Suffrage and Suitors

by Noelle, Jo

  Had either man shown particular attention? Millie began pacing in a circle. Mr. McCormick had been attending church in Bachelor for a month, and this last week he even sat to one side of her. Millie stopped in front of Mama M, noticed a pursing of the older woman’s lips. But Edwin had come last week, too, sitting to her other side. That couldn’t have been a coincidence. Mama M shook her head slowly, a smile growing on her face.

  Sterling McCormick had thought ahead. He had come with a basket of rolls and wearing nice clothes. Was it for me? Mama M’s eyebrows lifted, and she nodded.

  Edwin looked like he’d just stepped away from working. Mama M’s smile tipped up on one side and she rolled her eyes. Still, he came for the first time ever, and that was likely for me too. Mama M nodded several times.

  What do I want in a man? Many years ago, she’d had a list. She tried to think back on it—caring, a good listener, honest, trusting, loyal, protector. Once she began, the list tumbled out as if not even a minute had passed. Those were the very things she wanted to be for someone too.

  Mama M wiped a tear from her eye and hugged Millie.

  “Were you listening to all of that?” Millie asked as she walked back up to the front of the building.

  “Oh, yes, yes, I was,” Mama M said beside her. “I’m here to help, but you don’t need it. You’re doing fine, dear. Carry on.”

  “I think that’s all. If I have to make a choice between the two men, how do I choose?”

  Mama M patted her arm and stepped in front of her. She picked up Millie’s hands and clasped them. “You don’t have to. Your heart chooses—just listen to it.” Then the woman was gone.

  Edwin

  Edwin looked around the finished building with pride and some disappointment. It was a beautiful building with fine workmanship. The oak floors had been some trouble, but in the end they were well worth the wait. The rooms upstairs were filled with furniture and decorated with cheery colors. The kitchen was already being used to make the bag meals for the miners, but the dining room was still empty. Only one table and three rickety chairs were in the space and only because Edwin brought them over from his house.

  He had ordered the furniture and received a telegram that it was ready to ship from Denver as soon as he paid the invoice. A year ago when he’d filed a complaint in court asking for financial remedy to the arson that had taken his business, he never imagined that it would take so long to receive an answer and get the money he needed to reopen. At first, Archie’s uncle, Mr. Anderson, made it sound like he’d pay the damages. As time dragged on, it became apparent Edwin was being lied to.

  He’d used what savings he had to contribute to his portion of the construction of the building. Now he wouldn’t be able to open the dining room unless he received a settlement or until he saved the money for each dining set. He could do that and add a table group one at a time. He had just seen it differently when this had started.

  Edwin returned to the kitchen. He’d taken a break from making the sandwiches for that day’s bags, and now his hands were busy finishing that work. Millie’s shortbread cookies were always complimented, and he included one in each bag that day. His customers came in droves but couldn’t wait for the meals if they weren’t ready as they had to hurry off to be on time to the next shift in the mines. He had plenty of customers. His business continued to grow as he supplied the takeaway meals for the miners and other workers in town. In fact, he was doing very well. In time, he’d have the money he needed.

  He imagined hiring Sterling to build onto his house soon—no, maybe not Sterling. Aeden Casey or one of the other builders would get the job. Edwin had worked through not having hard feelings toward the man—mostly. In fact, he could clearly see the attraction that Millie would present. He couldn’t blame McCormick for noticing the obvious.

  Edwin was grateful that Millie showed no preference toward Sterling. She was always kind to him, but she was kind to everyone. She always asked him questions that prolonged their conversations, but, he rationalized, Millie was friendly with everyone. Millie had seemed genuinely surprised when Sterling sat by her at church, but she’d been shocked by Edwin doing the same.

  As the rush began, Edwin didn’t have time to worry about McCormick. He handed out lunches and collected money as fast as he could. He was a little surprised that as many men mentioned the flyers in their bags the previous day as asked for another fruit pie. A few of the men seemed agitated by the idea that women would vote and spoke loudly.

