Minerva Read online

  Martin Moxon was still transfixed on his rock. He almost thought that he had seen a vision, a reincarnation of the Goddess Minerva, in fact.

  ‘Don’t be so stupid!’ He exclaimed out loud, ‘that was a real beauty, but who can she be? I’ll never rest until I find her.’ He walked slowly down the path, deep in thought, and turned off to his home, where his father was putting their suitcases into the Bentley.

  ‘Hurry up lad your mother is flapping like a mother hen. Go and get ready. I want to be on our way to Scarborough before 9 o’clock’. Martin reluctantly obeyed.

  When Minnie had recovered she came out of the telephone box and cautiously peered around. There was no sign of him.

  ‘Thank goodness for that .He was attracted by the mystic of Minerva, but certainly not by mill girl Minnie Wood of weaving shed number seven,’ she thought sadly and her heart fluttered again.

  ‘Oh to be loved by Martin Moxon, but only in your dreams in your dreams Minnie,’ she whispered. She continued down Manchester road and called in the corner shop at the end of Buttercup Street. The shop bell clanged as she entered.

  ‘Good morning Mrs Beaumont, it’s a beautiful morning. I’ve just been for a walk up to the moors,’ Minnie told her.

  “Good morning Minnie, my word you do look bonnie this morning. Have you got a young man yet’ She had always liked Minnie ever since she arrived from the Orphanage. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but Minnie had something that the other girls didn’t possess.

  ‘“No Mrs Beaumont not yet,’ and she blushed thankful that Mrs Beaumont could not read her secret thoughts about Martin Moxon. ‘ All the girls in my shed have gone to Blackpool. I expect they will have some tales to tell when they come back.’

  ‘Aye love I expect they will and they won’t be up to any good either. You’re better staying at home and keeping yourself pure, until the right man comes along,’ Mrs Beaumont told her. Minnie sighed the right man had come along, but he would have to stay in her dreams. She paid for her magazine, her humbugs and a News Chronicle.

  ‘I like to keep up with the news Mrs Beaumont. Do you think that there is going to be another war? I hope not .My father was killed in the last war, which was supposed to be the war to end all wars.’

  ‘Was he love? I am sorry. Yes Mr Beaumont says that there will be another war. He says that note Chamberlain brought back from Adolf Hitler saying, PEACE IN OUR TIME, wasn’t worth the paper it was written on.’

  ‘Well Mrs Beaumont, it looks like my father died in vain. I’ve got a photo of him in his uniform. Fathers, husbands and sons will give their lives again. The German army have marched into Czechoslovakia. I wonder who will suffer next?’ Minnie said sadly.

  ‘Don’t worry your pretty little head .They won’t come here .No enemy has invaded England for hundreds of years since William the conqueror came in 1066.That’s one of the dates I remember from school ‘, and they both laughed. ‘That little Frenchie Napoleon couldn’t manage it either.’

  ‘I hope you’re right Mrs Beaumont. Bye then I must get home.’

  ‘Bye love,’ Mrs Beaumont replied. There goes a lovely girl. I’m sure the Sykes’s are exploiting her. Now that she’s a weaver, she’ll be earning good money. I’ve a good mind to talk to her about it.’

  ‘Who’s that you’re talking about love?’ John Beaumont asked as he came through from the back room.

  ‘Minnie Wood, who lives with the Sykes’s, she’s a lovely girl ‘his wife replied.

  ‘It’s best not to interfere love,’ John said as he spread out the unsold newspapers and muttered as he shook his head.

  ‘The news is not good Sarah .They know more than they tell us. I reckon we’re going to get dragged into another war quite soon. The government won’t stand for Hitler and the German army marching through Europe’

  ‘Oh dear! Minnie was asking, had her father died in vain. Poor girl she’s never had a holiday at the seaside like her work mates. They’ll all be enjoying themselves in Blackpool, without a care in the world. They don’t even know what is happening in Europe. Heatonfield is like a ghost town when the mills close down. I think we could close early today John.’

  ‘I agree Sarah love. Reading between the lines in these newspapers it won’t be long now before there are drastic changes for us all.

