Page 21

Chapter 21

Tuesday 9 May 1911

Afterwards, they stood outside in the street and watched the flames shooting upwards into the sky.

Smoke poured from the theatre roof and the sound of crackling timber came from inside the building.

Ann would not let go of Finlay’s hand.

They stood, transfixed by the spectacle, until they were shepherded away by the police.

A group of soldiers appeared, seemingly from nowhere, and set about clearing a path right up the centre of Nicolson Street for the fire brigade.

Policemen moved the many hundreds of stunned theatregoers away from the inferno so the fire tenders could get as close as possible to the blaze.

On the other side of the street, scantily dressed residents from the flats opposite the theatre stood on the pavement, unable to believe what they were seeing.

They held on tightly to their bare-footed children as the water from the fire tenders ran in little rivers down the gutters towards Chambers Street.

As the heat intensified, the glazing in the tenements cracked and splintered.

There were no cabs.

As they walked along Melville Drive, beside the Meadows, they could see the orange glow in the sky reflected in the tenement windows.

Finlay held Ann’s hand tightly all the way home and she didn’t complain at all.

When they reached Library Terrace, he turned and hugged her.

‘I would never, ever have left you behind, Annie Bee.’

Ann was still too shocked to speak.

Ursula answered the door.

‘Did the performance go on late? It’s past midnight.

’ She sensed something was wrong.

‘What’s that smell?’

‘Smoke,’ said Finlay.

‘There was a fire. A big fire. I am not sure how we got out of the theatre at all, to be truthful.’

‘Are you sure you’re alright?

’ She ushered them into the hall where the light was better and examined their faces.

She needed to know they weren’t hurt.

‘We are both safe. Nothing to worry about,’ replied Finlay.

‘But I need to speak to Father and tell him that myself. I’m sure you understand.

’

‘Of course. He will want to hear what has happened, as I do. He managed to get out of bed after you left and was determined to stay up until you got home.’ She sniffed.

‘But first I want you to take your coats off so the smoke doesn’t affect his throat.

I’ll come up with you so he doesn’t get a shock, and then I’ll ask Isobel to make you some hot milk.

’

*

They sat around the fire, a smaller one this time, contained behind a fireguard and with coal instead of the burning curtains and theatre seats.

Isobel brought hot milk as requested, and Ursula poured a little brandy into Finlay’s cup without being asked.

‘Stay, Isobel. I’m sure you want to know about this as much as we do,’ she said.

John made a space on the couch and beckoned Ann to sit beside him.

‘Now we are all here, please tell us what has happened. Start at the beginning,’ he croaked.

Ann sat down, but didn’t cuddle in.

‘We arrived a little early,’ Finlay began, ‘and we managed to get to our places without any great difficulty. Every seat was sold, I heard the ushers talking to one another. It was a full house. The performance started on time and it was really very good. I honestly did not expect to enjoy it as much as I did.’ He stopped.

‘It feels so wrong to say that now.’ He coughed into his handkerchief and looked at the speckles of grey on the cotton lawn fabric, surprised to see evidence of the night’s events in front of him.

‘Go on,’ said Ursula.

‘The finale was called The Lion’s Bride.

Everyone had been talking about it in the audience, saying how it was the most exciting thing you would ever see.

I was rather sceptical, but it started off very well.

’ He rubbed his hands through his hair and lifted them to his face.

‘I can still smell the smoke.’

‘Isobel will draw you a hot bath before you go to bed. Please continue, if you can.’ Ursula’s voice was soft and encouraging.

‘It’s hard to know what actually happened.

Everyone thought the flames were part of the illusion, so we just sat there.

No one moved at all.

There was even some cheering at the spectacle.

And then all of a sudden, the orchestra began to play “God Save the King”, and even then, to start with, no one moved.

But of course, once we realised what they were playing we all stood up, because, well, because it was the national anthem and that’s the correct thing to do.

By then we could see the flames had spread to the stage, and everyone knew that something was wrong.

The safety curtain was brought down, but it didn’t go low enough to reach the stage.

