The Orphan Thief

by Glynis Peters

  ‘We’ll go out back, Beatty,’ she said and encouraged her friend through to the rear of the shop.

  ‘Fred’s in his element. He’s a kindly soul,’ Beatty said and stood by the door, watching as Ruby removed clothing items from a clothes horse. ‘Here, let me fold them. You go and sell something – that’s where you belong.’

  Back out beside Fred, Ruby nudged him when the customers left. ‘Beatty was not in a happy state when we met. Go easy on the teasing today. I think she’s terrified and covering it up with endless chatter about the past.’

  ‘Leave Beatty to me. She’ll be all right. We’ll get her to eat with us and relax a bit.’

  They ate and chatted until daylight started to hint at giving up.

  ‘I’d best go and get some sleep.’ Beatty rose to her feet.

  ‘I’ll see you home,’ Ruby offered.

  ‘You go back to Garden Cottage. I’ll walk with Beatty and get some air. I’ve only walked a few yards today,’ Fred said, pulling his cap onto his head.

  ‘Make sure you come right back. No wandering off down the pub,’ Ruby said and laughed. As often happened, the laughter caught on and all three enjoyed a light moment.

  ‘I’ll send him right home, Ruby. Never fear.’

  Fred chuckled. ‘Women!’ he said in jest.

  Ruby stood by the uncracked window and watched the pair walk away; once they were out of sight she locked up.

  Back home, she went to the bookshelf and ran her finger across the selection of Stephen’s books she’d kept back when clearing out his belongings. The titles she wasn’t sure of, she’d put outside the door for people to take away and they’d gone within a day. Eventually, she stopped trying to choose from the titles, closed her eyes and touched a book. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë was to be her evening read. Tonight, Ruby realised it was the first time she’d had time to sit alone without worries of where her future was heading, and she focused upon the orphan Jane Eyre and thanked the stars above she did not have a cruel aunt. At times thoughts of Tommy and his aunt threatened to distract her, but she suppressed them and concentrated upon Jane’s story.

  The hint of a high-pitched sound startled her enough to jump to her feet, and Ruby ran upstairs and grabbed both hers and Fred’s bags. She clattered back downstairs and out of the door to the shelter. Her heart pounded. Fred. Fred was not home. Please keep him safe.

  She pulled the shelter door to one side and ducked inside just as a scream from above pierced through the evening sky. Voices, horns and sirens filled her ears and Ruby’s resolve to remain strong left her. She slammed the door shut and lit the oil lamp Fred had secured to the ceiling. She curled up on a bench and pulled blankets around her. Even if she’d remembered to snatch up her book from the floor indoors, she knew she’d never have settled into reading it whilst another attack raged over her head.

  A spider meandered along the wall beside her. It spun a web and scuttled down to the floor and, as she watched, Ruby wondered if it knew what was happening in the world. What she’d give to be that spider at that moment. Carefree.

  ‘Ruby! Ruby!’

  Startled from her daydream, Ruby jumped from the bench and answered the banging on the door. She recognised Fred’s voice above the hideous sounds surrounding them. She lowered the flame of the lamp and opened the door. ‘Quick, inside! Beatty!’

  ‘She’s hurt,’ Fred said and guided their friend into the shelter.

  ‘What happened?’ Ruby asked.

  ‘The siren started but we were closer to her house than the shelters, so we moved as fast as we could towards the jetty behind her house to get to the garden shelter, when boom – the house went down like a house of cards.’

  Ruby settled Beatty into a seat and increased the flame to give more light.

  ‘A flying brick caught her forehead. She didn’t faint. I knew there’s no point in going to the hospital – it was hit last night. Did you hear? We were told by Beatty’s neighbour.’

  ‘Never. They bombed a hospital?’ Ruby said, shocked to the core to think the already injured faced upheaval – or worse.

  ‘Keep your head up, Beatty. We’ve got a box of bits here and I can patch you up a little. I don’t think it’s a large gash.’

  Beatty, unusually quiet, simply nodded. Shock had paled her face and the small trickle of blood stood proud, congealing like a black piece of artwork.

  ‘I can’t believe they’re here again,’ Fred said.

  ‘It’s exhausting,’ Ruby replied.

  The walls of the shelter vibrated when an explosion nearby hurled everything it touched into the air and it clattered to the ground again.

