A Rare Ruby (32 page)

When Beth and Tom had been taken away, Ruby put her head in her hands and cried. What was she going to do? She had Tom in hospital with concussion. Beth was barely alive. She had Danny to look after and her father had retreated into his shell-shock where she couldn’t reach him. She sobbed. Her world had fallen apart. What could she do? She needed a shoulder to cry on. She needed strong arms round her, holding her close. She needed Ernie at her side. Through the quiet stark white-tiled corridor came the echoing sound of the Salvation Army singing outside in the street: ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing’. Ruby looked up. How could God be so cruel at Christmastime?

 

‘Miss. Miss.’

A hand was shaking Ruby’s arm. She quickly sat up. Her back was aching. It seemed she had been sitting on this hard chair for hours. She had been exhausted and must have dropped off. It took a moment or two for her to adjust to her surroundings. ‘What is it? What’s happened?’

‘Your brother’s asking for you,’ said a nurse.

Ruby leapt to her feet.

‘Follow me.’

When they first came into the hospital she and Milly had pleaded with the Matron to let them stay. It was only because it was Christmas she had agreed. A nurse had taken Danny, fed him, changed him and put him in a cot. The nurse had given her father a sedative and he was sleeping in a armchair. Milly had gone home, but promised to return as soon as she could.

‘Has he told you what happened?’ Ruby asked the nurse.

She shook her head. ‘No. Don’t ask him too many questions. He’s had a nasty bang on the head.’

The nurse showed Ruby which bed her brother was in and pulled the screen round them. Ruby had to keep smiling as she looked at her brother. She wouldn’t let him see her reaction to his bruised face and head that was swathed in bandages. ‘How’re you feeling?’

Tom clutched Ruby’s hand. ‘Is Beth dead?’

‘No.’ Ruby couldn’t tell him that she was very near to it, and the hospital didn’t hold out much hope for her. ‘Don’t you worry about Beth. You just get yourself better.’

‘It was all my fault.’

Ruby looked round the ward. ‘How could it be?’

Tom lay back. His face was ashen.

Ruby bent her head closer. ‘Who did this?’

‘Mr Cox.’

Ruby felt every part of her body tense.
Mr Cox.
She was finding it difficult to contain her anger. She wanted to go and kill him, but all she quietly asked was, ‘Why did he do it?’

‘Dad won’t hit me, will he?’

Ruby smiled. ‘No, course not.’

Tom struggled to sit up. ‘You see I stole some money and Mr Cox found it. He said he’d tell the police and Beth started hitting him.’ He stopped. ‘Then he hit her. I thought he’d killed her so I hit him. That’s all I remember.’ Tom lay back down again, exhausted.

A nurse came to the bedside. ‘You’d better go outside for a moment.’

Ruby did as she was told.

Her thoughts were tumbling over and over trying to make sense of it all. Who did Tom steal the money from? And Mr Cox - where had he gone? It suddenly struck her that he hadn’t been around when all this had been discovered. Perhaps he had been in the pub. Most of the neighbours had come out into the street when the ambulance arrived. It was something they didn’t see very often; not everybody could afford a doctor. That was another thing that came to her. How could they pay for all this? But Ruby knew that was the least of their worries. Tom had to get better and Beth . . . ‘Beth,’ she silently moaned, ‘please get well. Don’t die.’ She wanted to run away from this horror. She was at her wits’ end. It wasn’t fair. Mr Cox would have to pay for what he’d done. Tears ran down her cheeks yet again. What if Beth dies? Who is her family? Who will look after Danny? Ruby sat back and put her head against the cold tiled wall. If Beth does die, it’ll be murder. I have to go and see the police. He mustn’t be allowed to get away with it.

Milly couldn’t face being cheerful even when her parents wished her a merry Christmas.

‘D’you mind if I don’t open my presents till this afternoon? We might have some news be then.’

‘Course not, love.’ Her mother had been very shocked when she heard what had happened. ‘We understand.’

Milly had tried - and failed - to make sense of it all. Who would do such a thing and for what? She hadn’t slept very well. Every time she closed her eyes, Beth’s pale face came into her mind. Although she really didn’t know Mr Thompson, Ruby had asked her to go and see him and tell him what had happened. Some people thought he and Beth were living as man and wife. Mrs Moss, who still did his cleaning, had once told Milly and those that had been in earshot that they had a very close, cosy relationship.