  Chapter 2

  Minnie was determined to enjoy her holiday week. When the Sykes’s had departed to Blackpool, she fetched the zinc tub, mangle and posser from the back yard and filled the tub with buckets of water. In went the Rinso soap powder and the sheets and pillow cases. Minnie possed them vigorously and steam billowed around her. She liked to talk to herself in the sideboard mirror when she was alone,

  ‘Greetings Minerva, my ethereal beauty, you are floating on your heavenly cloud. Can you observe where my love is now?’ The mirror steamed up and her reflection disappeared.

  ‘You daft girl Minnie come down to earth. Martin Moxon will be in a posh hotel with his family and he’ll have forgotten Minerva.’

  After mangling and rinsing and mangling the sheets again, she pegged them out on the clothes line, in the back yard, while the next lot of washing soaked in the tub and the repeat process began. There was just room to peg out this load, while the kettle and pan boiled on the hob. Hotter water would be needed to clean the mill clothes. The sun was beating down and she lifted her face to the sunbeams.

  ‘Where ever he is please let him think of Minerva. You’ll be shining on him too Mr Sunshine,’ she sighed. ‘Don’t be so daft Minnie Wood you know very well that he’s not for you.’

  She poured the boiling water and more Rinso into the tub and in went the greasy smelly mill clothes to be possed and possed until Minnie could poss no more and the black slimy water swirled around like an evil whirlpool. She fished out her dark blue dress, head scarf and black pinafore and rinsed them well.

  ‘He won’t recognize Minerva when she’s wearing these Minnie my girl.’ There were just Ben’s mill clothes to do now. By the time she had finished Minnie was exhausted and starving. Muriel Sykes had left some cold beef and bread and she gratefully sank into a chair with a sandwich and a mug of tea. Minnie’s hands were red and sore, so she rubbed them with Snowfire, which was normally used for frost bite. She held out her hands in front of her and they tingled.

  ‘At least they are clean and my finger nails are clean. No sign of any grease .That’s a bonus anyway,’ she remarked. Minnie had beautiful hands. They were slender and her fingers were long. She held them up to the sideboard mirror.

  ‘Mrs Beaumont says that I’ve got ladies hands Minerva. What do you think?’ She nodded vigorously as did her reflection.’ I expect I’ve inherited them from my mother.’

  Next day after she had finished ironing she took her sandwich and a small medicine bottle full of lemonade and made her way to the special place where Minerva met Martin. She climbed up onto the rock, where he had been sitting and ate her picnic, day dreaming that he was beside her, as they both watched the quiet valley. She jumped down onto the dusty path,

  ‘This won’t do Minnie you are just making yourself miserable. Go home and find something to do. Go and bake a cake.’

  The warm sunshine and fresh air had brought a bloom to Minnie’s cheeks and her fresh beauty attracted much attention on her way home. All the women in weaving shed number seven were older than Minnie and some were married, but Minnie, although she enjoyed her own company, yearned for friendship and belonging.

  Soon the Sykes’s returned full of tales about the pubs in Blackpool.

  They had been to the top of Blackpool Tower.

  ‘ It was just like being on top of the world,’ Ben told her. His red sunburnt face glowed like red hot cokes. Muriel’s nose had peeled and was sore.

  ‘What have you been doing while we’ve been away?’ Muriel asked.

  ‘I’ve done the washing and ironing, washed the floor and swept the carpets and I’ve baked a cake and some biscuits.’ Minnie replied.

 
‘Haven’t you been out love?’ Ben asked. It’s time you had a young man to take you out .Lads at the mill are always asking about you.’

  ‘I’ve been for lots of walks by the canal and up on the moors .It was very peaceful.’ Minnie replied.

  ‘She doesn’t want a young man, Minnie’s alright as she is,’ Muriel said thinking of her loss of income. Minnie said nothing. She was waiting until she was twenty one, when she could legally become an adult and be responsible for her own life.

  Soon it was Monday morning and Minnie had mixed feelings. She had tossed and turned all the night thinking of Martin Moxon. She had imagined his scent, his touch, his soft musical voice, his startling blue eyes as he had whispered, ‘Minerva are you ethereal.’ She wanted to press her body to his, as his strong muscular arms held her tightly, while he kissed her slowly and deeply. She dare not imagine any further.

