A Lady's Choice

by Sandra Robbins

  “Excellent! Excellent!” Mrs. Simpson clapped her hands in glee.

  Sarah continued to stare at the paper in disbelief. “I’m overwhelmed. I had no idea this would be in the paper.”

  “What’s in the paper?” Roger’s voice asked from the doorway.

  Mrs. Simpson motioned him into the room and pointed at the paper Sarah held. “Sarah is quoted in tonight’s paper. She made quite an impression last night.”

  Roger took the sheet Sarah offered him and read through it. When he had finished, he smiled at her. “This is wonderful, my dear. Evidently you gained some new followers. I’m pleased with this report, and you should be also.”

  “Oh, I am.”

  Roger walked to the fireplace and turned his back to it. “I think you’ve just become a leader in the Memphis movement.”

  Sarah shook her head. “Oh, I don’t think so.”

  He nodded and cocked an eyebrow. “But I know you have. I’ve just come from a meeting with the executive board of our group, and they want to send you to Washington to work with Alice Paul.”

  Sarah’s mouth dropped open, and she stared in stunned silence at Roger. Finally she managed to speak. “Me? They want me to go?”

  Roger threw back his head and laughed. “They do.”

  “But, but Roger, why would they want to send the youngest person in the group?”

  “Because the face of opposition is changing. We need to get the young women out there, and you are perfect.”

  “Was there any opposition to my going?”

  Roger sighed and nodded. “I’m afraid there was some. A few people were reluctant to send a young girl who is alone in the world into the political arena of Washington, but that’s all taken care of now.”

  “How do you mean?”

  “I assured them Aunt Edna and I wouldn’t dream of letting you go alone. So we’ll accompany you to Washington.”

  Sarah shook her head. “No, you’ve both done too much for me already. I can’t let you put the responsibilities of your job and this school aside so I can follow my dream.”

  Roger stepped over to her and took her hand in his. “But it’s our dream too. Now is the time for us to push our cause in Congress, and I want to be a part of it too. I have influence on Capitol Hill, and I will do everything in my power to help by using it. Aunt Edna wishes to volunteer her services to Alice Paul’s campaign too. The three of us will be welcomed by the suffrage leaders in Washington.”

  Tears pooled in Sarah’s eyes, and she looked from Roger to his aunt. “I don’t know how to thank you for all you’ve done to help me. You took me in and gave me a job and a home, and you’ve helped me work for a cause I’m very passionate about. And now you tell me I may get to go to Washington. It’s more than I can imagine.”

  Roger smiled. “Well, imagine it, my dear. We’ll start making our plans now to leave when the second semester ends in May.”

  Sarah bit down on her lip. “That reminds me of something I’ve been meaning to talk with you about. You know the students have been very upset over Christine’s death.”

  Mrs. Simpson nodded. “I know, but you’ve done a wonderful job counseling them. The parents are very appreciative too. I feared some of them would withdraw their children, but none of them did.”

  “I’m glad. It will be good for them to be home for a few weeks with their families when the semester ends. While they’re gone, I’m planning to go to Richland Creek to visit my aunt and uncle for Christmas.”

  Roger’s hands curled into fists, and his body went rigid. “You’re not going to be here for Christmas?”

  “No, my uncle and aunt were very good to my mother and me while we were there, and I would like to see them again.”

  He took a step toward her. “Are you sure it’s them you want to see and not someone else?”

  Sarah’s eyes grew wide. “What are you talking about, Roger?”

  “Are you sure you’re not planning to meet some man there?”

  She straightened her shoulders and glared at him. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

  His chin trembled, and his eyes narrowed. “Since you’re not denying it, there has to be a man. Is it that fellow you told me about? Alex Taylor, who works for James Buckley?”

  Sarah clenched her fists at her side. “Let me remind you, Roger, you are not my father. I don’t have to tell you anything.”

  He reeled as if she’d slapped him. “Your father? Is that how you think of me?”

