A Rare Ruby (25 page)

‘Are you coming up to clean?’

‘I’ll be up in a minute. I’ve just got to catch Tom.’

‘Here’s me tea.’ He handed her a parcel wrapped in newspaper. ‘It’s a nice piece of haddock and I want it poached with a bit of butter. It’s all there.’

Ruby put the parcel on the stair. ‘I’ll collect it on me way back.’

Outside Ruby looked up and down the street. There wasn’t any sign of Tom. Where could she go? It was freezing cold and he wasn’t wearing a coat.

She went across the road to Milly. ‘You haven’t seen our Tom, have you?’

‘No. Why?’

‘It’s nothing.’ Ruby didn’t want her to know the reason. All this while Tom had had this resentment towards his father locked inside him, and she hadn’t realised. Please don’t let him do anything silly. ‘Please, Tom. Come home,’ she said out loud as she walked back to the house.

Ruby pushed open the kitchen door.

‘Did you find him?’ asked her father. A look of worry haunted his eyes.

‘No.’ She looked at the clock. ‘Shouldn’t you be getting off to work?’

‘I suppose so. Ruby, I’m so sorry. I was wrong.’

‘He did it for us all, you know.’

‘Yes, I know.’ He buried his head in his hands. ‘I’m not sure I can go off leaving it like this.’

‘You must. He’ll be back soon.’

‘Will he? He hates me.’

‘No, he don’t. He was just upset, that’s all.’

‘He’s such a good little lad.’ He looked up at Ruby; tears were now filling his eyes.

‘Come on, Dad.’ Fear grabbed her. At the back of her mind was always the worry that he might go back to his old ways. ‘Come on now. You must go to work. I’ll go out and look for him. He won’t have gone far.’

‘I can’t.’

‘Dad.’ Her voice was forceful. ‘You mustn’t lose your job.’

‘Is my job more important than Tom?’

‘You know it’s not, but it won’t help for you to sit here worrying. Besides, we can’t be your money short just before Christmas.’

‘Christmas. What sort of Christmas will it be without your mother?’

‘It won’t be easy, but we’ve got to make the best of it.’

He stood up and brushed a tear from his cheek. ‘You’re good kids. I don’t deserve you.’

To Ruby he suddenly looked old. His face was grey with worry. She threw her arms round his neck. ‘We’ve got to stick this out together.’

‘I know, love. I know.’ He kissed the top of her dark unruly hair.

‘Now be off with you.’

‘Just as long as you’re sure?’

‘Wrap up, Dad, it’s bitter out there.’

He was winding his scarf round his neck when he realised. ‘He ain’t got a coat on.’

‘I know. That’s why I’m sure he’ll be back soon.’ But Ruby was finding it hard to keep a smile on her face.

 

As Thomas walked to work he went over and over in his mind what had happened. He should never have hit Tom; after all, he was only trying to help, even though stealing was wrong. He remembered when he was in the trenches, he would have stolen food, clothes, anything to help keep him alive. He stopped and sat on a wall; he held his head as the sound of guns filled his ears. He was back there. The sky at night, with shells from an unseen enemy falling all around them. The days when you had to march through mud. The blood. The warm sticky blood; you were never sure if it was yours or the poor devil you were trying to get to safety. Falling over parts of men. And the smell of cordite and rotting bodies. ‘Please make them go away,’ he said out loud.

‘You all right, mate?’ asked a man who was walking past.

Thomas smiled. ‘Yes, thanks. Just got a bit of a head.’

‘Been on the beer last night?’

‘Something like that.’

The man moved on and Thomas closed his eyes. There were times when he wanted nothing so much as to creep back into his comfortable shell with the comfort of his blanket around him. But in doing that, he had let his wife down, and that was something he would never forgive himself for. He forced himself to stand up and continue on his way to work. He had to stay strong for his children.

 

Ruby put her hat and coat on and left the house as soon as she knew her father would be out of sight. She would go to see Beth. She knew that if there was one person Tom would go to, it was her.

