Ladies, today I am reminded of the words of Jeannette Rankin, our country’s first female congresswoman and Montana’s most famous suffragist. Her speech to the state legislature just three years ago opened the door for Montana’s women to vote. In that passionate address, she poured out her heart and appealed to naysayers with her compelling words: “We are asking for the same principle for which men gladly gave their lives in the Revolutionary War. Taxation without representation is tyranny.” Jeanette, you were right then, and we continue to thank you now for your tireless efforts on behalf of the women of Montana. You are a true sister and friend to the suffrage movement.
—Ellie Cannady, editor of The Modern Suffragette
* * * * *
ON THE MORNING AFTER THEY arrived in Missoula, Alanna rose earlier than Mama and Tessa. After washing up and dressing for the day, she made her way downstairs to the oversized kitchen, where she found Margaret seated at the table with a solemn look on her face.
Alanna’s heart quickened at once. “Margaret? Is everything all right?”
Her sister looked up, eyes brimming with tears, which she brushed away. “Yes. I mean, no.” She choked back a sob. “I’m sorry, Lana. I’ve just received word that a good friend, Ellie Cannady, is fading fast. She’s been ill for some time—the doctor calls it lupus, I believe—but she has managed to pull through every time. This time her lungs are affected, and I fear the worst. I rarely get down in the dumps, but my faith is low this morning.”
“Well, that’s understandable, considering the circumstances. I’m so sorry to hear about your friend.”
“It’s just tragic. My heart is broken.” Margaret rose and tended to a skillet filled with scrambled eggs. She scooped a large helping onto a plate along with a piece of toast and a couple of thick slices of bacon before passing it off to Alanna, whose mouth watered, just thinking about how hungry she was. She would have to guard her appetite, or her fine dresses would soon be tight in the middle.
She took the jar of huckleberry jam Margaret offered and spread it liberally on her toast. “Are you very close?”
“Yes.” Margaret dabbed at her eyes. “She’s the most wonderful woman you’d ever care to meet. She’s the editor of The Modern Suffragette, a newspaper that offers support and encouragement to women in these parts.”
“Ah. Well, no wonder I’ve never heard of her. I seriously doubt we can get that paper in Savannah.” She took a bite of the toast, the sweet jam slippery on her tongue. Mmm.
Margaret took a seat at the table and nibbled at her eggs. “Oh, you might be surprised. She and Congresswoman Rankin travel in the same circles, which means her writings are known from Montana all the way to Washington DC. She’s quite prolific, you know. And she’s a woman I’ve come to admire on many levels. I still have a lot to learn from her, which is one reason this is all so distressing.”
“I’m sorry she’s ill.” Alanna managed the words but secretly wondered when her sister had grown so attached to such a person. Could it be Margaret had already been won over to the suffragette’s way of thinking? Alanna nibbled on her toast, distracted by her worries.
Margaret put her fork down and sighed. “Poor Ellie is in worse shape than any of us imagined. The doctor has been to see her this morning and has sent word that she might not make it more than a week or two. I’m simply beside myself. Why, to think I just spent time with her.” Margaret seemed to perk up a bit. “I daresay women will come from all over the state when the news goes out that she’s passed. You’ve never met a gal so well-loved.”
“Must be quite a spitfire.”
“Indeed.”
Alanna reflected on her sister’s words before broaching the subject on her mind. “Can I ask a question of you, Margaret? I do hope you won’t take it the wrong way.”
“What sort of question?” Margaret pushed her plate away and leaned back in her chair.
“You seem…different somehow. Are you the same sister I once knew?”
Margaret’s laughter resonated across the room. “What did you picture in your head before arriving?”
Alanna offered a weak smile. “Well, I knew you were with child, of course, so I felt sure you would be physically changed. Though I didn’t expect you to look quite so vibrant and strong.”
Margaret sat up straight in the chair, a confident look on her face. “I’ve never felt as resilient. Glad it shows on the outside as well as the inside. I’m not the slightest bit interested in taking to my bed just because I’m with child. You can thank my Montana sisters for that.”
“I see.” Alanna stared at her sister, more confused than ever. “I look at you now and wonder if you’re the girl who left Savannah just two years ago.”
“I’m still Margaret, through and through. Just because I’m expecting a child doesn’t mean I’m fundamentally changed.” She ran her slender fingers across her rounded midsection and smiled. “Well, some parts are more changed than others.”
