Sisters of Fortune by Anna Lee Huber

Author:Anna Lee Huber [Huber, Anna Lee]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington Books
Published: 2023-12-27T00:00:00+00:00

Mabel was about to do something foolish. She knew she was letting her impatience get the best of her, and yet she couldn’t stop herself.

Her footsteps padded down the steps toward D-Deck, where she could hear the band playing for teatime. It was more crowded than usual. All the public rooms were, owing to the tremendous cold on deck, but it was easy to spot her father’s balding head, nonetheless, standing near the tapestry.

As she bore down on him, she knew she wasn’t comporting herself with the ladylike grace her mother expected of her, but she was determined to speak her piece, and she refused to be put off again. Only when she was standing directly before him did she rein herself in, folding her hands demurely in front of herself as she waited for her father to finish what he was saying to the gentleman beside him and acknowledge her. She was at least relieved to see that he was in a better mood than he’d been in at lunch. He even chuckled before turning toward her.

“Father, may I speak to you?”

A tiny furrow formed in Father’s forehead, but he nodded and led her toward the door to the Dining Saloon, holding it open for her to pass through. One of the dining stewards cast an aggrieved look in their direction before resuming his work to prepare the tables for dinner.

“All right, then, Mabel,” he declared, crossing his arms over his barrel chest. “What did you wish to say?”

Inhaling a calming breath, she opened her mouth to begin, only to be cut off brusquely.

“This isn’t about Mr. Driscoll, is it? For I’ve already made my feelings clear.”

“No, this isn’t about Harrison,” she replied, unable to resist using his first name to irritate her father, despite the fact she desperately wanted him to be amenable. “But it is about my future. I want you to consider allowing me to attend university,” she said, maintaining as even a tone as possible. “To study the law.”

“There’s no need for you to learn such things. Not when your place will be at home.”

Her hands clenched at her sides as she struggled to restrain her temper, determined to plead her case. “There are agencies where women and children are in need of legal counsel. Agencies where I could be useful.”

“You can be useful at home. And those women and children can just as easily get their legal counsel from men.”

“Perhaps, but they’re more comfortable with women. And few men wish to take on their cases.”

Her father scowled, and she realized that she might have unwittingly revealed too much. After all, she knew his views on suffrage and divorce. So she pressed on before he could speak.

“There are dozens of respectable ladies on this very ship who have university educations and careers. Doctors and lawyers and writers. And lest you fear further education will render me unmarriageable, most of those women went on to wed highly respected men.”

“Mabel . . .” Her father turned away with an exasperated sigh.

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