"Miss Lambe," Alexander said, bending low. "I trust your birthday has been all you hoped it would be?"

"And more, Mr. Colbourne," Georgiana said. "I have especially enjoyed seeing the welcome happiness of my dear friends." To further drive home her point, she looked directly at Charlotte, her eyes twinkling.

Alexander smiled and looked at Charlotte, speaking softly, as if only to her. "It has been an extraordinarily happy night, indeed."

"Mr. Colbourne, I am not fond of formality, and as of tonight, it would seem that you and I are standing quite level on the social ladder. Might I hope you would call me Georgiana, as Charlotte does?"

"Well, Georgiana, then you and I are also of a mind when it comes to social conventions. And you must call me Alexander…" he turned with a large smile and a raised eyebrow to the beloved woman on his right, "...as Charlotte does."

Georgiana laughed as she watched the two of them completely lost in each other. "Oh, finally! I must say I am beginning to understand the proverb of my ancestors that says 'It takes a village…' which is used most commonly in the raising of children, but in this case, it seems to apply to the twists and turns of love as well. I cannot tell you how pleased I am to see you both in such perfect accord. Many of us have hoped for this for quite some time."

Charlotte blushed and suddenly found the floor tiles utterly fascinating as she said, "Georgiana…"

"Yes, yes, I will behave," Georgiana said, taking Charlotte's hand. "Alexander, I have had the good fortune to make the acquaintance of Mrs. Wheatley, and I very much enjoy her company. She is a remarkable woman."

Nodding, Alexander said, "That she is. I have no idea what I would have done without her all these years. She is family to us, although I cannot seem to convince her to stop working and enjoy the fruits of a life so well-lived. She answers that she has no intention of sitting all day with her feet up and eating strawberries."

Georgiana and Charlotte laughed, trying to imagine it. Charlotte said, "She is easily the wisest woman in my acquaintance." Suddenly hearing what she had just said, she whispered, "But please do not share that opinion with my mother."

Georgiana leaned toward her friend. "Now that I have met your mother, I feel she would agree on the subject of Mrs. Wheatley. Your entire family seems to have uncommonly good sense."

"We all can have many wise women in our lives," Alexander said, gazing at Charlotte. Then he turned to Georgiana. "We would very much enjoy having you for tea at Heyrick Park. Perhaps you can convince Mrs. Wheatley to take her leisure and sit with us."

"I would be delighted. You name the day and I will be there, Alexander."

With a slight bow, Alexander said, "If you will excuse me, I need to locate Lady Susan to make similar arrangements."

Georgiana gave him a radiant smile. "Ah, good! We can finally talk about you," she said, leaning toward him conspiratorially.

Alexander laughed. "I will leave you to it, then." He raised his eyebrows. "Be kind, ladies…" He touched Charlotte's arm affectionately. "I hope you will allow me to walk you home?"

Charlotte's look was one of pure love. "I would like that very much."

Once he was out of earshot, Georgiana said softly, "Oh, the pair of you! I have never seen two people more in love! That is quite the longest conversation I've had with the man, and he is charming! No wonder you are so smitten."

Charlotte blushed lightly. "Is it that obvious?"

"Yes, Charlotte," Georgiana said, laughing. "And the joy of it is that it is both of you. There might have been no one else in the room when you came back inside earlier. Where did you go?"

Charlotte looked at the dancers and tried to affect nonchalance. "We took a short walk. That is all."

Georgiana did not even have to speak. She simply raised her eyebrows and stared at her friend.

Taking a deep breath, Charlotte broke into a happy smile. "We confessed our love," she whispered.

Georgiana threw her arms around Charlotte, saying, "I am elated for you!" Then she frowned suddenly. "Oh, this means you will be wed and will no longer live with me, does it not?"

Laughing, Charlotte said, "It wasn't a proposal, Georgiana!"

"But it will be. I cannot see any other outcome. And you will live at Heyrick Park and give teas and have twelve children and hire your own governess and I shall never, ever, see you!"

