Storing Up Trouble, стр. 105

That Theodosia had blossomed since Beatrix had first met her was not in doubt. She’d formed a fast friendship with Blanche, enjoyed spending time with all of Aunt Gladys’s friends, but more important, when she’d returned to Chicago from New York, Stanley had surprised everyone, including Theodosia, when he’d announced that he’d been in love with Theodosia for years, and he wasn’t going to hide that love another day or give her a reason to ever attend a ball with any gentleman other than himself.

Theodosia had then thrown herself into Stanley’s arms, proclaimed herself in love with him as well, and that had been that. Norman’s mother, to Theodosia’s surprise as well as to her delight, had taken her soon-to-be daughter-in-law under her wing, providing Theodosia with the mother figure she’d never known.

Mary had also been quick to apologize to Beatrix, which had allowed Beatrix to begin building a relationship with the woman who would be her mother-in-law forevermore. That relationship was certain to suffer disagreements at times, what with Mary still having a tendency to want to shelter Norman, while Beatrix found it best to keep pushing him further into the real world.

“I was right about Harvey,” Theodosia suddenly said, pulling Beatrix from her thoughts.

“What does Harvey have to do with anything?” Norman asked. “He’s currently serving a very short stint in jail, thanks to the deep pockets of his father, but it’s an odd time to bring him into the conversation.”

“I know,” Theodosia said, “but a thought just sprang to mind and I thought I’d voice it.”

“What thought?” Norman asked when Theodosia stopped talking as she glanced past Norman and got a sappy look on her face.

“My brother’s standing behind me, isn’t he?” Norman asked.

“He is,” Beatrix said as Theodosia swept past them, whispered something to Stanley, then returned. “He’s saved me a seat.”

“Thoughtful of him.”

“Wasn’t it, though?” Theodosia asked before she nodded. “And the thought I had was this—I told Harvey he could have been using his proclamation of innocence as a distraction to keep us from learning he was behind all the shenanigans, and I was right. That’s exactly what he was doing, although I do believe Miss Burden was the true mastermind, even with her plan being less than well-developed.” She grimaced. “Hardly seems right that her father got her released without jail time, although I suppose since she’s been sent off to Egypt to stay with some obscure relative who enjoys looking for Egyptian artifacts, that is punishment enough. Miss Burden probably won’t like trudging through all that sand.”

“If all of you are done chatting,” Aunt Gladys said, gliding up to join them, Blanche and Mamie by her side, “I’d like to get married.”

“We should take our seats,” Beatrix said.

“Before you do that, dear, I’d like a private word with you, if you don’t mind.”

After they waited until everyone else quit the room, except for Annie because she was standing up with her sister, Beatrix soon found her hand in her aunt’s.

“I wanted to thank you, my dear, for barreling into my life and adding so much joy to it. Edgar and I have grown to love you dearly, and I do hope we’ll see much of you and Norman after we return from the trip Edgar’s planned for me.”

“Since Norman and I will most likely still be living in your house because it’s doubtful the house we’re building on Lake Shore will be done until summer, I don’t believe you’ll have to worry about that.”

Aunt Gladys smiled. “How delightful, but do know that even after you move out of my house, I’ll be visiting you often. I’m looking forward to helping you with that new committee you’re forming to advance the rights of working women as well as advance the work still needed to obtain the right to vote for all women.”

Beatrix returned the smile. “And I look forward to your help. By the time you return, we should have the building completed on State Street and numerous attorneys hired on to lend legal counsel to women in need. Word has already gotten out about the assistance I’m going to be offering to women who have no place to turn when they encounter problems at work or with their unreasonable husbands. I hope other women of means may eventually join forces with me, which will certainly advance the rights of women in the not-too-distant future.” Her smile widened. “Constance has already insisted on helping me, and even Mary wants to be included, deciding much needs to be done in order to ascertain that Gemma will be able to pursue her interest in science someday.”

“Norman still planning to become involved with teaching?” Aunt Gladys asked.

Beatrix nodded. “He’s not been having much luck getting the local colleges to agree to his terms of including women, which is why he’s decided to add a large building on the land we’ve purchased on Lake Shore. He wants to use that building for science lessons available to women and men. He also wants to offer up the building for suffrage lectures, since that will lessen the chance of me landing behind bars again.”

“He has certainly come around in his way of thinking about the suffrage movement,” Aunt Gladys said with a smile. “Perhaps I’ll even take one of his classes—after I get back from my trip around the country, that is. ”

“You’re not supposed to know the details of the trip Edgar planned for you.”

Aunt Gladys waved that aside. “Why do you think I agreed to have your mother plan my wedding for me and hold it in New York? I knew Edgar procured a private Pullman car and intends to whisk me around the country, making it from one coast to another, stopping whenever something strikes our fancy. That’s why I thought holding the wedding on the East Coast would make it easier to execute Edgar’s plan, while also allowing your