POV = Lilly

The sun streamed through the bedroom window as I finally managed to prise my tired eyes open. Sunday morning - the night after another party at Patsy's house. This one had been for Ella. My wonderful friends had decided to throw her a birthday party after she had enjoyed herself so much at Patsy's three weeks ago.

Yet again we had all spent a carefree night enjoying each others company and laughing until our sides hurt. Yet again Patsy had left her solid chocolate in temptation's way and I'd taken it for a run around the garden - and she still couldn't catch me! I guess all that walking and climbing up trees in the jungle had proved useful after all. But above everything else, my sister had enjoyed her birthday more than she'd been allowed to since our parents died, and that was worth more than all the chocolate in the world to me.

I rolled over to see that Ella was still well and truly in the land of nod, and I smiled at her. As a gentle breeze blew through the open window, I lay back on my pillow and remembered all the fun we had last night. We really had enjoyed ourselves like we were small children again thanks to Patsy's generosity. It was a blessed relief after another tough week at work with a miserable block of granite!

It had been quite late when Ella and I finally crawled into our beds, tired but with big smiles on our faces. I had the strangest dream though. I was Rapunzel way up in a high tower - except I hadn't been locked away by a witch or wicked relative. Oh no, I'd chosen to hide there to avoid all those pesky suitors that my Aunt kept finding, and to throw 'Votes for Women' leaflets at passing chauvinists. The leaflets were wrapped around rocks of course!

Then the whole thing got a little peculiar. Instead of a handsome Prince trying to 'rescue' me (perish the thought - yuck!), a man with a face like chiselled stone was trying to reach me. Yes, that grumpy old miser Mr Ambrose was climbing up the longest ladder I've ever seen (because I refused to grow my hair long and girly for any male to climb up!) so that he could persuade me to return to work. Oh and he sternly informed me that the cost of the ladder would be coming out of my wages! Ha! Can you imagine that man climbing a ladder after anything other than a pot of gold or lost treasure?!

Then he seemed to get confused because he started calling me Sleeping Beauty. I took great pleasure in informing him that he had obviously climbed into the wrong fairytale dream and would he kindly take his miserable, miserly face out of my sanctuary! I don't really remember what happened after that.

Maybe it was the cheese I had eaten at Patsy's? Patsy!! I suddenly remembered that I had promised, along with Eve and Flora, to attend a rally supporting 'Votes for Women' in Hyde Park as part of her birthday celebrations - and today was the day. All I wanted to do right now though was to stay in bed, but a promise is a promise.

Yes, come on Lilly! You're a proud feminist. Campaigning for women's rights is far more important than lazing about in bed. Up. Up right now!

 I double checked that Ella was still asleep before I opened my bedside drawer and checked my work pocket watch. 10.15am. I was thankful that we'd persuaded a very enthusiastic Patsy to meet in Green Park at midday instead of 11am as she'd originally suggested. At least I wouldn't have to race around like a headless chicken! So, I hauled my weary body out of bed and started to get myself ready. I decided to leave Ella in peace and kissed her gently on her head before leaving the room.

* * * * 

It was just before midday as I strolled through the gates of Green Park. I headed towards our favourite bench that was nicely hidden by a screen of bushes from the main pathway. Flora and Eve were already there but not Patsy.

"Hello girls!" I greeted them. Eve waved enthusiastically whilst Flora jumped up and ran over to fling her arms around me. She squealed;

"Lilly! Two days in a row! We never get to see you two days in a row any more!"

"It's nice to feel so welcome!" I beamed at her and hugged her back. "Where's Patsy? It's certainly not like her to be the last one here."

"Maybe she's getting in some practise with her spiky parasol on the way here? There are always plenty of rakes out for a stroll on a Sunday." Eve mused.

"Oh no! Do you think we should look for her in case she gets into trouble?!" Flora exclaimed as her face dropped from ecstatic to seriously worried in a heartbeat.

"Don't worry ..." I reassured her, "Patsy is looking forward to this rally far too much to risk getting into trouble before it even starts. Besides, if anyone can look after themselves it's definitely Patsy!"

"She's right Flora ..." Eve agreed, "... stop fretting and come and sit back down. Oh and let go of Lilly before you cut off her blood supply."

Embarrassed, Flora let go of the rather tight grip she had on my arms that she'd taken up after her enthusiastic welcome hug.

"Sorry Lilly ... I ..."

"Come on silly, let's sit down and talk about the destruction of all chauvinists."

Apart from the one made of stone, eh Lilly?

