"Then I shall have faith and fret in equal measure," she counters, tipping her face up to his with a sign of amusement in her blue eyes. "I would not see you break your promise to me, and I know you would strive to ensure that it is fulfilled."

In public, of course, she would allow herself little more than a brief embrace, a small touch of her hand to his. Here and alone, she welcomes his kiss and responds to it, suffusing it with newfound feeling.