A Rare Ruby (38 page)

‘I still don’t know why they didn’t like you.’

‘It’s because I came from London and wasn’t a Scottish lassie. The family had very strong loyalties over that.’

As a child Ernie had listened to the stories about the family in Scotland. There was a family home his father had lived in before he came - but not a grand castle or anything. His father had told him he’d always wanted to travel, to see the world, but then he’d met Jess and married her. His mother and father had been comfortable, as he always put it. Ernie didn’t know at the time what comfortable meant, or why they never went to see his grandparents. ‘So they cut him right off ?’

‘Yes. As the years went on, from time to time Richard kept in touch with your father, and he was very upset when he was killed.’

‘Did they know about us?’

‘Yes.’

‘But they didn’t think to help you after Dad got killed, did they?’

His mother bowed her head. ‘No, they didn’t, but Mr Wallis died soon after your father. Richard reckons it was from remorse.’

‘So now my grandmother’s dead this Richard wants us all to go up there to the family house?’

‘Yes.’

‘Will you marry him?’

‘I shouldn’t think so for one moment. I can’t ever see any other man filling your father’s shoes.’

‘But what if you don’t like him?’

‘I think I will. Your father was very fond of him.’

Ernie was at his wits’ end. How could he explain to his mother how he felt?

‘It will be a lovely home for you and the girls, but I’m not going.’

‘What? Why?’

‘Well, for a start, what job will there be for me?’

‘I’m sure Richard will find something for you.’

‘No thanks.’

‘But why not? You will be away from all this poverty you’re always going on about. There’ll be no more taking people’s washing to the laundry. And I won’t have to skimp and scrape.’ Tears began to roll down her cheeks. ‘Please, Ernest,’ she said, holding his hand. ‘Please say you’ll come. As you can see, Richard has even sent our fare.’

Ernie put the money on the table. ‘I’m sorry, Mum, I can’t.’

‘Why not? What could keep you here?’

‘I’ll stay here and look after Daisy. She’ll want somewhere to come home to on her day off.’

‘She’s coming with me and the girls. As far as I can see, it’s only you that’s the fly in the ointment. And I can’t think of any reason why.’

He knew his mother was getting cross with him. ‘You don’t have to worry about me. I’ll be able to make me own way down here. I don’t want handouts from people I don’t even know.’ Ernie was also beginning to get angry. ‘I reckon he only wants you up there to be a glorified cook and housekeeper.’

‘Is that such a bad thing?’

Ernie couldn’t actually argue with that. ‘Look, I’ve got to go out.’

‘Is it because you’ve found someone?’

He didn’t answer.

‘Ernest, you’re young. A good-looking lad like you, you’ll soon find someone.’

‘I’ve got to go.’

‘What if we don’t go?’

Ernie felt the rug had been pulled from under him. ‘So it’s me that could be stopping you from this better life?’

His mother looked down.

‘Please, don’t let me stop you.’

‘Where will you live?’

‘I’ll manage. Don’t forget I’ll be late tonight.’

‘How will you pay the rent?’

‘Something will turn up.’

‘Think about this carefully, love. This could be a whole new start for you. Besides, me and the girls want you to come with us.’

He didn’t know what else to say to convince her. Later he would talk to Ruby about it. He would tell her how he felt at last.

‘Mum. Mum,’ shouted Eve, the youngest sister. ‘Me and Rosie are going to look at that funeral, you know, that girl what got murdered.’

‘All right. But you be careful. They still ain’t caught the bloke what did it.’

‘You coming, Ernie?’ asked Eve.

‘No, I’ve got better things to do than standing gawping at a funeral.’

‘They say it’s gonner be ever so grand.’

But Ernie had to get ready to meet Ruby at the church. His mind churned over and over. He loved Ruby, but did she love him? Surely she wouldn’t go with him to Scotland? She would never leave her father and brother. But could they have a better life up there together? No more living from hand to mouth?

He left the slum of a house he called home and as he walked along the road he stopped and took note of his surroundings. He began to whistle. Although they were both young, if he could persuade Ruby to come with him, soon it could be them who were walking down the aisle.

As Ruby walked slowly behind Alfie she noted he was looking eagerly all about him.

‘Ain’t ever been in the back of a pub before,’ he said.

Mr Thompson didn’t make any comment.