  Next morning she was swept into the human tide of employees of Perseverance mill, as it flowed through the gates into the mill yard, to disperse into different sheds. The mill chimney was bellowing out smoke. The boilers were stoked and power was switched on. The girls of number seven weaving shed trooped in to their looms. Their sun burned faces were an unusual contrast against their black aprons and headscarves.

  ‘Hello Minnie, what have you been doing all week?’ You must come with us next year, because we had a fantastic time!’ Jessie told her.’ Sally has a camera we’ll show you the photos when she gets them.”

  Minnie smiled at them. There was no way that she would tell them about her early morning encounter and her secret love. That would stay locked in her heart to dream about. She tightened her headscarf, making sure that no golden curls escaped, as she started her loom. Sam Hinchliffe came in,

  ‘Holiday is over you lot .You’re like set of clacking geese. Get to your looms. Morning Minnie, I see you’ve started first as usual.’ Everybody slithered to their looms and switched on. Soon the clattering noise was deafening, but like all mill girls, they could lip read and Minnie blushed, as she interpreted some of the conversation.

  On the top floor in the office father and sons settled at their desks. They had enjoyed their holiday by the sea in Scarborough and Martin, as usual, had attracted much female attention, but this year he had not responded with his usual exuberance. Joseph had noticed. He looked across at his youngest son and thought,

  ‘There he goes again. He’s daydreaming in a world of his own. He’s either ill or in love. I must keep an eye on him’

  Martin stood up and went over to the window where in the distance he could see the Pennine moors. Once again he remembered his sweet encounter with the enchanting girl. Who could she be? He would go to the Summer Dance at the Town Hall next Saturday and see if she was there. He felt restless.

  ‘I think that I will go and inspect all the weaving sheds this morning father, to check that all the looms are working, after being shut down.’ he said.

  ‘You are welcome to that Martin, you won’t catch me in there,’ Michael answered.

  ‘Well it would be useless you going, you don’t know one piece of machinery from another’ Martin retorted.

  ‘Very well son you go and inspect, you’re a genius with machinery’ Joseph told him.

  Martin started his inspection of the fifteen weaving sheds. Most of the weavers were young men. Martin was very aware of the situation in Europe and knew that many of them would be called up if war was declared, as it surely would be. Everything was running smoothly. When he reached the middle shed, which was number seven, he hesitated. The employees were all girls. It was an experiment to see if they could turn out as many pieces as the men and of course it was much cheaper to employ women. They were paid less than the men, so there was more profit. It never occurred to the mill masters that this was unfair and so far female employees had not objected. It was normal procedure.

  Martin knew that there would be cheeky comments in this shed. He also, could lip read. Minnie saw him come in. She immediately bowed her head and instinctively touched her headscarf to make sure that it covered her golden curls. He was talking to Sam Hinchliffe. She peered through her long lashes, her mouth was dry and her heart was beating so fast it felt to be jumping into her throat.

  ‘Concentrate Minnie you are not Minerva today, look fierce and scowl. You are a mill girl working hard in order to live,’ she thought. She dare not look at the other girls, not wanting to read their saucy comments.

  ‘Oh God help me he’s coming this way. Scowl and concentrate. Keep your eyes down. Ignore him. ‘

  Sam Hinchliffe had stopped both his looms in order to walk round with Martin. He stopped by Minnie’s loom and her heart lurched and almost stood still. She took a deep breath and kept her eyes on the shuttle as it shot across the loom.

  ‘Minnie is one of my best girls. She works hard and is very competent.’ Minnie did not look up.

  ‘Good morning Minnie’ Martin shouted in her ear, as he touched her shoulder. The touch sent her pulse racing. Minnie thought, that she was going to faint. Her head swam, her knees wobbled, her heart beat was so fast, and she thought it would burst. Somehow she managed to reply,

  ‘Good morning Mr Martin.’ She dare not look up in case he recognized her. Thankfully they moved on. The morning dragged on and Minnie gradually recovered. The siren sounded, marking their lunchtime break, which they called ‘ snap time.’ The sun was beating down now through the ceiling windows and the girls were thankful to go outside and sit in the shade against the wall. Minnie would have loved to take off her headscarf and release her golden curls, but she dare not .She would have to suffer in silence. The girls were chattering, about their holiday, but Minnie was in a dream. Martin had touched her. The sensation that had spread through her body had been delicious. She put her hand on her shoulder and shivered.