She felt she could have cut the smoky air with a knife when she pushed open the pub’s door. It was very busy and the men were laughing and talking loudly; it took a while for her to weave her way through the crowd, trying to ignore their remarks and groping hands.

Beth, who was behind the bar serving, caught sight of her and waved.

When Ruby reached the bar she leaned over and said, ‘Beth, has Tom been in here?’

‘No. Why should he?’

‘Can you spare a minute?’

‘Not really. As you can see we’re run off our feet. Yes, sir,’ she said to a man who was standing with an empty glass in his hand.

‘Pint o’ bitter, love.’

As Beth stood holding the glass under the tap while she expertly pumped with the other hand she said to Ruby, ‘So what’s happened?’

Ruby looked about her. ‘Tom’s gone off somewhere and we don’t know where.’

‘You mean run away?’ She handed the man his brimming glass and took the money he held out. ‘Thanks.’

‘We don’t know.’

‘What’s he done that for?’

‘It’s a bit of a long story.’

‘So where’s your dad?’

‘He’s had to go to work.’

Beth considered. ‘Well, Ruby, Tom won’t have gone far. I’m sorry I can’t be of any help, but if he does come in here I’ll send him straight home.’

‘Thanks. He ain’t got a coat on and it’s bitter out there.’

‘Don’t worry too much. He’s not a silly boy. He might even be at home already. He probably just wanted to give you a fright.’

‘I hope so.’ As Beth’s attention was claimed by another customer, Ruby left the pub disappointed.

She walked home quickly, her mind going over all the places he might be hiding if he weren’t at home. As they didn’t have any friends, she had covered the only person who might have been able to help. There was no point in going to see Milly because he wouldn’t have gone there.

‘Tom. Tom!’ she shouted when she pushed open the front door.

Mr Cox stood at the top of the stairs. ‘Where’s my tea? And you ain’t been up to do my cleaning yet.’

‘I’m sorry, but I’ve been out looking for Tom.’

‘Why?’

‘I think he’s run away.’

‘What d’you mean, think?’

‘Him and Dad had a row, and he run off.’ Tears were slowly running down her cheek.

Mr Cox came down the stairs. He put his arm round Ruby; for once she didn’t shy away.

‘There. There.’ Mr Cox gently patted her shoulder. ‘He can’t have gone far. Have you looked in the lav?’

Ruby shook her head.

‘Well, why don’t you go and take a look now? I’ve just made a pot of tea and then the both of you can come up for a cup.’

‘Thank you.’ Ruby walked away.

Ruby wiped her nose and went through the washhouse and into the yard. She didn’t notice Mr Cox watching her, before he went upstairs. ‘Tom. Tom,’ Ruby called. But the lav was empty.

She sat on the wooden lid of the seat for a moment or two wondering what to do next. Slowly she went into the house. She quickly turned when Mr Cox pushed open the kitchen door.

‘Was he there?’

Ruby shook her head. ‘No.’

‘Come up and have this cuppa. Perhaps we can sort out what to do next.’

Without thinking, Ruby was slowly led upstairs.

 

At the back of the pub, Tom weaved his way between the crates of empty beer bottles and the large wooden barrels. He sat on the ground and leant against one of the barrels, shivering. He had been going to see Beth, but he had caught sight of Ruby going into the bar and he didn’t want her shouting at him. He should go home. He knew Ruby would be worried sick, but he wanted to teach them a lesson. He wasn’t just a kid who did as he was told. He ran with a gang now: they decided where they were going to go and what they were going to do. Now he didn’t have to spend all his day collecting and delivering washing he had time on his hands, even after he’d run a few errands for Milly and chopped up the boxes. Ruby had talked about school, but he didn’t want to go, not now. When he’d first met Freddie Porter he’d been frightened of him. Freddie wanted the wooden boxes Tom collected. He wanted to chop them up into bundles and sell them, but after a few days he changed his mind because he got blisters and splinters. Freddie Porter told him there were easier ways of making money and he would teach him, but it would cost him thrupence to join his gang. He showed Tom how to take things and not pay for them. Ruby hadn’t had any nice chocolate for years, but he had. And it was easy to hide things under the feather mattress; she didn’t lift that up very often. He didn’t know where Freddie lived, so he couldn’t go there. He only ever met him at the railway yard. Tom tried to wrap his arms round himself. He’d have to go home soon. He could freeze to death out here and nobody would find him for days. When he was dead everybody would be sorry.

