horrid people..HIS people..who were responsible for the death of my sweet brother Tom..his own cousin, fooling around with the very people who took his LIFE..."

"Well..there's a bit more than that.."

"MORE?!"

"Yes..you see...I've heared..from his own friends..not only are they..well...fooling around..she's engaged to him."

There was a large, stony silence. Mrs. Radclife grasped the edge of the piller, not being able to believe what had just come from Samantha. Finally Anne summed up all their feelings in one single word. 'WHAT?!?!"

"You heared me. Sarah is engaged..to James Hiller..and they are to be married on July 4th."

"The 4th..a WEEK?!"

"In a week."

"Anne, wake up," Mrs. Racliffe said angrily.

"That..that..that little TRAITOR!! That backstabbing, disloyal, mockery of the Philips's NAME!!" Anne slammed her fist into the wall.

"Try to control yourself, Cousin Anne," Samantha said calmly.

"Control myself..CONTROL MYSELF..my cousin is stabbing her own parents in the back and you talk about CONTROLLING MYSELF?!" She quickly ran to her horse and leaped on its back.. "She's going to learn her place in society, in spite of herself." She turned the horse around, in the direction Samantha had come from. "Tom died in a meaningless war, she she can't even be true to his memory..she can't even behave herself, she can't even remember what CLASS AND CUSTOM DICTATES?! As God is my witness, she will. As God is my witness, this girl is coming back where she belongs!! This marriage is a sham from the get-go and she's going to see that if I have to make her!" She raced off on her horse.

Mrs. Radcliffe turned around and stamped up the stairs. "ELIZABETH!!" She called. Elizabeth raced outside to join them.

"My God, what is it?!"

"Sit down, Elizabeth..we have some news...concerning your little princess."

"Sarah? What other news have you gotten?"

"Well.."

"What about Sarah?" Her father said, quickly joining his wife.

"Ah, Samuel, good, you're here as well, so I won't have to repeat this twice. Well..it turns out our little angel isn't as much of an angel as we thought.."

"What are you talking about?"

Samantha stepped forward, "Aunt Elizabeth, Uncle Samuel? I can answer that. You see, I was traveling around, looking for Sarah..and I discovered..well...did you know this man, James?"

"Yes, we know him, we met him," Elizabeth said.

"He's a fine young man, really strong and hard-working," Samuel said.

"Well..I'm glad you think so," Mrs. Radcliffe said. "Would you care to think of him as maybe a son?"

"Well..I'm sure we could..he's a good man."

"Good..because Sarah is now engaged to him!"

Elizabeth's face went a bit pale, Samuel just stood open-mouthed.

"I..I'm sorry.."

"It's true," Samantha said. "I heared it with my own ears." Elizabeth slowly stood up from the seat. Her hands were clasped together..and she looked like she couldn';t breathe. Samuel went over to her. Finally after a few minutes, she was able to get out some words.

"Sarah..why on EARTH didn't you tell me?! Why?"

"Maybe they think we wouldn't understand.."

"I WOULD UNDERSTAND!!!"