Oh no, don't you start. I don't want to think about that miserable granite face today. It's bad enough that he keeps sneaking into my dreams.

I managed to silence my subconscious before it had chance to take over. I wanted my weekend with my friends to last as long as possible so I didn't have to think about work on Monday. The three of us sat and chatted for a few minutes when suddenly Flora spotted Patsy approaching.

"Here she comes!"

"What time do you call this then?" I quizzed Patsy in a less than serious tone.

"Don't you start on me you ... chocolate snatcher. Because of all the energy I used up chasing after you last night, I overslept. And of course I had to have a very hearty, but late, breakfast to fully wake me up and get my aching legs working again!"

The three of us giggled loudly as Patsy slumped onto the end of bench causing the rest of us to move to the right, nearly knocking poor Eve off the other end.

"Are you sure you're fit enough to walk all the way over to Kensington Palace and join in this rally Patsy?" I enquired.

"Just you try and stop me! This weekend has been perfect so far and this is the cherry on top. Anyway, you promised me for my birthday remember? It was great to have you all round again last night girls. I really enjoyed myself, even though you scoffed my solid chocolate - again!"

"I haven't had so much fun for a long time!" Flora gushed.

"Me neither!" agreed Eve. "So Lilly, how was Ella this morning? She looked totally exhausted when you both left Patsy's house!"

"She was, but she went to bed with a huge smile on her face. It was the best birthday she's had since we were small children. She was still asleep when I got up so I decided to leave her in peace."

"Awwww ..." came the chorus from my three friends.

"Right then," commanded Patsy, making Flora jump beside me, "... my legs are feeling better already so we'd better start our pilgrimage to Hyde Park. Are you ready girls?"

"Yes ma'am!" we all replied and I offered Patsy a mock salute.

She rolled her eyes at me.

* * * * 

Although it's not far from Green Park to Hyde Park, Kensington Palace is at the far end. There were lots of ladies heading in the same direction too, many of them excited and chattering busily with their companions.

"Look how many people are heading there!" exclaimed Patsy, "This is going to be amazing!"

The four of us linked arms and we joined the throng of women heading towards the palace. Whilst there were a few men dotted around, I had never seen so many women gathered together in one place. There were parasols everywhere, ready to bash any man who dared to express chauvinistic opinions. I couldn't help but wonder how much fun it would be to drop Mr Ambrose into the middle of the parasol brigade?!

Meanwhile, Patsy looked like she had died and gone to heaven. It certainly made up for her recent disappointment in her fight for women's rights.

Across London, women were starting to form local groups that met regularly to exchange their views and plan how to try and gain some political change. These groups had joined together to organise today's mass rally - the first of its kind.

Patsy had been overjoyed to discover that there was a group being set up in our local area. She was not happy however to discover that you had to be 25 to officially join the cause. Flora, Eve and myself had to bear the brunt of her anger, frustration and disappointment as she declared that she would set up her own group if she had to.

"You already have!" I tried to console her at the time. "You've got us and you are our glorious leader."

"Hmm ... I guess I am." she replied as she thought about it.

All memories of that disappointment seemed to have disappeared today though as Patsy walked confidently amongst the crowd. There were women of all ages there. I even spotted a few elderly ladies sat on benches, proudly watching the younger generations stand up for the rights of all fellow females.

We all gathered by the pond opposite Kensington Palace. Then a very formidable looking woman blew a whistle and instructed her fellow feminists to start marching. The plan was to march through the park and leave through the exit near Marble Arch. Then we would continue the march on the roads that circled Hyde Park, before re-entering through the same gate and congregating near Speaker's Corner for some speeches and socialising.

As we marched towards our exit, I couldn't help but think of that day when Mr Ambrose had forced me to attend an anti-suffrage rally in the same place, as my alter-ego Mr Victor Linton. I remembered how much satisfaction he had taken in watching my fury at the whole situation, then making a speech tackling Patsy head on.

See Lilly, you can't go one day without thinking about that chiselled face and those stormy eyes!

Aarghh! It was annoyingly true. No matter how hard I tried, Mr Rikkard Ambrose kept creeping into my thoughts, even when surrounded by feisty women in his idea of hell. What was wrong with me?

I was feeling annoyed with myself, but then I remembered how Mr Ambrose had thought he had the better of me by volunteering Mr Linton to also make a speech ... or lose my job. Boy, did I have a surprise for him when his apparently male secretary made an impassioned speech about female equality - to a rapturous reception from Patsy, Eve and Flora. I will never forget the look on is face as two men dragged me off the stage, with much of the audience chanting 'Votes for Women'!

