"Though this may be the age of men, it is the dawn of women. I call upon every wife, mother, and daughter to put down her embroidery hoop and pick up her picket sign. Rally, hear the call, and let the leaders of the land know that you will be heard, you MUST be heard!"
As Sarah scrawled "James Mullen" across the bottom of the page and sighed. Much as she would like to send this to the editor of the small independent paper that she submitted to, even she knew it was too inflammatory. "You go too far Turner" she could hear the editor say. "We must lead the horses to the water, not drown them in it." She opened her desk drawer to stow her pen and her fingers brushed the blue velvet of the box she had been doing her best to ignore. Flipping it open, she was momentarily dazzled. The ring was beautiful, circle cut with scroll-work all along the band. He knew her well, the design was inlaid lilies.
She should have known as soon as he lead her to the house, should have known when she saw the design of the sitting room and the open air balcony. Hadn't she described just that house to him a hundred times growing up, hadn't she once dreamed of setting up a happy home just like that one. Once. Now everything was changed, and she was too much of a coward to tell him.
He hadn't accepted her refusal. He had looked into her blue eyes and seen her pain and had taken it for regret, and he had pressed the box into her hands and begged her to give his proposal due consideration. She had acquiesced, if only to spare him for the moment. And now, now she didn't know what to do. As always, when she was at a loss she turned to action. She was almost done packing when she heard the bell ring downstairs.
"Bollocks" she grumbled, her favorite curse word not doing her resentment at the inopportune caller justice.
She flung her traveling hat on the bed as she heard Mrs. Wheeling's labored tread on the stair.
"Miss Ramona is here to see you."
"Thank you" Sarah snapped, ignoring the curious look on the woman's face as she took in her traveling attire.
Five minutes later she shoved the full suitcase under her bed and clumped downstairs. Mona was waiting for her in the sitting room- polite to the end she refused to go to the kitchen even for Mrs. Wheelings fresh baked biscuits that were perfuming the air.
"Sarah!" Mona rose on seeing her, and rushed to embrace her a flush spreading across her already too pink cheeks. She looked well, even though she was preoccupied Sarah could see that.
"Oh Sarah, I have so much to tell you! She sank down into one of the dark green uncomfortable armchairs, all in a tither. Sarah would much prefer to be sitting on her bed upstairs as they had when they shared secrets as girls, but her father had taught her that the great happiness's and great tragedies of life should be delivered in the formal sitting room. Sarah had some of both, but to look at Mona she had seen only good fortunes of late. Sarah knew that all she had to do was wait, Mona was never much of one for keeping secrets to herself. They had scarce settled themselves before the words came tumbling out of her friend's mouth.
"Sarah, he took me to Jamaica Pond! And I told him about Mother and he didn't hate me, and Sarah, he knew and he's helping Father with the case and he held me- he kissed me, in the middle of the park! And I liked it I think, I'm not sure, I've never been kissed before, not even William...but he's not like William at all! He's wonderful! Oh Sarah, you were right! Women and men can't simply be friends! I think I'm falling in love!"
Despite her troubles, Sarah smiled at her friend. It was good to see her this happy, she had seldom enough had a smile on her face since her mother and William...
"Breath, Mona dear. Men will keep. He kissed you? In the middle of the park with all those people? Have a thought for your reputation!" She softened as Mona squirmed with discomfort.
"I'm only teasing, I'm sure he cares for you too. He seemed a fine smart man."
"He liked you." Mona had a sly look on her face, one that Sarah had learned to distrust years before.
"And I liked him too...what's your point?"
"Well, his brother coming to town next week...a dashing smart fellow..."
"Ohhhhh no you don't. I love you like a sister but I'm not ready to be tied down yet, not even by dashing Stephan's charming brother I'm sure." Mona pouted prettily, a trick they had learned in finishing school but Sarah had never had the patience to master. Looking up at her friend, Mona finally seemed to take in her friend's attire.
"Were you going somewhere?" Sarah sighed, contemplating which lie to tell.
"Just out of town for a couple of days, visiting school friends." It was the cruelest one, but also the one that was likely to prompt the least amount of questions from Mona. She had calculated well, Mona's face fell for a moment but she collected herself in record time. She would be a good society wife, Sarah decided. That was the irony of their friendship.
"Well, I'm sure that your company is much missed by them. Any girl is lucky to call you her friend, Sarah." The comment hung in the air, twisting in Sarah's heart. If only she could tell her the truth, the whole truth...but it wasn't worth worth risking their whole friendship just to lighten her heart. For a moment she contemplated telling her about the ring upstairs in it's blue velvet box, if only to lighten the mood; But Mona would not rest until that subject saw it's conclusion. Sighing, she realized there was just one thing to do.
"I'll be out of town until Monday, but I suppose I could you to lunch with you and your male companion's brother next week. Name the place, and the time." Mona's spirits were lifted visibly.
"Oh my dearest friend, I can't wait! Wednesday, noon for tea? Oh, I know Eric can't wait to meet you!"
Sarah stood up, with startling speed- sudden fear coursing through her veins.
"Eric Magathan?" And then she did a most un-Sarah like thing.
She fainted.
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