There was a gap at the bottom, about three feet, I think, and then there was a loud whoosh, just like when you put a piece of newspaper over the fire here to get it going and you take it away suddenly and all the air rushes in and the flames leap up.

’ He took a sip of the hot milk and tasted the brandy.

‘It sounds silly now, but as it was happening, I was thinking about it as though it was a physics question in a school exam. I was working out the theory of it all as it unfolded in front of me.’

No one interrupted him as he tried to relive the course of events as accurately as he possibly could.

‘And then everyone tried to get out at the same time. There was some panic, but mostly people were just determined, and there was shouting, of course, but it wasn’t chaos.

It was like a drill.

Everyone did what they were supposed to do.

And I took Ann’s hand and I didn’t let go.

I think she fell on the stairs going towards the exit, and I’m afraid I just yanked her up.

’ He was crying now, and looked over at his sister who was still sitting like a lump of wood beside her father.

‘I couldn’t bear to have lost you, Annie Bee.

’

Ann nodded, but didn’t say anything.

Ursula passed him her own clean handkerchief, and he wiped his eyes, leaving grey streaks on the cotton fabric.

‘When we got outside the street was packed. No one seemed to want to leave. People were trying to find friends in the crowd, and mothers and fathers were looking for their children. That’s when things got much more frantic.

There was a lot of desperate shouting.

And then the police came, and there were lines of soldiers who seemed to appear from nowhere and then the horses and the fire tenders arrived, but by that time the theatre was quite ablaze.

The firemen had brass on their helmets which reflected the flames so it looked as though their heads were on fire.

They were so brave. Going into a burning building.

Into danger, without a thought.

’ He stopped for a moment.

‘I’ve never thought of it like that before.

What it would be like to just follow an order when you know that you might come to harm?

’

‘Take your time,’ whispered John.

‘There is no rush.’

Finlay took another sip of his drink before continuing.

He was so intent on getting the details right, he barely noticed that his father had spoken.

‘All of a sudden, I was exhausted. It was as though everything had been sucked out of me and I wasn’t sure my legs were going to hold me up any more.

But Ann was standing there beside me and I wanted to get us away.

The theatre was still on fire and the whole street might have gone up in flames and I knew we needed to get home.

We walked back. I didn’t want to get a tram, and I know you gave me the money for a cab, but I couldn’t see one, and anyway, I needed to walk and breathe cool air.

I’m afraid I made Ann walk too.

I hope that wasn’t unutterably cruel, but I couldn’t have gone inside a cab, I just couldn’t.

I didn’t want to be shut in a box.

’ He looked across at his sister.

‘I don’t think we said a word all the way back, did we?

’

Ann shook her head.

‘I have a few questions,’ said John, his voice still hoarse.

‘But at the moment I am so happy that you are both safe. Ann, I want you to go with Isobel and she will help you wash, and you can get into your night clothes and come back here so I can say goodnight.’

John waited until they had gone before he spoke.

‘I’m not sure I would have had the presence of mind that you did, Finlay.

And I cannot tell you what a debt I owe you.

Is there any news of what happened?

Do you know if everyone got out alive?

’

Finlay shook his head.

‘I’m afraid I only know as much as I’ve told you.

It was bedlam outside with so much noise.

The inferno was still raging when we left.

I think the whole building will be gone by the morning in spite of the firemen and their equipment.

The blaze seemed to get established in just a few minutes.

I think there must have been flammable materials on the stage for the illusions, because it got out of control very quickly.

I’m worried about Ann.

She hasn’t said a word since we got out of the place.

At one point she slipped from my grip as we tried to get out of the stalls and I made a lunge for her bag.

I’m afraid I may have torn the strap and she’ll be very unhappy about that.

After that I just held her hand and didn’t let go.

She may even have some cuts and bruises.

I’m so sorry. I did my best.’

John stood up and walked over to where Finlay was sitting.

‘I think you may have saved her life as well as your own.’ His voice cracked as he spoke and held out his hand.

Ursula watched from her chair.

She wondered why men were so formal all the time, and silently promised herself that Finlay would not be like that.

It was not too late to show an example.