  ‘Are you alright Minnie. You haven’t caught a summer cold have you?’ Jessie asked.

  ‘I’m alright thank you. I was just cooling off.’ Minnie replied.

  ‘We’re all going to the Town Hall next Saturday to the end of the Summer Dance. Would you like to come with us?’ Jessie asked.

  ‘Oh I haven’t got a dance dress Jessie. ‘

  ‘It’s a Summer Dance. I’ll go into town with you and we’ll get some material in the market and I’ll make you a skirt. Have you got a white blouse?’

  ‘Yes and I haven’t worn it yet.’

  ‘There you are then it’s settled’ and all the girls agreed. Minnie felt a warm sensation spreading through her veins. Jessie and Minnie purchased some blue cotton patterned with white daisies and Jessie soon had it transformed into a pretty skirt. Minnie had learned to dance in the Orphanage and often danced around the kitchen on her own, as she listened to dance music on the wireless. Muriel and Ben Sykes were very proud of their wireless. Not many of the neighbours of Buttercup Terrace owned one.

  ‘I’m going to the Town Hall to the end of Summer Dance next Saturday’ Minnie announced, as she arrived home with the precious skirt. ‘Look what Jessie has made for me’

  ‘That’s very pretty Minnie. Jessie is a good dressmaker. How much does she charge?’ Muriel asked.

  ‘She’s made this for me as a friend. She says it’s time I realized how pretty I am and stated going out.’

  ‘Does she? Well, all I can say is be careful and don’t get carried away. Lads are only after one thing and if they get it they move on to someone else. You know what I mean and don’t forget. Keep yourself pure and they will respect you if they are worth anything.’

  ‘Yes Mrs Sykes I will.’ Minnie replied and blushed, especially when she remembered her thoughts about Martin Moxon.

  Saturday night arrived at last and Minnie was bursting with excitement. The dance ended at midnight and they were all going to walk home up the valley together. Minnie carefully put on her silk stockings, best shoes and white blouse, then she stepped into her beautiful blue flowered skirt. Her golden curls were shining and her face was fresh and glowing. She added a t
ouch of pink lipstick and dabbed Evening in Paris perfume behind her ears and in the hollow of her throat. She felt like a princess. She checked that her purse was in her handbag, together with handkerchief lipstick and comb. Then carefully she walked down the stairs.

  ‘I’m going now’ she called.

  ‘Come here let’s have a look at you,’ Ben called back. Minnie entered the front room, where Muriel and Ben were listening to the wireless. Ben gasped,

  ‘My word you look a picture doesn’t she Muriel?’

  ‘Yes she does, but remember what I told you my girl.’

  ‘Have a good time then and be careful,’ Ben added.

  ‘I will, don’t forget to leave the backdoor open for me.’ Minnie tripped down the street and soon caught up with the other girls.

  They entered the Town Hall together leaving their coats in the cloakroom, in return for a cloakroom ticket. Minnie had not been in the Town Hall before and she gasped, when she noticed its magnificent beauty. The majestic organ at the far end towered up to the ornate ceiling, which was embossed with gold. The chandeliers were sparkling and the thick red velvet curtains shut out the daylight. Tubs of flowers were placed along the front of the stage on which the dance band was already playing.

  ‘It’s magical’ Minnie whispered and her soft brown eyes were wide with excitement. Soon all the girls had partners and were quickstepping around the floor. Minnie felt to be floating on air as the young men swept her into dance after dance. She was quite unaware of her startling beauty.

  Jessie grabbed her arm,’ Come on miss Town Hall beauty let’s go and get some lemonade. You are causing a commotion amongst all the regulars, because they haven’t seen you before.’ Minnie was glad to follow to the bar, where they bought a glass of refreshing lemonade. It was the interval and the girls enjoyed talking about their partners. Just as the band started playing a waltz, a hand touched Minnie’s shoulder and a voice whispered in her ear,