"I am still not certain I want to marry," Charlotte said, straightening to her full height.

Georgiana tilted her head. "Let me understand. You love him and he loves you. He is fully the most eligible, the wealthiest, and the most handsome and charming man in Sanditon, and you are deciding whether you will marry him or choose spinsterhood?" She laid her hand on Charlotte's forehead. "Are you not well?"

Charlotte laughed. "It is a big decision, Georgiana."

From behind her, she heard a voice she loved dearly. "What is a big decision?" Alexander asked.

Georgiana said brightly, "Whether I will plant my palm outside my apartments or keep it in the pot. It needs room to grow but I am not certain how long I will be living in this particular place." Charlotte looked at her friend in wonder at how quickly she had managed to alter the course of their conversation.

Alexander nodded. "Should you desire it, Heyrick Park has a thousand acres, and you could plant it there until you decide. Then when you are more clear we will pull it up and have it delivered to your new home. You may find that the climate in Sanditon is not ideal for a tree in the Arecaceae family, in which case we could build a greenhouse around it to keep it warmer. It would be a wonderful teaching tool for my daughter, Leonora, who is exceedingly interested in flora and fauna."

Georgiana was rendered nearly speechless. "Sir, you are a very kind man, and I appreciate that thought more than I can say. I pray you are serious, because I am likely to take you up on it."

"I am in hopes that you will," he said. "And now, we will take our leave. Augusta has already gone home in the carriage and it will be back to retrieve me soon. I wish to see our Charlotte safely to your door." He bowed gracefully again, "Georgiana, it has been an unmitigated pleasure to celebrate your birthday with you, and to have the opportunity to know you better. I hope we will see you often at Heyrick Park."

As he walked toward the cloak room to collect their outer garments, Georgiana pulled Charlotte into a hug. "Marry him!" she said, laughing. "He is an absolute treasure!"

Charlotte could hardly believe that this was the man she had first met. He had already invited more people to his home in the last few hours than he had in all the time she had known him. He was genial, agreeable and sociable in company with others, and in truth, had not been without a smile for the vast majority of the evening. If she had been looking for changes in him, she had found them.

Of course Charlotte was too modest to consider that perhaps his affability was her doing – that the reason his heart was open to everyone was that she had unlatched it and thrown wide the doors that had been locked for far too long.

Alexander brought Charlotte's wrap from the cloak room and for the second time this evening, they stepped outside into the sea air. Alexander could not help it, he'd found himself often trying to imagine Lucy in a similar circumstance, and each time, Charlotte had emerged as the one more suited to him in every way. Where Charlotte smiled and breathed in scents of the ocean, Lucy would have wrinkled her nose and complained. Part of the reason he had found it so difficult to keep his countenance as Leo had brought him the snails was that, for a moment, he was trying to imagine Lucy out by the ponds, searching for small creatures. What continued to reveal itself was how very ill-suited they had been, and apart from its tragic ending, what a difficult marriage that would ultimately have been to sustain.

Alexander realized that until he had met Charlotte, he had placed fashionable women in a particular category, a limited one, and she had broken through all of those preconceived notions in his mind. She was uncommonly lovely, graceful and every inch the lady here in her silk gown, and yet he could see her so clearly in her teal pelisse, teaching the girls to dance, or walking through the tall grasses as they looked for Leonora. No matter where she was, she was always womanly and had an elegance in her movement, whether at the stables or here in his arms, dancing. She was many things, complex, varied, and multilayered – just as he was – and he found himself in awe of her.

"You are very quiet," Charlotte said.

He realized he had been thinking so deeply of her that he had not said a word since they had started walking.

"I am thinking of you," he said. "Of what a wonder you are." He took her hand in his. "And how I do not want to take you home just yet."

"And what about your carriage?" Charlotte said, feeling her heart begin to speed up at the thought of spending still more time in his company.

"My driver will wait. Unless you fancy a carriage ride? The moon is very full. We could visit the cliffs again." He gazed over at her, and she laughed softly.

"I think we both know where that will lead, Alexander."

