The Gown

After work, Ann takes the train from London to the suburb of Barking where she lives in a house with her sister-in-law, Milly. It has been an unusually cold winter, and Ann is freezing in her old shoes and worn coat, but she is excited about the gift she is carrying, a pot of heather from Balmoral, the royal family’s Scottish residence. It is a thank you gift from the queen to the women who worked on the gowns for the royal tour of South Africa. Ann is excited about planting the heather in her garden. Ann always gets a thrill when she thinks about her work being worn by royalty. She is an embroideress for Mr. Hartnell, a famous English designer. Ann thinks about how she was hired as an apprentice embroider after she finished school and has had steady work there through the war.

Listening to the wireless about the royal tour, Ann and Milly argue about how lucky the royal family is. Milly says they’re lucky because they’re rich and can travel, but Ann thinks it would be a terrible burden to be watched all the time. They finish the night drinking tea in front of a small fire, and Ann decides to redo a dress for Milly so she can go out more.