A Moment to Remember (21 page)

‘I know, but you always say that you’re doing something special when I’ve asked.’

‘It was only that once.’ Milly knew that Rita was sulking. ‘Look, why don’t we go to the music hall one evening?’

‘I’d like that.’

‘Well you tell me what night you want to go, all right?’

‘Thanks, Milly.’

It wasn’t only Rita who was unhappy about Milly being out most evenings and Saturday afternoons.

‘I dunno why yer always out,’ said Pammy. ‘Who’s gonna keep this place clean? I ain’t got time.’

‘I manage to fit it in.’

‘Dad reckons yer on the game.’

‘He would. I told you, I go and work in an office for a few hours.’

‘But you don’t get any money for it, do yer?’

‘No. I told you, it’s for a good cause.’ When Milly started to get home late from work, she told Pammy she was doing evening work. Pammy wanted to know if she would be getting more money and Milly told her no, that people did it for nothing. Pammy thought she was mad, but at least she didn’t have to go into any details.

Even old Bill from upstairs wondered where she got to, and one afternoon when she was home, she told him.

‘You wanna be careful of that lot. Got nuffink better ter do than worry the government. They should be at home looking after their menfolk.’

Milly didn’t reply. These were very intelligent women and this was the sort of attitude they were trying to stop.

When she was in the office and the printing machine wasn’t working, it was very quiet, and Milly enjoyed working in such a peaceful atmosphere. As she sat busy folding letters or writing envelopes, she thought about Jane and smiled. She could almost see her friend doing something like this. How Jane would have loved every moment, just as Milly was. Whatever she did, Jane and Richard were never far from her thoughts.

In April, the sinking of the
Titanic
filled the pages of the newspapers.

For days everybody was talking about it, and as Rita and Milly walked home from work one evening, Rita said, ‘Me dad was saying that people are waiting outside his office for news of friends and relations. He said when they put the list up outside of survivors and those that died, some of the women’s crying was awful.’

‘It must be a sad time for so many people. A lot of women are coming into the office crying over lost loved ones. There are some very rich women who had relations on that ship.’

‘Well that gives ’em something else to worry about, instead of going round doing all that damage.’

Milly didn’t answer.

It was May and a lovely spring evening, Milly was in the back room busy making tea when there was an almighty crash and the glass window was shattered. She ran to the front and could see that blood was pouring from Ada’s arm. Pat, another volunteer, rushed outside, but whoever had done it had run off.

‘I’ll get some bandages,’ said Milly. She knew they had a first-aid box; these women had to be ready for anything.

‘I’m all right,’ said Ada.

‘It looks very deep,’ said Milly as she tore the sleeve of Ada’s blouse away.

Suddenly Ada groaned and slumped in her chair.

Milly looked on in shock. ‘Quick, get her some water,’ she said to Pat.

Milly began gently tapping Ada’s cheek. ‘Ada. Ada.’ But there wasn’t any response. She looked up at Pat. ‘What we going to do?’

‘Dunno. There’s some smelling salts in the cupboard.’

‘Could you go for a doctor?’

‘Where’s the nearest?’

‘I don’t know. Go next door and ask the butcher.’

‘He’s closed.’

‘Bang on his door till he opens it.’

‘He won’t like that. He don’t like us.’

‘I know he doesn’t, but this could be a matter of life and death.’ As soon as Milly said that, she felt sick. She had been through this sort of thing before, and she could see herself fighting for Jane’s life. A crowd had gathered outside the window but nobody came in. ‘Please, someone help us,’ she called out.

‘You lot get all you deserve,’ shouted one man.

‘You wanna fink about all the winders you’ve broken.’

‘It keeps the glass blokes busy, though, don’t it?’ yelled a woman with a cackle of a laugh.

‘Here comes the coppers now.’

A policeman walked in and looked at the situation. ‘I think this lady had better go to the hospital,’ he said.

Milly was sitting with Ada, who had come round after the smelling salts had been put under her nose. She assured Milly that she could walk to the bus.

The journey seemed long, and Milly was worried that Ada would pass out on her again. People looked at them but nobody said a word.

At the hospital, a nurse showed them into a small room.

‘This is quite deep. I’ll have to put some stitches in it,’ said the doctor who was examining Ada’s arm. ‘I hope you told the policeman how it happened.’

‘I’m afraid we don’t get a lot of sympathy from the police,’ said Milly.

‘Well that doesn’t surprise me.’ He gave her a smile. ‘And have you been on any marches, young lady?’

Milly was taken aback. ‘No. I’m in the office.’

He smiled again. ‘What do you do there?’

‘Help with the letters.’

‘I see. Now, that should be better,’ he said to Ada when he’d finished. ‘I’ll get the nurse to bandage you up.’

‘Thank you,’ said Ada.

‘Made a bit of a mess of your lovely blouse,’ said the nurse as she finished and stood looking at her handiwork.

‘It couldn’t be helped,’ Ada said. She went to stand up, but was a little wobbly.

‘Are you sure you’ll be all right?’ asked the nurse.

‘Yes thank you.’

As they went outside, Milly was worried that Ada looked very pale, but she was soon her old self again as they made their way back.

‘That doctor was rather nice,’ she said Ada.

‘I suppose he was. I never noticed,’ said Milly.

‘At least they’ve boarded up the window,’ said Ada when they got back to the office. ‘I hope they didn’t give Pat too much trouble, although I think she can handle things.’

‘Are you sure you don’t want to go home?’ asked Milly.

‘I’ll just stay for a little while to make sure everything’s all right.’

