Philip was chuckling, shaking his head. “No, no. You’re not just my employee. You’re my friend. I don’t want you hurting and in pain. Damn that woman. She had a lot of nerve throwing that paper on the ground.”
John shook his head. “Don’t hold that against her, Philip. She cares about you. More than she cares about what you print. I’m sure she never meant to hurt me. You know she didn’t. Admit it.”
“I’m disappointed in her. I don’t know why she doesn’t understand what I’m up against.”
“She’s a woman,” John responded. Philip felt a pang of regret, seeing John grimace, pain obvious on his face.
“I am so sorry this happened,” Philip said, concern in his voice and on his face. “Your pa is gonna kill me. He’s really gonna come down on me now.”
John snorted. “He ain’t gonna do nothin’. First of all, I don’t live with him and I ain’t no kid. He doesn’t even have to know this happened. Emma will take care of me once I get home. I think I’m gonna have to take a few days off though. I figure you’ll understand if I can’t come in.”
Philip thought about the delay Mary had now caused him. Resentment filled his chest, making him angry. She’d cost him an employee just to complain that she wasn’t getting her way. And after having her article printed and everything.
He sighed heavily. He still loved her. He could feel it down to his core.
But this was unacceptable, childish behavior from her. He’d listened to her complain constantly, not satisfied with the slow pace their progress was making. Well, some progress wasn’t gained overnight. He would have to make sure she understood that.
It would take a few days for him to calm down, he was sure of that. But the next time he got to see her, he would let her know. What she’d done wasn’t unforgivable. He just needed her to understand that he was at the mercy of the current acting mayor. It was temporary. Hanover wouldn’t be mayor forever.
In fact, there was a good chance Paul would defeat him simply because Hanover had made himself into a tyrant, alienating all the friends he’d used to have and even pushing away his own son because of his greediness and desire for power.
He hoped Mary would stay away for the rest of the day. He needed time to think.
He sat back and watched as the doctor examined John and gave him a semi-clean bill of health, telling him he’d most likely bruised his tailbone and would need to stay off his feet for a while. He wouldn’t be able to sit up for a while either. Not without pain.
He swore he’d come to work anyway, but Philip told him not to and didn’t expect him to come in. He would teach Matthew what he needed to know so he could help while John was out of commission.
Chapter 32
Philip tried not to let his anger get the better of him. He watched as the doctor examined John and when the older man left, giving John some pills to help with the pain, he got up and dragged his chair to sit next to the couch where John was spread out.
He looked like he was still in severe pain.
“You want some whiskey?” Philip asked.
“Yeah, I’d like that. Thanks.”
Philip stood up and crossed the room to the small bar he used to entertain when he had an advertiser or special guest come into the office.
He made them both a glass of whiskey, pouring a bit more into John’s glass than his own.
He took the glasses back to John and handed one to the invalid. “I’m glad you didn’t break anything. You could have broken a leg or something.”
“Well, I hit my head pretty hard. You hear what Doc said? I might start seeing things or something.”
Philip heard the humor in his friend’s voice and was glad John was the type of man who didn’t hold grudges or overreact when accidents happened. Even though he was still upset with Mary, Philip knew that what happened was an accident that could have been avoided. But there was no way he would think Mary meant for anything bad to happen to John.
“I hope if you do, that it’s a beautiful woman trying to kiss you.”
John snorted and immediately grimaced from the pain. Philip wondered where he was hurting or if it was an all over type of pain. “Don’t let Emma hear you say that. She’d be the one I’d want kissing me anyway. Love my wife.”
He said the last three words with such deep affection, Philip was a little taken aback. He hoped he would feel that way about his wife someday. Whether it was Mary or not, he did plan to take a wife at some point in his life. He was a healthy man and could live to be a hundred if he had a mind to it.
“I hope you picture Emma smothering your ugly mug with kisses then,” Philip teased, punching John lightly on the shoulder. John looked down at his arm where Philip made an impact.
“Now you’re beating me up, too? I can’t win today. Might need to run off and start life anew somewhere that is maybe just a little more peaceful. You know, where people aren’t trying to hurt me left and right.”
Philip laughed aloud. “All right, buddy, you know I don’t want you to get hurt. How can you work for me if you’re hurt?”
John nodded. “Uh-huh. That’s what I thought. That’s what I thought!”
Both men laughed.