  ‘That was close,’ Fred whispered.

  Ruby heard the fear in his voice and reached out to touch his hand. ‘We’ll be fine, Fred. Tucked in here with the comforts you’ve given us. A proper little palace.’

  Beatty remained silent. It unnerved Ruby.

  ‘Beatty. How’re you doing?’ She knelt down and stared into blank eyes. Beatty never blinked or said a word.

  ‘It’s as if she’s here in body but her mind is outside somewhere,’ Ruby said.

  ‘I saw a lot of men like that during the last war. Some snapped out of it, but others stayed shell-shocked. We both know how it feels, and poor Beatty was frightened the moment the sirens started. She acts tough as old boots but she’s a big softy once you get to know her.’

  Ruby nodded. ‘We’ll look after her; she can move in with us. I’ll make up a bed in the back room using the spare mattress. We can turn it into a bedroom for her.’

  ‘That’s a grand idea. She might not want to stay but, looking at her now, I think she’ll just go wherever we take her.’

  Gentle snores soon hinted her companions were sleeping and Ruby allowed herself to relax for the final hour of the attack. Blurry-eyed she woke to silent skies. She peeked outside as dawn rose to herald another day. Ruby shuddered when she saw the outcome of the night raid. The shed and back buildings of the shops behind were badly damaged. The cat and kittens sat on the shed roof, which lay on the floor, waiting to pounce on a rat scurrying past them. Again, a pang of envy crept in and Ruby scolded herself. She had a job to do and no time to feel sorry for herself. She’d committed to Fred and Beatty. To care for them.

  ‘Fred, come on, sleepyhead. Time to take a look at the damage. They were close.’

  Surrounding Garden Cottage, the world hurried by and Ruby acknowledged people moving in different directions around her. Luck was on her side this time. Her home had survived another night.

  She and Fred guided Beatty inside the house. Ruby opened the bathroom door and directed Beatty to the facilities, and softly closed the door behind her in the hope Beatty would respond to her surroundings. Fred stood guard and Ruby tugged a few pieces of furniture around the back room, dragged down a spare mattress, pillows and bedding. By the time she heard a flush of water from the bathroom, Ruby had managed to create a temporary haven for Beatty.

  Beatty appeared from behind the door and Fred took her by the elbow and guided her towards Ruby. His tender words of encouragement were touching and Ruby knew he thought of Beatty as more than a friend. It pained her to see him look so worried.

  ‘She’ll be all right, Fred, I’m sure. Beatty, take a rest on the bed – your bed. You can stay with us.’ She helped Beatty move onto the bed and covered her with a blanket. ‘You rest.’

  A hammering on the back door broke the silence of the house and Fred hurried to answer it whilst Ruby closed the door on Beatty.

  ‘Fred – Ruby there? Safe?’ Helen’s voice rang out from the doorway.

  Ruby rushed to greet her. ‘I’m here. I’m safe.’

  Helen stepped inside. ‘Thank goodness. When they said your shop had taken a direct hit –’ She stared at Ruby. ‘You don’t know? Oh, Ruby, I’m sorry. Come here.’ Helen pulled a sobbing Ruby into her arms.

  Fred closed the door behind him and pulled on his jacket and cap.

  ‘I’ll go
and see what the damage is, Ruby. You stay here with Beatty.’

  Ruby stepped away from Helen. ‘No, Fred, I’ll go. You stay here. I need to see it for myself. Thank you, Helen.’

  ‘I’ll go with her, Fred. I’ll make sure she’s not in any danger.’

  Gaping holes where there had once been a row of shops stared back at them and both Ruby and Helen gave small squeals of horror. Shadwell’s Buy and Sell no longer existed. Much of its stock rose skyward as smoke, whilst flames licked their way around it in a monstrous fashion.

  Helen pulled Ruby to her and held onto her trembling body. Before she passed out, Ruby heard Helen call her name, but she was not able to stop the faint. She welcomed the darkness, embracing the floating sensation and feeling of peace which came with it. Ruby no longer cared about watching fires, listening to the cries of frightened people or the radio reports of how brave they all were in Coventry. She no longer wanted to be part of the world in which everything that brought joy into her life was destroyed by men with their fingers on a button, snuffing them out at will. Undoing all that they fought to rebuild. No, Ruby wanted to stay in a dark world of warmth and comfort. With only the beat of her heart settling into a slowing pace within her chest. This was a space where nobody could destroy her faith in mankind, where she could give up the will to live and join her family, find their spirit in the calm.

