A/N: I was delighted to see a happy ending to Sanditon. I did feel, however, in the effort to wrap up everyone's stories that we did not have a lot of time to see Charlotte and Alexander when they were at last on the same page about their feelings. I wanted to explore it a little more.

It is a truth, rarely acknowledged, that when a couple declares their mutual affection their problems do not vanish. Romantic poems and novels would tell us otherwise, of course, and it can be tempting for even the most sensible of persons to believe they have found perfection in the first blush of love. When hands clasp and lips meet, the sky becomes bluer, the scent of flowers sweeter, and any obstacles appear as a mere handful of pebbles on a smooth, broad beach. But reality has a way of intruding on perfection - no matter how strong the attachment or how deserving of happiness the couple may be. Even true love must occasionally be tested.

Thus it was for Charlotte Heywood and Alexander Colbourne. After discovering they were both free to marry and engaging in a fervent kiss on the road overlooking the shore in Sanditon, they tied Hannibal behind the Parker's carriage and instructed the driver to return them to Trafalgar House. The driver, who had expected a far longer journey to Plymouth where Charlotte was to board a ship for Ireland, was more than happy to retrace his route back to town.

Charlotte and Colbourne sat close to each other, her hand resting on this leg, his hand clasped over hers. They basked in the relief of feelings they were at last free to express, alternating between speaking quietly and contented silence.

The contentment remained unadulterated for at least twenty minutes. Then Colbourne abruptly said, "I am a hypocrite."

To Charlotte's relief, he sounded amused rather than anguished. She frowned. "Why do you say that?"

"I am sitting here thinking how quickly we might marry and I have not yet asked your father for his consent. If a man did the same with Augusta or Leonora - well, we have already seen how I would react."

She shook her head. "We are not Augusta and Edward Denham. Unlike Augusta, I am over twenty-one and of age; and you are not a dissolute man with a reputation for greed and debauchery. We do not need my father's consent."

"Surely you would like his blessing."

"Of course." But she shrugged slightly as she said it.

The shrug did not escape him. "Do you think there is a chance he will withhold it?"

Charlotte pressed her lips together. She had been so elated at Colbourne's declaration of love and his freedom to marry that her family had been the furthest thing from her mind. She turned her thoughts to them now and felt vaguely uneasy. Her parents cared for her and wanted her to be happy. That much was certain. In his letter, her father appeared to accept that she was not going to marry Ralph Starling. Still, this did not mean he would be pleased to see her wed a former employer whom he had never met. On the other hand, she mused, what father would not be happy to see his daughter wed a gentlemen who was financially secure and in love with her?

"Charlotte?"

It was the first time she heard Colbourne use her Christian name, after months of Miss Heywood. She liked the way it sounded in his voice; low, almost seductive, although she knew he had not intended it to be so. She was amazed at the pleasure it gave her.

"Charlotte?" he repeated, turning to look at her. His brow was furrowed with worry.

She shrugged again. "I don't know how my father will react. He has always wanted me to marry Ralph, and up until a few days ago he believed I was going remain in Willingden and do exactly that. Now, I will be marrying a man he has never met and live in Sanditon. He wishes my happiness, I know that. And he can have no objection to you as my husband. But it is lot for him to take in."

Colbourne nodded. "I can understand his reservations and would probably feel the same. I will not expect a warm reception when I ride there tomorrow."

Charlotte stiffened in her seat. "Tomorrow?"

"Yes, I was thinking I would ride to Willingden tomorrow and ask for his consent. This news will not soften with time."

She shook her head. "I do not believe it is necessary for you to go to Willingden at all, particularly since his consent is not legally required. Write him. That way he can absorb the news privately."

He squeezed her hand. "Even if the law does not require his consent, it would be discourteous not to request it in person. Doing it in writing is a cowardly act. I'd prefer not to begin my marriage with my father-in-law's ill opinion."

There is a chance we may both have Father's ill opinion, Charlotte thought, no matter how we break the news. With some trepidation, she said, "And if he does not give his blessing?"

