Ruby (9 page)

Even Arthur was different now he was older and in the thrall of his two older brothers. If just the two of them were together it was almost like the old days when, despite being younger, Ruby had been the protector whom Arthur adored. But his fear of Ray and Bobbie was so great that if they were around he would either ignore her or bully her exactly as they did. It made her hate Ray even more.

‘Tell me about your phone call – unless it’s private, of course?’ Johnnie asked once they were all seated at the table with tea and cake in front of them. Ruby looked cautiously at Betty, unsure of her.

‘It’s OK, our Betty’s the soul of discretion, aren’t you Bet?’

‘Of course I am. I don’t gossip me, but I’m not nosy either, so I’ll go and find something to do if you want me out of the way.’

‘No, it’s OK’, Ruby interrupted quickly. ‘I wanted to ring the people where I was evacuated to but I left home without my purse. I’ve got the money at home but if I go back then I mightn’t get out again. My brother …’ she stopped. ‘I mean, my mother …’

‘It’s all right,’ Johnnie interrupted. ‘Betty knows all about your brothers.’

‘Arthur’s OK,’ she said defensively. ‘He just follows the others. He’s a bit slow – Mum always says he was born with the cord tied round his neck – and even Bobbie would be better if he wasn’t around Ray all the time. Anyway, I had my birthday, and Mr and Mrs Wheaton didn’t even send a card. I don’t understand it. I haven’t heard from them since I got back and I’m worried something’s happened.’

Johnnie and Betty exchanged looks.

‘What?’ Ruby looked from one to the other. ‘Do you know something?’

‘No, don’t know anything, but I can make a bloody good guess,’ Johnnie said.

‘Don’t use bad language in front of ladies, thank you very much, John. You weren’t brought up to do that.’ Betty glared at him fiercely.

‘Sorry, sis.’ He looked from his sister to Ruby. ‘Just wondering if your brother has possibly been nicking your letters.’

‘He wouldn’t do that.’ But as soon as she spoke the words Ruby realised what she’d said, and laughed. ‘Of course he would. I wonder why I never thought of that.’

‘Because you’re not a lying scheming piece of scum like Ray. Sorry, but I have to say it as it is.’

Ruby frowned. At times she hated her brothers but she still felt a certain sibling loyalty and Johnnie’s rhetoric made her feel uncomfortable. She waited for Betty to intervene again but she didn’t.

‘I tell you what, Ruby Red, how about next week I take you to see them? We could go on my motorbike. It shouldn’t take long if I put my foot down – an easy run, almost a straight line, I reckon.’

Ruby caught the glare of disapproval that Betty Dalton flashed at her brother.

‘Ruby’s family wouldn’t approve of you taking her down to the High Street on that old boneshaker, let alone all that way, and quite rightly. You can’t go upsetting them with something like that. It’s none of our business and it’s not right.’

‘I could borrow a car. Bill Morgan would lend me his, if I asked nicely. I’m in his good books at the moment.’

‘Bill Morgan? You know what I think of him,’ Betty snapped. ‘And what about petrol? Where will you get that, or daren’t I ask? I’m telling you, John, you bring trouble to this door and you’ll know about it. Just you remember that.’

‘OK, OK, we’ll go by train. How about that?’

Betty stared at her brother for a few moments. Then, without giving an answer, she stood up and walked out of the room, shaking her head.

‘Sorry; all my fault, that. I shouldn’t have said it in front of her; what the eye don’t see the heart don’t grieve over. She’s very upright and righteous, is our Betty, but she’s got a heart of gold underneath it all.’ Johnnie pulled a face. ‘But I mean it. I’ll take you if you want, but the train is probably best. I’ve never been further than Wanstead Flats on the bike since I got it.’

Ruby laughed. ‘The train would be best. It’s a long way, and anyway, I have to ring them first and see if they still want to see me.’

‘They’ll want to see you. I bet any money you like your Ray’s been playing at postman.’

Johnnie Riordan stood up, dipped into his trouser pocket and pulled out a handful of coins. After a quick glance at the money in his palm he took Ruby’s hand and pressed the coins into it.

‘That should be plenty. Do you want me to come with you?’

‘Would you? But I don’t want us to be seen. Ray’s been worse lately and I don’t want to ask for any more trouble than I’ve got already.’

‘Go to the phone box at the top end of the High Street and I’ll meet you there. I’ll give you a head start and I’ll use the back alleyway.’ He laughed and touched her hand. ‘I could pull my hat forward and turn up the old collar like they do in the films. I’m really good at not being seen!’