"Are you OK Lilly?" It was Flora.

"Hmmm?"

"Lilly! You look like you're a million miles away."

"Oi Linton! What's up? You should be enjoying yourself with your fellow feminists." Patsy joined in. 

"What? Oh sorry. I was just remembering the last time we were here, when we interrupted the anti-suffrage rally."

"Oh my god! That was such a great day. Lilly, I still have no idea how you actually did it, but your speech was brilliant!" gushed Patsy.

"Ha ha! All those shocked chauvinist faces when a 'man' started proclaiming his support for women to vote!" remembered Eve. 

Flora suddenly looked worried though.

"It was great, but what about that awfully serious and miserable looking man that Lilly was on stage with? He ... he really kind of scared me."

"Flora, you're scared of your own reflection in a mirror after dark!" Patsy chuckled.

"I am not! What was his name again? The scary one? Someone important wasn't he Lilly?"

"Him? Oh, I don't remember his name." I lied, desperately hoping that my cheeks wouldn't blush and betray me at the thought of my stoney-faced employer. "Anyway, let's just hope they don't decide to get their revenge and try to interrupt today's event."

"Nah! They wouldn't dare! This many sharpened parasols in one place is surely enough to scare even the most ardent chauvinist away."

I hoped Patsy was right because the last thing I wanted to have to deal with today was seeing Mr Ambrose whilst I was out with my friends.

* * * *

An hour or so later we were sat on the grass, basking in the sunshine and listening to various local suffrage group leaders making their speeches. We were probably the youngest women there and I hoped this thought didn't occur to Patsy and trigger her frustration again at not being able to join up yet. 

I noticed an elderly lady sat on a seat a few yards away. She seemed content at the scene before her, but every now and then I could see her watching the four of us avidly. Maybe it had also occurred to her that we were the youngest there?

"So Patsy," Eve began, "... has this lived up to expectations? Is it the perfect end to your weekend and worth waiting for since your birthday?"

"It has been absolute heaven - well apart from chasing Lilly around the garden again! I wish every weekend could be just like this."

"Maybe one day we'll hold our own little rally in Green Park?" suggested Flora. That got me thinking about the future:

"What about that new space they've started to build in front of The National Gallery? Er ... Trafalgar Square. Maybe one day that will become a huge rallying place for people wanting to march to the new parliament building when it's finished? After all, it's only down the road from Westminster. There could be hundreds ... no thousands of women marching to vent their anger at the government."

"It will happen." Patsy said. "I'm sure that sooner or later these idiots will have to listen to us."

"Yeah, then maybe a woman will get a great big column built in her honour or a landmark named after her." Eve added.

"Better still, what about women as MP's? No! A woman as Prime Minister?! That would just be ... amazing, especially if it happened whilst we had the Queen on the throne!" I offered, getting a little carried away with myself.

Patsy looked as though she wholly approved of my line of thinking. I could just see her at the dispatch box threatening all the male MP's with her parasol if they dared to disagree with her opinions or policies!

"They laid the first foundation stone a couple of weeks ago," Patsy started, "... for the new 'Palace of Westminster'. More like the 'Palace of Chauvinist Pigs'. I wish I could stick all those darned MP's into the massive hole that they've dug for the foundations, and build the whole thing on top of them."

"Oh my word, that would be amazing! Why stop at the MP's? The hole is big enough to fill with hundreds of arrogant males!" Hmm yes, I liked my idea the more that I thought about it. "Maybe we could also fill the hole with a load of 'Votes for Women' leaflets too - just to make sure the foundations and the rest of the building get off on the right political footing?!"

All four of us roared with laughter at the idea. Just then, the old lady that was sat over on the seat got up and walked over to us.

"Good afternoon young ladies. You all certainly look as though you are enjoying yourselves today."

"Good afternoon ma'am." Patsy replied incredibly politely. "Yes, we are having great fun. We were just planning the demise of all those arrogant, chauvinistic MP's."

"Buried in the foundations of the new parliament building!" Flora proclaimed proudly.

The old lady smiled at us warmly.

"My, what fantastic imaginations you all have! I must say it fills my heart with joy to see such young ladies so enthusiastic for the cause. Watching the four of you has been the highlight of my day. Keep up your enthusiasm my dears. Keep fighting and I know the future of British women will be in safe hands."

We all smiled back at her and Patsy puffed out her ample chest with pride.

