the parlor gossip going. And that's exactly what she's done with Sarah, drudged up a lot of baseless, unfounded muck."
Dorothy's mouth compressed in a harsh line. "So, Sarah it is now. When did you drop the formalities?"
"Why should that surprise you?" Jon said. "After all, Sarah and I have spent some time together. Besides, you have no objection to my referring to Miss Windemere as Mary Letitia."
"That's completely different." Dorothy's eyes glowed with renewed intent. "And speaking of Mary Letitia—"
"I'd rather not."
"You are being a thickheaded ninny. Mary Letitia Windemere comes from a socially prominent family and her father is in a position to aid your political career, she is a cultured, sophisticated woman who would see to the proper guidance and upbringing of your daughters, and she is in love with you."
"She's in love with the idea of being the governor's wife," Jon said. "Should Seymour become governor instead of me, you'd soon see just how anxious she'd be to marry me."
Dorothy stabbed her needle in and out of the sock. "You are behaving like an utter gooseberry. Before the Ashley woman arrived, you were a reasonable-thinking man, courting a reasonable-thinking woman. Mary Letitia would make an excellent wife for you and a model mother for your daughters—"
"Stop!" Jon raised his hand in protest." I don't want to discuss Mary Letitia, nor do I intend to marry her." Dorothy tightened her mouth and said nothing, but Jon knew his mother had not dropped the issue of Mary Letitia Windemere. "As for Sarah finding other lodging, she plans to move to the Pemberton cottage, but until she does, you'll have to bear her presence. And as long as she remains a guest in our home, she will be treated with deference and respect."
"Very well." The darning needle went in and out, in and out, in short, quick stabs. "I have just one last thing to say on the subject, and then I will say no more." She paused from her darning and looked up. "The Ashley woman has obviously bewitched you, just as Caroline bewitched you, and you see where that got you."
Jon set the brandy snifter down abruptly and pinned his mother with a steely gaze. "Do not ever compare Sarah to Caroline, and do not ever speak Caroline’s name to me again!" He turned and left the room, slamming the door behind. He wanted it to be absolutely clear to his mother that there was no comparison between the two women. True, Sarah was beautiful as Caroline had been. And both women possessed high-spirited natures. But Sarah, for some reason, had sworn off men. Caroline thrived on them.
Oddly, until now, he'd never really thought of why Sarah had sworn off men. She'd explained why she was opposed to marriage, although her reasoning seemed somewhat illogical and ambiguous. But her mistrust of men verged on the irrational. Which worked to his advantage. Unlike Mary Letitia, Sarah was not looking toward marriage. Rather, she was avoiding it. By pursuing her, he would never find himself in another conjugal trap, because he would not be lured into being that fool again.
***
By the ocher light of several wall fixtures, Mandi dipped a small pail into the washtub and poured warm water over Sarah's head. "Ida said she heard at the bakery that someone saw you comin ' out the Pemberton cottage with the guv'nor earlier this afternoon and that you'd been mussed up quite a bit."
Sarah pursed her lips. "I see the preacher's wife is doing her part in spreading the word."
"Ah don't know 'bout that. Ah only know what Ida said." Mandi poured another pail of water over Sarah's head, then said in a worried voice, "You sho ' do have a lot of stuff caught in your hair. It's a good thing you's takin ' supper here in your room tonight, 'cause we'd never have gotten it all out by then. Umm... umm.... Ah knew you shouldn't have gone ridin ' without a hat, or with the guv'nor , you playin ' up to him the way you was."
"I never played up to him," Sarah said. "I guess I just didn't discourage
Dorothy's mouth compressed in a harsh line. "So, Sarah it is now. When did you drop the formalities?"
"Why should that surprise you?" Jon said. "After all, Sarah and I have spent some time together. Besides, you have no objection to my referring to Miss Windemere as Mary Letitia."
"That's completely different." Dorothy's eyes glowed with renewed intent. "And speaking of Mary Letitia—"
"I'd rather not."
"You are being a thickheaded ninny. Mary Letitia Windemere comes from a socially prominent family and her father is in a position to aid your political career, she is a cultured, sophisticated woman who would see to the proper guidance and upbringing of your daughters, and she is in love with you."
"She's in love with the idea of being the governor's wife," Jon said. "Should Seymour become governor instead of me, you'd soon see just how anxious she'd be to marry me."
Dorothy stabbed her needle in and out of the sock. "You are behaving like an utter gooseberry. Before the Ashley woman arrived, you were a reasonable-thinking man, courting a reasonable-thinking woman. Mary Letitia would make an excellent wife for you and a model mother for your daughters—"
"Stop!" Jon raised his hand in protest." I don't want to discuss Mary Letitia, nor do I intend to marry her." Dorothy tightened her mouth and said nothing, but Jon knew his mother had not dropped the issue of Mary Letitia Windemere. "As for Sarah finding other lodging, she plans to move to the Pemberton cottage, but until she does, you'll have to bear her presence. And as long as she remains a guest in our home, she will be treated with deference and respect."
"Very well." The darning needle went in and out, in and out, in short, quick stabs. "I have just one last thing to say on the subject, and then I will say no more." She paused from her darning and looked up. "The Ashley woman has obviously bewitched you, just as Caroline bewitched you, and you see where that got you."
Jon set the brandy snifter down abruptly and pinned his mother with a steely gaze. "Do not ever compare Sarah to Caroline, and do not ever speak Caroline’s name to me again!" He turned and left the room, slamming the door behind. He wanted it to be absolutely clear to his mother that there was no comparison between the two women. True, Sarah was beautiful as Caroline had been. And both women possessed high-spirited natures. But Sarah, for some reason, had sworn off men. Caroline thrived on them.
Oddly, until now, he'd never really thought of why Sarah had sworn off men. She'd explained why she was opposed to marriage, although her reasoning seemed somewhat illogical and ambiguous. But her mistrust of men verged on the irrational. Which worked to his advantage. Unlike Mary Letitia, Sarah was not looking toward marriage. Rather, she was avoiding it. By pursuing her, he would never find himself in another conjugal trap, because he would not be lured into being that fool again.
***
By the ocher light of several wall fixtures, Mandi dipped a small pail into the washtub and poured warm water over Sarah's head. "Ida said she heard at the bakery that someone saw you comin ' out the Pemberton cottage with the guv'nor earlier this afternoon and that you'd been mussed up quite a bit."
Sarah pursed her lips. "I see the preacher's wife is doing her part in spreading the word."
"Ah don't know 'bout that. Ah only know what Ida said." Mandi poured another pail of water over Sarah's head, then said in a worried voice, "You sho ' do have a lot of stuff caught in your hair. It's a good thing you's takin ' supper here in your room tonight, 'cause we'd never have gotten it all out by then. Umm... umm.... Ah knew you shouldn't have gone ridin ' without a hat, or with the guv'nor , you playin ' up to him the way you was."
"I never played up to him," Sarah said. "I guess I just didn't discourage
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