It had been very late last night when Milly had got home from the hospital and she had felt too drained to go out again. Besides, the pub on a Christmas Eve was the last place she wanted to go to, and she’d been afraid Mr Thompson would be angry that Beth hadn’t turned up for work. ‘Mum, I must go up and tell Mr Thompson what’s happened.’

‘Course, love. Oh, I hope Ruby’s home soon with some more news. What a dreadful thing to happen, and at Christmas as well.’

‘Well, I hope they find the bugger what did it,’ said her father, wiping egg from his moustache. ‘They want stringing up.’

‘They will be if Beth dies.’

‘Oh love, don’t say things like that. It’s very worrying that somebody could do such a thing - they might even be walking about round here. He might even come into the shop. It just don’t bear thinking of.’

Milly shuddered at her mother’s words. ‘I’ll be off now.’

 

Milly banged hard on the door at the back of the pub. It took a while before she heard bolts being pulled. She was taken aback at the sight of Mr Thompson. When he passed the shop he always looked so smart, but this morning he looked tired and dishevelled.

‘Yes. What is it?’ There was anger in his voice.

‘Mr Thompson, I’m Milly from the dairy, I live opposite the Jenkinses.’

‘Oh yes? Beth has spoken about you. You don’t happen to know where she is, be any chance?’

‘Can I come in?’

‘The place is in a bit of a state.’

‘That’s all right.’

‘By the way, merry Christmas,’ he said over his shoulder as they walked into the parlour. ‘Although it don’t seem very merry to me.’

‘Mr Thompson, I think you’d better sit down.’

‘Why?’ Horror filled his face as he did as he was told. ‘Is it Beth?’

Milly nodded.

‘Has she got someone else? A younger man?’

‘No. She’s in hospital. Ruby asked me to tell you.’

His face drained of colour. ‘Why? What happened?’

As Milly told him all she knew she watched the colour return. By the time she had finished he was scarlet with rage.

‘I’ve got to go to her.’

‘I’m sure they’ll let you see her. As it’s Christmas Day they seemed to be bending the rules. She may be a little better today.’

‘And you say you don’t know who did it to her and young Tom?’

Milly shook her head.

‘Danny! Where’s the boy?’

‘Ruby took him to the hospital with her. When I left he was asleep.’

‘I’ve got to get to them.’

Milly stood up. ‘I’ll leave you to it. I hope everything’s all right. If you get back before Ruby, will you call in and let us know how they are?’

‘Yes, yes, of course. And, Milly, thanks. Thanks for everything.’

‘That’s all right.’ Milly could see how devastated he was. He really must love Beth. Whoever did this terrible thing was going to have to answer to a lot of folk round here; Beth and Tom were both very well liked.

 

The ward was full of people. The vicar was coming round shaking everybody’s hand and wishing them a merry Christmas. Tom was sitting up and Ruby was helping him with his breakfast, but Ruby couldn’t take her eyes off the tide mark that washing the blood off Tom’s head had left. Her mother would go mad if she were here now looking at his dirty neck. Ruby vowed silently to herself that in future she would take more care of Tom and make sure she knew what he was up to. If she had been more interested in him this situation would not have arisen, and Beth wouldn’t be facing death. A lump came to Ruby’s throat as she looked at Danny toddling round the ward and enjoying all the fuss that was being made of him. He had chocolate round his mouth. Beth too would go mad if she could see him eating all these sweets. Ruby swallowed hard. If only she
could
see him.

Thomas Jenkins sat looking at his son; he hadn’t had a shave and his lack of sleep was telling: he looked dreadful.

‘Why don’t you take your father home?’ said a nurse to Ruby.

‘I can’t get him to leave Tom. How’s Beth this morning?’

‘There isn’t any change. You can go and see her if you like.’

‘Can I go?’ mumbled Tom.

‘Not yet, young man. Not till the doctor says you can.’

‘I’ll tell her you want to see her,’ said Ruby, giving him a weak smile. They hadn’t told him how bad she was.