Alanna shook her head. “I am referring to the change in your beliefs.”
“My…beliefs?” Margaret looked stunned at this statement. “I am as strong in my faith as ever. Nothing has changed there. If anything, I’ve come to rely on the Lord even more than before. Up here, in such rugged territory, our faith sees us through many hardships I’d only read about in books or newspaper articles.”
“I’m sorry, Margaret.” Alanna reached out a hand to touch her sister’s arm and was more than a little taken aback by the rough, scratchy fabric of her sleeve. “I didn’t mean to imply that your faith has waned. Not at all. When I say the word beliefs, I refer to ideology. I don’t recall your being such a strong supporter of women’s rights when you lived in Savannah. From my conversation with Brett’s sister, it’s clear she is.”
“I’m sorry if she came across as brusque. Katie often speaks without thinking.”
“I can take care of myself. I’m just concerned that she has… well, has she rubbed off on you, perhaps?”
“Possibly. A little.” Margaret’s expression brightened. “But there’s more to it than that, Lana. Up here, women’s issues aren’t a matter of prestige. It’s not about bragging rights. It’s a matter of life and death. If women didn’t have the right to maintain their property and any funds acquired during the marriage, they would wither and die. I couldn’t bear to watch that. That’s why I’ve linked arms with the suffrage movement. We’ve made progress in the Northwest, certainly, but there’s much more road ahead to travel before the battle is won across this great country of ours.”
“You’ve already won the right to vote.” And please don’t ask my opinion on that. “What more could you ask for?”
Margaret shook her head then leaned back in her chair once again. “My sweet sister, you really have no idea, do you?”
“I—I guess not.”
“Here in Montana, life is different. Issues for women are different, as I said. Why, I could tell you stories of women who risked their reputations and their livelihood to take a stand for what they felt was right.”
“Oh?”
“Yes. I knew nothing of such women when I moved here, but I’ve been a ready learner. Do you know the story of Esther Strasburger?”
“Can’t say as I do.” Alanna studied her eggs, wishing she could change the direction of this conversation.
“She taught in one of our local schools several years ago but wasn’t allowed to vote in school elections. To be able to do so was critical to her career. You can imagine how winning the vote in 1914 changed her life. And the lives of all Montana women, actually.” Margaret’s eyes took on a new shine. “I mean, just think about it, Lana. Though she wasn’t much older than we are now, Esther Strasburger was finally able to support herself. What a battle to be won for single women across this great state.”
“Hmm.”
“That’s why I’m so passionate about winning that same right for women in every state. We have watched women young and old being pressed down, unable to earn the proper income or support themselves as need be. But no longer. It shouldn’t matter if a woman lives in New York or Texas or Wyoming; she should have the same rights. Don’t you agree?”
“Well, I guess I’ll have to think about that one. I’m still not convinced.”
“You might think differently if this hit a little closer to home.”
“What do you mean?”
“If something happened to Papa—God forbid—would our family’s property still belong to Mama?”
“I—I never thought about it.”
“You should. If you and Mama and Tessa are the only ones left on that property, you would want it to be protected, would you not?”
Alanna rose and paced the kitchen, finally looking her sister in the eyes. “I never really stopped to think about it like that before, to be honest.”
“Here’s my point, and it’s only something I’ve recently come to understand: widows can retain the rights to their land. But the only reason they can—the only reason women are given any property rights at all—is because our female predecessors took a stand on their behalf. Otherwise, thousands of women and children would be living on the streets right now. Now women and children are protected. They receive the property by default. And if Mama, for example, received an inheritance of some adjoining acreage from, say, her brother, she could keep that too. It would be her property.”
Alanna pivoted on her heel, feeling a little stirred up by this conversation. “Why did you have to go and make this about Mama?”
“That’s the point. When it’s ‘the great unknown,’ when we’re talking about other people, other places, it’s easy to stand against them. But when it hits home—when it’s your mama or my sister—it’s much tougher. I’m just saying that the things I didn’t understand before are now a bit clearer. And because they’re clearer, my thoughts are shifting.”
“Well, don’t let them shift too much. Promise me you will always still be my sweet Savannah sister.”
“Sounds like I’m missing a doozy of a conversation in here.” Tessa’s voice sounded from the bottom of the stairway. “And it smells yummy, to boot. Bacon?”