Colbourne sighed. "I wish to marry you regardless. We have been separated too long already. What are your thoughts?"

"I concur. It pains me to disappoint my father, but I have learned I cannot live my life to please my family."

"Then we are agreed. I will ride there tomorrow."

Charlotte hesitated, then offered, "We should go together. I have not seen my parents for several weeks and it will give me an opportunity to explain."

"And to protect me," he said dryly. "I think you wish to to be my knight."

"Perhaps. Perhaps I don't want to give you the chance to change your mind. You have been rather fickle on the matter."

She wondered if it was too early to begin teasing him. But he chuckled.

"I might say the same of you," he replied. "But fair enough - we will go together."

The carriage delivered them to Trafalgar house and they found all the Parkers at home. Explanations were offered for Charlotte's unexpected return and handshakes and hugs were exchanged.

"I am so happy for you, my dear," Mary Parker said to Charlotte, "and I am selfishly happy for myself. If you are to marry and live Sanditon, it means we can continue our work in the Old Town together. You can take charge of the school."

"Nothing would please me more," Charlotte agreed, clasping Mary's hands.

"And I am delighted for you as well," Mary added, speaking to Colbourne. "I believe the two of you will be very happy."

He gave her a shy smile. "Thank you."

"Will you stay for tea?" Arthur Parker asked. "We have some lovely bread and jam. I can make toast."

Colbourne looked at Charlotte. "That is a kind offer, but I think we must take our leave. We have yet to tell the girls."

"Oh, of course," Arthur said. "I am certain they will be pleased."

The Parkers offered Charlotte and Colbourne the carriage once again, but the couple opted to walk, with Colbourne leading Hannibal. The weather was fine and they were in no hurry to relinquish their time alone. As they traveled the route to Heyrick Park, Charlotte was formulating a question in her mind. Ever since Colbourne's profession of love, something had been bothering on her.

"Alexander," she began tentatively. She wondered if he felt the same joy that she had at the use of his Christian name.

"Yes?"

"May I asked you a question?"

He raised an eyebrow. "It would be poor start to our life together if we could not ask each other questions."

She smiled, but warned, "You may not like this one."

He stopped walking and reached for her elbow, causing her to stop as well.

"You have succeeded in making me both curious and nervous," he said. "What is it?"

Charlotte looked into his honest brown eyes and said, "You told me earlier today that I bewitched you from the moment we met."

"Yes."

"Is that true?"

"Yes. Do you doubt me?"

She pursed her lips. "You disguised your admiration well," she said slowly. "I recall a number of disagreements regarding my teaching methods."

The corners of his mouth lifted slightly. "Which only contributed to my admiration, I assure you. You held to your beliefs even when I was sharp with you, and you were willing to sacrifice your position for your convictions. I appreciated your integrity. It is a very attractive quality."

She was tempted to smile, but they had not yet resolved the issue that was disturbing her. "And later?" she asked. "Why did you push me away after the ball? After we danced and...talked," she could not bring herself to say kissed, "I believed you shared my feelings, but you dismissed me with no explanation. I was so embarrassed...and hurt."

He sobered immediately and turned and began adjusting the straps to Hannibal's bridle. She knew activity was a refuge for him, so she waited.

After a moment, he rested a hand on the horse's nose. "Forgive me. I am ashamed to tell you. It is not something I am proud of."

"I don't believe either of us behaved impeccably at all times. If you prefer not to say, I will not press."

"No, if it has been bothering you it is best to clear the air." He turned to face her. "You remember what happened that day - we went to recover Leo after she had gone to see Colonel Lennox?"

"Yes."

"When you were taking Leo home, I went back to Lennox to thank him for not telling her the truth about...about being her father. He told me that it was clear that you were in love with me. Then he asked if, having failed so miserably as Lucy's husband, I believed there was any chance I would not fail with you. Once he planted the idea in my mind, I could not let it go. I believed I might indeed ruin your life as I had ruined hers...and that it would be selfish of me to pursue an attachment. For the sake of your happiness in the long term, it seemed kinder to let you go."