Putting her hand up to his lips, he smiled warmly and said, "And would that be so terrible?"

She stopped and looked into his eyes. "And how do we stop?" It was a real question. Once she started kissing him, she never wanted to stop.

He spoke very seriously. "I would never take advantage of you, Charlotte. If you feel that is what I am doing when I kiss you, I will stop doing it."

"No!" she said, more vehemently than she intended, and then laughed at herself. "It is I who may take advantage of you!" She took a breath. "You told me that you have never felt this way before, and it is the same for me. I have no skills in navigating these emotions, they are so new and… and overwhelming. I quite lose myself, my reason, when we are together in that way. And no, I do not ever want you to stop."

Alexander took her hand and looked around before leading her off the path toward the sea. "When was the last time you felt the sand between your toes?" He asked. "I can tell you that it has been far too long for me. I think you have bewitched me, Charlotte Heywood, because I have lost all sense of decorum, and am rapidly reverting to boyhood."

Charlotte laughed and let him lead her down to the edge of the boardwalk. "And perhaps it is as simple as the fact that you are happy. I love you this way."

He turned with a raised eyebrow. "Ah, you do not love the serious Alexander?" he asked, affecting a low tone and a frown.

"I love all of you, all the parts of you, although the serious Alexander can sometimes miss out on important things, like mollusks and picnics."

He turned and pulled her to him, kissing her neck and making her laugh. "No more. I shall never miss another picnic, or nature walk, or breakfast, or dancing lesson. The estate shall go to ruin while we pick cornflowers and ride horses and climb trees with Leonora." He moved his lips from her neck to her cheek and finally to her lips, and their laughter blended quickly into sighs as they held each other tightly under the moonlight. Charlotte thought she would never tire of this, the combination of the softness of his lips and the warmth of what lay within, the taste of him, and how his hands moved unceasingly, gently, from her face to her neck, then to her hair.

Alexander could not fathom that this woman, with her beauty and intelligence, her humor and her love of children, someone who knew the mythology of Chiron and could gentle horses, could also have this passion, this abandon in the way she gave herself to him. There was no pretense about Charlotte, and when she kissed him, she did it without reservation, holding nothing back. He had never wanted a woman more, and that is what caused him to pull himself back and end the kiss, holding her against his chest while he fought for oxygen and allowed his heart to calm.

"I love you," he said softly into her hair. "It is such a relief to finally say that. It has been on my lips and in my heart for so long."

Charlotte sighed against his wool coat, moving her hand up and inside it to place her palm on his silk waistcoat and feel his beating heart. "It is such a relief to finally hear it," she said softly.

They knew not how long they stood there, listening to the sound of the ocean and the calls of the few gulls still awake, the moon so bright that it almost felt like warmth on their faces, in silence, feeling each other breathe, rising and falling with the waves beyond. All they knew was that they were at peace, that the broken pieces of them both fit together with the other's broken pieces to make an exquisite mosaic.

Finally, Charlotte reluctantly moved her head from his chest and looked up at him. "Do you know how happy I am?" she asked.

Alexander smiled. "Yes," was all he said.

Charlotte adjusted the candle wick and dipped her quill one more time into the ink pot, as she had done ten times already. She was at a loss about how to begin, but this letter must be written tonight, as it would be traveling in Alison's bag on the carriage first thing in the morning, to be delivered in Willingden into her father's hands.

My dear Father,

I respect no one as greatly as I do you, and so I have never wanted to disappoint you. As the eldest of the family, I understand that there are responsibilities and sacrifices that come with that position, and I have tried always to fulfill them in a manner that would make you proud.

By now you will know that Ralph and I are no longer engaged, and it is important for you to understand that it was a mutual decision, taken not only because we are not in love, but also because we have given our hearts to others. Ralph's to Catherine, and mine to Mr. Alexander Colbourne of Sanditon.

I know that many marriages start with respect and duty and grow into love, but as you have seen in Alison's happiness with Declan, marriages that start with love might have a better chance of bringing lifelong joy in addition to the fulfillment of duty.