  Gradually, Helen’s voice faded into the distance and Ruby shut out life outside of her cocoon. She felt the physical shaking of her body but blanked out voices as soon as they called her name. And then she came round. Death wanted nothing to do with her, and Ruby felt its rejection in the deep breath which surged through her lungs. She coughed and gulped in more air, blinking her eyes and trying not to look in the direction of the shop. Several pairs of concerned eyes stared back at her, and a man held out his hand and pulled her to her feet. She staggered slightly and Helen moved to support her.

  ‘You gave me such a scare, Ruby. I’ve never seen anyone so pale and lifeless. I thought … Well, never mind what I thought – let’s get you home. There’s nothing for you to do here.’ John’s warm breath touched her ears. His voice brought comfort over Helen’s anxious questions.

  ‘Is she hurt? You know her? Is she hurt?’

  ‘She’s coming round fine. I’m John, her friend. I heard this area was attacked, and thought of Ruby.’

  ‘I’m Helen, her friend and guardian. You are kind to think of her – poor thing, she’s in shock. Come on, darling, let’s get you home.’

  John helped Ruby to her feet and put a supportive arm around her shoulder. Helen grabbed Ruby’s left hand. She looked at them both, then back at where the shop had once stood.

  Accepting she’d never rebuild the business there, Ruby allowed her friends to guide her away from the scene, whispering words of encouragement in her ears. Numb and unable to speak, Ruby stumbled home knowing she had their love and support to get her through the next few hours.

  Helen pushed open the door to Garden Cottage and called for Fred. The moment Ruby saw him she gave a small smile.

  ‘I’m afraid it’s all gone,’ Helen said. ‘And madam here gave me the fright of my life. She passed out and at one point I was convinced she’d passed away. This is her friend, John.’

  ‘Nice to meet you, lad. Come and sit down, Ruby.’ Fred fussed around her and Ruby gave him another soft smile.

  ‘She’s not spoken since she came round, Fred,’ Helen said.

  Fred bashed life into a cushion and placed it behind Ruby. ‘It’s going to be a quiet house then, ’cos I’ve got Beatty in the same way in the front room. This one,’ he said, pointing at Ruby, ‘made her a room to live with us, ’cos her place is gone too. I might do a bit of singing and see which one tells me to shut up first,’ he said, and Ruby heard the teasing humour she loved so much. It wasn’t fair on Fred to be waiting on her and Beatty to rally round.

  She gave another cough. Her throat felt sore with dryness. ‘What does a girl have to do to get a cup of tea round here?’ she said, her voice croaking out the words.

  ‘There she is. There’s my girl. One cup of tea coming up. Helen? John, you stopping for one?’

  ‘Let me help, Fred,’ Helen said and followed him into the kitchen.

  ‘You’re in safe hands here, Ruby,’ John said as he sat on a chair beside her.

  ‘Fred is a good man – they are all dear to me. The war brought us all together.’ Ruby smiled with a nod towards the kitchen door.

  ‘It brought us together too.’ John’s voice was barely audible, but Ruby saw something in his face which expressed far more than words.

  ‘It did,’ she whispered back.

  Fred and Helen re-joined them, armed with warm drinks, and the moment to talk more alone passed.

  Fred tapped on Beatty’s door. ‘Tea’s up, Mrs P,’ he called out before entering.

  ‘’bout ruddy time too,’ came the reply from inside the room.

  ‘And there’s the other one. I knew it was too good to be true. That’s me peace shattered for the evening,’ Fred said with good humour.

  Ruby put down her cup and rushed into the room. ‘Thank goodness, Beatty. I’ve only just recovered from my bout of shock, but thought you never would. You gave us quite a scare.’

  ‘Sorry, duck. I can’t believe what happened in front of me. It took my breath away. I was stunned,’ Beatty said and handed her cup back to Fred. ‘That went down well. Thank you.’

  ‘Same with me last year, and now with the shop,’ Ruby said.

  ‘No! The shop’s gone too?’

  ‘All gone, the lot of it.’

  Beatty looked over at the doorway. ‘And who are you, young man?’

