by Linda Ford
“How very nice of him. I’m glad you contacted me, Mrs. White,” Millicent said.
The older woman smiled at them both and hurried up to the front of the room to speak with the lady Matt supposed was the speaker. He helped Millicent set up and then took a seat near where she’d be taking her photographs. The room had quickly filled up in those few minutes and the chatter grew louder until Mrs. White stepped up to the podium and introduced the guest speaker.
Matt was more interested in watching Millicent take photographs of the two women than in listening to what they were saying. As the meeting got under way, she would turn her camera in different angles to get the audience, too. Most were listening intently, but a few were fidgeting in their chairs.
Suddenly the woman at the podium raised her voice a notch or two. “Ladies, we cannot let the men we care about control our lives! We should have the same rights they do and we don’t have to put up with being mistreated or put down in any way! We should have the right to our freedom should we marry a man who wants only to rule us! We must stand together for the sake of our daughters. We don’t want them marrying someone who won’t take their interests to heart!”
“Hold on there!” a man in the audience yelled. “There are men here who support the right for women to vote, but you’re going too far, madam—accusing us of such things!”
Millicent gasped and looked at Matt, confusion clearly in her eyes. He looked around and saw several women and men leaving and at the same time he heard footsteps advancing on the ballroom.
Someone from the audience said, “And we’ve been photographed! I don’t want my photo attached to this kind of meeting!” Several people headed their way, but the crush of others going in the opposite direction slowed them down.
“We’ve got to go, Millie! I don’t know what’s going on, but let’s get your camera and tripod and get out of here. Hurry!”
Millicent put her camera in its bag while Matt broke down the tripod. Mrs. White seemed to be at their side right away, leading them to a side door. “I am so sorry about this, Millicent. Please, go right in the hall and take the stairs down to the kitchen and go out that way. This was not the meeting we expected. We don’t get into domestic rights at our meetings. I’m so sorry.”
She didn’t wait for an answer and Matt was glad as he hurried Millicent down the stairs. The kitchen staff looked quite surprised to see them, but one of them led Matt and Millicent to the back door, making Matt wonder if this kind of thing happened often. He could hear other people clamoring into the kitchen as he and Millicent went outside and made their way through the backyard and then to a street over, where he hailed a hack.
He told the driver where to take them as he threw Millicent’s camera back in and then lifted her and her tripod into the hack. The driver took off as soon as Matt shut the door but as he turned the corner, they saw policemen hurrying up the steps of Mrs. White’s place.
They both let out the breath they’d been holding and turned to each other.
“We made it,” Matt said once he could speak.
“But from what? What was going on there? Why were they yelling so?”
Matt began to laugh as he realized Millicent had been concentrating so much on taking her photos, she really didn’t know.
*
“Why are you laughing? I don’t think police raiding Mrs. White’s home is a reason to laugh!” Millicent said. She wasn’t sure what had happened, but obviously it wasn’t good and she had a feeling her photographs would not be used. And she sincerely hoped her reputation as a photographer hadn’t been ruined because she was there!
“You’re right, Millicent. It’s just that neither of us was paying much attention to what was being said. You were concentrating on taking your photographs and I was watching you. It wasn’t until the speaker began to rant about…wanting more rights than just voting that the group got a little riled. By the time you realized something was going on, it was time to leave.”
“What was she saying?” Millicent needed to know. Mrs. White had apologized and as far as Millicent knew there’d never been an incident of any kind at the meetings she’d hosted.
“I didn’t hear it all, either, but I think she was saying a woman should be able to leave her husband if…he was too, I don’t know, Millicent. If he took his interests more to heart than hers?” He shrugged. “I know that some of these groups push for the right for a woman to divorce her husband for nearly any reason, but I’m not sure…”
Millicent let out a sigh. “There are those groups. And they aren’t helping the ones who are most interested in getting the right to vote. With that, hopefully there will be ways to get more rights. I for one don’t believe in divorce, but yet, I know there are women out there who are being severely mistreated. Kathleen’s sister Colleen’s husband nearly killed her before the cops shot him. For these women I wish there were a way they could get out of that kind of situation, I guess. But if a husband and wife would only take each other’s interests and feelings into consideration, and if the couple looks to the Lord for guidance, I don’t think there would be a need to leave. Do you?”
“I— No. But most of the couples I know have never even thought about leaving one another. My parents listen to each other and make most decisions together. And should my father make one my mother isn’t pleased with, he explains why. I’ve never heard them argue.”
“My parents are like that, too. But I do know that not all couples are. And there are men who…” What was she doing? Matt didn’t approve of her wanting to have her own shop any more than Robert had.
“Men who…?” he asked, his voice sounding husky in the darkened hack.
Millicent sighed. “Men who don’t want an independent-thinking woman and certainly not one who might want a business of her own.”
“Maybe they only want one who would put her husband and any family they might have first and are afraid she might not make time for them if she’s busy with her own business.”
