“I owe you an additional thanks, then.” Leo knew that Mattie had mentioned that he wouldn’t face any jail time over his stunt, but he hadn’t had the energy to fully consider what the women were doing to protect him. Their defense both warmed and humbled Leo.
Aida waved her gloved hand. “It is nothing. You saved Mattie’s life and potentially those of countless spectators. And you exposed Crenshaw’s sabotage. You did nothing wrong, Leo, and we were glad to make sure you weren’t unfairly prosecuted. And youarea famous, handsome Anglo-American war hero. It wasn’t very difficult to convince the authorities that you meant no harm, and it won’t be hard to change the mind of the press either.”
Leo slowly eased his sore body into a sitting position. He shoved his hand into his hair at the back of his head. “I’d better hear what they’re saying about Mattie and me.”
Aida cleared her throat and rattled the pages before she commenced reading, her voice becoming professorial. Guilt strafed Leo like a barrage from an enemy Archie battery. Mattie had apologized for not taking his concerns seriously, but apparently he hadn’t fully accounted for hers either. The news coverage of the accident was exactly what she’d feared. Worse, it put everything she’d worked for in jeopardy. If her reputation was irreversibly tattered, she’d likely not only lose the Rockol endorsement but find no other business offers, including for her RadioNavigator.
“I am not just flying for myself but all female aviators. If I fail to show, this will make national news—empirical proof of a female flyer’s innate fickleness.”The words Mattie had spoken during their argument on the Southern California beach blazed through his mind. She’d called the race a battle for a cause that she believed in. She’d been right.
“What do the other articles say?” Leo dreaded the answer, but he needed to know.
“Variations of the same,” Aida said, confirming his suspicions. “Pringle isn’t alone in crowing about the superiority of male aviators and questioning Mattie’s previous successes.”
Leo exhaled. “Mattie’s instinct will be to challenge Crenshaw to a rematch.”
“Yes,” Aida agreed.
Leo scrubbed the back of his head even harder. “That’s why you suggested that I listen to the articles? You wanted me to be prepared?”
“Society is not yet kind to women who wish to pursue careers generally perceived as belonging to the realm of men. Mattie will always face resistance, and some of the opposition will be dangerous. She threatens deeply held beliefs that some will defend even with violence.”
Leo thought about how each of the women in their troupe regarded their aerial stunts in a broader, more sweeping sense than mere personal achievements. During the Great War, Leo had flown for Alfred and his squadron, for the Allies, for his country, for his belief in freedom. But since then he had taken to the skies not to defend a cause but only to support himself and protect the McAdamses. In contrast, Vera had formed an entire flying circus to challenge the meek roles prescribed to her sex. All the women had joined for similar reasons, with Carrie also fighting to dismantle racial prejudice. Aida was recording their experiences to write an academic thesis on the emergence of the New Woman.
“There will always be Crenshaws to battle.” Leo echoed Mattie’s words.
“And Mattie will always want to stand against them. The variable is you. Will you be by her side when she does?”
Once again, Mattie’s words burst into Leo’s mind, as strong and as forceful as when she’d first spoken them:“When you and Alfred left for the war, I didn’t want to lose you—either of you. But I not only let you both go—I wrote to you every week with words of encouragement. Can’t you do the same now? For me? Support me even if you are worried?”
And there was only one answer to the questions that both Aida and Mattie had put forward.
When Mattie returned to Leo’s private room, she found him sleeping restfully, with Aida quietly writing in her notebook. Aida glanced up at her entrance. She gave a nod and began to pack up her belongings. Unfortunately, even after surgery and strong medication Leo was a light sleeper. His blue eyes blinked open, and he fixed Mattie with the shy grin that she loved. His drowsiness made the smile even sweeter, and her heart gave a delightful trill like a sparrow’s airy call.
“Should I leave the stack of broadsheets?” Aida asked, nodding to a pile of newspapers. A jarring sensation struck Mattie as she realized she had utterly forgotten about the press in her worry for Leo. In whatever manner the reporters had chosen to report the crash, she knew it would not flatter her or female aviators.
Leo gave a firm, sharp nod. “Yes.”
A silent message passed between Aida and Leo. Mattie would have thought more of it if she hadn’t found herself battling a resurgence of unease about the coverage of the event. But she tried to force those thoughts away. She could not control what had been printed, and now was not the time to fix it. That would come later, for at this moment Leo needed her attention.
Aida left the room and pulled the door shut softly behind her, leaving Mattie and Leo in relative silence. Sunlight once again washed over the white room. Stirring the curtains, a morning breeze blew through the large open window. The air carried the salty scent of the ocean, although they could not see the water from this vantage point. Despite the fear of the past forty-eight hours, the smell made Mattie think of beckoning adventure.
“You can look at them,” Leo said.
“Look at what?” Mattie asked.
“The news rags.”
With a start, Mattie brushed her fingers over her fresh pair of trousers. “That can wait.”
“Aida read them to me,” Leo explained. “You’ll want to know what was written about the race so you can come up with a plan.”
Mattie didn’t need any more encouragement. She crossed the small room in two strides. With a now-trembling hand, she skimmed the first article. Outrage flamed through her, almost destroying her caution and better sense. But not completely. Not again. She would not allow Crenshaw to bait her—or Leo—into another trap.
Breathing deeply, she turned to find Leo watching her, his expression a new one, and for once, she couldn’t read it. Her body filled with electrified anticipation, just as it did when she dived down to zoom her plane under a bridge. This moment would be a defining one. For them. For their confessed love. For their future.
“If I wasn’t lying here in a hospital bed, what would your next maneuver be?”
Mattie suddenly understood why Leo shoved his hand in his hair so often, because she found herself wanting to do the same. Instead she clenched her hand, letting her fingers dig into her flesh.
