A Rare Ruby (48 page)

‘I don’t reckon she’ll be in films. I bet the old boy was just using it as an excuse to get her in bed.’

‘He didn’t need an excuse, just money.’

‘Well, I expect she wanted to make sure she was married to him before she took that big step. After all, America’s a long way away.’

‘Would you use an excuse to get married?’ asked Ruby tentatively.

‘No. I’d come right out with it. Mind you, I’ve got to find the right girl first.’

Ruby held her breath. ‘So you’ve not got anyone in mind then?’

‘No, and don’t worry, as my friend and companion you’d be the first to know. Here’s our tram, come on, hop on.’

Well, that made it clear he wasn’t interested in her in a romantic way. Ruby was actually rather relieved.

 

The Sunday after she had been out with Ben she took Danny for a walk round the park in his pram. She sat on her usual seat deep in thought. When someone sat next to her she turned, intending to do no more than smile at this person who was dirty and looked like a bundle of old clothes. She did a quick double take. Was it Ernie? She held her breath and closed her eyes. Was it just her imagination? When she opened them he was still sitting next to her. He looked desperately scruffy and needed a shave.

‘Hello, Ruby. You look very nice. You seem to have done all right for yourself.’

‘
Ernie!
What you doing here?’

‘Got fed up with Scotland. It’s always cold and wet up there, or it is where me family is.’

‘Where’re you staying?’

‘Here. This is me bed.’

‘What? You’re sleeping in the park?’

‘Ain’t got anywhere else, have I?’

‘I don’t know. How long you been here?’

‘All week.’

‘Why didn’t you come to see me?’

‘I did. I went to the laundry and I saw you getting on a tram with Ben Stone. You both looked very cosy, talking and laughing. I didn’t want to interrupt.’

‘I didn’t see you.’

‘No, I was hiding behind that new van they’ve got. Didn’t know they was gonner get rid of the horses. They must be doing all right.’

‘They managed to get work from a big West End hotel and the van’s a lot quicker than the horse.’

‘So, where was you off to?’

‘We was going to the picture house.’

‘You didn’t say nothing about you and him in your letters.’

‘There was nothing to say. Besides, you didn’t answer them.’

‘Didn’t want to.’

‘What’s the matter with you? You used to be so full of bravado, now you sit there looking all filthy and acting like a spoilt kid.’

Ernie looked at her. Was this the little girl he’d left behind? Ruby was talking to him almost like his mother. ‘You’ve changed.’

‘I’ve had to. A lot’s happened since you went away.’

‘Yes, I guess it has. So are you and Ben going out together?’

‘No. I told you, it’s not like that.’

‘So what is it like then?’

‘We’re just friends.’

He laughed. ‘I’ve heard that one before.’

‘Why should it bother you anyway?’

‘Nothing. Is this that Beth’s kid?’

‘Yes. I think the world of him.’ Ruby knew she shouldn’t be saying this. What if Ernie had come back for her? He wouldn’t want a young boy to be hanging onto her apron strings. ‘Ernie, what have you come back for?’

He didn’t answer her. Instead he took a tobacco tin from his pocket and set about rolling a cigarette.

‘I asked you a question.’

‘I heard.’

‘Well?’

He lit the cigarette and blew the smoke high in the air. ‘Me uncle’s a nice enough bloke and now the girls have settled down Mum’s happy about that. Daisy’s got herself a good job in one of the big houses up there, so she’s away all week. She’s also seeing a boy from the village, so she won’t be back. The other two are getting on well at school, and Mum - well, somehow she’s just fitted in. But I was, well, homesick, I suppose.’

Ruby laughed. ‘What kind of homes we got that you can’t wait to get back to?’

‘That’s me. The fly in the ointment.’

‘What are you gonner do down here?’

He shrugged. ‘Don’t know.’

‘Look, come back home with me. You can have a wash and smarten yourself up.’

‘What will your dad say?’

‘We’ve had that many ups and downs that we can take most things in our stride now. Come on.’ She stood up.

‘Ruby, you’ve certainly changed.’

‘I’ve had to grow up, fast.’

‘And you’ve grown up into a lovely girl.’