“Well, why do they assume that one wouldn’t put her family first? Why do they think they’d be ignored instead of realizing that she would work her business around her family? Couldn’t one talk about those things before putting one’s foot down and saying absolutely not?” Millicent could have bitten her tongue once the words were out. Matt was the last person she should be talking to about all of this! She’d never voiced her feelings in this way before.
“Millicent, I… You make a very good point. Have you— Did your father put his foot down about you coming here?”
“No. In fact he was very supportive and felt bad about encouraging Robert—”
“Robert?”
Millicent closed her eyes and shook her head, glad it was dark inside the cab.
“Who is Robert?” Matt pressed.
Well, she’d asked for it; she might as well get it out. “Robert Baxter was a man back home whom I almost married. Until I found out that he was strongly opposed to my continuing with my photography at all, much less opening my own shop. He knew that was my goal when he started courting me, but evidently he thought marriage to him should be my only objective, waiting on him, wanting only what he wanted, working with him to fulfill his dreams with no thought at all to mine.”
“Did you assure him—”
“I did. But it didn’t seem to matter. He didn’t want children right away, if at all. He wanted all of my attention to be on him and his desire to run for office one day. He didn’t love me for who I am, but for what he wanted me to be. So I broke it off.” Millicent clamped her lips shut. She hadn’t meant to tell Matt so much about herself and her past.
“Sounds like a wise decision to me, Millicent. But surely you know that not all men are like him? Look at Michael, Luke, John and Ben—they’re very supportive of their wives…”
“But they are not the norm, Matt.”
“And you decided this because of one man?”
“No, of course not. But be honest—you and Joe and Stephen made up
your minds about the suffrage meetings before you ever went to one. You didn’t give much thought to why we were going to them. And you’ve made it known since we first met that you don’t approve of my starting my own business.”
“Millie—you can’t read my mind. You don’t know—”
“Matt, I don’t have to read your mind. You’ve made it quite clear how you feel.”
“But all the women at Heaton House work. They have no man to take care of them and—”
“Exactly. And once they are married and have a husband to take care of them? You don’t think they should work, do you?”
“Millicent, Elizabeth still works, as does Kathleen. John and Luke don’t seem to have a problem with it.”
“And as I said, they are the exception, not the norm. Tell me the truth, Matt. If you married you’d expect your wife not to work, wouldn’t you?” She wished she could see his expression, for that would be the most telling of all, but even as the hack pulled up outside Heaton House, it was too dark to have any idea what Matt might be thinking.
*
“I—” The hack jerked to a stop right outside Heaton House and Matt didn’t know whether to be relieved or disappointed at first.
“I suppose you’ve been saved from answering, but only for now. I do want an answer to that question one day.”
Relief won out at her words and as Matt realized he didn’t know how to reply to her question. Had she asked him a month ago, he knew what he’d say, but now…
He helped Millicent out of the hack and paid the driver before grabbing her camera bag and tripod. Once they opened the front door, they could tell everyone was in the parlor as they took off their coats and hung them up. They hurried in to see what everyone was laughing about and found them just ending a game of charades.
“Oh, good, you’re home,” Mrs. Heaton said. “I’ll go ask Maida to bring in dessert for everyone—they wanted to wait until you got home.”
“Oh, that was nice of you all,” Millicent said.
“Well, we wanted to hear how the meeting went, too,” Julia said. “Did you find out anything new tonight?”
Matt looked at Millicent and they both began to chuckle, then burst into laughter.
“What happened?” Georgia asked.
Mrs. Heaton came into the room just then. “Did something happen at the meeting?”
“You could say that,” Millicent said. “Matt actually saved me from being mobbed and my reputation as a photographer being ruined, I think.”
“Mobbed!” Joe said. “Tell us what happened.”
“You tell them, Matt. I was concentrating so much on getting good shots and I wasn’t paying a lot of attention to what was going on around me.”
Maida came in just then with a loaded tray and they each took a slice of Mrs. Heaton’s coconut cake and a cup of tea or coffee, and then, as they all settled down, Matt explained what went on at the meeting. He finished with “If we hadn’t gotten out of there when we did, I’m not sure what would have happened. Policemen had been called to the house and were hurrying up the steps when our hack rounded the corner.”
“Oh, my,” Mrs. Heaton said. “I’m sure Mrs. White is distraught over it all. She’s never had anything like that happen at any of her meetings that I know of.”
“She was quite apologetic to Millicent,” Matt said.
“Mrs. White was very sweet and if not for her, we wouldn’t have gotten out before I was assaulted by those people who wanted to make sure their photographs don’t show up anywhere. But I wouldn’t do that to them. I’m not sure I’ll even develop them!”
Matt hated that her opportunity had turned into such a debacle. She looked so forlorn he wanted to make her feel better. “I’m sure Mrs. White will pay you anyway. It wasn’t your fault her speaker caused such an uproar.”
“Oh, I think she will, too, Millicent,” Mrs. Heaton said.
“I’m not worried about the money. I just don’t want this to affect my professional reputation.”
“I don’t see how that can happen if the photographs aren’t developed,” Matt said. “And truly it shouldn’t anyway. You were asked to be there. It’s not like you stood up and just began taking photos on your own.”