Philip heard footsteps behind him and turned around to see who it was. It was the sound of heavy boots so he knew it wasn’t Mary coming back. She wouldn’t be walking so fast anyway. When she’d left, he was sure she’d been moving slowly, in a defeated way. She knew what she’d done and she felt ashamed and guilty.
It wasn’t Mary. It was Matthew, coming to check on his coworker.
“Hey, how you doing, John?” he asked.
Philip wasn’t in the mood to worry about how Mary was feeling right then. She’d acted like a child. She shouldn’t have behaved that way. John wouldn’t be hurt if she’d just tried, even for a moment, to understand what it was like for Philip. He couldn’t risk everything to stand up to Hanover. At this point, it didn’t make sense not to wait for the new election. He was certain Hanover would be defeated. He wouldn’t entertain the thought of him winning the position again and how it would affect Philip.
It wasn’t that he didn’t agree with Mary. He agreed with her about many things. But when it came to just printing willy-nilly, without regard to the man who could destroy him, he thought it was a better idea to wait until that man was no longer in power. He could catch up with all the news he’d missed when that happened, when Hanover was booted from his position as mayor.
Philip felt like he shouldn’t have to explain this to Mary. She should understand and trust him when it came to decision making, especially when it was his very livelihood that was at risk. Why didn’t she think about that?
John and Matthew exchanged the normal banter. When they came to a pause in their conversation, Philip spoke up.
“Matthew, you know where John lives?”
Matthew’s eyes moved to his coworker and friend. “Uh… I don’t think so. Do I?”
John laughed. “Nah, I don’t think you’ve been by my place before.”
“You don’t live with your pa in the mayor’s house, do you?”
John continued his laughter, shaking his head. “Oh no. Not for several years. I can draw you a map. You’re trying to get him to go get Emma, am I right, Phil?”
Philip nodded. “That’s what I was thinking. She can sit here with you until you feel okay to move. But I recommend you staying here, maybe for the night. I’ve got a cot I can pull out for Emma so she won’t be uncomfortable. It won’t be like your bed at home, but it’s something.”
John looked thoughtful. “You think I should stay here?”
Philip shrugged, nodding again. “It might be a good idea. I don’t mind. Just don’t drink all my whiskey.”
“I ain’t makin’ you no promises on that, buddy,” John replied with a snicker. “Ah, you’re just trying to make me stay so I can keep working, aren’t you?”
Philip laughed. “Yeah, I’m gonna pull the printing press into this room and make yo
u set the letters from the couch.”
John joined him, his laughter somewhat stilted as pain visibly shot through his body with every jerky movement. “My arms don’t stretch that far, boss.”
Matthew was chuckling behind him. Philip turned to look at the young man. “Yes, I’d like it if you’d go get Emma, John’s wife. You’ve seen her so you know what she looks like…”
“You know what?” John interrupted Philip, drawing the attention of the two men. “I don’t think she’s at home anyway. I think she might be in the beauty parlor. You should check there first, Matthew. And maybe the dress shop or the general store. Point is, she’s probably in town. Better than me drawin’ a map and you goin’ all the way out there for nothing.”
Philip was proud of Matthew, who immediately nodded and tapped one hand against the doorjamb he was standing next to. “I’ve got it, John. No problem at all. I’ll be right back with your wife.”
“Thanks, Matthew,” John called out as Matthew crossed to the front door and disappeared out onto the street. When Philip looked back at his employee, John turned his eyes to meet Philip’s. “He’s a good kid.”
Philip nodded in agreement. “One of the good things about Mary. She has a good heart, always helping people in need. She sees it when no one else does. She sees the good in people.”
“I hope you won’t stay mad at her, boss,” John said, compassion in his voice.
Philip looked away from him, letting his eyes trail the wall opposite him without really seeing what was there. “I can’t believe she acted like such a child,” he said, anger lacing his words. “It just doesn’t make sense. It’s like she wants me to lose my paper altogether just so she can get a headline or two.”
John shook his head. “I don’t think it’s a headline she’s looking for.” He kept his voice low, which made Philip pay a little more attention to him when he spoke. “And I don’t think you believe it is either. You’re just mad right now and you’re saying whatever comes to your mind. She didn’t mean to disrespect you by throwing that paper on the floor. For all we know, she might not have meant to do it and it just slipped out of her hand. She was too stubborn to admit that and pick it up. She doesn’t seem like a woman who would be ugly on the inside to me.”