In the women’s ward Beth had the screens drawn round her bed. Ruby gazed down at her. She had also been washed and most of the blood had been removed from her hair. Her body was still and her face waxen; her gentle breathing was the only movement. Ruby let her tears fall. ‘I’m so sorry, Beth. Promise me you’ll get better soon,’ she whispered. She sat on the chair and held Beth’s hand; it was cold. ‘You stepped in to save Tom and it has almost cost you your life.’

She jumped when the screen was pulled aside. ‘Mr Thompson! Milly told you?’

He nodded. He looked down on Beth. ‘Who did this?’

Ruby didn’t answer.

He took Beth’s hand and kissed it. ‘Beth. My Beth.’

Ruby walked away.

‘How’s Beth?’ asked Tom softly when she returned to his bedside.

‘About the same.’

‘Did she say anything?’

Ruby shook her head. ‘Mr Thompson’s in with her.’

A tall older-looking doctor with wild white hair came striding up to the bedside. ‘You can take Tom home if you like. I’ll give you a letter to take to the cottage hospital; he’ll have to have his bandages changed in a day or two.’

‘Thank you,’ said Ruby. ‘Come on, Dad, we’re going home.’

‘Excuse me,’ said the doctor to Ruby. ‘Can I have a word with you?’

‘Yes.’ She followed him to the door.

‘You will have to keep an eye on your young brother. Any sign of vomiting or falling asleep must be reported to the cottage hospital.’

‘Thank you.’

‘Now, your father, is he always this way?’

‘No. It was the shock of finding Tom.’

‘I see.’

‘He was shell-shocked in the war, and sometimes . . .’ Ruby couldn’t keep her feelings pent up any more and she burst into tears.

‘My dear child, come along to my office.’ He took her arm and propelled her along the corridor.

‘Please. Sit down.’ The doctor ran his fingers through his wild hair, then continued kindly. ‘I was in the war and I saw many men like your father. He needs help.’

‘He was better after me mum died. He even went back to work.’

‘I see. When did your mother die?’

‘April,’ sniffed Ruby.

‘The nurse said he hasn’t spoken since he came here with your brother.’

‘No. I don’t know what I’m gonner do. What if Beth dies - who’ll look after Danny?’

‘What about her family? They’ll have to be told.’

‘She ain’t got no family.’

‘I see.’ The doctor came round his desk and put his arm round her shoulders. ‘Do you know who did this dreadful thing to your brother and Mrs Norton?’

She nodded. ‘Tom said it was Mr Cox, our landlord.’

‘I see. D’you know why?’

Ruby quickly shook her head. Till she could find out more about Tom and this stealing, she had decided not to tell anyone.

For a few moments the doctor stood over Ruby then moved round to sit behind his desk again. ‘Young lady, I’m going to see if I can get your father into a sort of convalescent home.’

Ruby jumped to her feet. ‘What? No. I ain’t having him put in a loony bin. He ain’t mad - he’s just had a shock. He’ll be all right in a couple of days.’

‘It won’t be that sort of place. He’ll be supervised and given things to make him better. He must have had a terrible time in the war, and any little thing will start bringing back all his bad memories. I’ve seen this so many times.’

‘No. I ain’t letting him go.’

‘Please, sit down. How are you going to manage?’

‘I don’t know, but I’ll think of something.’

‘You’re a very gallant young lady. You deserve to go far in this world. I have to inform the police of what’s happened, and if Mrs Norton dies . . .’

‘She won’t, will she?’

The doctor picked up his pen. ‘I’m afraid things don’t look very good for her. And if she dies, that’s murder.’

Ruby took a sharp intake of breath. ‘Will Mr Cox go to prison?’

‘Yes. If he did do it, and if he’s found guilty, he could hang.’

Ruby felt the breath leave her body and a blackness came over her.

 

When Ruby opened her eyes, a nurse was standing over her tapping the back of her hand. She smiled at Ruby. ‘Welcome back. How are you feeling?’

‘I’m all right.’

‘It must be the lack of food.’

So many thoughts came flooding into Ruby’s mind. ‘They want to take me dad away.’

The nurse busied herself. ‘It could be for the best.’

‘No. No. I won’t let him go.’

‘Think it over. Tom’s ready to go.’

Ruby stood up. ‘He wants to see Beth.’

‘I know. The nurse is taking him in there now.’

‘The doctor said she might die.’

‘We are doing our best, but she did have a very nasty bang on the head.’