“Nevertheless, I will telephone Mrs. White tomorrow so she can assure anyone who inquires that the photos won’t be developed or used in any way.”
The woman never failed to surprise him, in all kinds of ways. Her questions on the way home had made him realize he had much to think about.
Chapter Seventeen
Millicent’s remarks had shown Matt a side to himself he wasn’t proud of, and that evening he did more soul searching than he’d done in years. He’d tossed and turned most of the night and his thoughts were still all over the place when he woke the next morning.
While he shaved and got ready to go upstairs, his mind went back to what Millicent said about his disapproval of her having a business of her own and to the question she’d asked just as the hack pulled up at Heaton House, about him not wanting his wife to work.
He tried to put it all out of his head as he went up to breakfast. But when Millicent smiled and said, “Good Morning!” it came back to mind all over again and he knew he was one confused man.
“John telephoned this morning and said he’d been called out on assignment and they wouldn’t be going up to Park Row today, so I thought I might wait until next week, too, unless—”
“Things are moving pretty slow right now, with the colder weather. You won’t miss much.” And he’d have a reprieve from looking at her sweet smile. Maybe he could actually get some work done.
“I’ll wait until the next time John and Elizabeth go again.”
How could a person be relieved and disappointed at the same time? It didn’t make any sense, but that was how Matt felt.
“I’m sure you’ve plenty to do, getting ready for tonight’s get-together at Luke and Kathleen’s anyway.”
“Yes, I do have some things to keep me busy. I think I need to go downtown to pick up a few more items. Want to go, Georgia?”
“I’d love to. Perhaps we’ll run into Emily.”
The closer it came to Thanksgiving, the more Emily worked. She’d gone in early so she could get off in time for the album party that night.
“She says the windows are going to be spectacular. I have to admit, with Thanksgiving only a week away, I’m looking forward to experiencing Christmastime in the city,” Georgia said.
“Yes, so am I,” Millicent said. “You’re going to love it!”
“I think we should all go down to see the Macy’s window unveiling together,” Mrs. Heaton suggested.
“That’s a wonderful idea,” Millicent said. “Emily will be tickled.”
“Well, I’m game,” Joe said.
“Me, too,” Stephen added.
“So am I,” Matt said. “And I’m looking forward to tonight, but I suppose I’d better get to work for now.”
“I’ve got to go in for a while, too,” Stephen said. “Macy’s isn’t the only store preparing for Christmas. I’m sure Emily will be as happy as I will be to have these long hours over with. You all have a good day.” He headed out of the dining room right behind Matt.
“I think I’ll go into the office for a while, too,” Joe said. “I’ve got some reports I need to get in. Looks like you ladies will have to do without our company today.”
“We’ll try not to be too bored,” Julia teased, as they all seemed to be through with breakfast at the same time.
Matt scooted Millicent’s chair out and leaned down to whisper, “Do you need any money for supplies?”
She shook her head, sending the scent of whatever it was she wore into the air. “I think I’m good, but thank you for asking.”
“You’re welcome.” Matt inhaled as much of the delightful fragrance as he could without being obvious. They joined the others in the foyer and he put on his coat, as Joe and Stephen were doing. He had a feeling he was looking forw
ard to that evening way more than he should.
The ladies saw them off and the men headed to the trolley stop. They were none too early as they got in line and then jostled for places once they got on. Matt was almost glad he had to find a seat by a stranger, giving him time to collect his thoughts before he got to work. He’d decided to put Millicent’s question out of his mind for now.
But once he and his men donned their work gloves to ward against the cold metal they’d be working with, her question popped up again, as if it’d been sitting on the edge of his thoughts waiting until he began his workday. Tell me the truth—if you married you’d expect your wife not to work, wouldn’t you?
If she’d asked a couple of months ago, Matt would have said of course—he wanted to take care of his wife. That was what husbands were supposed to do, wasn’t it? But he’d also have to admit he would want her to put him, and any family they might have, before any business of her own. He couldn’t imagine how that kind of relationship could work.
It didn’t mean he wouldn’t take his wife’s wishes and dreams into consideration like that Baxter person she’d nearly married. Still, Matt had to admit he hadn’t given much thought to the actual compromises being married might entail. Probably because after his fiancée had refused to move to the city after they were married, he didn’t want to be disappointed in love again. And he’d begun to think most women were like her—as Millicent seemed to have lumped most men into being like Baxter. It appeared they might both be wrong. And something stirred deep inside him at that thought.
Was it—could it—be possible for a woman like Millie and a man like him to get past their differences?
Matt rubbed a hand over his chin and looked out over the city. Then he shook his head. There was no sense in hoping—or in pursuing that line of thought. He’d been hurt before and he’d vowed never again. He must keep his pledge in mind now that he knew deep down that Millie had the ability to hurt him more than his fiancée ever had. No matter how much his feelings for Millicent grew, no matter how much he wanted to kiss her again. None of that meant a marriage between the two of them could work. Marriage to Millie? What was he thinking? Where did that thought come from?