In the back parlour, with one word, ‘Sit,’ Mr Thompson indicated with his finger to Alfie to sit down in the armchair, which he did very quickly.

Suddenly Ruby felt out of place and turned to leave.

‘No, stay, Ruby, and take a seat.’ Ruby also did as she was told.

‘Do you know anything about this?’ Mr Thompson asked her as he stood with his foot on the brass fender.

Ruby shook her head.

‘But I know all about you, Ruby Jenkins,’ said Alfie, grinning as he slumped back in the armchair.

‘And I know you. I’ve seen you hanging about the buildings when I took washing back to one of me mum’s customers.’

‘I know, and me sister told me ter keep away from you and that brother of yours.’

Ruby looked shocked. ‘I thought that was Mrs Bell’s doing.’

‘Na, it was me sister.’

‘Just be quiet.’ Mr Thompson took a cigarette from a packet on the mantelpiece and then a wooden spill from a pot. Ruby watched him push it through the bars of the range and when it was well alight, he lit his cigarette with it. ‘Now, Ruby, what do you really know about this?’ he asked, puffing smoke into the air.

‘I told you! I didn’t know anything about Beth. She only told us her husband was in the Navy and was away.’

Alfie laughed out loud. ‘That sounds like Lizzie. She certainly knew how to spin ’em.’

Ruby glared at him and, turning to Mr Thompson, said softly, ‘After a while we guessed it might not be true as she never talked about him and she never had a letter from him, but it didn’t matter,’ she said hurriedly. ‘We didn’t care. We liked her.’

Alfie suddenly sat up. ‘You know somefink?’ he said slyly to Mr Thompson. ‘That’s why you ain’t chucked me out.’

Mr Thompson drew heavily on his cigarette and, pulling a chair from under the table, sat down opposite Alfie and Ruby. ‘When Beth first came to stay here she told me she was a widow, but I didn’t think that was true. When your father got that job in the Green Man, Beth was very worried. She told me she came from round the buildings and wasn’t married. That’s all I knew about her, she never said any more, and I wasn’t interested in her past. I thought that, once we were married, if she wanted to tell me more, that would be her business.’ He threw the cigarette into the fire. ‘Then this had to happen.’

For a few moments the only sound was the ticking of the clock.

‘I couldn’t find her birth certificate, so I put the name I knew her by on the death certificate. Danny’s only got the small thrupenny one and the name on that is Norton. So, what is it you want?’ he asked Alfie.

‘Me mum wanted to know how it happened?’

‘She was murdered.’

‘So we heard. Who did it?’

‘As far as we know, a certain Mr Cox.’

Ruby sat looking at Alfie. She could see now that there was an uncanny likeness between him and Danny. Like Beth, they both had fair hair and bright blue eyes, but more than that, they had exactly the same shaped noses and mouths. Surely Mr Thompson could see it as well?

‘D’you know why?’

Mr Thompson looked at Ruby, then shook his head.

‘Is he inside?’

‘Not yet,’ replied Mr Thompson.

‘Me mum said she’d like to see the kid. That’s why I’m here.’

‘That could be arranged.’

‘Me mum said, even though there’s a few of us at home and me dad ain’t at work, she’d be happy to look after the kid.’

‘Thank your mother, but that won’t be necessary.’

‘You don’t know who its father is, so who’s gonner look after it now?’

Ruby stood up. ‘I’ll be looking after Danny.’

‘How much is he paying yer?’ He nodded towards Mr Thompson.

‘I’m not doing it for money.’

‘I bet. I know how hard up you Jenkinses is.’

‘I shall be giving Ruby an allowance.’

‘Me mum’s better at looking after the kids than she is. ’Sides, we’re family. Yer can’t keep ’im.’

‘And who says so?’

‘It’s the law.’

‘You can’t prove her name’s Anderson,’ said Mr Thompson.

Alfie looked agitated. ‘She is, was, me sister. ’Sides, Ruby goes ter work.’

‘How do you know?’ she quickly asked.

Mr Thompson signalled for Ruby to sit down.

‘I know a lot about yer. I used ter meet our Lizzie over the park sometimes.’

‘Were you blackmailing her?’

‘Come on now, Mr Thompson, that’s a nasty word. She used ter give me a few bob now and again fer me mum. So you see we ’ave got some rights.’