  After the group had gone, Mr. McCormick entered. “Do you have any lunches left?”

  “Sure do.” Edwin picked up a bag and passed it to him.

  “I need four today.”

  Edwin handed him three more and received a dollar in exchange. Then Sterling went through the kitchen with his bags toward the dining room. He wasn’t such a bad fellow. He frequented Edwin’s business and treated his employees to lunch.

  Then he heard Millie’s voice in the other room. “I hope I haven’t kept you waiting very long. Am I late?”

  Edwin rushed toward the dining room and saw what he dreaded. Millie was facing Mr. McCormick. She had come there to meet him.

  “I just got here myself. I believe you’re a little early. Let’s make a start of it.”

  Edwin realized that the lunches he’d made and sold to that man were meant to be a means of courting Millie. Edwin knew it was unreasonable to swear that he’d never sell Sterling food again. After all, he just sold lunches. He didn’t tell people what they had to do with them.

  Millie waved at Edwin. “Hello. Have a wonderful day, Edwin.”

  That wasn’t likely.

  Sterling tipped his hat to him. “Thank you.” Then he turned to Millie and extended his arm. “Shall we get going?”

  “Yes, it’s a beautiful day for a picnic.” Millie didn’t look back as she left by his side.

  Didn't Sterling have anything to build? It seemed he never worked. Edwin knew he was supposed to be constructing the theater at the other end of town. If he spent all his time courting and gallivanting around, they’d never see a play there.

  Edwin sat at the table and looked out the window. He wasn’t one to wear his heart on his sleeve. He thought back on the last few days and knew he’d tried to show Millie what her life would be like with him. They’d make happy partners. His heart nearly stopped when he realized that he hadn’t yet shown her that he wanted her heart as well. It would truly be torture to see Millie marry another man, then come to cook in his kitchen. He’d have to listen to her softly humming and know that she did that in another man’s home too.

  That was a ridiculous thought. If Millie were to become Mrs. McCormick, she wouldn’t be cooking with him at all. He’d only see her in passing, and he was right sure that his heart would never forget her.

  The door opened, and Willie Meeks walked in. “I have a telegram for you, Mr. McRae,” he said.

  Edwin stood to take it, noticing that the boy must be in a growth spurt. He was stretching taller at nearly Edwin’s height but lanky. He took the folded note and gave Willie a coin before he left.

  Edwin stood by the large window and held the paper up to the light to read it. His eyes glanced over the words quickly, and he felt as if his knees might collapse before he could sit in a chair. He read it again, slower the next time.

  Father died. No work. No food. Please help. Aileen.

  His throat thickened. It couldn’t be. His eyes passed over the words again. The nauseating twist of grief wrapped around his gut. His father had begged, no demanded, that he stay in Scotland, but Edwin was full of dreams an ocean away. He’d left and had little contact since. He ached with helplessness as tears filled his eyes. There must be something I could do to ease their burdens.

  Edwin felt a hand on his shoulder. His mother stood beside him, her eyes reddened and tears trailing down her cheeks. Edwin stood and embraced her. When he’d left Scotland, he’d not given much thought about his family needing him, only about the
big dreams he had.

  “Can you tell me about them?” he asked his mam. “Are they married? Are they working?”

  His mother worried her lower lip. “It isn’t my place.” Her eyes darted about as if she were making a decision. Finally, she replied, “It isn’t my place to say that your da was very ill and couldn’t work for the past few months. And I’d never tell you that Aileen and Rhona lost their positions as well because that would be against the guardian angles’ rules. Nor that they only have Isla’s income from taking in washing. Or that they’re living in the vicar’s hayloft. It isn’t my right to tell ya. So don’t ask.” His mother hugged him and then disappeared.

  His family’s circumstances had never been good, but they’d never been destitute before. At least, not that he knew. He would find a way to help.

