A Rare Ruby (16 page)

Tom grinned. ‘I bet you are.’

‘No, I’m
not
.’ Ruby was getting angry.

‘Leave it out, son,’ said his mother. ‘Our Ruby will tell us if she wants to.’

‘Honest, Mum, I ain’t going out with Ernie Wallis.’

‘I believe you. But don’t be too late.’

Ruby grabbed her coat from the nail behind the kitchen door and, pushing her flyaway hair under her black felt hat, left. As she walked up the road she thought it would have been nice if she had been going to meet Ernie. She hadn’t seen him for a few weeks; it would be lovely if they had somewhere warm to go to.

She pushed open the pub door. Ruby had never been inside a pub at night and the smell of beer and tobacco almost took her breath away. She stood for a moment or two in the doorway, looking around. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed a group of men had stopped talking and were looking in her direction. After a cursory glance, they ignored her and resumed their conversation. Through the crowd Ruby caught sight of Beth sitting on a high stool at the bar. She was wearing a tight black frock and smoking a cigarette; she looked very grown up.

‘Ruby,’ she screamed when she saw her and, jumping down from the stool, rushed over to her and, holding her close, kissed her cheek. She stood back and, still holding Ruby’s arms, said, ‘What you doing in here?’ She gently began to push Ruby to the side of the room. ‘Let’s go out to the kitchen.’

Ruby followed Beth behind the bar. Mr Thompson gave her a nod. She was pleased to be getting away from all the eyes that were now following her.

‘What you doing here? Is it your dad?’

‘In a way.’

‘Oh my God.’ Beth put her hand to her mouth. ‘He’s not ill, is he?’

‘No.’

‘Thank God. I’m very fond of him, you know.’

Ruby nodded. ‘And he thinks the world of you and Danny. How is he, by the way?’

‘He’s fine. You should see his pram; Mr Thompson has paid to have the hood repaired, it looks very grand. Now, you haven’t come up here to hear me whittling on, so what is it?’

‘I know this may sound daft, but d’you think you could find out if there is any work Dad could do at home?’

Beth sat in the armchair. ‘Pull out a chair.’

Ruby did as she was told and sat down.

‘I don’t know of anything, but I can always ask Mr Thompson. He knows a lot of people and he might be able to think of who wants a job done. What can he do?’

‘I don’t know. But it would have to be at home, he couldn’t go out.’

‘That’s a tall order.’

‘I wouldn’t ask, but he misses Danny and I don’t want him to slip back again like he did over that horse thing.’

‘Course you don’t. That was very sad. He was doing so well before that.’

‘I know. Beth . . .’ Ruby blushed. ‘People are saying . . .’ She fiddled with her fingers. ‘It ain’t any of me business what you do, but . . .’

‘I know. They wonner know if I’m sleeping with him.’ She inclined her head towards the door. ‘Tell ’em to mind their own business, but for their and that Mrs Moss’s ears: I ain’t.’

‘I’m sorry.’

‘Come here, it ain’t your fault.’ Beth clasped Ruby to her again.

‘Can I have a peep at Danny?’ Ruby asked, freeing herself from Beth.

‘Course.’

They went up to the bedroom and Ruby looked at Danny lying peacefully in his cot.

‘This is one up from his old pram,’ said Beth, tenderly touching her son’s cheek.

‘He looks so content.’

Beth smiled. ‘I love him so much. I don’t know what I’d do if anything ever happened to him.’

Ruby looked at her. ‘Nothing will.’

‘Mind you, I’m worried what’ll happen to him if anything ever happened to me—’

‘Don’t talk like that,’ interrupted Ruby. ‘Why are you saying such things? Is that man hitting you or something?’

Beth laughed softly. ‘No, course not. He’s very kind to me and Danny. It’s just that everything is going so well for me and I always worry that you have to pay for your good fortune.’

‘You mustn’t think like that.’

‘Come on, let’s go downstairs.’

Ruby had noted that Beth’s bed was very ruffled. It had been slept in.

‘Look, I’d best be off,’ said Ruby when they reached the bottom of the stairs. ‘You won’t tell me mum or dad I’ve been here, will you?’

