CHAPTER 6

"Where were you tonight?" James said as I approached home. His arms were crossed over his chest and his cap pulled down. Despite not being able to see his face, I knew he was scowling at me.

"Walking and thinking, which, by the sound of it, is something you need to do?"

James' eyes squinted at me. "Why you got a fancy towel hanging over your shoulders? What, you breaking into fine houses for laundry?"

I tugged at the towel until I freed it from my shoulders. Back at the bridge, I hadn't thought to return it. Another thing I'd have to add to my list of things to do.

"You know, there's talk the strike will start earlier. Heard it at the pub. Masters know, so what's the point of waiting?"

"The point was all the mill workers striking together, not bits at a time. Five minutes before time, he said."

"Well, maybe I misheard."

I looked at the dark windows of the house, knowing Ma would already be asleep. "Go get some sleep. You still need to be sober enough to turn out today."

"I'll be fine. You're such an old woman, John."

"Then best go face your ma before I teach you a lesson. Go on."

James began to cross the road. Best to wait until he made it to the door, otherwise a carriage might sustain damage running over him. As far-fetched as it sounded, it occurred often. He turned back.

"You know, if they keep importing those fancy looms, we'll all be out of a job," James said.

"Or we'd just find a new kind of work. Machines aren't going to replace us entirely, at least not yet. We'll probably be old men by the time that happens."

"You really don't see how much of a problem it is." James pulled his cap off to run his hand through his hair before tugging it back into place.

"There's a difference between us. You got five people in your family bringing in a wage every week. Ma only has me."

"But there's only two of you and six of us."

"Doesn't make the rent any cheaper because there are less of us."

"Yeah, but you don't have the food costs, the clothing, the heating, the doctors…"

I knew James would keep the argument going until I agreed or stopped arguing. I closed my mouth.

"Don't let me down on this," James said.

As he walked away, I let out a breath slowly. A chill ran over my skin as I pulled the towel from my shoulders.

"Tomorrow. Let's see what tomorrow brings."

****

I leaned against the brick wall. The iron gates were chained shut. Bryson stood with his arms folded and gaze drilling into anyone on the other side. Despite the number of workers who worked in the mill and turned out for the meeting, only a handful were there when James and I arrived before daybreak. As predicted, the Masters all refused to budge on things the day before.

At least a handful of men joined in, carrying signs that most of us couldn't read. Their chants were far more enthusiastic than mine. James stood amongst them, his voice loud and proud. The thought of doing this for a whole day felt like such a waste of time.

When I saw Millie walking slowly towards us, I took the chance to step away from the group.

"John, there's a lady looking for you," Mille said. She came to a stop in front of me. Her hand covered her chest as she leaned forward a little, taking in slow breaths. After a moment, she raised her head and smiled. "And when I say lady, I mean a fine one. She's walked up and down the lane until I called out to her through the window."

"Miss Hannah?" I asked.

"I don't know, does–" A series of coughs caused her to squat. I heard wood hit the stone road behind me and soon James crouched beside her.

"What are you doing this far from home, Mille?"

She wheezed as she continued to breathe in and out. Her face was pink and her fingers were tightly clenching the fabric of her skirt.

"Never you mind." With James' help, Millie straightened herself. She glanced at her brother and then back at me. "John's ma needs him home. You'll see me home safe, won't you, John?"

James looked at me.

"Sure. I'll come back when I see what Ma needs."

"Don't take too long," James said.

I watched as he picked up the sign from the ground and returned to the group. Turning to Millie, I offered her my arm. She leaned a little on me as we took slow steps back towards our homes.

"Thanks for not mentioning her," I said.

"I know what James is like. He'd have asked you more questions than you want and when you wouldn't answer you'd be going home to your ma with a black eye again."

Millie wasn't wrong there. Back in early spring, James had a little too much one night. Stumbling down the path, he came, unable to work out his feet from his arse. When he broke old Mrs Bourne's favourite flower pot trying to decide which was his left foot, he'd set every dog and cat off in a ruckus and woke half the town. That's where I found him, sitting amongst the remains of the flowerpot. I'd only meant to help him back to his house, but he'd instantly started an argument about one of the piecers at the mill. Up he'd gotten and swung at me before I had a chance to react.

"I don't think Mrs Bourne or Ma have quite forgiven him for that yet."

"Enough about James. I didn't put in all this effort for him. Come on, how do you know this lady then? Tell me."

"You'll keep it a secret?"

"Take it to me grave, so I won't have to keep it long," she said. Her laugh echoed around the empty street. "Go on, don't look so serious."

I glanced behind me. The mill was already out of sight, but I didn't want to start talking only to find James there. With a sigh, I turned back in the direction we were walking.

"She's from the big manor. I was out walking and she fell in the lake."

"Ah, that's why you came back all dripping wet. She make you rescue her a second time as well then?"

My cheeks burned. Thank goodness for the sun's heat reddening any part of skin it could reach.

"She lost something in the water."

"And you had to help her out?" She leaned a little closer.

"Nothing more than that."

We turned the corner and I could just make out Miss Hannah standing in the shade near the front door. She held a basket in her hands.

"I think there's more than that." Millie's fingers tightened on my arm. "When she asked for you, her eyes sparkled. Every story I've heard, when the eyes sparkle, that means something."

"I can't offer her a thing, Millie. She'll marry some rich man from a large estate with twenty-thousand a year."

"I don't know, most ladies wanting twenty-thousand a year wouldn't come to this part of town asking after a mill worker."

We paused outside her door.

"In you go and rest."

"I'll have plenty of time for resting when I'm dead. I'm sticking around to hear the end of the story."

She coughed only once before she turned, walked to the door, and went inside. Now it was my turn to take a deep breath, or two. I turned to look across the road in time to see Miss Hannah raise one hand.