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Minerva “Minnie” Hadley
Mum is Callum, Jude, and Lynette’s mother and Ryan’s wife. When readers meet her in the prologue, she’s a hopeful person. She works for the Hadley family and dreams of Callum and Sephy, her Cross nannying charge, growing up and falling in love—but these hopes are dashed when Mrs. Hadley fires her. In the ensuing three years, Mum comes to believe that noughts and Crosses shouldn’t integrate and should instead remain separate but equal. Because of this, she doesn’t support Callum attending Heathcroft and integrating the school. However, as the novel progresses, Mum reveals that this isn’t because she doesn’t want Callum to succeed—it’s because she wants to protect her children from even more racially motivated abuse. Mum’s desire to protect her family, though, is complicated initially by her belief that Dad is “ineffectual,” and then by Dad’s involvement with the Liberation Militia. Mum believes that if integration is going to happen, it should happen through peaceful protest—not violence like the LM espouses. Lynette’s death (which nobody but Callum knows was a suicide) drives a wedge further between Mum and Dad. Dad and Jude go on to carry out a bombing on the local mall, which causes Mum to try to kick Dad out so that she can protect Jude and Callum. When Dad is later arrested, Mum throws herself into rounding up a legal team who can defend him, and she remains hopeful after Dad’s execution is stayed that Kelani Adams can clear Dad’s charges. Mum seems to admit defeat after Dad dies and when Callum reveals that he’s joining the LM. After Callum joins the LM, he never sees Mum again, though he does send her money.
Meggie McGregor/Mum Quotes in Noughts and Crosses
The Noughts and Crosses quotes below are all either spoken by Meggie McGregor/Mum or refer to Meggie McGregor/Mum. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Prologue
Quotes
“Honestly, Mrs. Hadley,” said Meggie McGregor, wiping her eyes. “That sense of humor of yours will be the death of me yet!”
Jasmine Hadley allowed herself a rare giggle. “The things I tell you, Meggie. It’s lucky we’re such good friends!”
Meggie’s smile wavered only slightly. She looked out across the vast lawn at Callum and Sephy. Her son and her employer’s daughter. They were good friends playing together. Real good friends. No barriers. No boundaries. Not yet anyway.
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Chapter 50
Quotes
“We had to, Mum. Our cell was ordered to do it. Some of us set it up last night, but they said they’d phone through with the warning an hour before it went off. I swear they did. They said that everyone would be evacuated in plenty of time.” The verbal waterfall tumbled from Jude’s mouth.
“You killed, you murdered all those people…,” Mum whispered, appalled.
“Dad said they would phone through with a warning. That’s what he said. I don’t understand.” Jude turned bewildered eyes toward Dad.
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Chapter 60
Quotes
“No, Meggie. I’m guilty. That’s the truth and I’m sticking to it. I won’t let them put you and Callum in prison for this. Or Jude.” Dad lowered his voice again. “Just make sure that Jude stays lost so the daggers can’t get their hands on him. If they find him, he’ll rot in prison.” A tiny, sad smile played over Dad’s face, but it was gone in an instant. “But at least my confession means he won’t die.”
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Chapter 77
Quotes
“You stupid girl. Who d’you think paid for their lawyer and all their legal fees?” Mother took hold of my shoulders and shook me. “I prayed and paid and did everything I could to make sure that Ryan wouldn’t hang. What more could I have done? You tell me.”
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Chapter 104
Quotes
“Mum’s grandfather, our great-grandfather, was a Cross. That’s what Mum told me that day. We’ve got Cross blood in our veins.”
“I—I don’t believe it,” I whispered.
“It’s true. Mum only told me because I joined the LM. She said I was part Cross, so killing them would be just like killing my own. Poor Mum! That backfired on her.”
“What do you mean?”
“None of them ever wanted us. What has any Cross ever done for me except look down at me? I hated them even more after Mum told me the truth. Poor Mum.”
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Meggie McGregor/Mum Quotes in Noughts and Crosses
The Noughts and Crosses quotes below are all either spoken by Meggie McGregor/Mum or refer to Meggie McGregor/Mum. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Prologue
Quotes
“Honestly, Mrs. Hadley,” said Meggie McGregor, wiping her eyes. “That sense of humor of yours will be the death of me yet!”
Jasmine Hadley allowed herself a rare giggle. “The things I tell you, Meggie. It’s lucky we’re such good friends!”
Meggie’s smile wavered only slightly. She looked out across the vast lawn at Callum and Sephy. Her son and her employer’s daughter. They were good friends playing together. Real good friends. No barriers. No boundaries. Not yet anyway.
Related Characters:
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Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 50
Quotes
“We had to, Mum. Our cell was ordered to do it. Some of us set it up last night, but they said they’d phone through with the warning an hour before it went off. I swear they did. They said that everyone would be evacuated in plenty of time.” The verbal waterfall tumbled from Jude’s mouth.
“You killed, you murdered all those people…,” Mum whispered, appalled.
“Dad said they would phone through with a warning. That’s what he said. I don’t understand.” Jude turned bewildered eyes toward Dad.
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Chapter 60
Quotes
“No, Meggie. I’m guilty. That’s the truth and I’m sticking to it. I won’t let them put you and Callum in prison for this. Or Jude.” Dad lowered his voice again. “Just make sure that Jude stays lost so the daggers can’t get their hands on him. If they find him, he’ll rot in prison.” A tiny, sad smile played over Dad’s face, but it was gone in an instant. “But at least my confession means he won’t die.”
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Chapter 77
Quotes
“You stupid girl. Who d’you think paid for their lawyer and all their legal fees?” Mother took hold of my shoulders and shook me. “I prayed and paid and did everything I could to make sure that Ryan wouldn’t hang. What more could I have done? You tell me.”
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Chapter 104
Quotes
“Mum’s grandfather, our great-grandfather, was a Cross. That’s what Mum told me that day. We’ve got Cross blood in our veins.”
“I—I don’t believe it,” I whispered.
“It’s true. Mum only told me because I joined the LM. She said I was part Cross, so killing them would be just like killing my own. Poor Mum! That backfired on her.”
“What do you mean?”
“None of them ever wanted us. What has any Cross ever done for me except look down at me? I hated them even more after Mum told me the truth. Poor Mum.”
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