Mary's 09.5 - The Battersea Barricades by Jodi Taylor

Author:Jodi Taylor [Taylor, Jodi]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: The Battersea Barricades
Publisher: Accent Press
Published: 2018-04-08T23:00:00+00:00

I knew the rest of course. Unbelievably, even after everything that had happened, all sides failed to reach an agreement. Power-sharing seemed the best way to go, but who would share what power and with whom was the subject of endless pointless arguments. They couldn’t even agree a provisional leader.

When Princess Mary reluctantly took over as head of the interim government, she told them that they wouldn’t agree to, or even like, some of the measures she intended to implement, and they still said OK. She said Are you sure? They said yes, she said so be it, and then she really got stuck in. All sorts of power-limiting legislation was rammed through. Civil liberties and Habeas corpus were restored. She was right, some politicians didn’t like it and, even then, there were attempts to block the legislation. There’s a story that she stormed into one meeting and threatened to shoot them all if they couldn’t come to a consensus. She pointed out that one government had already been overthrown, adding, significantly, that these things are always easier the second time around.

At the end of the first year, however, they hadn’t done too bad a job and it was agreed they’d serve for another two years after which elections would be held. Slowly, and not without a great deal of mutual suspicion, things began to return to normal. There was a record turn-out for the elections. Suddenly everyone wanted their voice to be heard. Memories of the consequences of electoral apathy were too recent.

People picked up their lives. Mrs Mack would face a bleak widowhood until Dr Bairstow knocked on her door. Mrs Enderby would return to Welwyn Garden City just in time to meet and marry Mr Enderby, and Mrs Shaw would re-join her husband and go on to lead a normal life. Until she met St Mary’s, that is. And here they were today, sitting in a slowly darkening room, silently remembering times past.

I should leave. I should leave them to their memories. But just as I was about to get up and go, someone tapped at the door. I seized on the excuse.

‘I’ll see who it is.’

It was Markham

‘Do you want me?’ I enquired, hoping he did.

‘Not really,’ he said, peering around me. ‘I’m looking for Dr Bairstow.’

I blinked. It was usually the other way around. ‘Mr Markham for you, sir.’

‘Ah, yes. Good evening, Mr Markham. Is there any word?’

‘There is, sir, and the word is “go”.’

‘How long?’

‘Just under fifteen minutes, sir.’

‘Then we had better make a move. Ladies, I wonder if you would allow me the honour of escorting you.’

‘Why?’ said Mrs Mack. ‘Where are we going?’

‘This way, if you please.’

He rose to his feet, settled his stick and offered his arm to Mrs Mack.

Mystified – it doesn’t take much – I stared at Markham, who simply grinned. It pisses me off no end when he knows something I don’t. It’s just not in the natural order of things.

‘Ladies, if you would be so good.’

They filed out.

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