Pat was in the back room. ‘Thank goodness you’re back,’ she said when they walked in. ‘The police have been here but they said they couldn’t do anything about it.’

‘I’m not surprised,’ said Ada as she sat down. ‘They think it’s all we deserve.’

‘The man who boarded up the window said he’d be here in the morning to put the glass in.’

‘Thanks. I think we’d better close for tonight.’

‘Will you be all right getting home?’ asked Milly.

Ada smiled. ‘Yes thank you. I’ll be fine.’

As Milly walked home, she thought about the evening. She was certainly seeing life and enjoying working with Ada and Eve. How she would love to work there full time. She would give it a little while, then ask Ada if she could go on the pay roll. It was the sort of job she would really like, and the more she found out about the cause, the more she believed in it. The thought of wearing one of those lovely white frocks and a big white hat really appealed to her. She smiled to herself. That wasn’t really the reason to become a suffragette.

Her thoughts went to the doctor and she began daydreaming. It would be so nice to go out with someone like that. After knowing people like the Greens, she enjoyed that sort of company. People who talked nicely and about interesting things. She missed Jane so much. She gave a silent sob. Where would her life be now if that dreadful day had never been?

S
PRING MOVED ON to summer, and Milly was very happy with her evening job, though she wished she could spend more time with Ada, Pat and Eve and the other volunteers who came to help out. Whenever she was told about the visitors to the office—people like the Pankhursts—she felt very left out.

‘We have to open these boxes and display and price all this lovely merchandise,’ said Ada, bustling around the latest delivery.

‘I wish I could work here full time,’ said Milly when Ada was telling her about how they were getting more and more literature and goods to sell.

‘As a matter of fact I have been in contact with someone and told them we need help, and I think we may be able to give you a full-time post.’

Milly threw her arms round Ada.

‘We must wait a while till it goes through all the various channels, but I’m sure it will be fine.’

One evening Milly was walking home from the office deep in thought, when someone behind her said hello.

She turned and was surprised to see the doctor who had attended to Ada’s arm. ‘Hello,’ she said.

‘Been on any rallies lately?’ he asked as he walked beside her. He was just like a hero in a book. Tall, dark and good-looking.

‘No. Like I said, I work in the office.’

‘I’ve just called in there and was told that you had gone.’

‘I’ve just finished.’ Milly was surprised at his remark. She wanted to ask him what he was doing round here, but didn’t think that would be right. And why was he asking after her?

‘I just called in to see the lady who cut her arm.’

‘She’s fine now.’

‘Yes, I could see that. It shouldn’t scar.’

‘I don’t think she’ll be worried about that.’

‘No, not when you think of what some of these women go through with this force-feeding.’

‘It must be awful to have those tubes put up your nose and down your throat,’ Milly agreed.

‘I do admire you women.’ He smiled. ‘I have to, as my mother is very sympathetic to your cause.’

Milly looked surprised.

They stopped at the kerb and he took her arm and guided her across the road. Milly knew that under his brown leather gloves he had long, sensitive fingers.

‘Where are you going?’ he asked.

‘Home,’ she replied. She wanted to ask him where he was going, but that was being too forward. Instead she asked tentatively, ‘Do you follow up all your patients?’

‘No. Only those that have a pretty assistant.’

Milly felt herself blushing.

‘My name’s Tom, by the way. And you are?’

‘Milly.’

‘Is that short for Millicent?’

She nodded.

‘Do you live far from here?’

‘A little way away.’

‘Could I walk with you?’

This was the last thing Milly wanted. ‘Shouldn’t you be at the hospital?’

‘No, it’s my evening off. They do let us get away sometimes. So, may I walk with you?’

Milly stopped. ‘I’d rather you didn’t.’ Although he was tall and very good-looking and she was flattered, she wanted him to go away.

‘Oh.’ He looked surprised. ‘Is there a reason?’

‘It’s just that my father doesn’t like me being at the office and he wouldn’t like it if I told him how I came to know you.’ Milly was surprising herself with how quickly she had thought up this story.

‘Would he have to know?’ Tom asked.

Milly couldn’t think of an answer, so she remained silent.

‘I see. I would like to see you again, Milly. Could I take you out for tea one afternoon? I’m sure Miss Roberts would let you have an hour off.’

‘You know Ada’s surname?’

‘I made a point of finding it out before I came looking for you.’

He had come looking for her. How could she tell him that she worked at the biscuit factory all day?

‘Can we walk for a while now?’

Milly smiled.

‘You have a lovely smile.’

‘And you are very persistent.’

‘Yes, I am. Now come on, let’s go for a stroll round the park.’

Milly froze. The park was the last place she wanted to go. ‘I’d rather have a cup of tea somewhere.’

‘Why not?’

Milly found Tom easy to talk to. Over tea he told her that he was an only child and his mother was a widow. She had made sure that he had a good education and then went on to be a doctor.

‘Now, you know all about me, what about you?’

‘Not a lot to tell. I used to work in a big house and now I don’t.’

He grinned and his face lit up. He was very handsome with his dark hair and dark eyes. ‘Is that it?’

‘Yes.’

‘Where did you work? My mother might know of the people.’

Milly looked at him. For months she had kept her past hidden and she wasn’t about to tell someone she had only known for a short while. ‘They moved abroad. Besides, what do you want to know all about me for?’

‘Just curious. And now you work at the suffragettes’ office?’

Milly didn’t answer. Although she was flattered and enjoyed being with this handsome young man, she wanted to get away from him and his questions as soon as possible. ‘Look, I must go.’ She stood up.

He jumped to his feet. ‘Milly, please let me take you out.’