  Ruby turned and smiled at John, standing tall at the entrance of the room. ‘That’s John. He’s Canadian, and a friend – be kind.’

  Beatty chuckled. ‘I must say, you are a pleasant sight after such a shock. I can see why Ruby befriended you.’

  ‘Beatty!’ an embarrassed Ruby chided her friend, who stood looking an equally embarrassed John up and down.

  ‘I’m glad she did, Beatty, or I’d have missed the opportunity of meeting you, Helen and Fred. She’s mentioned you all.’

  ‘Ah, so you’ve met more than once then?’ Fred questioned John, then looked at Ruby.

  Ruby, not wanting Fred to question John on his moral duty and other things she suspected Fred wanted to reel off, changed the subject. ‘I’m going to be lost without the shop. It’s a nightmare. We’re living in a nightmare.’

  Beatty held out her hand and Helen put a comforting arm around Ruby’s waist.

  Ruby took Beatty’s hand in hers. Beatty’s large fingers wrapped themselves around her slender ones.

  ‘You’re a survivor. You’ll start again. We’ll help. Probably find a lot of stuff in my place when it’s safe to go back. Where I’ll go from there, I don’t know,’ Beatty said.

  Ruby waved her arm around the room. ‘You will stay with us. It’s not much, but it’s yours. We don’t bite, do we, Fred?’

  Fred laughed. ‘Not many teeth left to do that, Ruby.’

  The atmosphere of doom and gloom lifted, and Beatty manoeuvred herself to the edge of the bed.

  ‘I’ve got my mask and my handbag has my papers inside,’ she said and pointed to the sideboard where Ruby had placed her things.

  ‘If you allow me to put your name down on the homeless list, Beatty, it can help when you need somewhere of your own.’ Helen stepped in from the doorway as she spoke.

  ‘I’ll need details of your old property, and can get the ball rolling for you.’

  John gave a polite cough, and all eyes went to him. ‘I have to go. I’m glad you are safe, Ruby.’

  Before Ruby could move, Fred went to John and snatched up his hand, pumping out a vigorous handshake.

  ‘We’ll be forever grateful to you, young man. Ruby needed help and you thought of her. Kindness goes a long way. Stay safe and come visit again. Thank you.’

/>   An echo of thank yous joined Fred’s, and Ruby went to John.

  ‘Fred’s words are mine too. Thank you for helping me and Helen. Be careful out there – it’s going to be back to what it was like in November.’

  John lifted her hand and they moved away from Beatty’s room and prying eyes.

  ‘I’d like to see you again, Ruby. I’m alone here, and enjoyed your company when we first met.’

  ‘I’d like that – very much. I’ve only got them –’ she tilted her head to the bedroom

  ‘– and I’d like to hear more about the world outside of Coventry. Come and visit any time.’

  John reached out and lifted a small curl winding its way down the side of her face.

  ‘Your hair is a beautiful colour. It reminds me of the maple leaves in the fall, before they turn bright red.’

  Ruby put her hand to the curl and moved his hand away from her face. She was fully aware that if Fred saw John’s attention to her he’d prevent her from seeing him again. He’d become the protective father figure and, as a minor, Ruby would be expected to comply with the rules of good behaviour.

  ‘Thank you. My mother and gran had the same colouring.’

  An over-exaggerated cough came from the doorway, and Fred and Helen stepped into the room.

  ‘Helen’s going now, Ruby. I’ll see them both out,’ Fred said.

  John gave a gentle nod. He’d been dismissed by a higher ranking officer; the regimental tone of Fred’s voice made it quite clear.

  ‘Yes, sir. My duty is done here. Maybe our paths will cross another day,’ John said, and Ruby knew full well he’d visit again.

  ‘Perhaps. Stay safe, soldier,’ Fred said and held out his hand.

  ‘Thank you for helping us, John,’ Helen said and also shook John’s hand.

  After a flurry of goodbyes and handshakes, the house fell silent.

  Thousands of incendiary bombs had dropped over Britain throughout April, and for three nights at the start of the month Coventry experienced another attack from the enemy. Ruby dreaded turning on the radio. London residents had also suffered huge losses, and her heart went out to them. News reporters spoke of the resilience of the British, of how they rose each day to face whatever the night raids had inflicted upon them. She thought of Tommy and his family. He’d hinted about returning to London, and she wondered if he and his mother had survived the nightly attacks.