He stood up and stamped his feet. He tried to lift open the huge wooden cellar doors, but they were locked on the inside. He sat down again; he was getting hungry and began to feel sleepy. A cat came and snuggled up to him. ‘You can help to keep me warm.’ He pulled it on to his lap and began to fondle its ears. ‘I bet you always find enough to eat. There’s always plenty of rats and mice round here.’

Fear suddenly gripped him. What if he fell asleep and the rats attacked him? They would bite him and start to eat him. He jumped up and the cat ran off screeching.

 

Ruby sat at Mr Cox’s table drinking tea.

‘You’ve had to grow up very quickly. One way and another your family seems to cause you a great deal of trouble. You’re a good girl to take on so much responsibility.’

‘Dad couldn’t help getting shell-shocked.’

Mr Cox patted her hand. ‘I know, love. I know. But I do think he could have made a bit more of an effort to look after you all.’

‘He’s a lot better now he’s going to work.’

‘I’m surprised he finished up working at the Green Man.’

‘Jobs are very hard to get and George is very good to him.’

‘George?’

‘The owner.’

Mr Cox smiled. ‘Would you like another cup of tea? I have some very nice biscuits if you fancy one.’

‘No thank you. I must be going. I must try to find Tom.’

‘Where will you start?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘Have you thought of telling the police?’

She shook her head. ‘No. Dad wouldn’t like that.’

‘Wait till your father gets home, and if young Tom ain’t back be then, then I think you should.’

‘Tom will be back before then.’

Mr Cox stood up. ‘Ruby, as I said before, you should think about letting someone else look after you for a change.’

Suddenly Ruby realised she was alone in the house with this man, and she was vulnerable. She must be mad. What was she doing sitting at his table drinking his tea and letting him touch her? She jumped up. ‘I must go.’

He went to move round to her side of the table. He laughed. ‘You look like a frightened little rabbit. Come here.’ He stood in front of the kitchen door and held out his arms. ‘I’m not going to harm you. I would never do that.’

Panic filled her. She had to get away.

The front door slammed.

‘Who’s that?’

‘It might be Tom, or Beth with some news.’ She pushed him to one side and ran out of the room.

Tom was standing at the bottom of the stairs. ‘Don’t shout at me, Ruby.’

She raced down the stairs and threw her arms round his neck. ‘I ain’t gonner shout at you. Where have you been?’

‘I’ve been sitting behind the pub.’

‘Phew, you smell like a brewery. What was you doing there?’

‘I was frightened of Dad.’

‘Why didn’t you go in to Beth?’

‘I was going to, then I saw
you
go in.’

‘Everything all right down there?’

Ruby looked up the stairs. ‘Yes thank you, Mr Cox.’

‘Well, can you cook my haddock now?’

‘I’ll do it right away.’

‘And what about this cleaning?’

Ruby could see he was angry. ‘I’ll do it in the morning.’

‘Well, not too early. I might have a hangover.’ He went into his kitchen, slamming the door behind him.

Ruby pushed her brother along the passage. ‘You’re shivering. Come and get warm.’

Tom sat on the floor in front of the fire.

‘Well, what have you got to say for yourself?’

‘I’m sorry. But I didn’t like it when Dad hit me.’

‘I know. But he was only trying to make you see that it doesn’t matter how bad things are, you mustn’t steal.’

‘I know. But it didn’t stop him from burning the coal, did it?’

‘I’m not going to argue. I’ve got to cook this bit o’ fish for Mr Cox. We’ll have a cup of tea and a bit of toast, then I’ll have to go to the pub to tell Dad you’re safe and sound.’

‘Will he hit me again?’

‘I shouldn’t think so for one minute.’