ACT 2, SCENE 7

LOCATIONs SIGNAGE: THE MARTYR’S MEMORIAL

A crowd milling, noisy and a bit aggressive.

CROWD: Votes for women! Votes for women! Votes for women!

We see ESME in a kind of dazed bubble as she marches along the street. TILDA links arms with ESME and grins at her as they continue down the street – ‘Votes for Women!’ The noise continues throughout the scene.

A kerfuffle. A MAN leans out and pushes at ESME. She falls to the ground.

MAN: (yelling straight at ESME) Ya nasty stupid bitch! Back to the fucking kitchen, ya’ fancy piece of shit!

MAN turns away. But …

TILDA: Coward! Attacking an easy target! Up you get my darling. He’s scared his wife will leave his kitchen! (yells after MAN) And I would help her if I could!

ESME: Tilda!

TILDA: Esme! If power isn’t given, it must be taken!

ESME: But –

TILDA: Because the choices of those without power have already been taken away!

ESME: Yes, but –

TILDA: Yes! ‘And’! It must be. That’s how it is!

ESME: In Australia, South Australia, a … friend of my friend Ditte’s says … women already have the vote. And they didn’t hurt anyone to get it.

TILDA: Who said hurt?

ESME: Don’t say ‘hurt’ is not implied in ‘take’!

TILDA: Esme, Esme, you fortunate child. Can you imagine life in the power of a (yells) ruffian like that?

ESME: Tilda, I do support the cause! But I’d rather – wear away a stone than … smash one.

TILDA: For god’s sake! Oh! Look out!

A shout. Someone intercepts the MAN’S trajectory.

ESME: Oh no! Is that? Mr Owen? Gareth?!

GARETH: Miss Nicoll!

MAN seizes his moment and thumps GARETH a good undercut.

GARETH: Ahhh!

MAN: That’ll teach ya! (to ESME and TILDA) And you!

Exit MAN.

ESME: Your lip is bleeding. A lot!

GARETH: I’ll live.

TILDA: Hello. You know each other?

ESME: Yes. Tilda. This is Gareth Owen. He’s the lead compositor at the Press. Gareth, this is my friend Tilda –

GARETH: Taylor. I have seen your name on a quotation, Miss Taylor.

TILDA: That sounds a bit familiar. But we’ll let it pass. Esme, do you have some paper to hand to stop that bleeding?

ESME: As it happens …

GARETH: … a quotation slip.

ESME: Here. Let me.

She tears the slip and applies it to GARETH’s lip.

TILDA: Esme. I must go now. But I am meeting with some suffragists at the Eagle and Child this evening. Why don’t you come? You can come too, Mr Owen, if you really are a man for this cause. Are you? Or are you here by happenstance?

GARETH: Not happenstance.

TILDA: No?

GARETH: No. My mother raised me alone. She had a hard life. Too hard. I go to these events for her.

TILDA: Well, then. (beat) Esme. This is your cue now.

ESME: Oh. Yes. Uh. Gareth?

GARETH: Yes?

ESME: Perhaps …

GARETH: Yes?

TILDA: My god, this is torture.

ESME: We could go together.

GARETH: I’d like that.

TILDA: Hallelujah! I’ll see you there at seven.