Ruby stopped. Had he come down all this way just to see her? She wanted to hold him, make a fuss of him. Her heart went out to him; she knew she loved him and him alone, but what future did they have together?

As they wandered home Ruby told him all the news. She pushed the pram into the passage and took Danny out. ‘Go and see Tom.’

‘Tom. Tom,’ he yelled, rushing down the passage on his chubby legs.

‘That’s one of the words he can say clearly,’ said Ruby, smiling.

Tom was standing in the kitchen. He looked up when he realised Ruby wasn’t alone.

‘What’s he doing here? I thought he was in Scotland.’

‘So did I. I found him on a park bench.’

‘He looks ever so scruffy.’

‘I’ve been living rough for a couple of weeks.’

‘We can see that,’ said Ruby. ‘Here, take this kettle and go and have a wash and shave. Have you got a razor?’

‘In me bag.’

‘How did you get down here?’ asked Tom.

‘I was so keen to get back I used all sorts of ways, like jumping on trains after they started and jumping off before a ticket inspector came round.’

‘Don’t go telling him things like that. He’s got enough imagination as it is.’

‘I did find work in some of the fields, helping farmers and picking taters, that’s hard work. But I’ll tell you something: there’s a lot of lovely things away from Rotherhithe. Green fields, tall buildings. A lot to see.’

‘So why did you come back?’

He shrugged. ‘Dunno, really.’

Ruby handed him the kettle.

Ernie smiled. ‘I’d better go and do as I’m told.’ He went into the washhouse and closed the door.

‘Where’s he gonner stay?’ asked Tom.

‘I don’t know. He could stay here upstairs, I suppose.’

‘What about a job?’

‘I don’t know, that’s up to him.’

‘Can’t see him staying around here for long, not without a job.’

That thought had gone through Ruby’s mind as well.

The first thing Ruby did the following morning when she got to work was to tell Mrs Watson that Ernie was back.

‘Where’s he staying?’ she asked.

‘He’s at our house for the time being.’

‘What plans has he got?’

‘He don’t know. He’d been sleeping on a park bench.’

‘No! The poor boy. Tell him to drop by one day. I would like to see him again.’

‘I will do.’ More evidence of the soft spot she’d always had for Ernie.

‘Now back to work. And, Ruby, thanks for letting me know.’

‘That’s all right.’ Ruby thought of the first time she’d come to the laundry and how she hadn’t got a job because of him. How she had hated him for that. She shuddered when she remembered the horrible washroom and the wet feet and chilblains. She looked down at her boots. They didn’t have flappy soles or let in water now. She was smiling to herself when she sat at her table.

‘You look pleased with yourself, young Ruby,’ said Mrs Turner.

‘Yes, I am a bit.’

‘How’s that little lad?’

‘He’s fine.’ Everybody in the room knew about Beth and Danny. They were a nice bunch of women who took great pride in their work, and they were always ready with any advice, from putting poultices on his chest when he caught cold, to making sure he had the right things to eat, and most of all, potty training. At the moment Ruby couldn’t see that he would ever be clean, but Mrs Anderson had told her father she mustn’t worry about it, she would try during the day.

In fact, to Ruby life at this moment was almost perfect. If only Ernie would stay . . .

 

She hurried home that night eager to see if Ernie was still around.

She pushed open the kitchen door and to her relief he was sitting laughing with her father.

Danny came running up to her calling out, ‘Buby! Buby!’ He couldn’t say Ruby. He held out his hands for her to pick him up.

She took hold of him and swung him round. She was so happy at this domestic scene she thought she would burst.

‘So what sort of day have you had?’ she asked Ernie, putting Danny on the floor.

‘Not too good. Been out looking for work, but ain’t found much.’

Her heart skipped a beat. He’s been looking for work, that must mean he’s thinking of staying.

‘I’ll give it a few more days then if I don’t have any luck I’ll have to start thinking of moving on.’

She didn’t want him to go. She wanted to hang on to him. She wanted to beg him not to leave, but knew she couldn’t do that. ‘Where will you go?’ she asked.