‘No, course not. Where do they think you’ve gone?’ Ruby looked down; she could feel her cheeks getting red. ‘Out with a boy.’

Beth laughed. ‘I hope it goes well for you.’ She took Ruby through the bar. At the door, she said, ‘Ruby, I’d like you and me to be really good friends.’

Ruby smiled. ‘Well, we can.’

‘Come up here again and we’ll see about going out to the market or somewhere.’

‘I’d like that.’

‘I’d better be going. Sometimes if they get busy I have to help out.’ She kissed Ruby’s cheek again and went back inside.

Ruby stood for a moment or two on the step. She tenderly touched her cheek. Beth was so nice, and she seemed such a happy person: she infected others with that happiness. Ruby thought that quality far outweighed the niggles of doubt she had harboured about their lodger, and resolved to put them behind her. But why did Beth have these morbid fears? Was it to do with her past?

Ruby went to walk away from the pub when a hand on her arm stopped her.

‘Thought it was you. What you doing here?’

‘Mr Cox!’

‘You’re a bit young to be in the pub.’

‘I had to give Beth a message.’

‘That husband of hers will be in for a shock when he finds out she’s moved in with old Thompson.’

‘She’s his housekeeper.’

He took her arm and moved her along the road. ‘That’s what she tells you. But I know different.’

Ruby wanted to get away from this man but he was holding her arm very tightly. ‘Please, Mr Cox. I must go. I must hurry home.’

‘That’s all right. We can walk home together.’

Ruby looked about her. She was frightened of this man. ‘Please let me go.’

‘Stop being such a silly girl. I only want to be friends with you.’

‘I don’t want to be friends with you.’

‘Why not? I’m very good to your family.’

‘You’re going to put the rent up and me mum’s worried sick.’

‘Is that all that’s upsetting you?’

‘Where will we go if you throw us out?’

‘I’m sure we can sort this little problem out.’

The sound of someone running behind them made him quickly let go of Ruby’s arm.

‘Ruby! Ruby, I forgot to—Hello, Mr Cox,’ Beth came up to them and put her arm round Ruby’s shoulder. ‘I forgot to give you something. Could you come back for a minute?’

Ruby was puzzled. What was Beth going to give her? ‘Yes, of course.’

They turned and walked along the road together.

‘Goodnight, Mr Cox,’ shouted Beth over her shoulder.

When they thought he was well out of earshot, Ruby stopped. ‘What are you going to give me?’

‘Nothing. It was the only thing I could think of to get you away from him.’

‘I’m so glad you did. But how did you know he came after me?’

‘I saw him make a beeline for the door when you left. I guessed what he was up to. I’ve told you before, you’ve got to be very careful of that man.’

‘I try to keep out of his way as much as I can, but it’s a bit awkward sometimes.’

‘I know.’ Beth looked up the road. ‘I think he’s gone home. Now remember what I told you.’ She laughed. ‘This is the second time I’ve saved your honour, Ruby Jenkins.’

Ruby laughed too. ‘I know. Thanks, Beth.’

‘That’s all right. And I’ll see what I can do for your dad.’

Ruby walked away. She was so deep in thought as she pushed open the front door and stepped into the passage, that she jumped when the kitchen door flew open.

‘And where have you been, young lady?’

Ruby had never seen her mother look so angry.

Confused, she stammered, ‘What is it? What’s the matter?’

‘You’ve been to the pub.’

‘What?’ screamed Ruby. ‘Who told you?’

Mr Cox stepped out from behind her mother. ‘I told your mother all about how you have been flaunting yourself in front of the men.’

‘What?’ she said again. Ruby couldn’t believe what this man was saying. ‘I wasn’t. It wasn’t like that.’

‘But you was in the pub?’ said her mother.

‘Yes. But . . .’ She wanted this wicked old man to go away. She didn’t want him to hear why she had been there.

‘So what was you doing there?’

‘I went to see Beth.’

Mary Jenkins gave a sigh of relief. ‘Why didn’t you tell me that’s where you were going?’

