Lizzie's Song

Chapter 22- Keep the Home Fires Burning

Lizzie goes to work in the factory. She takes up residence in Gretna, the village created for the influx of workers. She is assigned to the press house, where she uses large presses to force the finished cordite paste through the holes that spew it out in long strands, long cords. Other women dry the cords, cut them, and ready them for transportation. It is the least dangerous job in the factory, and one in which she is unlikely to need to yell a warning to a coworker. Not that she thinks it would do any good. She knows what this is they make, this gun cotton, this devil's porridge. Any spark and a building will blow, killing everyone inside. No metal, not even in their clothing.

She hates the fear of explosion, but continually reminds herself that her brother and her friend are somewhere on the Continent, probably being shot at on a regular basis. And, if the reports are true, possibly at risk from a gas that will fill their trench and kill them by burning their lungs from the inside. Making cordite seems like a minor risk, and at least death by explosion would likely be swift.

She works every day of the week and her visits to Thomas move to weekends only. He worries about her constantly and throws himself into his studies to avoid thinking of the danger the cordite is to her health and life. But he also feels helpless knowing that she is working for the war effort and he is stuck in prison. Despite her closeness, he still writes. His letters take on a different tone, one with a greater urgency. With German submarines always somewhere just offshore and rumours that Zeppelins might come over the country at any moment, no one is safe. Her replies are reassuring, calm, despite the fact that she is in a far riskier location than he is.

The news from the front is not good and in the warmth of summer there is a battle at Somme that changes Lizzie's world. In August, word reaches the village and Mr York travels to Gretna to talk to her in person. When he has her sitting in the workers' cottage, he takes both her hands.

"Liz...there's bad news. Nathaniel's been shot. He's in bad shape. They're sending him home if he survives. But Ezra's dead."

She collapses against him and sobs, trying desperately to keep quiet enough to hold off her coughing, but it does not work and she eventually cannot catch her breath. Her father carries her to her bed, holds her until she passes out from the exhaustion. He sits on watch until she wakes and it all starts again. She tries to eat supper, but vomits it into the sink. She falls asleep leaning against him late in the night.

When morning comes, she washes her face, dresses in her uniform, and goes on shift, her face as blank as she can keep it. The other women on her crew know what has happened. This is a look all of them have seen before. Lizzie returns to her father in the evening, changes out of her uniform and falls asleep. Mr York sits up beside her reading. When she wakes for supper, she writes one thing in her notebook.

"How will I ever tell Thomas?"

"Would you like me to tell him?"

She shakes her head. She eats little. That evening, she writes a letter to Thomas telling him she will not be able to visit on the upcoming weekend.

Thomas is reading the letter while Mr Hayes lingers at his cell door, "Mr Sharpe- I've got some news for you. The Crown's sent a letter- every man's needed for the war. You're within a few years of the end of your sentence. They want all men fit for it free to lend their hands to the work. So you're out as of Friday."

"That's in two days. Will a letter reach the village in time?" He does not know that Mr York visits Gretna. Lizzie's letter only says she cannot visit. It gives no reason why.

"No. You're going to have to make your own way or wait in Carlisle until the letter gets there."

"I suppose I should write quickly, then."