Ruby smiled in return. ‘Yes, I expect you are,’ she said.

Ruby pressed the A button in the telephone box and the coins clanked down. ‘Hello, Aunty Babs? Is that you? It’s me, Ruby …’

That was all she could say before she started crying. Just hearing Babs Wheaton’s voice as she answered the phone was enough to set her off. Suddenly all the sadness and frustrations of her months back in Walthamstow came out, and she couldn’t speak.

Johnnie was close beside her inside the red telephone box, and as she started crying he slipped his arm around her waist sympathetically before gently taking the receiver from her.

‘Mrs Wheaton, I’m Johnnie Riordan, Ruby’s friend. She’s upset and missing you. She’s worried she hasn’t heard from you.’

He held the receiver between him and Ruby so they could both listen.

‘What do you mean, she hasn’t heard from me?’ Babs Wheaton said sharply. ‘I’ve written every week since Ruby left and I sent her ten shillings for her birthday. I wondered why I hadn’t heard from her. I even wrote to her mother because I was worried about her. I wish she’d phoned earlier.’

‘Ruby’s a bit upset but I’ve said I’ll bring her to visit you, would that be OK?’

Ruby’s tears dried quickly as anger took over. She was steaming mad – too mad to have a sensible conversation – so she left most of it to Johnnie. A queue grew outside the telephone box and eventually an elderly man banging on the glass made them bring the call to an end with a promise to phone again as soon as they knew when they’d be visiting.

Once the phone call was over Ruby was itching to get straight home and have it out with her mother and brother. She knew her missing letters had to have been Ray’s idea, but it felt worse to think her mother was part of it.

‘I’ll kill him, I will, I’ll kill him. How dare he do that? And Mum – how could she do that to me? No wonder she tried to stop me going to the phone box. I’m going home to give them what for. How dare they?’

As she ranted so Johnnie stood in front of her and blocked her from rushing off.

‘Now calm down and listen to me. If you go storming in telling ’em all what’s what and upsetting Ray, what good will it do? They’ll know you know all about it and then you’ll stand no chance of me taking you up to see the Wheatons. Take a tip from the expert: keep this information to yourself and then use it when the moment is right.’

‘But I’m so angry. It’s not fair!’

‘You’re going to bide your time. Never do anything in temper; it always backfires.’

‘But I told Mum I was going to phone them,’ Ruby said. ‘She’ll expect me to say something …’

Johnnie grabbed her by her shoulders. ‘Listen to me, Red! Tell her you changed your mind. Say you couldn’t get through, but whatever you do don’t say you talked to them. She’ll be so relieved she’s not been caught out you’ll be able to get away for the day. Be nice, act normal until we’ve been to see them, and then you can say whatever you like!’

As they walked along talking, Ruby automatically linked her arm through his the same way she used to with Keith when they were roaming down the lanes around the village. It was a few moments before she realised what she had done and she pulled her arm away, hoping that Johnnie hadn’t noticed. One of the things she missed most about Melton was the casual way of life and the accompanying friendships that meant she was never lonely. Keith Forger was as much a friend to Ruby as his sister Marian was, and she missed their easy friendship so much.

Once Ruby and Johnnie were back in the danger zone they separated and took different routes to Elsmere Road. As she neared the top of the road Ruby could see her mother standing at the gate in conversation with Mrs O’Connor, her next-door neighbour. As Ruby approached, Sarah Blakeley stopped talking and looked at her daughter carefully; Ruby could see the apprehension in her eyes as she studied her face.

‘Well? What did she say?’

With a shrug Ruby walked past her mother and Mrs O’Connor and went indoors and, as she had expected, Sarah Blakeley followed her.

‘Ruby, I’m talking to you. What did she say? More lies, I’ll be bound. You can’t trust them, you know.’

Ruby paused for a few moments. She really wanted to shout and cry but she didn’t. She remembered Johnnie Riordan’s words.

‘I couldn’t get through, and then when I went back to try again there was a queue outside the phone box so I gave up. It can wait. I’ll try again another day.’

Ruby didn’t turn round but the sigh of relief from her mother’s lips was audible.

‘Best leave it, Ruby. Maybe they just don’t want to talk to you any more. All said and done you were only an evacuee – why would they want to have anything to do with you now they don’t have to? Let sleeping dogs lie.’