‘I didn’t think you’d like me going to the pub. But we was in the back room and Beth’s bedroom.’ She glared at Mr Cox. ‘I wasn’t in the bar, honestly, Mum.’

‘I saw you.’

Ruby wanted to kill this man who was trying to make trouble between her and her mother.

‘I believe you, Ruby. Now if you don’t mind, Mr Cox, I’ve got to get to bed. I have to get up very early in the morning.’

Mr Cox looked angry. ‘So you take her word against mine. Well, you listen to me: you’ll remember my words when she brings a bundle of trouble home. Goodnight.’ He slammed the door as he walked out of the kitchen.

Ruby began to cry. ‘I’m so sorry, Mum. I wasn’t doing anything bad.’

Her mother put her arm round her shoulder. ‘I know. Do you want to tell me why you went to see Beth?’

‘I just wanted someone to talk to. We’re going to go to the market together one Saturday. Is that all right?’

‘Of course. Now off to bed with you.’

‘I hope all this racket didn’t wake Dad.’

‘I don’t think so.’

‘Goodnight, Mum.’

Mary Jenkins smiled. ‘Goodnight, love.’

Ruby smiled back but she couldn’t stop fretting about Mr Cox. Why did people have to be so mean?

‘Ruby?’

‘You should be asleep, Tom.’

‘I heard you shouting. What’s wrong?’

‘Nothing.’

‘I heard Mr Cox. Is something wrong?’ he repeated.

‘Nothing for you to worry about.’

She lay down next to Tom. But despite her brave words, she knew once again Mr Cox had given her plenty to worry about.

Ruby stood looking at the mess someone had made of her pile of finished work. ‘Who did that?’ she screamed.

Florrie looked up. ‘What’s upset our little gel then?’

‘I’ve just been out for a pee and someone’s gone and chucked me finished ironing about.’

‘Now who would do a fing like that? It must’a fell on the floor and someone picked it up. I must say they wasn’t very careful, was they?’

Ruby looked along the line at the others, but they had their heads down, working away.

‘Still,’ said Florrie, ‘the way you work, yer’ll soon make up yer money.’

As Ruby sorted out her work she knew why they were jealous. She was a lot younger than they were, but she could keep up, and even at the beginning when her work was being heavily scrutinised by Mrs Watson, she’d been able to earn nearly as much as they did - after all she had had many years of practice. But it still didn’t get her over that ten-shilling barrier.

She sat down and got on with her work. She kept her head down, to hide the fact that her eyes were smarting with unshed tears. She wasn’t going to let them see.

It was dark by the time Ruby left the building; she had hung about waiting for the others to leave. If only Ernie were around to talk to her, but she knew if he had passed by today he was long gone and she couldn’t blame him for not hanging around, not in this weather. Ruby stood close to the corner of the building; she didn’t want to bump into Florrie.

‘You’re late,’ said a voice behind her.

Ruby turned and under the gaslight recognised Frank Stone. ‘I got a bit behind the others.’ She started to move on.

‘That’s all right. We don’t mind you working hard as long as you ain’t hanging about waiting for some bloke. We don’t like that. Been working for us long?’ He had fallen in step beside her.

‘A little while.’ She felt terribly alone. Elsie had told her to beware of Frank, he had a reputation as a ladies’ man, and she knew some of the workers had been out with him. She didn’t want any scandal.

‘You’re quite a pretty little thing, and a frightened one by the look of it. I don’t bite.’

Ruby gave a nervous laugh. ‘I hope not.’

‘I’ll have to find out more about you. I like the thought that you stay behind to work. I expect I’ll see you around. Bye.’ He walked away, disappearing as suddenly as he had appeared, leaving Ruby more alone than ever.

 

Things in the Jenkins household were getting very hard. Ruby blamed herself for Mr Cox putting the rent up, but the miners’ strike had added to their problems as coal was in very short supply and getting more expensive. Ruby’s birthday had come and long gone. She hadn’t reminded the family of the date, she didn’t want them to feel bad about not being able to get her something. Beth had come up with a few ideas for Thomas Jenkins, but none of them had been practical.