was the one to break the kiss.
Smiling down at her, he said, "I believe your all-consuming goal is at this moment far from your mind. Am I correct?"
Sarah drew in a ragged breath, and touched her handkerchief to her forehead, and dabbed it to her lips, and replied, "That is so very typical. Every man believes that every woman can be overwhelmed by means of physical restraint."
"If you felt physically restrained," Jon said with a trace of irony, "you certainly didn't give that impression."
"As I was saying, governor, I shall not be deterred from my goal, in spite of the efforts of you and your illustrious legislative council to stop me."
Jon brushed his finger along her jaw, and said, "We'll see, Miss Ashley. We'll see."
CHAPTER FOUR
Sarah described to Esther what happened at the legislature building and showed her the papers containing the restrictions and requirements that the council had imposed. However, she neglected to mention that she'd been to the office of The Colonist and had enlisted the aid of Amor De Cosmos. Jon was, after all, Esther's brother, and Esther might be offended by an editorial attack on him in her behalf. She’d tell Esther eventually, but not yet.
Empathizing with Sarah, Esther suggested that Sarah meet some of the merchants in town. Esther was certain that if they met Sarah, and she described her plans to them, they'd sign the license application. Sarah did not share Esther's confidence, but believed it would be worth trying. She'd also check on her money at Wells Fargo, which should have arrived in Victoria by now, and establish an account in Victoria. At least she should have no trouble obtaining one banker's signature. She had a sizeable sum of money to deposit.
Deciding that the occasion called for conservative attire, she donned a walking dress of a lightweight russet merino wool with black lace cuffs and collar. On her head she wore a black Tuscan bonnet with a broad brim that turned up on one side and down on the other, with black ostrich feathers and a cluster of heath blossoms set against the fan-shaped brim.
At the Wells Fargo office, to Sarah's profound relief, her money had arrived. She'd been worried that Hollis, in his legal finagling, had somehow managed to intercept it. With a bank draft in hand from Wells Fargo, she and Esther swept into the Bank of British North America, where Esther, with great aplomb, introduced Sarah to the manager, indicating that Sarah was indeed a woman to whom he should show deference. The banker graciously welcomed her to his bank and hastily opened her account. After securing her money, he reminded Sarah that if there was anything he could do for her in the future, she should feel free to call upon him… at which point she thrust the bundle of papers in front of him. To her surprise, he signed.
Stepping out of the bank, Sarah and Esther broke into girlish giggles at their achievement. Feeling triumphant over having obtained her first signature, and sensing a close camaraderie with Esther, Sarah decided that the time had come to confess what she'd done and break the news about the upcoming editorial.
While they walked up the planked board walkway, threading their way between seedy, unshaven prospectors in tattered clothes, Sarah gave Esther a contrite smile, and said in an almost apologetic voice, "I'm afraid I've done something that will make Jon quite angry."
Esther looked at Sarah in subdued amusement. "I'm sure Jon has far more to worry about overseeing the colony than any mischief you might have caused. But since it seems to be worrying you, what is it you've done?"
A faint flush warmed Sarah's cheeks, as she said, "I was so angry and frustrated when I left the legislature building yesterday, knowing what Jon and his council had done to make things difficult for me, that I took my grievance to the newspaper. Mr. De Cosmos plans to make an issue of the incident in an edition in The Colonist ."
Esther laughed lightly. "I assure you,
Smiling down at her, he said, "I believe your all-consuming goal is at this moment far from your mind. Am I correct?"
Sarah drew in a ragged breath, and touched her handkerchief to her forehead, and dabbed it to her lips, and replied, "That is so very typical. Every man believes that every woman can be overwhelmed by means of physical restraint."
"If you felt physically restrained," Jon said with a trace of irony, "you certainly didn't give that impression."
"As I was saying, governor, I shall not be deterred from my goal, in spite of the efforts of you and your illustrious legislative council to stop me."
Jon brushed his finger along her jaw, and said, "We'll see, Miss Ashley. We'll see."
CHAPTER FOUR
Sarah described to Esther what happened at the legislature building and showed her the papers containing the restrictions and requirements that the council had imposed. However, she neglected to mention that she'd been to the office of The Colonist and had enlisted the aid of Amor De Cosmos. Jon was, after all, Esther's brother, and Esther might be offended by an editorial attack on him in her behalf. She’d tell Esther eventually, but not yet.
Empathizing with Sarah, Esther suggested that Sarah meet some of the merchants in town. Esther was certain that if they met Sarah, and she described her plans to them, they'd sign the license application. Sarah did not share Esther's confidence, but believed it would be worth trying. She'd also check on her money at Wells Fargo, which should have arrived in Victoria by now, and establish an account in Victoria. At least she should have no trouble obtaining one banker's signature. She had a sizeable sum of money to deposit.
Deciding that the occasion called for conservative attire, she donned a walking dress of a lightweight russet merino wool with black lace cuffs and collar. On her head she wore a black Tuscan bonnet with a broad brim that turned up on one side and down on the other, with black ostrich feathers and a cluster of heath blossoms set against the fan-shaped brim.
At the Wells Fargo office, to Sarah's profound relief, her money had arrived. She'd been worried that Hollis, in his legal finagling, had somehow managed to intercept it. With a bank draft in hand from Wells Fargo, she and Esther swept into the Bank of British North America, where Esther, with great aplomb, introduced Sarah to the manager, indicating that Sarah was indeed a woman to whom he should show deference. The banker graciously welcomed her to his bank and hastily opened her account. After securing her money, he reminded Sarah that if there was anything he could do for her in the future, she should feel free to call upon him… at which point she thrust the bundle of papers in front of him. To her surprise, he signed.
Stepping out of the bank, Sarah and Esther broke into girlish giggles at their achievement. Feeling triumphant over having obtained her first signature, and sensing a close camaraderie with Esther, Sarah decided that the time had come to confess what she'd done and break the news about the upcoming editorial.
While they walked up the planked board walkway, threading their way between seedy, unshaven prospectors in tattered clothes, Sarah gave Esther a contrite smile, and said in an almost apologetic voice, "I'm afraid I've done something that will make Jon quite angry."
Esther looked at Sarah in subdued amusement. "I'm sure Jon has far more to worry about overseeing the colony than any mischief you might have caused. But since it seems to be worrying you, what is it you've done?"
A faint flush warmed Sarah's cheeks, as she said, "I was so angry and frustrated when I left the legislature building yesterday, knowing what Jon and his council had done to make things difficult for me, that I took my grievance to the newspaper. Mr. De Cosmos plans to make an issue of the incident in an edition in The Colonist ."
Esther laughed lightly. "I assure you,
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