You already knew that Mr. Colbourne was my employer for the months before I returned home, and that his girls have a very special place in my heart, but you did not know that he and I fell in love. It was difficult even for us to comprehend fully until we endured a separation that made it abundantly clear. He has made his intentions known to me, and although we have no immediate plans for marriage, I can envision us moving toward that end.

At our soonest opportunity, I would like for Mr. Colbourne and his girls to travel with me for a visit to Willingden so that they can become more acquainted with my beloved family and in order for you to know them. For now, you may ask Alison and Declan of their opinion, which I believe will be highly favorable.

It is important for you to know that you will not be responsible for any financial support of me from this day forward. I am perfectly capable of making my own living. And should Alexander and I decide that marriage is our future, I will be the lady of a great house and mistress of land that numbers over one thousand acres. Although that is daunting to me, I wanted you to fully comprehend that, beyond how much I love him, it would be a good match in all respects.

I hope you and Mother can be happy for me. My heart is full to overflowing with love for Alexander, and I know that he feels the same for me.

I look forward to your thoughts and will hope to see you soon.

With deepest love, I am,

Your Charlotte

Charlotte read the letter over and thought that was the best she could do. She hoped that the prospect of no longer needing to offer support to her, in tandem with Catherine's upcoming engagement and Alison's recent marriage, would ease her father's mind on the subject of beginning to situate his daughters in suitable relationships – a task that understandably was foremost in his mind of late.

What gave Charlotte pause was intimating any promise of Alexander's generosity toward her family, though now that she knew his heart she had no doubt he would be exceedingly generous. And Charlotte had to admit that beyond the sublime prospect of being with Alexander and the girls always, there were benefits that came with marriage that were very attractive. Not the least of which was the opportunity to bring sisters and brothers for visits to Heyrick Park to further their education, enhance their enjoyment of horses, and to show them the greater world that Charlotte had been fortunate enough to see – to widen their horizons and expose them to an idea of life beyond the farm.

As she folded the letter and addressed the envelope, Charlotte smiled. Georgiana had no need of convincing her that marriage was in her future. Charlotte was doing a fine job of convincing herself all on her own.

"Oh, Leo, it's wonderful!" Charlotte exclaimed, as she sat in the schoolroom at the desk peering at the snake-skin.

"Natrix helvetica, Father says," Leonora said softly, not even wanting to breathe heavily for fear of breaking it, she was so close. "He says that it's likely from a female about to lay her eggs and that it is very rare." Her voice held a sort of reverence, and Charlotte was unsure if it was for the snake-skin or her father. Either way, Charlotte was aware that her heart was so glad to be with Leonora again, and that she had missed her terribly.

"He said that you would think me a very good malacologist," Leo said, her large, bright eyes fixing on Charlotte not five inches away.

Reaching an arm around, Charlotte gave Leonora a warm squeeze and said, "Your father is right. I am very proud of you. You are well on your way to becoming a fine ophidian scientist, Leo."

Leo frowned, "Oaf…? What did you call it?"

"Ophidian," Charlotte said, slowly. "Relating to snakes."

"Ophidian," Leo repeated, with a look of ultimate pride. "I should like that."

A sound in the doorway made them both look up, and Alexander smiled broadly. "I do not mean to interrupt, but Mrs. Wheatley has told me that luncheon is served out in the garden."

Leonora looked down at her cigar box with her treasure. "May I bring my snake-skin to luncheon, Father? I should very much like to show it to Miss Lambe and Lady Susan."

Charlotte laughed softly, "You know, Leo, there are some people who don't particularly enjoy looking at snakes."

Affecting a look of confusion mixed with horror, Leonora said, "Whyever not? They are so beautiful!"

Charlotte stood and smiled at her. "Then we will ask them and see what they say, what do you think of that?"

Leonora closed the box carefully and moved it back to the bookshelf for safety. "That will do," she said, and ran exuberantly past Alexander, who arched sideways to make room for her in the doorway.