Seething inside, Ruby forced a smile. ‘Maybe … maybe none of my friends up there want to talk to me any more because I was only a poor old evacuee from London who only lived there for five years. Just little orphan Annie me, eh, Ma?’

‘It’s for the best, Ruby, really it is.’ Sarah Blakeley completely missed the sarcasm in her daughter’s comment. ‘Shall we have a cuppa before I go to work? I’ll make your nan one and take it through, then you and me can have a chat. We don’t ever do that.’

It was hard for Ruby to carry on the charade, especially when she knew her mother was only being nice because she knew what she’d done – what Ray had done – but she tried to concentrate on Johnnie’s advice.

‘OK. I’ll just go and check on Nana, see how she is.’

Ruby went into her bedroom and sat on the side of the bed, taking deep breaths. ‘Don’t get angry,’ she muttered, ‘don’t get angry.’

‘What’s that, dearie? What did you say? I can’t hear you.’ The woman cupped her hand around her ear and turned her head.

Ruby raised her voice. ‘Nothing, Nana. Just talking to myself!’

‘First sign of madness, that is, girl, talking to yourself, along with hairs on the palm of your hand,’ the old lady laughed.

‘You’ll not catch me out with that one!’ Ruby said. ‘Are you all right in here or do want me to help you through to the back? Mum’s making a pot of tea.’

‘I’ll stay here. I like watching out the window, seeing as best I can who’s doing what. It’s so long since I was out and about, sometimes I feel I’m in gaol.’

‘I’ll take you for a walk tomorrow, if you like, just to the corner and back.’

‘I don’t know about a walk. What I’d like is to sit in the chair out by the gate, but your mother says that’s common.’ She laughed again. ‘What she means is, she doesn’t want me gossiping to nosy Nora O’Connor next door about any goings-on in here.’

‘Well when Mum goes to work tomorrow we’ll both go and sit out front and be common, and you can chat to nosy Nora and give her something juicy to talk about down the market. How about that?’

‘You’re a good girl, Ruby.’ She smiled affectionately at her granddaughter.

‘I try to be, Nan, but sometimes it’s so hard,’ Ruby sighed. ‘Why are they all so horrible? And I mean Mum as well … I’ve never done anything wrong but still they just want me to be unhappy.’

‘It’s not really like that, they’re just envious. I know it’s not right but that’s how it is. When you were sent away they felt sorry for you, but then you landed on your feet. Your mother thought you preferred Mrs Wheaton to her, and all Ray could see was you living the life of Riley while he was being belted.’

‘But that wasn’t my fault. I didn’t even want to go, and now I find out that they’ve been hiding my letters …’ She stopped and glanced towards the door; the last thing she needed was for her mother to overhear her.

‘Please don’t say anything, will you, Nan? I’ve got to go. Me or Mum’ll be back in a sec with your cuppa.’

Ruby took a deep breath, fixed a smile on her face and went off to do her own manipulating. Johnnie Riordan was teaching her well.

Taking a sip of tea she focused on the cup in her hand. Despite her anger she still didn’t want to have to make eye contact with her mother when she knew that she herself was about to tell lies.

‘Are you working every day this week?’ Ruby asked. ‘You’re working more than ever before.’

‘I can work more because you’re here at home. It was hard doing everything before, but now it’s easier …’ She stopped and shrugged her shoulders, giving Ruby a chance.

‘Mum, you remember Eileen, who I used to go to school with? Well, I met her when I was out just now and she’s going for a job up west next week. She said some of the big department stores in Oxford Street are looking for shop-girls now they’re rebuilding. Can I go with her?’ She paused for a moment and looked at her mother, trying to gauge her reaction. ‘She wasn’t evacuated so I haven’t seen her for ages. I thought maybe I could get a job myself. It’s good money, she said; it’d help me settle back here if I had something proper to do …’

Ruby fiddled with her hair nervously as she turned on the emotional blackmail; she felt surprisingly little guilt at deceiving her mother, the woman who had so blatantly deceived her, and she knew she had to be convincing if she wanted to get away for the day.

The story she told her mother was half true. She had bumped into her old schoolmate Eileen, whom she hadn’t seen for years and who really was going job-hunting, but Ruby had no intention of going with her. She was going to Melton with Johnnie.

‘I really need you here, Ruby, you know that …’ Ruby could hear a hesitation in her mother’s voice and she was aware that it hadn’t been an outright refusal. ‘Three grown sons and a near-blind mother who’s nigh-on a cripple is just too much for me to look after on my own. And I have my job …’