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The carriage arrived at two o’clock. A four-wheeler with plenty of room inside. Martha and Ethel were already ensconced in the interior as Kirsty and her aunt climbed in.
All the way to Broughty Ferry, Kirsty’s heart thumped so loudly she feared the others might hear it. It was with trepidation that she dismounted when they arrived.
Her mother welcomed them and, though she made no comment, Kirsty could tell she was surprised by Martha and Ethel’s presence.
‘I thought you might like to meet Kirsty’s friends, Martha and Ethel,’ Bea said, as she peeled off her gloves.
Ellen Campbell shook their hands before leading them into the drawing-room. Martha and Ethel perched on a sofa, while Bea chose an armchair. Kirsty followed them but stopped in the doorway to catch her breath as the familiarity struck her with a pang of dismay. After she left, she would never see this room or this house again. She shrugged it off; she couldn’t afford to change her mind now and be sucked back into the misery of remaining in this place. With a heavy heart, she entered and sat beside Martha and Ethel on the sofa.
Kirsty’s pulse raced as she heard her father’s footsteps approach the door. It opened and there he stood, older and more tired than she remembered, as if he had aged over the short time she’d been away. A smile lit up his face as his eyes met hers.
‘Ah, Kirsty! You’ve regained your senses and come home.’
Kirsty rose from her seat. She had never confronted her father in the past, but now her decision was made, she had to stay resolute.
‘These are my friends, Martha and Ethel.’
Robert Campbell nodded to them.
‘I am pleased to meet you. Friends of Kirsty are welcome here.’
Kirsty noted his voice lacked warmth and recognised his words were merely a polite form of greeting. He had always been suspicious of anyone she met who was not part of the family circle.
‘I need to speak with you and Mother in private,’ she said.
He raised his eyebrows.
‘If you will excuse us for a few moments, please, ladies.’
Martha and Ethel nodded their assent. Although they said nothing, Kirsty could see encouragement reflected in their eyes. She wished they could be with her when she broke the news of her departure to her father, but that was impossible. This was something she had to do on her own. She squared her shoulders and followed her parents to her father’s study.
‘Well, what is so important it can’t wait? I hope you have not formed a liaison with a young man during your holiday in Dundee.’
Kirsty thought she detected a note of worry in his voice, but that didn’t prevent her surge of anger at his lack of trust.
‘You need have no fear on that score.’ She could not suppress the bitterness in her voice. He still assumed she lacked morals and needed protection from men. She drew a deep breath before continuing. ‘I wanted you to know that I am a suffragette and I intend to leave home.’ There, it was out.
Robert, taken by surprise, clenched his hands into fists and took a step towards her. For a moment, Kirsty thought he intended to strike her, but the moment passed, and Kirsty felt herself breathe again.
‘A suffragette? What nonsense is this, Kirsty? I forbid it.’
‘You can’t. My mind is made up. I’m a suffragette, and I intend to leave home to devote myself to the cause.’
‘Women will never be allowed to vote.’ Robert stopped to draw breath. ‘What on earth would a silly girl like you do with a vote?’
‘Use it to make life better for women.’
‘There is nothing wrong with women’s lives. They are looked after and cared for. They do not have to tolerate the worries which plague men.’
‘Don’t you see? That’s the problem! Men treat us like children. We’re not free. We are beholden to them, for everything. And we’re not allowed to make our own decisions or live the lives we want to. I want to help change all that, and give women freedom and the lives they deserve.’
‘Freedom? You have freedom. You have always had freedom. I have never stopped you doing what you wished to do.’
‘That’s not true. Just this minute, you’ve forbidden me to be a suffragette, and for years, I’ve had to be the perfect daughter.’
‘Perfect? Have you forgotten your misdemeanour?’
‘My misdemeanour?’ Kirsty’s anger increased. ‘Is that what you call it? No! I haven’t forgotten! Though that’s not how I would describe it.’ Kirsty’s voice broke as she thought of Ailsa, playing in the nursery.
‘My mind is made up.’ She stiffened. ‘I am a suffragette, whether you like it or not.’
‘I will not allow it. This insanity must stop.’ His voice was hard with anger. ‘You are my daughter. I have a responsibility for your care. If you will not listen to reason, I will have you committed to the insane asylum for your own protection.’
‘Robert!’ Ellen Campbell gasped, laying a restraining hand on his arm.
‘You call that protecting me?’ Kirsty laughed. ‘I would call it one more example of men inflicting their will on women.’
‘You think I won’t do it?’ Robert shook his wife’s hand off and took a step towards Kirsty.
‘On the contrary, I believe you, Father. But what would all your fine friends say about you and your mad daughter, if you did? Mother would never be able to show her face in public again – you would destroy her as well, and all because you want to control me. Well, I’m not having it. I am a suffragette, and I am leaving home to live my life, independent of you and your control.’
‘I will not tolerate a suffragette in the family.’ Her father’s voice exploded with rage. ‘If you leave, know that you will never return.’
Kirsty’s anger built to an unsustainable level. She grabbed the door handle and jerked the door open before running into the hall and out of the house.
‘That’s fine with me,’ she muttered, even though her heart felt as if it was shattering into tiny pieces.
The thump of the front door slamming behind her rang in her ears with a finality that brought her to a sudden halt. She would never walk through that door, ever again. Never see her mother again. Worst of all, she would never see Ailsa again. A sob caught in the back of her throat. But still, her anger simmered. She knew she had done what was right, but she also knew that she would always feel the pain of what she had left behind.
She leaned on the balustrade at the bottom of the steps leading to the house and allowed her tears to flow. It didn’t alleviate the pain in her heart, caused by leaving Ailsa behind, but it did relieve the angry tension consuming her. An anger which surprised her with its intensity. Never before had she experienced anything like it.