Free A Great Catch by Lorna Seilstad

on Carter’s, and he nodded for her to continue.
    She licked her lips. “Personally, I’ve met many men who would die before they would let anything happen to their wives, sisters, or mothers. Men like those of you listening with an open mind.” Her eyes met Carter’s for the briefest of seconds, and the butterflies took flight again. “The women in your lives do not worry about being provided or cared for.
    “Perhaps your husband fits in this rare category as well—a man who sees you first as a human being, his partner, his equal. Or perhaps your husband is one of the selfish men who sees his wife as his property to do with as he pleases.
    “Until women as a whole are elevated to equal status with men, our country will never become all it should be.” Emily punctuated her words with examples of women who had made remarkable contributions and achievements: reformers, artists, entrepreneurs, and career women. Her confidence grew as she spoke, and her voice rose. “These women dared to step out of the sphere assigned to them. They made a choice, and so must each of you—a choice to fight for our right to vote and have a say in our country, our state, and our communities. Only you can take this message back to your towns.
    “For a woman to vote is to elevate her in the scale of humanity. And that will carry with it the elevation and well-being of the entire race. So we believe, and so we pray, God speed the day when a woman can stand beside a man and cast her vote!”
    Applause erupted along with a few jeers, but to her surprise, the heckler remained quiet. Emily lost sight of Carter as she accepted the well wishes of several women.
    “You make me want this as much as you do.” An elderly woman pressed a dollar into Emily’s hand. “For the fight, dear.”
    “Thank you, ma’am.” Emily started down the steps. Olivia DeSoto, with her two ever-present followers, waited at the bottom. Seeing no way to escape, Emily smiled a halfhearted acknowledgment.
    Olivia closed her parasol. “I must admit I was surprised you managed to handle this so well.”
    “If that’s a compliment, I’ll take it.” Even Olivia’s rudeness wouldn’t crush her buoyant spirit this time. “Perhaps next time, you’d care to speak.”
    Olivia glanced at her two cohorts. “I wouldn’t want to dishearten you, dear.”
    Ooooooh, that woman! How could she shatter the moment with one jab? Emily lifted her chin, refusing to let Olivia see that the hurtful words had touched her. “I’m sure, if you’re the speaker, I’ll have no worry, but thank you again for your support.”
    “Humph.” With the dramatic flair of an actress on stage, Olivia spun and strode away.
    A man chuckled behind Emily and she turned. Carter. She should have guessed.
    He walked over to her, his gait wide and easy, and leaned casually against the banister. “Guess you told her.”
    “She has a way of bringing out the worst in me.”
    “And here I thought that was my job.” He rubbed his cheek and grinned.
    A smile curled her lips. “You came to hear the speech.”
    “And you’re surprised.” He plucked a long blade of grass from beside the steps. “You made some excellent points.”
    “Enough to convince you to change your mind?”
    “Not necessarily.” His eyes sparkled with mischief in the afternoon sun. “Sorry about the heckler.”
    “I could’ve handled it myself, but I still appreciate your intervention.”
    “Do you appreciate it enough to have supper with me tonight at Louie’s?” The cleft in his chin deepened with the crooked grin.
    “Alone?”
    He glanced toward Olivia and her two friends now speaking to Marguerite and Lilly. “Unless you’d like to invite Mrs. DeSoto.”
    “Carter, I . . . I . . . can’t.” Her cheeks flamed. Part of her wanted to leap at the offer, but only moments before, he’d admitted he hadn’t changed his mind about suffrage. And earlier today he’d asked her to join him out of pity for her