Wronged (Book 1) Page 40

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  Marian sat in her office going over the latest shipping manifests, her mind focused on the afternoon spent with Louis’s family. The time together had showed her many of the reasons for Louis’s behavior. Like a small boy, he seemed to crave the approval of his father and even a need to outdo his brother. Were all men this way and she’d failed to notice, or was she more observant regarding men’s motivations since Jean’s betrayal?

  Determined to finish this stack of work before leaving today, her eyes returned to the papers before her. Louis had already left for the day, saying that he had an errand to run. Several days had passed since their trip to his family’s home, and they had returned to the easy atmosphere they enjoyed before being intimate with one another.

  Though she couldn’t help but think of that night every time she glanced at him, remembering the way his broad shoulders felt beneath her hands, the way he smelled, and the taste of him upon her tongue.

  Since that night he had not made any overtures toward her. He’d not even touched her. And while she was grateful in one regard, another part of her missed him. Her sense of loneliness had awakened like a sleeping giant, roaring for attention. Now she craved his touch and his body next to hers, but even more she yearned for the sound of his laughter and the way he could make her smile.

  For the first time in her life she enjoyed being with a man and that amazed her. Louis hid his caring soul behind his teasing nature, but she knew from watching him with his family that feelings ran deeper in him than in any man she’d met before. Her thoughts of him being like Jean had not accounted for the man he hid from public view. He cared profoundly about the people he loved, and she wondered what it would be like if he felt concern for her in that same manner.

  Quickly, she pushed the thought away. She was not going to become involved with a man again. After Jean’s death she’d promised herself she would never marry. Yet now the words rang hollow and she wondered at their emptiness.

  The sound of shouting and running footsteps drew her attention away from her thoughts.

  Jon came running into her office, gasping for breath, his chest rising and falling in panic. “Mrs. Cuvier—the dockworkers—have gone on strike and they’re marching this way. A nasty mob is on its way to the office, Captain Paul sent me to warn you to get out.”

  “What?” she said, stunned. “The workers are striking? Why? No one’s told me they were unhappy!”

  The young boy looked sheepish. “Ma’am they’ve been upset for months. Since before Mr. Cuvier... passed on.”

  Marian grabbed her reticule, intending to follow Jon, a thousand thoughts floating through her brain.

  “No one told me. Did Mr. Fournet know of this?” she asked, anger swelling within her. Could this be one of those details that he’d somehow forgotten to mention to her?

  “Yes, Ma’am. He met with the workers several weeks ago.”

  He’d known for weeks and never told her? Why didn’t he tell her or was this just another one of those details that he’d forgotten to mention? Marian slammed her fist down on the table making the young man jump. “Is he never going to understand!”

  The boy jumped with surprise. “Uh, understand what, Ma’am?”

  “That I am to be informed on all decisions,” she said laying her reticule back down on her desk.

  “Ma’am, we better be going. This mob is carrying torches. The police have been called, but the workers are likely to harm you and burn this place down.”

  Burn Cuvier Shipping? Then what would she do? How could she support her children, and Philip would not only have no father, but he wouldn’t have the inheritance she was so desperately trying to hold on to for him.

  But Jon was worried they could harm her. Could she somehow talk an angry mob out of their destruction? She had to try even though she knew she was putting herself at risk. She had to try for her children’s sake. Without the income from the shipping company they would be nearly penniless.

  She only hoped her children didn’t lose their mother, since they’d already lost their father.

  Marian glanced up at him, suddenly seeing the fright in his eyes. “You go on without me, Jon. I’m staying. I’m the only one who can calm them down.”

  “Oh no, ma’am. You can’t do that. We’ve got to go!” She stood up and smoothed her skirt, rehearsing in her mind what she was going to say. What would calm a crowd of striking dockworkers? Why wasn’t Louis here to face this angry mob he helped create?