“Yes. And scrambled eggs.” Margaret’s expression softened. “Have you seen Mama? Is she coming down?”
“You know Mama. She’s got a weak—”
“Constitution. Yes, I know.” Margaret rose, rubbed her extended belly, and made her way over to the stove, where she heaped bacon and eggs onto a fresh plate for Tessa. “Have a seat. I’ll bring this over. Then I’ll get busy on these dishes before Mama comes down.”
Tessa, for once, did as she was told. Likely because there was food involved. She’d no sooner taken her first bite than a knock sounded on the door.
“Wonder who that could be this time of morning.” Margaret rose and made her way to the door, returning moments later with a very repentant-looking Katie. At once Alanna cringed. Would she really have to endure the young woman’s teasing so early in the morning? Wasn’t yesterday’s how-do-you-do enough?
Katie approached, her eyes to the ground. She spent a couple of seconds in silence then blurted out an unexpected message. “Alanna, I—I, well, I need to apologize for how I spoke to you yesterday.”
“Oh?” Alanna continued to nibble at her toast, determined not to let Katie see the surprise in her eyes.
“Yes.” The young woman sighed as she plopped down into the chair next to Alanna. “What I said was deplorable. Tanner really put me in my place last night on the ride home.”
“He did?” Alanna couldn’t help but smile at that news. So, the handsome cowboy had come to her rescue. Maybe there was a little Southern gentleman inside of him after all.
Katie nodded. “He really gave me what for.” She took Alanna’s hand. “Please say you’ll forgive me. So many times my mouth runs away like a train barreling down a mountain. And I confess, it has derailed me more than once.”
Alanna, determined to respond as any good Southern girl would do, wrapped Katie in a warm sisterly embrace. “All is forgiven. Now, come and join us for breakfast.”
Katie smiled, but only for a moment. Just as quickly, her eyes misted over. “I don’t know if I’m up to eating this morning, to be honest. I’m so distressed over the news about Ellie Cannady.” Her gaze shifted to Margaret. “Have you heard?”
“Yes. Brett saw the doctor early this morning on his way back from Ellie’s place. So sad.”
Katie rose and took a few steps toward the stove. Reaching for a plate, she heaped it with scrambled eggs and bacon. “We must do something special to lift her spirits. I’m not sure what, exactly, but I’ll think of something. I’m loaded with ideas.”
“That she is.” Tanner’s voice rang out. Alanna turned to see him standing in the doorway with his hat in hands. “She’s come up with at least ten or more on the drive over here—most of which involved me in some form or fashion. She tends to wear me out with her ideas.”
Katie laughed. “He’s a good sport, though. Always listens so patiently as I ramble.”
Tanner took a few long strides into the kitchen, a half smile lighting his face. “Very nearly lost my patience this morning, I’ll have you know.”
“And why is that?” Alanna gazed into his beautiful blue eyes as he drew near, intrigued by the overgrowth of stubble. Had he forgotten to shave, perhaps, or did all cowboys look this scruffy?
“All this hoopla about the roles of men and women. It’s grating on me.” His gaze shifted to the stove.
“Here, let me fix you a plate, Tanner.” Margaret rose, but he shook his head.
“No. I mean, yes, I’ll have some food, but I’ll fix it myself. No point in your getting up.”
“See there?” Katie pointed at him, in an accusing fashion. “You say you’re not in favor of liberating women from their confining roles and yet you choose to wait on yourself.”
He looked boggled by this statement. “I was just trying to be courteous.” With a shrug, he reached for the plate. “Didn’t mean to make an issue out of it.”
Alanna continued to watch as he loaded his plate. She couldn’t help but allow her gaze to linger on his broad shoulders. As he leaned over the stove to spoon the eggs, a swath of wavy hair fell casually on his forehead. She found herself riveted to it. And him.
“Alanna?”
“Hmm?” She glanced at Tessa, who gave her a curious look.
“Would you pass the jam, please?”
“Sure.” She pushed it her sister’s way then snuck a second glance at Tanner. He stood tall and lean and definitely muscular. Those denims suited him, though she couldn’t imagine any of the fellas back home turning up in them at a soiree. And that plaid shirt would be laughed out of the cotillion. Still, as Tanner turned back to face her, she had to admit the truth—he looked good. Mighty good. Scruffy or not.
