The women arrived alone and covertly. One by one, each woman approached the darkened building and, after scanning the street for any signs of threat, slipped through the door with barely a rustle of her long skirts.Inside, Gertrude Harding greeted each woman with a nod. This resolute young woman was a long way from her rural New Brunswick home. But two years of living in London had prepared her for this assignment. She was leader of the Bodyguard, an underground sub-unit of the infamous women's militant suffrage group. Gertrude headed the group of women charged with protecting their leader from the brutality of the police.The only man at the meeting - an expert in martial arts - began demonstrating attacks as weapons were passed around the room.

Women swung one unfamiliar object with growing confidence. It was a wooden club — an effective weapon against police or ruffians who tried to break up meetings. A few minutes into the lesson, Gertrude heard a noise from the skylight. She looked up, and what she saw through the glass left her angry — and frightened. She turned suddenly to the other ladies and announced, "Ladies, this meeting is over."Within moments, every woman had seen the face peering through the skylight and each had guessed what Gertrude had: that the intruder was from Scotland Yard. Clubs were hidden beneath full skirts, hats readjusted and, as casually as possible, the women left the building, each heart beating like a bird’s.Gertrude, the last to leave, was momentarily blinded by the flash of a camera as she stepped out into the night.

Her face, as yet unknown to the police, and the faces of all the other women had been captured on film. Alarmed, they broke up into pairs and headed in different directions. Two police officers followed each couple. They intended to discover the name and address of every woman, and to identify the leader. Without its leader, the group would be unable to function.Gertrude and her walking partner parted quickly. With an officer shadowing her, Gertrude hurried down twisting streets and alleyways. She slipped into several shops; he was waiting when she slipped out.

She jumped on a bus; he followed. She jumped off; he was at her heels. Frustrated and angry, Gertrude wheeled around to face the man. It was time for a confrontation.