His eyes were soft on Charlotte as she walked toward him. "She has missed you very much." He reached out his arm and put it around her waist and pulled her toward him.

Charlotte raised an eyebrow. "Mr. Colbourne, may I remind you that you are in my schoolroom. You may be master of the estate, but in here, my word is law."

Alexander smoothed an unruly curl at her forehead as he held her fast. "I am only half-way into the schoolroom…" he said softly, leaning down and kissing her just below the ear. "So we will share governance of this space…" Charlotte was rapidly losing her reason, and did not much care who ruled what, but she took a deep breath and pulled him lightly into the room.

"There," she said, and Alexander laughed. "We are expected at luncheon, are we not?"

Moving his lips up from her neck to her mouth, he murmured, "Mmmmn-hmmm…"

Laughing, Charlotte drew away and then gave him a quick kiss. "Well, you may be willing to incur Mrs. Wheatley's wrath, but I am not." She pulled him by the hand out into the hall, leading him toward the stairs. Passing by the telescope that stood pointing out of a dormer window, Charlotte stopped, remembering what Lady Susan had said about Alexander as a younger man looking at the stars.

"I always wanted to ask you about this. Do you use it?"

Alexander smiled and wiped a bit of dust off of its brass surface. "Nearly every night," he said.

She smiled. "Ah, so you are a star-gazer. Another piece of the puzzle."

"If you can stay until dark one evening, I will show you Cassiopeia."

Charlotte nodded. "The vain queen, mother of Andromeda," she said, looking into his eyes. In the filtered light from the window, Alexander seemed even more handsome than usual, and she found herself staring, which caused him to move closer.

Blinking, Charlotte put out her hand to hold him at arm's distance. "I knew this would happen. There are far too many dark corners in this great old house, and I have a suspicion we could find all of them given the chance."

Alexander grinned. "That sounds like a challenge, Miss Heywood."

Laughing, Charlotte said, "We are expected at luncheon. Behave." And with that, she walked past him and made for the stairs.

He followed her and said dutifully, "I shall do my best, but no promises."

Suddenly he stopped and called out to her a few steps below him, "Wait, Charlotte!"

She turned and looked up at him.

"Did you say your schoolroom?" he asked.

Charlotte stopped and thought. "Yes, I suppose I did," she said tentatively.

"Would you consider that? Coming back to teach Leonora?"

Charlotte smiled softly. "Are you staying in Sanditon? I thought this was only a visit."

"As did I, until yesterday. But things have changed, have they not? The London Season is all but over, and in any case, Lady Susan has asked Augusta to come back with her for a time, and my niece is thrilled about it."

"And would I be Leonora's governess? Your employee again?" Charlotte asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.

Alexander paused. "I haven't thought that through. I have so much more I want to say to you, Charlotte, but I haven't wanted to push you too far…"

"...Or too fast…" Charlotte said, smiling at him. "I know I am uncommonly skittish right now…I am sorry…"

"No, my love…" he said, moving down the few stairs separating them. "You have every right to be cautious with me. The way I have behaved…"

Charlotte reached her hand up to his face. "You have my forgiveness, Alexander. I still want to know why, and how you came to the decision that I would be better off without you, but I know now that it was your love for me that caused you to send me away. I forgive you." She stood on tiptoes on the stair and kissed him gently, quickly.

The relief on his face caused all the stress and worry to disappear and all that was left was love. "Then we need to talk. Perhaps…" Alexander smiled as he realized what he was about to say. "Perhaps one day very soon, we could take a turn around the grounds together, Miss Heywood?"

She smiled, remembering. "Yes, I would like that very much."

He stepped down so that they were on the same level, and took her face in his hands. He bent his lips to hers and kissed her, as gently as a feather's touch, and they held there, just breathing together.

A sound from below caused them to look down and see Mrs. Wheatley at the bottom of the stairs peering up at them with a bemused smile. "I don't suppose the two of you could find your way to the luncheon table before everything is cold?"