  Millie

  Although Millie felt a little strange getting into Mr. McCormick’s carriage unchaparoned, she pushed the awkward feelings aside and decided to find out if she liked his company well enough. She sat beside Sterling as they traveled north on Main Street. She tried to forget the surprised look on Edwin’s face when he had seen her at the restaurant. After all, he hadn’t proposed any type of outing with her.

  She didn’t feel like he needed to. Ordinary, day to day living with him was a pleasure, puttering around the kitchen, sitting and sewing, talking at the back door. She liked that he didn’t try to impress her. She liked that he liked her in all her everyday glory.

  She shouldn’t be thinking about Edwin while she was sitting beside Sterling. “What kept you busy this morning, Mr. McCormick?” she asked to refocus herself.

  “Please call me Sterling. I worked a little on the home I bought.” He slowed his horse to allow for a wagon turning onto the road ahead of them.

  “It’s a good thing you’re doing there. I’m happy to see Gladstone Manor being rebuilt. It had a lot of fire damage, and the nephew who inherited it hasn’t seemed to want to fix it up. How’s it coming along?”

  “It will be a few more months before it’ll be comfortable, but the outside will protect me from the weather while I do the finishes inside this winter. It’s on its way to being grand again.” He smiled her way.

  Millie thought he had a gleam in his eyes. Was he suggesting that he wanted her to like that he would have a home? That his prolonged gaze at her was testing to see if she might want to share it with him. She was being silly. None of that had been said.

  He cleared his throat and finally looked back up the road. “And what did you do with your morning, Miss Bing?”

  “Oh, no, you don’t. It’s Millie. And I helped Callum deliver another shipment of the Sunday quilts and tea towels to be sent to a Denver store to be sold. He also sent some of the Bible stands you men have been working on to a store in the east.”

  They passed the newly constructed bank. It was wonderful to see their little Creede becoming a real town rather than the transient spot in the road it had been for so many years. “I noticed that you had four sack lunches. Are you very hungry?” Millie noticed that there was a note of teasing in her voice. She might be able to become comfortable with Sterling after all.

  He gave a little laugh. “You know Kara and Aeden Casey?” he asked as they drove along.

  “I do,” Millie answered. “He works with you.”

  “We’re going to pick them up and have a picnic in East Willow Creek Canyon.”

  “Oh. It’s a beautiful day to eat outside, and I’m happy to get to know Kara better. How is Aeden doing? I guess he plans on staying since he bought that beautiful house on the hillside.”

  “There’s plenty of work for us just now. We’re still building the theater and a couple of people have asked us to build homes. It looks like we’ll have work for months yet.”

  Millie didn’t hear him say he was committed to living in Creede. He’d bought a house, but he could easily sell it. It sounded like he would only be here as long as he had building contracts. Maybe that would be from now on. The way this town and all the surrounding ones were growing, it seemed likely.

  She wondered, though—if he decided to move, would she want to? She loved this town and it was becoming more civilized every day. Of course, that would only be a question if they were married. Still, would she consider it?

  The carriage came to an abrupt halt. Where the road forked—the left side going to Bachelor and the right side going up East Willow Creek Canyon—a large gathering of men had gathered including Mr. Grady in his fancy carriage. Against the hillside, a bonfire blazed in the middle of the day. Ab Helm and Archie’s minion, Wade, were posting signs around the outside of the flames with “Petticoat Rule” crossed out. Dark, raw fear twisted in her gut as the men shouted. A stuffed woman’s dress, a wicker basket tied to her sleeve, stood in the middle of the flames.

  “Is that . . .?” Her breath caught in her throat, and cold flashed through her. The flame was still small, but with the large supply of wood gathered around, the organizer planned a showy event. Her pulse was spinning. Even now the flames licked up the woodpile very near the hem of the dress. She prayed it wasn’t, but it looked like they were burning her likeness. She turned her face away, but she could hear the crackling of the growing blaze feeding her anxiety.

