she asked Ada to strip off to the waist.
‘Eeh, lass, is that your husband’s work?’
Shame washed over Ada at these words.
‘It’s time we women stood up for ourselves, and men were prosecuted for treating their wives in this way – it ain’t reet, Ada. Look at your bruising. No wonder you feel
under the weather. But, y’know, there’s them as are fighting for our rights, and when this war is done, I might just join them.’
This surprised Ada. Penny Jarvis had always seemed the quiet, studious type. She’d never married, though Ada couldn’t imagine why, because although she was a rounded woman, with
plenty of padding and a huge bosom, she had a pretty face and a lovely kind way about her. She’d make a good wife and mother. It seemed a shame that no one had taken her up; and now, with all
the young men being killed off, there would be no one to do so.
To combat the pain this last thought brought her, Ada tried to make a joke. ‘Eeh, Penny, I can just see you chained to a railing and shouting, “Votes for women”, and no one
down London understanding a word you’re saying!’
Penny laughed. ‘Aye, so can I. But understand me or not, I’d do it. All of this makes me blood boil.’
She rubbed soothing oils into Ada’s skin as she spoke, which brought her some comfort. ‘I’m leaving him when I can, Penny. I’m saving up me money. Paddy has no idea how
much I earn, and he’s happy with what I give him, so he don’t ask questions as to what I keep back. Only he . . . he got me sister pregnant, and that were the last straw for
me.’
‘Eeh, Ada, you got a bad ’un in him. And, aye, I knew about your sister. She’s been having me attend her, as she’s trying to keep it secret. She asked me to rid her of
it, but I’m not into that game. I feel sorry for her, in a way.’
Hearing this made the pain of Ada’s betrayal fresh again. ‘Well, she shouldn’t have took me man – she’s got her just deserts, as I see it.’
As she tells it, she were seduced; and, because of her situation, she was easy pickings for a man such as Paddy. Now she’s lost you, and is likely to lose her husband and everything she
has.’
‘I can’t feel sorry for her, Penny. I would never do what she’s done.’
‘There’s none of us knows what we would do in a given situation, lass. Anyroad, I’m talking about anything and everything, other than the real reason I made you have an
examination. I need your help, Ada. I have some bad news to give to both Mabel and Agatha.’
‘No! No, no, no – don’t tell me. Not Eric and Arthur, oh God . . .’ Ada sucked in her breath.
‘I’m afraid so. Killed on the first of July, the day the papers are saying was a disastrous day. They numbered the dead at around twenty thousand, with another thirty thousand
wounded. How them nurses cope out there, I don’t know.’
Ada blocked out Penny’s words and wailed. Her only thought was:
Jimmy’s mates, dead! But what of Jimmy? My Jimmy . . .
Ada, love. Oh, I should have thought on. Oh God, Ada, I’m sorry. I forgot your Jimmy’s there and they were all mates, weren’t they? But, lass, you would have heard by now if
Jimmy had been hurt. The officer who brought the news would have known and would have told me. I just thought, as you’d been through this, you could help Mabel and Agatha. I was going to send
for you, if you hadn’t come through me door.’
How Penny could talk in such a matter-of-fact way Ada couldn’t understand. Two fine lads were dead! Two more from the street that had seen these lads kicking balls and giving cheek when
told to stop. Lads that had hung around with her Jimmy and had called out teasing words to her Bobby and Jack when they had swaggered up the street in their Sunday best, looking to pick up a couple
of girls.
‘Look, I’ll give you sommat to calm you, then I’ll sign you off for the day, Ada. I’m reet sorry, lass. Dealing with stuff, day in and day out, makes you
‘Eeh, lass, is that your husband’s work?’
Shame washed over Ada at these words.
‘It’s time we women stood up for ourselves, and men were prosecuted for treating their wives in this way – it ain’t reet, Ada. Look at your bruising. No wonder you feel
under the weather. But, y’know, there’s them as are fighting for our rights, and when this war is done, I might just join them.’
This surprised Ada. Penny Jarvis had always seemed the quiet, studious type. She’d never married, though Ada couldn’t imagine why, because although she was a rounded woman, with
plenty of padding and a huge bosom, she had a pretty face and a lovely kind way about her. She’d make a good wife and mother. It seemed a shame that no one had taken her up; and now, with all
the young men being killed off, there would be no one to do so.
To combat the pain this last thought brought her, Ada tried to make a joke. ‘Eeh, Penny, I can just see you chained to a railing and shouting, “Votes for women”, and no one
down London understanding a word you’re saying!’
Penny laughed. ‘Aye, so can I. But understand me or not, I’d do it. All of this makes me blood boil.’
She rubbed soothing oils into Ada’s skin as she spoke, which brought her some comfort. ‘I’m leaving him when I can, Penny. I’m saving up me money. Paddy has no idea how
much I earn, and he’s happy with what I give him, so he don’t ask questions as to what I keep back. Only he . . . he got me sister pregnant, and that were the last straw for
me.’
‘Eeh, Ada, you got a bad ’un in him. And, aye, I knew about your sister. She’s been having me attend her, as she’s trying to keep it secret. She asked me to rid her of
it, but I’m not into that game. I feel sorry for her, in a way.’
Hearing this made the pain of Ada’s betrayal fresh again. ‘Well, she shouldn’t have took me man – she’s got her just deserts, as I see it.’
As she tells it, she were seduced; and, because of her situation, she was easy pickings for a man such as Paddy. Now she’s lost you, and is likely to lose her husband and everything she
has.’
‘I can’t feel sorry for her, Penny. I would never do what she’s done.’
‘There’s none of us knows what we would do in a given situation, lass. Anyroad, I’m talking about anything and everything, other than the real reason I made you have an
examination. I need your help, Ada. I have some bad news to give to both Mabel and Agatha.’
‘No! No, no, no – don’t tell me. Not Eric and Arthur, oh God . . .’ Ada sucked in her breath.
‘I’m afraid so. Killed on the first of July, the day the papers are saying was a disastrous day. They numbered the dead at around twenty thousand, with another thirty thousand
wounded. How them nurses cope out there, I don’t know.’
Ada blocked out Penny’s words and wailed. Her only thought was:
Jimmy’s mates, dead! But what of Jimmy? My Jimmy . . .
Ada, love. Oh, I should have thought on. Oh God, Ada, I’m sorry. I forgot your Jimmy’s there and they were all mates, weren’t they? But, lass, you would have heard by now if
Jimmy had been hurt. The officer who brought the news would have known and would have told me. I just thought, as you’d been through this, you could help Mabel and Agatha. I was going to send
for you, if you hadn’t come through me door.’
How Penny could talk in such a matter-of-fact way Ada couldn’t understand. Two fine lads were dead! Two more from the street that had seen these lads kicking balls and giving cheek when
told to stop. Lads that had hung around with her Jimmy and had called out teasing words to her Bobby and Jack when they had swaggered up the street in their Sunday best, looking to pick up a couple
of girls.
‘Look, I’ll give you sommat to calm you, then I’ll sign you off for the day, Ada. I’m reet sorry, lass. Dealing with stuff, day in and day out, makes you
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