Noting the door was open a crack, she was raising a hand to knock when the conversation within reached her ears.
“So, you saw Mrs. West’s notes?”
She paused. Mr. Anderson was never in Mack’s office this early, and she hated to interrupt a meeting between editors,especiallyif they were busy planning her debut. A ghost of a smile played at her lips.
“I did.”
Why was Mack’s tone so short? Shouldn’t he be extolling her skills?
“How were they?”
Mack’s long pause had her holding her breath. There was still time for him to redeem himself. She just had to be patient.
“Controversial.”
The smile slipped.
“You’re not planning to go through with the editorial, are you?” Mr. Anderson said.
“You know I don’t want to. I’ve been more than clear about it.”
Her brow furrowed. What the devil were they talking about? Surely, she misunderstood. Mack had reviewed her notes on the steamer, and he’d been more than complimentary. What had changed?
“There’s still time to talk to Horace,” Mr. Anderson continued. “I’ll back you this time.”
Mack’s tone was dry. “Had a change of heart, have you?”
“You could say that. I’ve watched this go on for too long. And Mack, there are things I need to tell you—”
Mr. Anderson’s voice dropped to a whisper, but she’d already heard the only thing that mattered. Mack didn’t want to publish her article. He never had.
Everything had been a lie.
Her satchel slipped from her limp hand and banged into the door with a dull thud, shoving it open a few inches. Mr. Anderson whirled. Mack rose from behind his desk, surprise and guilt on his face.
His backstabbing plans had been found out and now all she could see when she looked at him was a despicable man who had betrayed her. Again.
“Bobcat,” he said, his voice too bright. “I didn’t know you were coming in this early.”
“So it appears,” she managed between gritted teeth. With numb fingers, she unlatched her satchel and held the handwritten sheet aloft. “Here’s the completed editorial you never planned to publish.”
“No, that’s not what I was saying.”
She scoffed loudly. “Don’t insult my intelligence. It’s exactly what you were saying.”
She made to leave, but Mack dove through the doorway and planted himself in her way. Mr. Anderson leaned against the desk and glanced between them with raised brows. If Mr. Anderson wanted a show, he was going to get one.
“You’re no better than your uncle.” She was gratified when Mack flinched.
“If you’ll listen—”
“To what? More slights about how my work isn’t up to scratch? How long have you men sat around this office laughing at my expense, knowing you’ll never publish a word I write?”
“I said it was controversial, which is hardly saying it isn’t up to scratch. Woman suffrageisa controversial topic.”
Howdarehe be so obtuse? “Tell me the truth!”
“What you heard was technically correct, but it isn’t what you think.” His intense gaze had her pinned to the floor. She clung to hope that maybe itwasjust a misunderstanding. “I told you how my uncle pressures me to do things I don’t agree with. The truth is he wanted me to use your notes to publish an anti-suffrage article.That’swhat I was just saying I won’t do.”