Charlotte felt a surge of anger - not at Alexander but at Lennox. The Colonel could not have found better words to undermine Alexander's confidence. A generous interpretation might be that he was trying to protect her, but in her heart she did not think that was the truth. After refusing his marriage proposal, Charlotte thought it more likely that Lennox had acted out of spite.

Alexander was watching her intently. "You are angry," he said.

She put her hand over his, where it still rested on Hannibal's nose. "With Colonel Lennox, not with you. I only wish that you had told me at the time. I could have laid your worries to rest."

"I am not so certain."

"I am."

"Why? As you have already pointed out, I did not make things easy for you when you began as our governess."

She nodded. "No, you did not. But you did listen to me, even when you did not like what I had to say. If you had told me about Lennox, I could have said that I know you will make me happy because you accept me as I am, even when it is inconvenient for you. That is the greatest gift, and something Lennox - nor Ralph for that matter - could not understand. Both saw me as they wanted me to be, not as I am."

"I cannot imagine wanting you to be otherwise."

"I know. That is the beauty of it."

Alexander smiled then, one of his rare, full smiles, all the more attractive to Charlotte because she was the cause of it. He looked quite young in that moment - not at all a man weighed down by responsibility for two children and a large estate.

She smiled back.

The stables were quiet when they arrived at Heyrick Park, the workers attending to chores elsewhere on the estate. They unsaddled Hannibal and put him in his stall, and Charlotte brushed him while Alexander returned the saddle and bridle to their racks. Happy to be free of his tack, Hannibal buried his nose in his hay, tossing his head enthusiastically as he ate.

"I was thinking..." Alexander began as he returned to Charlotte. He regarded her and smiled.

"What is it?" Charlotte asked.

"Hannibal has been sharing his hay with you. You have some in your hair."

"Do I?" Charlotte reached for her head and indeed felt a few stiff strands. She began to pick them out.

"Here," Alexander said, "allow me."

He stepped close to her, and cupping her chin with one hand gently began removing the hay with his other. After a minute or so, his hand stopped moving and he rested his fingers in her hair.

"Are you finished?" Charlotte asked.

"Not quite," he replied and bent his head to kiss her. It was a tender kiss, less desperate than previous ones but no less mesmerizing. It produced a heady sensation, altogether different from the feelings Charlotte had experienced with Ralph. She leaned into Alexander and made no effort to end the kiss.

There was the sound of a throat clearing.

Alexander and Charlotte hastily separated and turned to see Samuel Colbourne standing in the doorway to the stable. He was grinning.

"At last," he said. "We were wondering when the two of you were ever going to come to an accord."

"'We?'" Alexander asked.

"Lady Susan and I," Samuel replied. "We have wager. I must say, your ability to mis-time things has been most diverting. Shakespeare himself could not have penned a better comedy of errors... or perhaps it is a tragedy, I am really not certain. But since you are at last in agreement about your affections, it does not matter."

Unsure whether she should be amused or offended, Charlotte asked, "Who won the wager?"

Samuel waved a hand. "Oh, Lady Susan is the victor. I thought you both were going to remain at odds for at least another week and Xander would have to go to Ireland to retrieve you." He grinned again. "But since my payment consists of showing Susan the estate grounds on horseback, I really cannot complain."

"My brother can always be trusted," Alexander said dryly to Charlotte, "to find a wager in which he wins either way."

"They are the best sort," Samuel agreed. Then he sobered. "I truly am delighted for both of you. I cannot think of two people who are better suited and who deserve happiness more." He shook Alexander's hand and then - to Charlotte's surprise - kissed her cheek. "I assume you have not yet told the girls," he continued. "Otherwise, Leo would be running about the grounds shrieking with joy."

"No," Alexander said, "we have not. I am concerned about Augusta. She has so recently been disappointed in love, I am afraid our happiness may be salt in the wound."

Samuel shrugged. "I think she will surprise you. She and Leo have been wishing for this very thing ever since Miss Heywood returned to Sanditon. I believe Augusta is grown up enough to set her own misery to the side and be delighted."

"Let us hope," Alexander replied.