“He published your editorial. One could argue hedoesbelieve in you.”
“That’s true,” she said. “But my late husband also claimed to support my aspirations. I published a short editorial under a man’s name, and while John claimed to be proud of me, healsosaid I should consider the dream complete and move on to becoming a proper wife.”
Her fists curled at the memory. The brief joy she’d experienced had been nothing compared to the following despair. For the first time in her life, she’d fallen into melancholia, made worse by the fact her husband couldn’t understand why she was upset. She had clawed her way out of the dark episode, and she would be damned if she’d go back there.
Rhoda nodded her chin toward the dais, where Mack was speaking in low tones to the band conductor. “Looks like we’re about to see if he’s up to snuff.”
Clem squeezed her hand. “There’s still hope.”
“And one other thing.” Her voice lowered to a whisper. “He said he loves me.”
“Why didn’t you lead with that?” Olive’s eyes widened. “How romantic.”
Rhoda crossed her arms. “I’ll reserve judgment until we see what he’s up to.”
“Like you haven’t already made up your mind,” Clem admonished. “But this is Winnie’s decision, and we’ll support her no matter what.”
Winnie gave her a grateful, but distracted smile. The conductor brought the musical number to a close. Still, Mack didn’t step down from the dais. Instead, he accepted a glass of champagne from a server.
In the brief lull of silence that followed the last sustained note, Mack raised his glass to shoulder height and tapped it with a light, steady clink. The crowd’s roar dulled to a quizzical murmur.
“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen,” he called out, his warm, inviting tones silencing the remaining voices. “I beg your indulgence for only a moment. If I bore you, at least I’ll have provided an opportune moment for your glass to be refilled.”
The crowd laughed and shouted for him to continue, and a reluctant sense of pride swept through Winnie. Mack was at ease before the crowd, and there was something about his demeanor that invited his listeners to lean in, eager to hear his next words.
“Mrs. Longfellow, thank you for having me at this inspiring event,” Mack continued. “Tonight proves that the Seattle Suffrage Society, though in its infancy, has already made a splash, and joins the legions of many other women's clubs in this city focused on a very important goal: equal voting rights between men and women.”
Amid the cheers, Mrs. Longfellow inclined her head in acknowledgement.
“I will be the first to point out the irony that a man is the first to make a speech at an event hosted by women, but I hope you’ll forgive me just this once. I also acknowledge that the majority of you have no idea who I am, which should count for the annual humbling that ensures my hats still fit at the end of each year.”
Laughter spread through the room, and Winnie watched as the revelers fell helplessly under Mack’s spell. Just as she was.
“My name is Mack Donnelly, and as of today, I am the new owner ofThe Puget Sound Post.You may know it from the various copies of the evening edition strewn around the ballroom.”
He paused as chatter broke out. While many undoubtedly gossiped about the abrupt turnover, the majority loudly proclaimed their congratulations. Others searched the room for the said copies, raising them in the air when they were located, just for someone else to snatch it out of their hands.
“As the new owner and editor-in-chief, I am allowed to give you the inside scoop.” He gave a conspiratorial wink, and the crowd ate it up. “Tomorrow’s morning edition will announceThe Puget Sound Post’sofficial backing of the Washingtonian woman suffrage movement.”
Cheers erupted across the ballroom and Winnie’s heart galloped in her chest. A public declaration of the newspaper’s backing was groundbreaking, and waves of excitement rippled through the room. Everyone knew the impact positive coverage could have on the public’s opinion, and hopefully on the members of the state legislature who would vote on the proposed amendment in a few months. Winnie raised her hands to join in the clapping when Mack’s words rattled through her dazed mind once more.
Tomorrow’smorningedition.
At this late hour, the morning edition would already have chugged through the printing press. Would already be folded and tied into bundles to sell in the early hours. Winnie raised her gaze to find Mack watching her from the stage, waiting for her to realize what he’d done.
He’d already decided to publicly support woman suffrage, even before they’d had their conversation. The move was not contingent upon her answer, not a promise made in the heat of the moment that could be revoked on a whim.
She locked her trembling hands together in front of her.
“Now, now, I’m not finished,” Mack continued. “Don’t you want to know surprise number two?”
His question got its desired effect. The revelers quieted at once.
“I made this decision because of a suffragist, one determined soul who lit a flame under my feet. Without her, I may never have seen the light. Imagine what the world would be like ifeveryonecould hear what she has to say. Whatallwomen have to say.”
Mack’s gaze met and held hers.
“Therefore, the second scoop of the evening is that thePostis hiring a team of local women to lead the charge. This team will be responsible for conducting interviews, gathering data, and reporting on the advancements of the state and national suffrage movements.”
