by Merry Farmer
Ruby’s gut turned sour as she stared into the room. Mrs. Musgrave wasn’t alone. Mary’s sister, Martha, already stood in front of the housekeeper’s desk. Ada Bell stood beside her, wringing her hands and looking anxious. She tried to communicate something to Ruby with a look as she entered the room, but there wasn’t time.
“Shut the door,” Mrs. Musgrave said, as sober as a judge about to condemn someone to death.
Ruby did as she was asked, knowing it was her death that was about to be ordered. Even Faith sensed the doom in the air and huddled against Ruby’s chest, hiding her face against Ruby’s shoulder.
“Is something wrong, Mrs. Musgrave?” Ruby asked, her voice shaking.
“Yes, something is very wrong,” Mrs. Musgrave replied, sounding exceptionally put out. She stood, but stayed behind her desk, pulling herself to her full height. “Information has come to light of a disturbing nature.” She stared at Ruby as though that alone was bad enough. Mary and Martha exchanged smirks.
“Y-yes?” Ruby stammered.
“Miss Murdoch,” Mrs. Musgrave went on. “Were you or were you not arrested, at this time last year, no less, for the crime of prostitution?”
Ruby pressed a sheltering hand to Faith’s back. “Yes,” she admitted, lowering her eyes.
Martha gasped. “See? She’s bad enough to admit it.”
“You have to sack her now, Mrs. Musgrave,” Mary added. “It’s an absolute disgrace to keep a woman like that employed here.”
“Oh, come off it, Mary Mull,” Ada burst, giving Ruby the feeling an argument had raged before she got there. “I’ve caught you in the bushes with Wat Harmon before, and he wasn’t helping you scratch your back.”
“Why, I never!” Mary shouted, her face going red.
“Just because you never took money for it doesn’t mean you’re not a whore,” Ada growled.
“How dare you speak to my sister like that?” Martha shrieked. “I’m sure we’d all like to know what you’ve been up to with Mr. Turnbridge.”
“Does he give you high marks for the things you do?” Mary snapped.
“Silence!” Mrs. Musgrave roared. Faith burst into tears, wailing and shaking in Ruby’s arms. Mrs. Musgrave sighed with impatience and marched to the door, throwing it open. “Annie,” she shouted. “Come take this wretched child at once.”
Ruby did her best to comfort Faith before the wide-eyed, pale-faced kitchen maid ran into the cramped office to take her. As loath as Ruby was to let her daughter go, the dread in her stomach warned her to do what Mrs. Musgrave said without hesitation. She sent Annie an apologetic look, but the kitchen maid wouldn’t meet her eyes. She grabbed Faith and rushed out.
Mrs. Musgrave shut the door behind her and hissed with impatience before returning to her desk. She spun to face the line of maids. “You do not deny the charge that you ran afoul of the law for the despicable act of selling your body?” she demanded of Ruby.
Ruby hesitated for only a moment before saying, “It was that or watch my baby die.”
“A bastard baby,” Martha snorted.
“It wasn’t her fault.” Ada defended her.
“Once a whore, always a whore,” Mary said, tilting her nose up.
“You’re one to talk,” Ada said, crossing her arms.
“Stop this childishness at once,” Mrs. Musgrave roared. “I have half a mind to sack the lot of you and start over.”
“A-am I being sacked?” Ruby asked, her question coming out as little more than a whisper.
“You are,” Mrs. Musgrave told her. She frowned, face pinched in frustration. “At least, you would be if it were up to me. It was scandalous for a house of our standing to hire a woman with a child to begin with. If Mrs. Croydon had not insisted….” She let the sentence fade, shaking her head in disapproval. “I was not informed of the full circumstances of your background,” she went on. Ruby could tell that being left in the dark made Mrs. Musgrave as angry as anything in her past. “I believed you were a widow with no family to take your child. Now that your true nature has been brought to light, I cannot and I will not be forced to suffer your presence here any longer. I will not have you corrupting the morals of the rest of my staff.”