  “Jon, how long do I have before they arrive?” she asked ignoring his attempt to persuade her to leave.

  “Less than five minutes, Ma’am, that’s why we need to get going. There’s no time for trying to talk them out of this. They’re feeling real mean.”

  Marian came around her desk and moved past Jon and out the office door. He followed her.

  “You’re going to stay, aren’t you?” he said, astonished.

  “Yes, I am. But thank you for warning me. You’re free to go.”

  “What kind of man would I be if I left you to face this mob alone?”

  She smiled at him. “Probably a very smart one.”

  “Come with me, Mrs. Cuvier. It’s too late and it’s not your fault.”

  “No, it’s not my fault, but I’ve got to clean up this mess or be blamed for the consequences. I could leave, but I’m going to stay and do everything I can to save Cuvier Shipping.”

  She sighed and marched down the hall to take on this unpleasant task. Louis never mentioned trouble with the unions. Why?

  When Marian reached the front office, only a few employees remained, cleaning out their desks and then hurrying out the back door.

  “Mrs. Cuvier. We thought you had left.” Henry said coming out of his office.

  “No. I’m not leaving, Henry.”

  “You don’t understand. These men are mean.”

  “Can you tell me what they’re upset about?”

  “It’s been almost ten years since they received a pay raise. They work seven days a week and they’d like to have a little time off. Most of them are barely keeping their families from hunger. They’re tired of it”

  Marian frowned. “Why haven’t we given them a pay raise?”

  “In the five years I’ve been here, Mr. Cuvier never gave pay raises.”

  Marian swallowed. “So they must think that I’m a rich widow who has everything.”

  “Yes Ma’am, I’m afraid so.”

  “God, how am I going to get out of this one?” she said.

  “Just give them some concessions. Give them one day a week and holidays off. And if you can afford it, a small increase in pay. That’s all,” Henry said sympathetically.

  “Why didn’t Mr. Fournet give them an increase in pay?”

  “Mr. Fournet offered them holidays off, but nothing else. He told them the business couldn’t afford a pay increase.”

  She stared off into space, her finger tapping against her lower lip. Their earnings had dropped considerably during the period right after Jean’s death, but the figures she’d seen recently showed they were beginning to rise again. No, they couldn’t afford a huge increase in pay for anyone.

  “When was the last time we increased the cost of our shipments?” she asked.

  “It’s been years. We’re the lowest in the industry. That’s why our business has grown so in the last few years.”

  She glanced at him surprised at this news since Louis had said he got into the business because it was in financial trouble. “Then how could the business be in financial trouble the last few years, if it was growing?”

  The man’s face turned a telling shade of pink and he glanced away from her and then back. “No disrespect to your late husband, Ma’am, but Jean took a great deal of money from the business for his own personal use. If you understand me.”

  Marian stood there for a moment, stunned. She knew he was telling her the truth as she’d seen where Jean had withdrawn cash from the business. And she also knew
that money had been used to support two other households besides hers.

  The rage she thought she’d put behind her at her dead husband’s betrayal once again flared, leaving her shocked at how many lives his evil actions had touched. Determined to show the workers that Cuvier Shipping’s owners were caring, she suddenly knew what she had to do.

  “Then we’ll increase the cost of the shipments and give our workers a raise,” she said resolutely. “I can understand why they’re upset”

  The man smiled. “For a woman, you’ve got a good deal of business sense. I like you, Mrs. Cuvier.”

  She smiled. “Now if I can only convince our workers not to burn the place down.”

  He frowned and tilted his head. “I hear them coming.”

  The sound of angry shouts coming closer chilled her. “I guess it’s time to see if I’m persuasive.” She glanced at the man. “Henry, if it gets bad, get out of here. It’s me they want, not you.”

  He shook his head. “No, ma’am.”

  She smiled. “Then we just have to hope it’s going to turn out well.”

  “Mr. Fournet is not going to like this at all,” he said, gazing at her worriedly.

