The American Heiress Brides Collection by Carter Lisa; Davis Mary; Dietze Susanne

Author:Carter, Lisa; Davis, Mary; Dietze, Susanne [Woodhouse, Kimberley; Carter, Lisa; Davis, Mary; Dietze, Susanne; Draper, Anita Mae; Hall, Patty Smith; Hickey, Cynthia; Richardson, Lisa Karon; Sowell, Lynette]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 4774242
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2017-05-20T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 5

Their late lunch turned into dinner. Not that Matt was complaining. The more time he spent with Dania, the more convinced he was that Senator Evers was hiding something. Why would the man suggest the Eisons’ mill be the focal point of his article on the need for child labor laws if he knew what Dania was doing to help her young employees? And why had Evers led Matt to believe Dania was just another spoiled society girl? What had been the real reason for the division between the senator and his lifelong friend?

What about Dania? There was no denying she cared about her young employees, even went so far as to educate them. Then why didn’t she change her employment policies to exclude children up to the state’s mandated age of twelve?

“Dinner was lovely, Matt.” Dania took the arm he offered and settled in beside him as they stepped out onto the sidewalk. “I usually don’t eat dessert, but that peach cobbler was too tempting to pass up.”

Matt covered her hand with his and smiled. “Maybe we can eat here again before you return home.”

She turned her head and studied a store window display. “I shouldn’t be here now, but I’d hoped to discuss the mill with Mr. Young.”

“The industrial engineer?”

“Hmmm.” She nodded. “He has some theories on employee safety and facility layout that I think could be useful at the mill.” She pressed her lips into a slight frown. “Only I can’t get an appointment with him.”

“That’s odd.”

“Not really,” she replied. “Young is very well respected in his field.”

Matt shook his head. “No, I mean, the man’s secretary called on me at the paper yesterday morning and arranged an interview. He even gave me my pick of appointment times.”

Dania’s face fell. “Oh.”

“Why would he do that? I can’t imagine his appointment book filled up that quickly.”

“It didn’t.” The pain in her eyes when she glanced up at him was almost his undoing. “Mr. Young won’t see me because he doesn’t believe women should be business owners. Or at least, his secretary believes that.”

“That’s ridiculous. Many women own their own businesses these days.”

“Maybe, but most do things like sewing or cooking or running a boardinghouse.” She sucked in a deep breath. “Very few are in manufacturing or textiles.”

Matt’s temper flared. “That’s all the more reason for Young to mentor those who are in the field.”

Dania stopped walking and turned to face him, a soft smile on her face. “You know, you’re not what I expected, either.”

He wasn’t sure he wanted to hear this. He was, after all, working in Senator Evers’s interest, though the position had not been finalized. But something deep down inside wanted to know what this woman thought about him. “How’s that?”

“Well, I thought you’d be like Uncle George. A little stuffy at times.” She blushed. “Very set in his ways. Why, Uncle George was completely against Papa leaving me in charge of the mill. He said no man would want a woman in business.