The Aviatrix by Marsh Violet

Author:Marsh, Violet
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Montlake
Published: 2021-06-14T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

A hero both in the air and on the ground, Mr. Leo Ward, the Flying Lion, defended his lady love’s honor at a local Chicago club. Witnesses say that he pitched another man into a nearby table while shielding Miss Mattie McAdams. It is rumored that another ace from the Great War, Earl “Quick” Crenshaw, was fighting in the opposing group and was at one point unmanned. It is unknown what could have caused the bad blood between the two former squadron comrades.

—Harvey Weston, Lake Michigan Times

“I wish I had better news to report,” Jake said, his voice uncharacteristically soft.

Mattie squeezed her eyes shut, as if she could will her older brother’s next words away. It didn’t work.

“I mentioned that I had a sister who was coming up with some brilliant use of radio to help with navigation.” Jake spoke slower than usual, as if he was picking out each word in an attempt to soften his message.

“And?” Mattie asked. She dug her nails into the palm of her free hand. “Don’t mince words. It’s easier if I know the truth.”

“You want me to tell you exactly what my bosses at the Airmail Service said?” Jake asked skeptically.

Mattie swallowed. Most of her didn’t, but she needed to understand what she would be fighting against in order to sell and profit from her idea. “Yes.”

“Let me just say that I don’t agree with their reaction,” Jake hedged.

This time Mattie clenched her teeth. “I know you’re trying to sugarcoat what they said to protect me, but you’re only making it worse by dragging it out.”

“They didn’t take it seriously, Mattie—at least they didn’t when I mentioned it was my sister who came up with the idea. I don’t think the newspaper articles about the Flying Flappers have helped either.” Jake spoke so fast now Mattie was surprised his tongue wasn’t as tangled as her guts currently were.

“What were their precise words?” Mattie asked, even though she dreaded the response. The fact it involved the horrible articles about Vera’s circus only made it worse. She needed to know the truth, though. Needed her brother to stop mollycoddling her. Needed to face the height and breadth of the obstacles before her.

“That, um, dames can’t even tune a radio to save their lives, so there’s no way a doll could come up with a useful application involving the actual signal. Also there was some ribbing that my sister should stick to dressing up watermelons and toy dogs and stop trying to play with things best left to a man.”

“That’s absurd!” Mattie burst out as ire blazed through her. Furiously, she beat the sole of her shoe against the marble floor of Vera’s entrance hall and wished it were a certain reporter and his drunken friend instead. “I’m the one in the family who knows the most about radio!”

“I know that, Mattie.” Jake sighed, and she could just imagine him rubbing his forehead. “But they don’t, and I can’t convince them otherwise.”

“What if I had

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