Read Online No Greater Love by Janet MacLeod Trotter - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Janet MacLeod Trotter
Ads: Link
down to business.’
All Maggie could do was nod, feeling dowdy in her grey woollen dress and shapeless blue hat. Rose began to chat to one of the others about the soirée, leaving her wondering what to do. A woman Maggie recognised as the militant Emily Davison came towards her with a cup of tea. She had seen Miss Davison’s picture in the newspapers on several occasions and realised she was among a very select group of activists, thanks to Rose’s recommendation.
‘Help yourself to milk or sugar,’ Emily smiled at the overawed young woman. ‘We’re so pleased you’ve joined us today.’
Maggie smiled back gratefully, hardly able to believe she was in the company of such important women.
Soon, Alice Pearson brought the room to order.
‘We all know why we are here,’ she said in a clear, confident voice. ‘Our sister Emmeline has been wronged by so-called British justice. She has been locked away for three years for inciting voteless women to burn down an empty villa. Where is her crime?’ Alice demanded. ‘They only acted out of frustration. I say it is those in authority who incited the women; it is they who should have been put in the dock.’
‘That’s right,’ Emily Davison said, rising to her feet. ‘They had to blow up Lloyd George’s house to wake him up! We have declared war, sisters, and the sword must not be put away until we win the vote. Like Joan of Arc, we’ll fight and take the consequences for our beliefs. We’ll continue to go to prison, we’ll suffer force-feeding, we shall not submit until we have justice!’
Maggie watched her transfixed, stirred deep within herself by the uncompromising words. She knew then that she was prepared to do as much as Emily Davison and Alice Pearson asked of her. Gripped by the rightness of their cause, it no longer mattered that they were from different sides of a social gulf and that the tall upper-class woman was a Pearson. As Rose had said, Miss Alice had had nothing to do with the way Pearson’s shipyard had treated her family, she was on their side.
‘We want a volunteer,’ Alice Pearson was speaking again. ‘Someone prepared to make a dramatic gesture that will splash our cause across every newspaper in the land.’
‘We think the Derby at Epsom is where we must demonstrate,’ Emily joined in. ‘The King and Queen will be present, it’s a God-given opportunity.’
‘One of us will make a protest as the King’s horse goes past - brandish one of our banners,’ Alice continued. Maggie sensed a hushed tension among the dozen women present.
Emily added, ‘And we’ll fight on, sisters. God will give the victory!’
‘Here, here!’ said Jocelyn and approval rippled around the room.
‘I have been in contact with our sisters in London,’ Alice said, ‘and they agree that the volunteer should come from the north; she is less likely to be recognised or detected. Are we all in agreement that this is the course of action we should take?’ She swept them with her brown-eyed gaze.
There were murmurs of assent, but Rose tugged on Maggie’s arm and whispered, ‘We can’t take part.’
Maggie, hardly able to contain her excitement at the idea, looked at her friend in astonishment. ‘Of course we can.’
‘No, Maggie, can’t you see—’
‘Do you wish to say something, Rose? ’ Alice spoke across the room. ‘If so, we’d all like to hear it.’
Rose flushed deeply but answered in her clear schoolroom voice. ‘I’m sorry, but Maggie and I cannot take part in the protest. We have to work for our living; we cannot afford to take off to Epsom. It’s not just the expense, but the time. We’d lose our jobs. As you know, I’m a teacher and Maggie is, well, she’s a secretary in one of Pearson’s workshops.’
Alice nodded in sympathy. ‘I quite understand. Such sacrifice would be unnecessary. As a matter of fact, I was going to propose our sister Emily for the task. She has courageously agreed to have her name put
All Maggie could do was nod, feeling dowdy in her grey woollen dress and shapeless blue hat. Rose began to chat to one of the others about the soirée, leaving her wondering what to do. A woman Maggie recognised as the militant Emily Davison came towards her with a cup of tea. She had seen Miss Davison’s picture in the newspapers on several occasions and realised she was among a very select group of activists, thanks to Rose’s recommendation.
‘Help yourself to milk or sugar,’ Emily smiled at the overawed young woman. ‘We’re so pleased you’ve joined us today.’
Maggie smiled back gratefully, hardly able to believe she was in the company of such important women.
Soon, Alice Pearson brought the room to order.
‘We all know why we are here,’ she said in a clear, confident voice. ‘Our sister Emmeline has been wronged by so-called British justice. She has been locked away for three years for inciting voteless women to burn down an empty villa. Where is her crime?’ Alice demanded. ‘They only acted out of frustration. I say it is those in authority who incited the women; it is they who should have been put in the dock.’
‘That’s right,’ Emily Davison said, rising to her feet. ‘They had to blow up Lloyd George’s house to wake him up! We have declared war, sisters, and the sword must not be put away until we win the vote. Like Joan of Arc, we’ll fight and take the consequences for our beliefs. We’ll continue to go to prison, we’ll suffer force-feeding, we shall not submit until we have justice!’
Maggie watched her transfixed, stirred deep within herself by the uncompromising words. She knew then that she was prepared to do as much as Emily Davison and Alice Pearson asked of her. Gripped by the rightness of their cause, it no longer mattered that they were from different sides of a social gulf and that the tall upper-class woman was a Pearson. As Rose had said, Miss Alice had had nothing to do with the way Pearson’s shipyard had treated her family, she was on their side.
‘We want a volunteer,’ Alice Pearson was speaking again. ‘Someone prepared to make a dramatic gesture that will splash our cause across every newspaper in the land.’
‘We think the Derby at Epsom is where we must demonstrate,’ Emily joined in. ‘The King and Queen will be present, it’s a God-given opportunity.’
‘One of us will make a protest as the King’s horse goes past - brandish one of our banners,’ Alice continued. Maggie sensed a hushed tension among the dozen women present.
Emily added, ‘And we’ll fight on, sisters. God will give the victory!’
‘Here, here!’ said Jocelyn and approval rippled around the room.
‘I have been in contact with our sisters in London,’ Alice said, ‘and they agree that the volunteer should come from the north; she is less likely to be recognised or detected. Are we all in agreement that this is the course of action we should take?’ She swept them with her brown-eyed gaze.
There were murmurs of assent, but Rose tugged on Maggie’s arm and whispered, ‘We can’t take part.’
Maggie, hardly able to contain her excitement at the idea, looked at her friend in astonishment. ‘Of course we can.’
‘No, Maggie, can’t you see—’
‘Do you wish to say something, Rose? ’ Alice spoke across the room. ‘If so, we’d all like to hear it.’
Rose flushed deeply but answered in her clear schoolroom voice. ‘I’m sorry, but Maggie and I cannot take part in the protest. We have to work for our living; we cannot afford to take off to Epsom. It’s not just the expense, but the time. We’d lose our jobs. As you know, I’m a teacher and Maggie is, well, she’s a secretary in one of Pearson’s workshops.’
Alice nodded in sympathy. ‘I quite understand. Such sacrifice would be unnecessary. As a matter of fact, I was going to propose our sister Emily for the task. She has courageously agreed to have her name put
Similar Books