‘Dunno. Your dad here reckons there might be work round the docks, but I went there. I might try down the coast somewhere. I’ve even thought about joining the Navy.’

‘Well, you can stay here till you find something, can’t he, Dad?’

‘That’s what I told him.’

‘I didn’t know you owned the house now.’

Ruby smiled. ‘We don’t really own it, we can just live here.’

She didn’t want Ernie to think she was better off than him. ‘Now, what’s for tea? By the way, Mrs Watson said she’d like to see you, so perhaps you could pop in some time?’

‘Yer. I might do that. She wasn’t a bad old stick. Here, do you remember when she took me out that time? I felt like a real toff, all dolled up and going to the music hall. If I play me cards right she might take me out again.’

‘If you stay round here, you never know.’

 

The following morning Ruby said to Mrs Watson, ‘Ernie Wallis said he might call to see you.’

She smiled. ‘That would be very nice. Can he leave it till the end of the week? We are very busy at the moment.’

‘Mrs Watson, could there be a job for him here?’

‘I wouldn’t think so. Stone’s only employ women.’

‘I see.’

‘How’s he settling down?’

‘He’s not. He’s been out looking for work; he’s talking of going to the coast to see if things are better there. He said he might even join the Navy.’

‘That would be nice. He’ll look very dashing in a uniform.’

That thought had gone through Ruby’s mind. She wouldn’t be able to hold him then. As the saying went: All the nice girls love a sailor.

 

A few nights later Ernie and Ruby were sitting in the kitchen alone. Tom had gone to bed and her father was working.

‘Ruby, I’m thinking of moving on.’

‘Why? What’s wrong?’

‘Nothing. It’s been great here, your dad’s made me very welcome, but I can’t sponge on you. I can’t find work and, well, that ain’t my way.’

‘I know.’ Ruby was beginning to panic. ‘Where will you go?’

‘Don’t know.’

She couldn’t stop herself. ‘Please, Ernie, don’t go.’

He looked at her. ‘You want me to stay?’

She nodded.

‘I can’t.’

‘Why not?’

‘It ain’t right.’

‘Ernie, do you like me?’

‘You know I do. You was the reason I came back. I thought I could offer you some hope, but things have worked out fine for you.’

‘I love you, Ernie.’

He looked at her.

‘Marry me.’

‘What?’

‘Marry me, then you can live here. I know you’ll get a job. We’ll be happy, I know we will.’

Ernie stood up. He walked to the door.

Ruby ran to him and held on to his arm. ‘I’m sorry.’

He gently took her arm away. ‘No, Ruby. It’s me who should be sorry. I shouldn’t have come back to disrupt your life.’

‘Don’t you like me?’

‘I do like you. I like you very much. But I’ve nothing to offer you.’

‘I don’t care.’ Tears ran down her face.

He held her arms. ‘I care. Be sensible. All your life you’ve struggled and been the backbone of this family. You are one in a million. I would even say you are a rare Ruby.’

She smiled through her tears. ‘My mum used to say that.’

‘I couldn’t live off of you.’

‘It don’t matter.’

‘It does to me. I’ll be off in the morning.’

‘Please, Ernie.’

He kissed her forehead and walked away.

Ruby sat in the chair and cried. She had lost the person she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. She loved him so much. Had she done the right thing? Had she lowered herself in his eyes? Women didn’t ask men to marry them . . .

 

Ruby was up early the next morning, but to her dismay Ernie had already left. She did all the usual things she had to for Danny before she left for work.

‘That lad went off early this morning,’ said her father as he poured out the tea. ‘Didn’t even stop for a cuppa.’

‘He told me last night he was leaving.’

‘That’s a pity. He’s a nice lad and he’s very fond of you.’

‘I don’t know about that.’

‘Well, he told me it was you he came back for.’

Although Ruby felt elated she knew he’d gone out of her life. ‘I can’t mean that much to him, seeing as how he’s gone.’

‘Yes. A pity that.’

Ruby left the house and went to work with a heavy heart.

Mrs Watson came up to Ruby as soon as she walked in. ‘Is Ernest still at your place?’

‘No, he left early this morning.’

‘That’s a shame. I would have liked to see him again. Did he say where he was going?’