  She was immediately sorry she’d said those words. The hurt look in his eyes made her heart lurch. She took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, Roger. I didn’t mean to hurt you. But I really want to see my aunt and uncle. I have no idea if Alex is going to be home for Christmas or not. He’s been in Memphis the whole time I’ve been here, and we haven’t spoken. So I don’t see any reason we should in Richland Creek.”

  Mrs. Simpson jumped to her feet and took his hand in hers. “Roger, we can’t control Sarah’s personal life. We just have to show her how much we care for her.” She squeezed his hand. “Do you understand?”

  “Yes, Aunt Edna.”

  “Good. Then I’ll leave you two to straighten out this misunderstanding.” She kissed him on the cheek. “Good night, Roger.”

  “Good night,” he mumbled.

  She turned to Sarah. “Good night. I’ll see you at breakfast.”

  Sarah nodded and waited until Mrs. Simpson had left the room before she turned back to Roger. “Is everything all right now?”

  He swallowed and stepped closer to her. “Sarah, I’m so sorry for the way I acted. You’re right. It’s none of my business. You’ve been a part of our lives ever since you came to this school when you were six years old. I suppose I thought that gave me the right to question you. Please forgive me.”

  “Of course I’ll forgive you. We’ve known each other too long to let anything come between us. I’m sorry I spoke so sharply to you. Now I think it would be good if we dropped this subject. I’m going up to bed, and I’ll see you at dinner tomorrow night.”

  His gaze drifted over her, and he sighed. “Good night, Sarah.”

  Before she could respond, he turned and walked from the room. Then the front door slammed, and she realized he’d left. She sank down on the sofa and buried her face in her hands. The moment she’d been dreading had arrived, but she thought it had ended well. Maybe by tomorrow he would regret the things he’d said. If not, there would only be one solution to the problem. She’d have to quit her job and move out. But the bad thing was that without Roger and Mrs. Simpson’s support, she would no longer have her contact with the suffrage group.

  She had to find a way to preserve her position in the group so that she could get to Washington. Right now all she wanted was to stand with Alice Paul against those who would deny them their rights.

  Alex sat at the kitchen table where he’d eaten most of his meals in his life and stared down at his hands wrapped around the cup in front of him. His head ached from lack of sleep, and his body felt drained of energy. He hadn’t thought coming back to Richland Creek for Christmas would be so hard, but after nearly a week here, he knew he’d been wrong.

  Everywhere he looked, he saw something that reminded him of Sarah. It had started almost as soon as he walked in the door. He’d gone to his old room to hang up his clothes and had spotted his baseball shirt first thing. It had only gotten worse since then.

  His horse reminded him of the ride through the rain to try to persuade her to change her mind. The buggy even made him think of how embarrassed she’d been to be caught barefoot when he’d driven Ellen to her house. Even Ellen’s cooking brought to mind the picnic and the time he’d shared with her.

  All he’d wanted was to get away from his increasing workload at the firm and Larraine’s constant attention and come home to the peace that Ellen always provided. That had turned out to be a joke too. He’d hardly seen Ellen since he’d been home. She spent most of her time with Edmund, and Ellen acted differentl
y when he was around.

  Another surprise had awaited Alex at the farm. Augie had recently celebrated his seventeenth birthday and talked about his hope of joining the army one day.

  Alex set the cup down and rubbed the back of his neck to relieve the ache that spread across his shoulders. Maybe it would have been better if he had stayed in Memphis for Christmas. Larraine had certainly begged him to, but he wanted to be with Ellen as he had every Christmas of his life.

  A sound at the back door caught his attention, and he glanced up as Ellen walked into the kitchen carrying a basket of eggs. She set the basket on the table and hung her bonnet on the wall hook. “I thought I was gonna have to drag you out of bed this morning. What’s the matter? Rough night?”

  Alex concentrated on the hot coffee in his cup before answering. “I didn’t sleep well. I guess I needed a few extra hours this morning to get me started.”

  Ellen shook her head and moved to the stove. “Do you want me to fix you somethin’ to eat?”

  “No, the coffee will be enough.”

  Ellen came back and sat facing him. “Alex, what’s wrong? You ain’t seemed happy since you got home. It’s Christmas, and I don’t see none of that spirit in you like you usually have.”

