Read Online Primrose Square by Anne Douglas - Free Book Online Page B

wondered. Working only with women, she’d no experience of the sort of prejudice Miss Cordiner was talking about, except, of course, where votes for women were concerned. Yes, there was prejudice for you. She would have liked to ask her desk companion where she worked, except that Mr Muirhead was looking impatient and clearing his throat.
    â€˜Could we all settle down now, please, and forget this diversion? For the rest of the time this evening, I’d like to tell you about some of the methods used to keep records and to bring up information when required. It might be helpful if you take down what I put on the board here and we’ll go into the detail at the next class.’
    Silence fell, except for the squeak of the tutor’s chalk on the blackboard and the laboured breathing of some of the men poring over their notebooks. There seemed a good deal to write, a good deal to learn, but as she worked on, Elinor felt she was getting somewhere. Maybe not in the academic field she’d first planned, but on the path to a more rewarding job than being in service. For these were concrete things she was learning, facts that should stand her in good stead, and if it was perhaps too early to be sure of an end – this was, after all, early days – when the bell rang for the end of the evening class, she still put down her pen with a contented sigh.

Fourteen
    â€˜Thank you, everyone,’ Mr Muirhead called, shaking chalk from his hands after cleaning the board. ‘We’ve made a good start and I look forward to seeing you all next week.’
    Miss Cordiner and Elinor, exchanging further smiles, stood up and stretched with the rest of the class.
    â€˜Pretty tight fit, these desks,’ Miss Cordiner murmured. ‘By the way, my name’s Brenda.’
    â€˜I’m Elinor Rae. Mind if I ask, do you work in an office at the moment?’
    Brenda made a face. ‘Oh, yes, for my sins, I work in the office of a boys’ school. No picnic, I can tell you. The whole place needs sorting out, but my boss is a man who won’t let me do anything. I’m desperate to get into some big firm where I can really organize things. How about you?’
    â€˜I’m in service at the Primrose Club,’ Elinor told her. ‘Like you, I’m keen to move on.’
    â€˜Don’t blame you!’
    As they moved to collect their hats and jackets, other girls came up to congratulate Brenda for standing up to ‘that’ Mr MacLean. ‘Cheeky devil,’ one was remarking, when the cheeky devil himself joined them, pulling on his coat and grinning.
    â€˜No hard feelings?’ he asked.
    â€˜As long as you behave yourself,’ Brenda replied coldly.
    â€˜Oh, he will,’ called Mr Muirhead, standing in the doorway, rattling his keys. ‘That right, Mr MacLean?’
    â€˜Scout’s honour, Mr Muirhead.’
    â€˜On your way, then.’
    As the students moved into the corridor and began to depart, Brenda glanced at a little watch she took from her bag. ‘Listen,’ she said to Elinor, ‘there’s a café stays open late round here, we could go and have a cup of tea.’
    â€˜Oh, I’m sorry, I’d have liked to, but I think I should get back.’
    â€˜Maybe next week, eh?’
    â€˜Yes, I’ll try.’
    They were at the outer door to the school when Mr Muirhead caught up with them.
    â€˜Enjoy your first class?’ he asked cheerfully. ‘Apart from Mr MacLean’s intervention?’
    â€˜I thought you handled that very well,’ Brenda replied. ‘And, thanks, I did enjoy the class.’
    â€˜I did, too,’ Elinor told him.
    â€˜I’m glad.’ He gave her a quick glance. ‘Weren’t any problems for you, were there? I mean, getting away from the club?’
    â€˜Oh, you mean, because I was late?’ She blushed. ‘No, no problems, it was just my father called to see me