They looked like nothing so much as two children caught with their hands in the sweets jar, as they dutifully nodded and quickly descended the stairs.

Edward sat at his writing desk, which was little more than a rough-hewn box, and moved the candle closer. The only concession Lady Denham had made to his former rank was a private chamber in the workers' housing, and he could hear them through the paper-thin walls throwing dice in the main sleeping room. Much as he wanted to join them and take some of their money, he forced himself to stay and finish his task.

He did have a good memory, but it was too important to get this right, and he wanted not to leave anything to chance. So he would write a line or two and then close his eyes, putting himself back into the barracks with Colonel Lennox to remember exactly what he had said.

Once Edward and Lennox had discovered that they had a mutual interest in the Army coming to Sanditon, Lennox had put in a request for a transfer of his troops, citing the health aspects of the fresh sea air, the congeniality of the town and the wide open spaces which would be ideal for training and maneuvers.

The real objects of their interest were Lady Denham and Alexander Colbourne. Both were wealthy and each had their Achilles heel – and Edward and Lennox had plans to walk away with large sums of money for their troubles. Edward had been foiled by the presence of Esther and Clara and had been forced to improvise, while Lennox had been hoisted on his own petard by his propensity for spending money he didn't have and never being able to turn down a game of chance.

Now Lennox was all the way in India and Edward was alone with a wealth of information that not only involved Colbourne, but also Miss Lambe. Add to that mix the machinations of Charles Lockhart, which Edward had learned from Lady Denham in one of her gossipy moods, and Edward believed he was well on his way to an exceedingly comfortable life.

Remembering another piece of information from Lennox, shared with Edward at the card tables as he knocked back yet another whiskey, Edward bent over the paper again.

Yes, a very comfortable life, indeed.

Charlotte and Alexander stood in the front hall and looked out at the carriage waiting to take her back to Georgiana's. They could see the sun setting in the distance and after luncheon had stretched to dinner and then to everyone trying their hand at the pianoforte – including, wonder of wonders, Alexander! – it was finally time to part, though neither of them wanted it.

Georgiana was waiting in the carriage, and Charlotte could see her waving impatiently and making faces from inside the window, so she sighed and pulled Alexander back inside the house and behind the large front doors for a last goodnight kiss.

"You owe me something," Charlotte said mysteriously.

Smiling, Alexander said, "My heart? My life?…"

"Do you remember last night? A dance for a poem?" Charlotte said, looking at him from under her lashes. "We cannot know from whence our comfort comes…"

Alexander was amazed. "How could you possibly have put that line to memory? I recited it once and even mumbled when I said it."

Charlotte leaned up and spoke against his cheek. "It was written by someone I love very dearly," she said, softly.

"Oh, now you're attempting flattery, and it will not convince me. I am telling you, it is truly terrible poetry." He laughed and said, "We will see if you still love me so dearly after you hear it."

She simply looked at him and smiled.

Alexander released a long sigh. "Very well. Come back tomorrow and I will read you one poem."

"That poem," Charlotte said, setting her mouth in a firm line.

"You are so stubborn," Alexander said, leaning closer.

"You had better accustom yourself to that fact, Alexander. It is not likely to change…"

"I will stop your insolence…" he said, doing just that by placing his lips on hers and making it impossible for her to continue talking.

From around the door, the driver cleared his throat loudly and said, "Excuse me, ma'am, Miss Lambe would like to know if she should go ahead, and I come back to pick you up later."

"No," Charlotte said, laughing. "I am coming." She moved away from Alexander, whispering a quick I love you, and he replied the same, and then she was skipping down the front steps toward the carriage.

"Until tomorrow, then," Alexander said with a grin. It was becoming their favorite way to part.

"Until tomorrow," Charlotte called out. She looked the same to him as she had that day – that glorious day when everything had changed and he'd felt hope for the first time in so long – her hair down in curly chestnut locks on her shoulders, her backward wave, and the joyous tone in her voice.

Alexander watched until the very last second he could, as the carriage rounded the corner and moved out of sight.