  He shrugged. “I guess it’s because I’ve been working so hard.”

  She propped her hands on her hips and directed a stern glare at him. “Are you sure it ain’t Sarah you’re thinkin’ about? Maybe coming back here has reminded you of what happened last summer.” Ellen dropped down in a chair beside him. “Alex, you gotta get over her. She’s been gone four months now. She’s got a new life, and it don’t include nobody from Richland Creek.”

  “I know. But I can’t let go. Everywhere I look I see something that reminds me of her.”

  Ellen reached over and took his hand. “Darling, she made her decision. There’s nothing more to do but pray for her.”

  “I don’t think that’s going to help.”

  Ellen cast a surprised expression in his direction. “I never heard you say anything like that before.” She paused a moment before she spoke again. “She’s home for Christmas.”

  “Who is?”

  “Sarah. She’s at Charlie and Clara’s.”

  He sat up straighter. “How do you know?”

  “I saw her yesterday when I was at the store.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  Ellen shrugged. “I didn’t really think you wanted to see her. You been talking a lot about that Larraine Buckley, and I figured you were interested in her.”

  Alex didn’t respond for a moment. “I like Larraine.” He raked his hand through his hair. “And I don’t need to see Sarah. It’ll just cause more problems for me.”

  “Suit yourself.” She stood, walked to the cabinet, and took out her mixing bowl. Alex watched her assemble ingredients next to it.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m gonna make a cake for Christmas dinner tomorrow. Charlie got in some fresh coconuts down at the store, and I want Edmund to taste my coconut cake.”

  Resentment flashed through Alex. “He’s going to spend Christmas with us? Doesn’t that man have anywhere else to go?”

  Ellen turned around slowly and faced Alex. “I thought you liked Edmund.”

  Alex raked his hand through his hair. “I do like him, but he’s been here every night since I got home. I think he needs to spend time with other families in the community.”

  Ellen’s eyes registered hurt as she stared at her brother. “Alex, are you jealous of the attention I give Edmund?”

  “Of course not. Why would I be jealous? He’s just a friend, isn’t he?”

  Ellen picked up her apron, tied it around her waist, and wiped her hands down the front. “No, Alex. He’s more than a friend. He’s come to mean a lot to me, and he tells me he feels the same about me.”

  Alex’s resentment turned to shock as he leaned back in his chair. “Well, I’m glad you finally decided to tell me about it. I suppose I’m the last to know. Are you planning to marry him?”

  “He’s asked me, but I ain’t told him I would yet. I’m planning to tell him yes tomorrow on Christmas Day.”

  Alex pushed his chair back and stood up. His body trembled, and his hands clenched at his side. “I would have expected better of Edmund. He knows I’m the head of this family. He should have talked to me before he ever said anything to you. I guess my opinion doesn’t count for anything.”

  A tear trickled down Ellen’s cheek. “Please don’t be this way, Alex. I love Edmund, and I want this chance. Don’t ruin my happiness because you’re sick over Sarah.”

  Alex kicked the chair into place at the table and stormed toward the back door. “Sarah has nothing to do with this. It looks like between the two of you, I’m doomed. She doesn’t love me enough to give up her ridiculous cause, and my own sister plans a wedding without even asking my permission. All I’ve got to say is congratulations to you both!”

  Alex stomped across the back porch but stopped as he opened the screen door. He rested his hand on the doorjamb and bowed his head. A feeling of remorse consumed him. Ellen had told him to pray about Sarah, but he couldn’t tell her the truth. He didn’t pray as much as he used to. What had happened to him?

  He used to turn everything over to God, but somewhere along the way he’d begun to think he could take care of himself. Right now he didn’t feel like he was doing a very good job of it. He bowed his head, but no words came to mind.

  He opened his eyes and looked over his shoulder into the kitchen. Ellen stood with her apron covering her eyes, her body shaking with sobs. He wanted to go to her and wrap her in his arms, but he opened the door and walked away from the house.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Sarah straightened from putting a dress in her valise and glanced around the tiny bedroom she’d slept in while visiting Uncle Charlie and Aunt Clara. Satisfied she hadn’t forgotten anything, she closed the bag just as Aunt Clara walked through the open door.

