“Why not?” Jake asked grumpily.
“One, Leo isnotmy keeper.” Mattie wanted to grab the receiver in both hands and shake it in frustration. “Two, this call is expensive.”
“Then will you tell me if you have?”
“Nope.” Mattie rather delighted in saying that word. In reality, they weren’t going to start flying until late morning, but she didn’t want to give Jake the satisfaction of knowing that. Lethimstew.
“But...”
“Are you going to give me detailed updates on Will, Otto, and your adventures with the postal service?” Mattie asked sweetly. “What if you go to any disreputable speakeasies? That could be dangerous. Will you give me reports on that?”
Jake, thankfully, fell silent. Mattie took the opportunity to bring up the subject that sheactuallywanted to discuss. “Jake, I’ve been thinking about how we need to earn more money, and I swear I’m close to an idea about taking advantage of radio communication. If I come up with a workable design, would you float it around to your bosses at the Airmail Service?”
This time, Mattie didn’t appreciate her brother’s long pause. Her stomach clenched, and her hand tightened around the conical Bakelite receiver. “Jake?”
“You know I think you’re brilliant when it comes to mechanical and electrical things, right?” Jake’s voice sounded soft, gentle. That wasnota good sign.
“Yeees.” Mattie dragged out the word. Her brothers had at least always encouraged her puttering around in the workshop. The first Christmas after the prohibition on civilian use of radio had been lifted after the Great War, her siblings had put their money together, along with Leo, to buy her everything she needed to build a crystal set.
“Anyone who can hobble together an entire backup spark system for a JN-3 is definitely capable of coming up with something brilliant with radio,” Jake continued.
“All this flattery is beginning to concern me.” Mattie wanted to pace, but she needed to speak into the mouthpiece, and she wasn’t about to trot around with Vera’s entire candlestick phone in her hand.
“The thing is, Mattie, it’s hard to convince people to try any new technology, and when they hear that a girl—”
Anger and frustration tightened the muscles of Mattie’s throat, and for a moment, she couldn’t speak. At just that moment, Sadie—the brunette sister from Pennsylvania—started down one side of the dual staircase. Mattie doubted that the woman had seen her. This time she did grab the entire phone, stand and all, as she tried to duck farther into the alcove between the two sets of steps. She really did not want one of her new compatriots to see her this upset.
“Mattie?” Jake asked. “Are you still there?”
“Uh-huh.” She forced out the sound, glancing furtively over her shoulder to make sure that she didn’t attract Sadie’s notice.
“You’re not upset, right?” Jake sounded nervous now. Her brothers were forever worried about making her cry, which was complete nonsense since she never did.
“Nah,” Mattie squeezed out. Shewasdisappointed and irritated at the whole situation, but if she said anything more, Sadie would definitely hear. The new flyer’s feet were just about level with Mattie’s head.She could see the woman’s shoes and khaki pants between the railing’s decorative ironwork.
“Mattie, I would use anything that you invent, and I’ll do my darndest to convince my new superiors at the Airmail Service to do the same, but I just don’t want you to get your hopes up,” her brother said.
“Mm-hmm.” Mattie made the noncommittal sound, knowing in this instance Jake was at leasttryingto encourage her.
He huffed out a relieved sigh. “Now that we have that out of the way, would you please get Leo? I really do want to know what you’ve been up to.”
Mattie whipped her head back around in the direction of the mouthpiece. “Jake, for thelasttime, Leo is not responsible for me and neither areyou. I am going to fly how I want and when I want, just like you and the boys all do. This time none of you can stop me.”
Mattie would have jammed the handset back into place, but she retained enough sense to realize she was using someone else’s property. Instead she gave Jake the crispest of goodbyes and gently but firmly ended the connection. Still infuriated, she whirled and found herself face to face with Sadie. Mortification now mixed with aggravation.
Sadie, however, fixed Mattie with an understanding smile. “Let me guess. That happened to be your brother.”
Slightly more at ease, but still self-conscious, Mattie responded with a weak grin. “I currently have three of them—all older, all convinced it is their most solemn duty to protect me.”
“You poor thing. Luckily, I only have to contend with two.” Sadie shook her head in patent sympathy. “And I have Lily, so we are evenly matched against the male members of our family.”
“I’m the only girl,” Mattie said. “My mom died when I was pretty young, so it’s always been me and the fellows for about as long as I can remember.”
“That’s rough.” Sadie studied Mattie closely and seemed to come to a decision. “Whenever my brothers start acting all absurdly manly, Ialways sneak off to the barn and work on fixing a piece of equipment. Luckily, when you live on a farm, there’s always something that needs repaired.”
A pleased surprise rushed through Mattie. “If flying isn’t an option, that’s exactly whatIdo too!”
“Most people think it’s a crazy thing for a girl,” Sadie said. “But for me it is the most sensible and natural thing. Gears work the way you want them to work, the way they’re supposed towork. Why wouldn’t I want to tinker with them when everything else has gone amok.”
