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“Lisa, what is it?”
“Oh, I must have been more flushed than I thought,” Lisa said, and swayed.
Oscar arrived at that moment, putting the glass of Negus down on a wall table and an arm around Lisa to exclaim, “Lisa…are you faint? It is the heat…all the people squeezed into this room.”
Godwin marched up to the trio at that moment and said, “What is this? What is wrong?”
Sara put a hand on his arm. “Lisa seems unwell…she was very flushed from dancing and…oh!”
Lisa collapsed into Oscar’s arms.
“I will take her out for air!” Oscar announced.
Godwin frowned and stepped forward, but Sara quickly put a hand on his arm. “Godwin, Oscar has her…you can’t very well wrest her away without causing a stir.”
She turned to her cousin and anxiously told him, “Oscar…quickly take her into the garden for some air. She might then be able to recover without all the world’s eyes on her.”
Oscar actually surprised Sara at this juncture by taking control and hurriedly leading Lisa, whose hand was still on her head, out the nearby garden door.
Godwin followed, Sara did the same.
As Oscar got Lisa to a garden bench, she promptly disgorged the drink she had just imbibed onto the grass.
Godwin turned away in disgust, but once again, Oscar surprised Sara by immediately taking out his handkerchief and dipping it into the water fountain and returning to wash Lisa’s face and make sure her gown was not dirtied.
Sara was impressed with her cousin’s ability to handle the situation, but only momentarily. She had to keep her mind focused on her goal and so she turned to Godwin and said, “Let us leave them be, dear Godwin. I am certain Oscar will know just how to take care of her.”
“Indeed, they appear to be quite comfortable with one another,” Godwin said, stiffening.
“Oh, please don’t misunderstand, and I see that you do. They are friends…only friends,” Sara told the truth, but in a tone that meant the two were much more.
“It appears much more than that. I count myself lucky to have you now at my side. Will you not tell me the truth so that I shan’t continue to make a fool of myself?” he said quietly.
She had to be careful, she cautioned herself. She did not wish to be caught in a lie at some later date. “I certainly don’t want that either, my lord. All I can tell you is that Lisa has assured me that they are friends. They enjoy and are at ease with one another. More than that, I simply cannot say.”
“I see. Very well, I shall have to make up my own mind about this,” he said as much to himself as to Sara.
They turned to find a tall, husky man of mature years barreling down on them. Mr. Cotham, Lisa’s father! He stopped as he reached them and his voice was jolly. He appeared well pleased with the evening his wife had put together for their precious daughter. Once again, Sara felt a wave of envy. It was just too bad that Lisa had turned eighteen before her.
“Well, well, are you young people all enjoying yourselves?” Mr. Cotham asked, slapping his gloved hands together.
“Yes, yes, sir, very much,” Sara assured him sweetly.
“Right then, where has that minx of mine gone off to?” he asked, and looked around.
“She wasn’t feeling quite the thing, sir, and went into the garden for some air,” Sara said, and lowered her eyes to the silky toes of her shoes.
“Good God! I thought she looked a bit too flushed,” he exclaimed. “Well then, go on, keep having fun. I shall see to her.”
Sara said, “Oh, but I shall accompany you…in case she needs me.”
“Humph, well, all right then,” Lisa’s father said, and made his way towards the garden with both Sara and Godwin in tow.
The scene that met their eyes shocked all three. Even Sara had not hoped to find them in such a compromising state.
“I am so glad you are better,” Oscar said, and lifted Lisa’s chin.
“Yes, apparently emptying my insides so completely has done the trick,” Lisa said, and giggled.