  With a shrug she begin to walk toward the door. “Mr. Fournet should have been here. At the very least, he should have told me about this months ago. Damn him!” She gasped. “I apologize. I don’t usually swear.”

  Laughing nervously he followed her. “I know. But that tells me you’re pretty scared.”

  She nodded. “Very.”

  Outside the voices grew louder. She glanced at Henry, the gray of his hair shimmering in the dim light. Taking a deep breath she realized he would be of little help to her if things became ugly.

  Outside the voices were chanting, “Give us a raise!”

  “I guess it’s time,” she said, her voice shaking, her knees knocking.

  “Yes, ma’am,” he said, his eyes compassionate. “They’ll be surprised to see you. You can settle this.”

  He pulled open the front door, stepping tentatively out onto the concrete stairs that led into the building. A hundred or more men filled the street, some carrying torches, some holding signs, and others just shouting.

  She stood on the stairs waiting for them to give her a chance to speak, wondering if they would or if this was a pointless exercise.

  Finally, a man approached her, his face red with anger as he glared at her. For a moment she didn’t think she could face him as the men cheered him on. She swallowed and took a deep breath. If she ran, they would probably destroy the building. She had to stay.

  “We’ve come to tell you that we’re on strike until our demands are met!”

  “I understand that you’re upset,” she said nodding her head. “Did you recently speak with Mr. Fournet about your requests?”

  “Yes ma’am,” he said with disgust. “It was a waste of my time.”

  “What did he tell you?”

  “He said that there was no way that the company could meet our requests for a ten-cents-an-hour raise. He did concede us holidays off.”

  Marian frowned, thinking that after so many years without a pay increase, their demands didn’t seem unreasonable, yet it would increase the company’s costs. “Your name, sir?”

  “Richard Vanderhorn, ma’am.”

  She nodded her head and glanced at the crowd, noticing they seemed to have grown quieter as they watched her. Yet their expressions were not friendly and if she didn’t offer them something, maybe they would tear her limb from limb and bum the building. And how could she blame them after what Henry had told her?

  “Mr. Fournet is right in telling you that the company could not afford to give you a ten-cents-an-hour increase in pay. But I am willing to raise the cost of our shipments, which will in turn give us the money to give you a five-cents-an-hour increase. Plus, I’m willing to give you holidays and Sundays off.”

  The man stared at her for a moment in shocked surprise, and then quickly recovered and asked, “You can’t give us ten cents more an hour?”

  “Not without raising our costs higher than the other companies in the area. If we do that we threaten the very existence of Cuvier Shipping.”

  He scratched his head, thinking over her response.

  “Of course, that’s with the condition that your workers return and finish loading the boats today. After all, I know we had several cargos due to go out this evening.”

  “If we accept your conditions, will we get another pay raise anytime soon?”

  “I’ve been told about what’s happened in the past and I promise you I will do my best to make sure that you’re given regular pay increases. I will meet with you and two of your co-workers to determine a fair way to give increases in the future,” she said meeting the man’s intense gaze, refusing to show weakness.

  He rubbed his chin and nodded his head. “Seems fair. How do I know you won’t change your mind?”

  “Will a handshake suffice for our agreement or do you want it in writing?” she asked raising her chin.

  “I think a handshake will do,” he said.

  They shook hands and the crowd grew silent. Marian breathed a sigh of relief. “Now Mr. Vanderhorn, I expect you to disperse this crowd and somehow get them back to work.”

  He grinned. “Your business is what feeds their families, but the time for a pay raise had long since passed.”

  Marian nodded her head. “I agree.”

  She watched the man hurry down the steps and begin speaking to the crowd. Her knees felt so weak she feared she would collapse. She turned and went back into the building where she found the closest chair and sank into it.

  Louis had conveniently forgotten to tell her about the strike. They could have lost everything and then what would she have done? She started to shiver uncontrollably.