Free Crooked Pieces by Sarah Grazebrook

right up to where a huge lady with the biggest hat you ever saw was pouring tea. ‘Mrs Montefiore, may I introduce Maggie? She has worked like a Trojan to help us get ready for today.’
    The huge lady held out her hand. ‘I’m very pleased to meet you, Maggie,’ she said. I bowed my head, thinking she must surely be a royal person with such a hat, for all she had a foreign name.
    At two o’clock the doors were opened and ladies, two or three at a time, began to wander in. By half past two the hall was but a quarter full. I could see Miss Annie and Miss Sylvia in earnest talk with Mrs Drummond who, as always, looked exceedingly cheerful and kept shaking her head and laughing as though it were the simplest thing in the world to fill the place to bursting.
    As I was helping to lay out teacups there came a flurry of voices outside and through the door swept Mrs Pankhurst herself, so fine in a lilac coat and hat to match.
    ‘Where’s Annie? Find her for me, please, and tell her I must speak to her at once.’ A lady rushed off, returning with Miss Annie who looked very down and harassed.
    Mrs Pankhurst embraced her kindly. ‘Well, Annie, how have you done? Where are all our workers? We can’t justpreach to the converted.’ Poor Miss Annie looked as though she wished the ground would swallow her.
    ‘Mrs Drummond and Sylvia and I have been about every single day, talking to the women. We could get no firm promises, but I truly thought more would be here, Mrs Pankhurst.’
    Mrs Pankhurst gave a little shrug. ‘Well, it cannot be helped. A few are better than none. And those that hear Mr Keir Hardie will go home converted, I am sure.’ At this moment they were joined by Miss Sylvia and Miss Christabel who seemed a little displeased with each other.
    Miss Christabel fair pounced on Mrs Pankhurst. ‘Have you seen this, Mother? What Sylvia and Annie have achieved between them? If there are two hundred people out there I should be surprised. And all of them belonging already, I’ll be bound.’
    Miss Sylvia, distressed, I could tell, murmured, ‘I’m sorry, Mother. It hasn’t been for lack of trying. We have all been working like dogs.’
    ‘Dogs would have done a better job,’ snorted Miss Christabel.
    Mrs Pankhurst put a hand on her arm. ‘We must make do with those we’ve got, Christabel. We have the hall, we have an audience, we have our speaker. And we have the Press. Let’s see if we can’t rouse a few headlines, come what may.’
    Just then one of the younger ladies came hurrying in and handed Mrs Pankhurst a letter. She read it, folded it, put it in her pocket. We all waited. ‘Mr Hardie sends his apologies, but regrets he is unable to attend this afternoon.’
    There was a veritable gasp around the room. MrsPankhurst raised her shoulders. ‘Perhaps it is just as well, seeing we have so small a gathering for him. Annie, you will speak as arranged and I will say a few words. What they will be will depend on the King’s Speech.’
    ‘Well, whatever it is, Mother, please make sure it raises their appetites.’
    I had never heard Miss Sylvia speak so sharply.
    ‘Oh, I shall endeavour to do that,’ said her mother. ‘I usually manage something of the kind.’
    ‘Good,’ replied Miss Sylvia, ‘for we’ve five hundred currant buns to dispose of before anyone goes home.’
    Miss Christabel burst out laughing. ‘Oh well done, my sister. No recruits but you’ve sorted out the eating arrangements. Perhaps that’s what you should stick to. It’s plainly what you’re best at.’
    Miss Sylvia said nothing, but she bit her lip hard and walked clear out of the room. Miss Christabel seemed very little unsettled and set about ordering those remaining to various tasks. Me she sent out to the front to direct latecomers to their seats.
    I was not halfway there when there came a sound – a sort of murmuring like distant bees, then, as it came closer, more like voices, women’s voices, then voices raised in