"Thank you. We certainly have no intention of giving up the fight - especially when we are motivated by Patsy's super-sharp tipped parasol!" I replied.

"Hey, just call me Miss Motivator!" came Patsy's reposte. "Though to be honest, I find you much easier to motivate with the promise of solid chocolate!"

We all laughed in agreement.

"Oh yes, solid chocolate. What a wonderful thing it is and surely one of the very few useful things that men have actually accomplished." the old lady agreed. "Well, it's been a delight meeting you lovely young ladies, but my elderly legs have had enough for one day. I do hope we get to meet again at some future event. Take care my dears and safe journey home."

We all wished her a warm goodbye and watched as she toddled off towards the Marble Arch exit.

"Aw, what a sweet old lady!" gushed Flora. "I almost wish I could take her home with me." 

"You are such a softie Flora. What are we going to do with you?" teased Patsy.

"Aw leave her alone. She's right, she was a sweet old lady." said Eve, defending our most nervous friend.

"Maybe we'll be like that one day?" I pondered. "The four of us, old and wise from years of campaigning, passing on our knowledge and enthusiasm to younger generations."

"Or maybe we'll be too bust running the country and punishing all the male chauvinists?!" suggested Patsy.

We all laughed again and lay back on the grass to enjoy some more of the afternoon sun. We were all relaxing when suddenly Patsy's voice boomed out making us all jump.

"I think we should do it you know!"

"Do what?" I asked, a little confused.

"The leaflets. I'm going to get some money from my Grandmother for my birthday tomorrow. I know it's a bit late, but she's been visiting her sister in Switzerland. I'm going to use it to get some 'Votes for Women' leaflets printed!"

"You don't need to do that Patsy. That's your birthday present."

"And I couldn't think of a better way to spend it ... well, except on chocolate maybe. The workers on the Parliament site don't work on Sundays. Next weekend, we could sneak into the site and throw our leaflets about everywhere! Make sure those blasted foundations have some feminist strength in them!" 

"But Patsy," Flora's voice was a little shaky, "... i-if they catch you, you'll surely end up in prison! Oh, I can't bear the thought of it!"

"Nonsense!" Patsy countered. "I'll have my super, strong and efficient fellow feminists with me! We are going to do this - all four of us. It's my final birthday wish!"

Eve gave Flora a reassuring look before asking Patsy; "Do you seriously think that you'd be able to get in there?"

"Why not? I think I'll have a walk over to Westminster on my way home, go see if there's anyone around there on a Sunday."

"But you don't go anywhere near Westminster to get home!" I pointed out.

"So, you keep telling me that I need more exercise!" she replied with a shrug of her shoulders. "Come on girls! Live a little! What do you say?"

Flora, Eve and I looked at each other and then at Patsy.

"Oh, what the hell, I'm in! I'm a fiery Ifrit after all! I need some adventure and distraction as my Aunt is threatening me with a lot more suitors in the near future."

"Excellent! Oh ladies, we're going to leave our mark on the future centre of power!" Patsy was delighted, and we spent the rest of the afternoon planning 'Operation Feminist Foundation' with a soundtrack of roaring suffrage speeches and the intermittent shout of "Votes for Women!".

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author's Note:

Yay! Some girl power, 1840 style! If Lilly were a Spice Girl then surely she would be Fiery Spice!

So, what do you think of Patsy's plan - brave or barmy?! Life certainly wouldn't be dull if you had Lilly & Patsy as friends would it?

The cover picture for this chapter is of the old Houses of Parliament - or Palace of Westminster as it is also known - before it was destroyed by fire in 1834 (as you can see below). 

In 'Silence is Golden' Lilly and Ambrose attended the royal wedding of Victoria & Albert which was in February 1840, so I see this story as taking place later that year. 

In 1840, the foundation stone for the new (and current) Houses of Parliament was laid. It took 30 years to complete the gothic palace, with the tower housing Big Ben being one of the last parts to be finished.

London looked very different back then - there were only a few bridges crossing the Thames. Tower Bridge hadn't been built and neither had many of the early railway stations. Work on building Trafalgar Square & Nelson's Column also started in 1840 at the same time as the start of work on parliament. There must have been building sites everywhere!

Chapter 4 is written and I hope to upload it in the next 24 hours. It will feature both Ambrose & Lilly's POV. But of course tomorrow is Wednesday, so we'll all be a little pre-occupied with the genius of Sir Rob! 

Take care Ifrits!

JP x