Philip listened to John with a new pain sliding through him, making him confused and nervous. He wanted to see things Mary’s way. But her behavior was just inexcusable. She’d hurt his feelings. It felt like she’d thrown away a week of Philip’s hard work and creativity, his inspiration and motivation for getting up every morning. She’d just tossed it aside like a used piece of tissue paper.
“I suppose it isn’t a headline she wants,” he conceded. “She wants everyone to know about women’s causes and rights. She wants women to vote. She wants women to run businesses and own property.”
“Women can inherit property now,” John said. “Things are getting better. I understand why she wants to bring it more to light. That makes sense, knowing her. She’s a brilliant woman, teaching all those kids, keeping up with the latest inventions, learning about a lot of new things herself so she can teach the kids.”
Philip thought about it for a moment, his heart growing softer for the woman he loved but was angry with.
“I suppose she did absorb the information about the printing press and how the newspaper works, just as much as the children she brought did.”
“They had such a good time, too, didn’t they?” John grinned.
Philip had to return his smile, remembering the delight on their little faces when he explained how the press worked and how some of them might grow up to have their writings published, too.
He wasn’t destined to stay mad at her long. How could he? He loved her.
But for now, he let his anger simmer in his chest, making his stomach clench with regret as he remembered yelling at Mary and making her leave in shame.
Chapter 33
Mary didn’t go to the schoolhouse like Philip had told her to. She hadn’t come from there so she saw no reason to go there. It was a Saturday and no one would be there. Instead, she went across the street from the printing office and went down the corner to the beauty salon.
She was hoping Sarah or Annette would be there. Annette usually was. Maybe she could get some comfort from one of her friends.
How was she going to find out what had happened to John? She needed to find out somehow. She knew he was still alive and conscious. But what had been injured in his body was another matter. What if he was severely injured? What if he lost the ability to walk or suffered a brain injury?
Her chest was heavy with the weight of guilt and shame. She didn’t really want to show her face but she didn’t want to be alone either. Choosing the lesser of the two evils, she pushed open the door and went into the beauty salon, searching for her friends.
She didn’t see Sarah. But she did see Annette.
Working on Emma, John’s wife, pulling her hair back to cut it with small scissors and twirl it around a large curler.
Mary’s heart plunged into her stomach. She put one hand over it and the other over her mouth, afraid she might vomit.
Both women glanced at her when the little bell over her head tinkled joyfully. They both smiled. She smiled back but was sure it was wavering. She wondered just how guilty she looked.
Should she even tell Emma what had happened? Was it so dire and important that she needed to get to her husband?
A wave of guilt flowed through her, making her doubt her ability to tell on herself. What if Emma was angry with her? It was her fault, after all. She was the one who dropped the paper on the floor. She hadn’t meant to; it had slipped from her fingers. And then she’d been too stubborn to pick it back up. She’d wanted to make her point with Philip. She didn’t understand why he didn’t find a way to keep his business and still print the stories that needed to be in the newspaper.
She couldn’t tell whether he was genuinely afraid of the mayor and believed his threat to force the debt collectors to take Philip’s business, or if he just wasn’t that interested in issues pertaining to women. He’d boasted the day after the women’s theater group came out that he had sold more papers than ever before.
Mary couldn’t understand why he wasn’t willing to take a chance, when it was obvious so many people wanted to read about the same things she wanted to write about.
She forced herself to go to the chair where Emma was seated, Annette standing behind the girl, a bunch of Emma’s wavy, brown, silken hair in each hand.
“How are you doing, Mary?” Emma asked. “I haven’t talked to you in a while. John tells me you and Philip have been spending some time together. How’s that going for you?”
Emma had always been kind to Mary. She had no children yet but had told Mary once that she would be happier if Mary was in charge of the little ones because when her baby was old enough, he or she would be attending school and Emma didn’t want Mrs. Edwards in charge of teaching her child.
“I’m doing well,” she responded. “And yes, I’ve been seeing more of Philip than before. We have been trying to team up to create some new and interesting articles on topics we think a more diverse crowd would be interested in.”
“You mean like for women?” Emma asked, a sweet smile on her face. “John talks about that, too. I brought it up when Philip printed the article on the women’s theater troop. I am so looking forward to seeing their play tonight.”
Mary’s face flushed as she remembered what had happened to John. She opened her mouth, unable to meet Emma’s eyes.
“What’s wrong, Mary?” It was Annette who asked the question, making Emma turn to look out of the corner of her eyes at the schoolteacher.
His Rainbow After the Rain Page 20