  How could they do that? She shrank back on her seat, the tension crowding her. These were likely the same men who had eaten her fruit pies a few days ago. She could understand that they differed in opinion from her, but this was threatening.

  “That’s her,” Mr. Grady called, pointing in her direction.

  “No petticoat rule,” Ab Helm yelled among the many voices she could hear.

  Other men began shouting. “You won’t rule over us.”

  “Mind the kitchen, woman.”

  “Women won’t vote in this state.”

  Fear gripped her at her core and strangled any happiness she’d felt moments ago. “Please, take me home.” Her voice sounded small.

  “I’m doing that now.” Sterling was already pulling his horses to the left. He shook the reins and guided them up the hill to Bachelor. “I’m so sorry, Millie.”

  Behind them, she could hear her name being shouted and was glad to put that behind her. They didn’t say another word to each other as they climbed the hill. Millie didn’t mind. She was trying to understand the hate she had seen.

  When the church came into view, he said, “Millie, this has to stop.” His voice was low and each word was spoken clearly.

  She was relieved to know he felt the same as she. Those men had crossed over the lines of decency in what they’d done. What right did they have to threaten their upcoming peaceful demonstration for women’s votes? But what could Millie do about it?

  Sterling continued. “Your flyers have stirred up the hornet’s nest. If you march now, you’ll fan their anger for voting day. Stop the march. These kinds of things have a way of becoming violent. Maybe you should think about leaving town until it’s over.”

  At first, Millie was surprised. He meant she had to stop. Why wasn’t he on her side? But then she considered his advice. She hadn’t expected anyone to violently oppose this. If she continued, would she be putting her friends and neighbors in danger? She recognized that he was genuinely concerned for her.

  They stopped at the back of the church, and Sterling helped Millie step down. When they reached the door, he said, “This vote isn’t worth your life. Please think about it.”

  Millie could hear the pleading in Sterling’s voice and the genuine fear for her. His concern touched her heart. She’d have to think on it.

  Millie said goodbye to Sterling and closed the door between them. Callum sat at the table. As soon as he saw her, he said, “You’re home early, Millie, and you look upset. Do I need to pummel the builder?” His chair scraped the floor as he stood.

  “No. He’s a gentleman, Callum. I asked him to bring me home.” She sat silently at the table for several minutes before she could tell her brother what they’d seen. She knew the an
ger in his eyes. She’d seen it once before when the women had been saved from the root cellar last year. His anger at the men who did that had transformed him from the gentle preacher to the fighter he’d been long ago.

  After the telling, Millie went to her room. She had to make a decision soon. Her opinion flopped one way and then the other. She couldn’t make a decision stick. An hour later, there was a knock on the door. First, she heard her brother’s voice and then Edwin’s.

  She flew from where she’d been lying on her bed, her heart pounding. She had to see him though she couldn’t have said why. She had no idea what business brought him here, and again, why didn’t really matter. But there he was, standing in her kitchen, and she had an ache to be in his arms. Had Callum not been in the room, that’s where she would have gone. As it was, she stood in front of Edwin, her eyes never leaving his.

  He pulled the hat from his head and raked his fingers through his hair at his temple. “I’m worried for you, lassie.”

  His brogue was thick, and it soothed and excited her. “I’m so glad you came.” Fire smoldered throughout her chest. He had come here for no other reason than to see her. Maybe something had shifted. The little spark of hope that lay dormant in her heart flickered. She didn’t dare examine it too closely for fear it would go out.

  Edwin addressed Callum. “I’d like to talk to Millie if I may—in private, please.”

  Callum looked at Millie, and she nodded her agreement.

  “You can sit on the seat on the porch.”

  Edwin’s grin flashed at Millie.

  “And leave the door open,” Callum said as Millie scooted out the door.

  She sat on the bench, and Edwin scooted beside her. Although he’d sat beside her at church a week ago, this time felt different. It was completely silent. She didn’t know what to say. Hadn’t Edwin asked to talk to her? He must have had a reason. She looked his way.