Chapter 17The Proposal
For the last two years Charles had enjoyed the Sunday dinners, mixed with occasional walks along the river, but he found himself yearning for more. He would soon be fifty years old. He and Betsey had not had children and he wasn’t sure if he could now. He did want to leave a family, so he could not think of any reason why he should not ask Sarah Livingston to marry him. No reason other than it scared the hell out of him to ask. On a lovely Sunday afternoon in May, Charles asked Sarah to go on a picnic with him. They soon found themselves on a bluff overlooking the river. From that point, one could see for twenty miles in all directions.
“What a beautiful location for a picnic,” Sarah said as she began spreading a blanket on the ground. “I do hope the owner