  “Are you sure you have to go back to Memphis on Christmas Day? School won’t be in session until after New Year’s. Surely you could stay for a few more days.”

  Sarah shook her head. “I wish I could, but I have some important meetings this week in Memphis.”

  Aunt Clara’s mouth pursed. “With that suffrage group your mama got you so involved in?”

  Sarah sighed in resignation. “We’ve been through this several times since I’ve been here. Mama and Poppa both supported suffrage. It was an important cause for them. Now it is for me. I’m sorry you don’t approve.”

  Aunt Clara’s eyes widened, and she glanced over her shoulder before she leaned closer. “I may not have said much when Charlie was giving you what-for about your thinking, but I have my own opinions on the subject.” She smiled and squeezed Sarah’s arm. “I’m real proud of you, darlin’. I don’t agree with women being denied the rights our men have.”

  “Why, Aunt Clara, you’ve never said anything before!”

  She gave a snort of disgust. “I reckon I can’t speak too freely around here without somebody getting upset. Charlie doesn’t want to lose anybody’s business in the store, but I don’t care. After all, I put in as many hours working in that store as he does. When it’s election time, the men all congregate around that big old wood-burning stove in the back of the store, and they talk about who’s the best candidate for the job. But I’ve got no say in that conversation. No more than their wives do. It’s right hard to take, Sarah.”

  “I know, Aunt Clara. That’s what keeps me working. It’s time women were given the rights they’ve been denied.”

  She stepped closer to Sarah. “Think about me, Sarah, when you’re talking to folks about suffrage. And you keep working for all us women who have to remain silent or suffer the consequences from our husbands.”

  Sarah grasped her aunt’s hand. “Uncle Charlie would never hurt you.”

  “Not physically. But he could sure make life hard fo
r me.” Tears glistened in her eyes. “And I don’t have anywhere else to go, Sarah. I don’t have choices like you do. So don’t forget all of us who pray for your success.”

  Sarah stood stunned for a moment as she stared at her aunt. She would never have expected to hear the words she’d spoken today. She swallowed before she grabbed her aunt in a fierce hug. “I’ll never give up, Aunt Clara. I’ll keep you in my heart while I continue my fight.”

  They hugged for a moment before Aunt Clara released Sarah. Then she stepped back, wiped at her eyes, and stared at Sarah’s valise. “Are you through packing?”

  Sarah sniffed and nodded. “I am. What time does Uncle Charlie want to leave for Mt. Pleasant?”

  “He’s gone to the barn to hitch the horse to the buggy. It shouldn’t be long.”

  Suddenly she didn’t want to leave. She’d enjoyed the quiet time she’d spent with her only family. Although Mrs. Simpson and Roger had been kind to her and included her in everything they did, it still didn’t take the place of people who shared her roots. She reached out once more and clasped her aunt’s hands in hers. “Thank you so much for having me for Christmas. I know Mama would be happy I spent it with family this year.”

  Tears filled Aunt Clara’s eyes, and her chin trembled. “It’s been our pleasure. We miss you and your mama so much. Anytime you want to visit, let us know. Now that we have a telephone in the store, you can call. Of course you can call if you just want to talk. And don’t forget your grandparents’ house is still vacant. Since you inherited your mother’s half of their farm, you own it with Charlie now. You can live there whenever you want to move back.”

  “Thanks, Aunt Clara. Uncle Charlie and I talked about the farm last night. Neither one of us want to sell it right now, but I doubt if I’ll ever live here again.”

  Her aunt nodded. “I understand, but we don’t want to lose contact with you.”

  Sarah shook her head. “I don’t want that either.” She took a deep breath. “Christmas dinner was delicious. I don’t know when I’ve eaten so much.” She reached up and touched the cameo pin she’d attached to her dress. “And thank you for the beautiful pin. I’ll always treasure it.”