When he took the seat next to her, she could scarcely concentrate on her food. Thank goodness he seemed content to do the talking, so she didn’t have to.
“Ladies, I don’t wish to quarrel. You’ve won the right to vote. I’ll give it to you, willingly. Just humor me when it comes to the various roles of men and women. I’ll go out and tend to the cattle. You stay home and tend to the young’uns.”
Katie let out a gasp. “I cannot believe you just said that.”
“What?” He spoke around a mouthful of eggs in an ungentlemanly way. “You enjoy tending cattle?”
“That’s not my point. You know very well I can’t abide cows.”
“Neither can they abide you, Cattle Kate.” He laughed at his own words, and Katie turned red in the face.
“How many times have I told you not to call me that?”
“So, you’re not fond of cattle, and you have no inclination to care for children.” Tanner lathered a piece of bread with a heaping mound of huckleberry jam. “What else are you opposed to? Oh, wait. I remember now. Men. You’re opposed to men.” He took a bite of the bread, and a look of contentment came over him at once.
“Oh, not me.” Tessa give him a giddy stare before dissolving into fitful giggles.
“You know perfectly well I’m not opposed to men.” Katie shook her head, anger flashing in her eyes. “When I find the right one—the one who will stand with me and offer support for the causes I care about—I will marry him in an instant. But in the meantime, there’s work to do. Perceptions must change, or my daughters and granddaughters won’t stand a chance. The idea of bringing a baby girl into the world right now gives me the shivers.”
“Maybe God will give you sons, then.” Tanner gave a brusque nod and swiped a napkin across his mouth—missing a spot of jam, which remained on his upper lip. “Either way, I don’t like to quarrel. But I think we can agree on one thing. If you read the Word of God, you know that men and women were not created by God to play the same roles. Men are men and women are women.”
Katie rose and paced the room. “I’ve never advocated the idea of reversing roles. That’s not what this is about. If you saw my heart, you would see that my beliefs are really not much different from your own. I believe that women can—and should—enjoy wonderful lives as wives, mothers, and caregivers. But I also believe that women have intelligent minds and strong bodies and much to contribute outside of the home. They are bright and witty and clever.”
“But Tanner’s right about what the Bible says,” Alanna chimed in. “On that point, I must agree.”
“Thank you.” Tanner gave her a wink before taking another bite of his food. Another dab with his napkin and the jam disappeared from his lip.
Still, Alanna could hardly bear the embarrassment. Had he really winked at her again? And in front of the others?
Katie looked at her in a way that made her feel traitorous. “I believe men are prone to take such Scriptures out of context. And they completely ignore other passages regarding the stronger women of faith. Do you know the story of Deborah, the prophetess? The men of her day saw her as an authority figure. I’m not saying we’re all Deborahs. That’s not what I mean to imply. I’m just saying that we have biblical examples of women who were mightily used by God to speak with authority.” She squared her shoulders. “That’s what I want to be—a Deborah. For my generation.”
“My goodness.” Alanna fanned herself. “Just yesterday Margaret told me that she feels like Ruth because Ruth trusted God to lead her to a strange new land. And you want to be like Deborah. I wonder who’s next.”
“Me.” Tessa’s voice rang out. “I want to be like Martha. She’s the one who wanted to make sure everyone got fed, right?” Tessa shoved another spoonful of eggs into her mouth.
“I want to be like Hannah,” Mama said as she entered the room. “She’s one of my favorite women in the Bible. She cared enough about her son to dedicate him to the Lord and then trusted the Lord with his care. That’s much harder than it looks, I must admit.”
“So which woman in the Bible are you most like, Alanna?” Tanner asked.
She paused to think it through. “I would have to say Pharaoh’s daughter.”
“That’s an odd choice,” Mama said as she eased her way down into a chair. “How ever did you come up with her?”
“Because she saw someone facing a perilous situation and stepped in to save the day. She rescued Moses from certain death.”
“And you plan to rescue people?” Katie looked intrigued by this news.
“I do.” If only they knew. She would rescue her sister from these crazy Montana suffragettes and take her back to Savannah where she belonged.
Eventually.
Right now, however, Alanna was content to go on nibbling toast with huckleberry jam and drinking in the image of a like-minded Montana cowboy with very broad shoulders. Broad enough to carry the conversation for both of them.