‘I don’t think so, young man. If we don’t know who Danny’s father is, in the eyes of the law he is an orphan and I shall see about adopting him. He’ll have a better upbringing with me.’

Ruby took in a quick breath.

‘And we don’t know if you’re telling the truth about Beth.’

‘She never said anything when you was bullying our Tom. Was she ashamed of you?’ asked Ruby.

‘I think we’d better leave it for now,’ said Mr Thompson.

Ruby looked at Mr Thompson. As much as she loved Beth and Danny, she didn’t want to spend the rest of her life looking after him. To her this was only a temporary measure.

Mr Thompson stood up. ‘Now I think you’d better go. Tell your mother to come here tomorrow afternoon after closing time. I shall then take her up to the Jenkinses’ house and she can see Danny. But don’t have any ideas about trying to extract money from me.’ He left the room.

‘You think you’re being very clever, don’t you, Ruby Jenkins, but you wait. Us Andersons don’t like being ridden rough shod over be anybody.’ Alfie stood up and moved towards the door. ‘And that goes for that wimp of a brother of yours as well. Tell him I know all what he gets up to with that Freddie Porter.’

Ruby watched him leave. Who was Freddie Porter? What did he know about Tom? It must be to do with the money. Ruby was angry. All this trouble was about money and the lack of it. Beth would still be alive if they had had money. ‘I must get away from all this. I can’t stand much more,’ she whispered. But as she went out of the room she asked herself: Where can I go now I have Danny to look after?

As soon as she walked back into the bar Milly and Mrs Moss raced up to her.

‘What happened?’ asked Milly. ‘Was she his sister?’

‘Not sure. They want Danny.’

‘What?’ said Milly and Mrs Moss together.

‘They can’t do that, can they?’ asked Mrs Moss.

‘Mr Thompson reckons he’s gonner adopt him.’

‘Adopt? How can he?’

Ruby shrugged.

‘What about his father?’ asked Milly.

‘Well, we can’t find out who that was, can we?’

‘But who’ll look after him?’ asked Mrs Moss.

‘It looks like me for the moment.’

Mrs Moss pulled herself up to her full five feet. ‘Well, I don’t like to speak out of turn, but I think it’s a lot to ask of you.’

‘So do I,’ said Milly.

‘You’re only a girl and you’ve got all your life in front of you. The last thing you want is a young child to bring up.’

Mrs Moss meant well. How could Ruby tell her she didn’t have a lot of choice? That it was because of her brother that Beth was dead?

‘Mrs Anderson’s coming round tomorrow to see Danny.’

Milly could see that Ruby didn’t want to discuss this so, looking across the room, she said, ‘Mrs Moss, looks like they need those other sandwiches.’

‘All right, love.’

As soon as they had walked away, Tom came up to her.

‘What did that Alfie Anderson want?’

‘Danny.’

‘Why?’

‘He said Beth was his sister.’

‘She wasn’t, was she?’

‘Don’t know.’

‘He can’t have him, can he?’

‘I don’t know.’ Ruby felt drained. ‘Who’s Freddie Porter?’

Fear filled Tom’s face. ‘Who told you about him?’

‘Alfie Anderson. So who is he?’

‘Just a mate.’

‘What’s he like?’

‘All right.’

‘Is he the one who’s been leading you astray?’

Danny began crying and Tom started to walk away.

‘Just a minute,’ called Ruby.

‘I think this little ’en needs his bed,’ said Mrs Moss, who had come back and picked Danny up out of his pram.

‘Yes. I’ll be off now.’ Ruby looked round the bar; it was six o’clock. Mr Thompson had told his customers that he wasn’t opening the pub tonight. Many of the people who had been to the funeral had begun to leave. ‘You coming, Dad?’

‘No. I’m staying to give Len here a hand.’

Milly gave Ruby a smile. ‘I’ll walk with you.’

‘What about you, Tom?’

‘I’ll stay with Dad.’

‘Milly,’ said Ruby as she pushed the pram through the doors and out into the cold night air, ‘d’you think it would be wrong? As it’s not very late, d’you think Beth would mind if I went to the wedding?’

‘I think she’d be tickled pink. You go and enjoy yourself. And wear that lovely frock. It’ll be a nice change for you.’