Sarah winced in sympathy. “I feel splendid. Perhaps a little fatigued, but not terribly so.”

Iris smiled at her cousin. It seemed so strange that Sarah would soon be a mother. They had played as children together, moaned about the musicale together. And now Sarah had moved on to the next phase of her life.

And Iris was . . .

Still here.

“You love him very much, don’t you?” she said quietly.

Sarah did not reply right away, regarding her cousin with an expression of curiosity. “I do,” she said solemnly. “With everything I am.”

Iris nodded. “I know.” She thought Sarah would speak then, perhaps to ask her why she’d made such a silly query, but Sarah remained silent, until Iris could not help but ask, “How did you know?”

“Know?”

“That you loved him.”

“I—” Sarah stopped, pausing to think. “I’m not sure. I can’t really remember the exact moment. It’s funny, I always thought that if I did fall in love, I would do it in a grand flash of insight. You know, bolts of lightning, angels singing on high . . . that sort of thing.”

Iris grinned. That did sound like Sarah. She’d always had a penchant for drama.

“But it wasn’t like that at all,” Sarah continued wistfully. “I remember feeling very strange and wondering about it, trying to determine if what I felt was love.”

“So someone might not know while it’s happening?”

“I suppose not.”

Iris caught her lower lip between her teeth, then whispered, “Was it when he first kissed you?”

“Iris!” Sarah smiled in shock and delight. “What a question!”

“It’s not so improper,” Iris said, glancing at a spot on the wall that was decidedly to the left of Sarah’s face.

“Oh, yes it is.” Sarah’s chin drew back in her surprise. “But I love that you asked it.”

That was not what Iris expected her to say. “Why?”

“Because you always seem so . . .” Sarah waved a hand through the air, swirling it about as if that might draw out the correct word. “. . . untouched by these things.”

“By what things?” Iris asked suspiciously.

“Oh, you know. Emotions. Infatuations. You’re always so calm. Even when you’re furious.”

Iris bristled defensively. “Is there something wrong with that?”

“Of course not. It’s simply who you are. And quite frankly, it’s probably the only reason Daisy has reached the age of seventeen without your killing her. Not that she’ll ever appreciate it.”

Iris couldn’t stop a wry smile. It was nice to know someone appreciated her forbearance with her younger sister.

Sarah narrowed her eyes and leaned forward. “This is about Sir Richard, isn’t it?”