him as much as I should have." She squeezed her eyes tight and leaned forward as water cascaded over her hair and drained into the tub. She hadn't told Mandi everything about what had happened, only that Jon kissed her and that she hadn't exactly fought him off.
Mandi soaped her hair again. "Ah think you's sweet on him," she teased. Sarah didn't respond. The word sweet seemed incongruous. She couldn't banish thoughts of the intimate moment they'd shared: of the salty-sweet taste of his kiss, and the gamy aroma of leather and earth on his hands, and the raw male power behind his embrace. At first she'd been terrified, knowing too well the strength of a man moved by lust. Then, somehow, Jon calmed her fears. She wasn't certain how he'd done it, but the next moment she was allowing him to hold her while she stretched out with him on the ground. And it was so different from what happened in San Francisco...
"Well?"Mandi said, while scrubbing vigorously.
"Well what?"
"Are you sweet on him?"
Sarah shrugged. "I admit, I find him... attractive."
Mandi smiled and poured another pail of rinse water over Sarah's head. After Sarah's hair had drained and was wrapped in a soft flannel towel, Mandi asked, "What do you plan to do?"
Sarah stood. "About what?"
"About startin ' your business."
"Nothing has changed," Sarah said. "Tomorrow, I plan to look for a building to lease so I'll be prepared when I have completed the papers for my license."
Mandi handed her another flannel towel. "You still plannin ' on lookin ' down near the waterfront?"
"Possibly. I saw several likely buildings when we were leaving the ship."
"Ida said that's where all the women keep disappearin '... that the last one went outside for a few minutes, even left clothes boilin ' on the stove, and never came back. Ida said the police are lookin ' for her but don't think there's much chance findin ' her if she was shanghaied to the goldfields 'cause up there a woman's real easy to hide."
"I can't live in fear of what might happen," Sarah said. "If I’m able to find a store, I'll take it." Wrapped in a towel, she stepped out of the tub and onto a braided rug. While waiting for Mandi to bring a chemise and drawers, Sarah scanned the Berlin wool work hanging on the wall, and the antimacassars on the backs of the chairs, pieces Caroline Cromwell had done. Needlework, as she'd learned in school, was a respectable pastime for the leisure hours of a woman whereby she could show her love for her family. But she had no patience with the needle. Riding horses or chasing butterflies were much more appealing pastimes...
"The guv'nor sho ' is handsome," Mandi said, handing Sarah the drawers. "You figurin ' on ridin ' with him again?"
"Of course not," Sarah replied. "I only went with him to see the cottage." But she couldn't deny that merely thinking about the kiss they'd shared caused her heart to flutter, her breath to catch, and a warmth to spread through her. However, these new sensations would pass, and she refused to dwell on them. She had far more important things to consider.
After donning the chemise, she moved to the dressing table. While Mandi brushed her hair to dry it, she said, forlorn, "If you don’t have plans to ride with the guv’nor , then Ah ' spect you won't be seein ' much of him."
Sarah eyed Mandi in the mirror. "You're a hopeless romantic,” she said, “and I fully intend to discourage the man. He is, after all, the enemy." She caught the doleful look in Mandi's dark eyes. "All right, if it makes you happy, I might see him in town tomorrow morning. So, before I leave, I'd like you to arrange my hair in plaits, with the plaits encircling a chignon." She knew the style was particularly becoming, especially with the bonnet she planned to wear.
Mandi smiled. "It don't sound like you's tryin ' to discourage him," she teased.
Sarah dabbed a drop of oil of lavender behind each ear. "I am," she replied.
For a few moments Mandi said nothing, absorbed
Mandi soaped her hair again. "Ah think you's sweet on him," she teased. Sarah didn't respond. The word sweet seemed incongruous. She couldn't banish thoughts of the intimate moment they'd shared: of the salty-sweet taste of his kiss, and the gamy aroma of leather and earth on his hands, and the raw male power behind his embrace. At first she'd been terrified, knowing too well the strength of a man moved by lust. Then, somehow, Jon calmed her fears. She wasn't certain how he'd done it, but the next moment she was allowing him to hold her while she stretched out with him on the ground. And it was so different from what happened in San Francisco...
"Well?"Mandi said, while scrubbing vigorously.
"Well what?"
"Are you sweet on him?"
Sarah shrugged. "I admit, I find him... attractive."
Mandi smiled and poured another pail of rinse water over Sarah's head. After Sarah's hair had drained and was wrapped in a soft flannel towel, Mandi asked, "What do you plan to do?"
Sarah stood. "About what?"
"About startin ' your business."
"Nothing has changed," Sarah said. "Tomorrow, I plan to look for a building to lease so I'll be prepared when I have completed the papers for my license."
Mandi handed her another flannel towel. "You still plannin ' on lookin ' down near the waterfront?"
"Possibly. I saw several likely buildings when we were leaving the ship."
"Ida said that's where all the women keep disappearin '... that the last one went outside for a few minutes, even left clothes boilin ' on the stove, and never came back. Ida said the police are lookin ' for her but don't think there's much chance findin ' her if she was shanghaied to the goldfields 'cause up there a woman's real easy to hide."
"I can't live in fear of what might happen," Sarah said. "If I’m able to find a store, I'll take it." Wrapped in a towel, she stepped out of the tub and onto a braided rug. While waiting for Mandi to bring a chemise and drawers, Sarah scanned the Berlin wool work hanging on the wall, and the antimacassars on the backs of the chairs, pieces Caroline Cromwell had done. Needlework, as she'd learned in school, was a respectable pastime for the leisure hours of a woman whereby she could show her love for her family. But she had no patience with the needle. Riding horses or chasing butterflies were much more appealing pastimes...
"The guv'nor sho ' is handsome," Mandi said, handing Sarah the drawers. "You figurin ' on ridin ' with him again?"
"Of course not," Sarah replied. "I only went with him to see the cottage." But she couldn't deny that merely thinking about the kiss they'd shared caused her heart to flutter, her breath to catch, and a warmth to spread through her. However, these new sensations would pass, and she refused to dwell on them. She had far more important things to consider.
After donning the chemise, she moved to the dressing table. While Mandi brushed her hair to dry it, she said, forlorn, "If you don’t have plans to ride with the guv’nor , then Ah ' spect you won't be seein ' much of him."
Sarah eyed Mandi in the mirror. "You're a hopeless romantic,” she said, “and I fully intend to discourage the man. He is, after all, the enemy." She caught the doleful look in Mandi's dark eyes. "All right, if it makes you happy, I might see him in town tomorrow morning. So, before I leave, I'd like you to arrange my hair in plaits, with the plaits encircling a chignon." She knew the style was particularly becoming, especially with the bonnet she planned to wear.
Mandi smiled. "It don't sound like you's tryin ' to discourage him," she teased.
Sarah dabbed a drop of oil of lavender behind each ear. "I am," she replied.
For a few moments Mandi said nothing, absorbed
Similar Books
