She’d touched him deeply. For a moment, he couldn’t speak. “Sarah,” he finally said. “I think that’s the kindest thing anyone has ever done for me.”

“I’m not being kind, Richard,” she assured him. “I’m being selfish. I want to feel better about myself by doing something good.”

“I’m sure that’s the basic motivation for all charitable acts,” he said with an understanding smile.

“Perhaps it is. I hope it doesn’t matter what the motivation is, so long as the act itself is good,” she added.

“I’m sure you’re right.”

“Would you come to the party?” she asked.

He seemed surprised. “Of course. I mean, I assumed you wouldn’t have told me about it if you weren’t going to invite me.”

Had he forgotten that he blamed the people at the mission for giving Hazel her fatal illness? If so, Sarah wasn’t going to remind him. “We want to do more than simply invite you. We were hoping you’d agree to help host. Perhaps you could also speak about Hazel’s work at the mission.”

“I don’t know what I could say, but I’ll be happy to play host. I’ve been to a number of this type of event. We should ask Mrs. Wells to come and speak about her work. She’s the one who knows the most.”

“I hadn’t thought of that. What a good idea.”

“She’ll probably also bring a couple of the girls along, to show the guests some examples of her success.”

Sarah almost winced when she thought of Emilia. “You haven’t asked me what inspired my sudden desire to help the mission.”

“I assumed it was a result of our visit there.”

Sarah took a deep breath and let it out with a sigh. “I wish that were all. I had a very unpleasant experience today. Do you remember that girl Emilia whom we met at the mission?”