“But ma’am, Ruby is a good, quiet woman,” Ada argued. “She hasn’t caused any harm at all since coming here, unlike some people.” She darted a look to the Mull sisters.
“It’s her fault Master James was carried off by that Goode woman,” Martha said, indignant.
Ruby lowered her head, no will to protest her innocence. Martha was right, just as Gil was. The kidnapping was her fault. Trusting Miss Goode was the biggest mistake of her life. But for one moment, for one glorious moment, she’d had a friend. Or at least, it had felt like she’d had a friend. That starved place inside of her was a mass of guilt and misery now. So much so that she couldn’t bring herself to fight against being sacked. She’d known this day was coming. In truth, she was surprised it had taken so long to arrive.
“Frankly, I am shocked that Mr. Croydon didn’t show you the door after the horrific business in October,” Mrs. Musgrave voiced what Ruby was thinking.
“She was instrumental in rescuing Master James, ma’am,” Ada stood up for her. “Without Ruby’s help, they wouldn’t have known what became of—”
“Miss Bell, if you say so much as a single word more, I will have you sacked as well for gross impertinence,” Mrs. Musgrave shouted.
Ada jerked straight, facing forward, her face red and her eyes glassy with tears. Ruby was close to weeping herself, which left her and Ada as watery messes on either side of the gloating, smirking Mull sisters.
Mrs. Musgrave let out a breath, closing her eyes and pressing a hand to her forehead. “Unfortunately, in this unique case, because you are here by the expressed wishes of Mrs. Croydon, I cannot sack you outright,” she said, then opened her eyes. “But I must inform you that I will be speaking with Mrs. Croydon at her most immediate convenience to stress the importance of dismissing you with all due haste. I expect that you will be asked to leave Winterberry Park before sundown.”
Ruby sucked in a horrified breath. Before sundown. Would that give her time to see Gil again? Would she have a chance to beg for his forgiveness one last time?
“Now,” Mrs. Musgrave continued, her shoulders relaxing. “All of you, return to your work. You,” she glared at Ruby, “would do well to pack your belongings now.” She paused, then said, “Dismissed,” and turned away.
Ruby was closest to the door and reached it first, throwing it open and dashing into the hall. She found Annie and retrieved Faith, hugging her close as she ran for the servants’ stairs.
“I’m sorry, Ruby,” Ada tried to tell her as she rushed past.
Ruby could barely acknowledge her. She tore up the stairs, willing herself not to cry until she reached the nursery. Then she burst into bitter tears as she sank into a rocking chair in the corner. She’d been luckier than she ever could have dreamed of to be taken in by the Croydons, but it seemed that luck was up. And without help, without friends, her life would inevitably slip back to where it had been before Gil had found her.
Chapter 3
Gil was glad that Mr. Croydon had finally made the decision to hire a separate valet so that he could concentrate on business. It wasn’t that he didn’t like helping Alex dress in the morning, not that he required much help, or that he found mending seams and polishing shoes burdensome. But business was more exciting, it was what he had been educated to do, and there was more room for advancement in that portion of his job. All the same, he pored over Alex’s wardrobe with care and a discriminating eye when it came to deciding which articles of clothing were still serviceable and which could be given to Winterberry Park’s servants or donated.
It was a relief when Mrs. Croydon and James returned from their cold walk, and the family gathered in the library to spend their afternoon together. It meant he could leave the wardrobe and his own, disturbing thoughts and move to the library, c
ompany, and distraction. He’d played over his encounter with Ruby too many times during his lonely work, questioning if he was right to keep her at arm’s length or whether she deserved a second chance. If only there were an easy answer to that question. At the rate he was going, he would never find peace again.
“Here’s the inventory list, sir,” he said, sending James a wink as he crossed the library to where Alex stood, perusing one of the shelves as though looking for a book to read.
“Ah, thank you, Phillips.” Alex turned from the shelf as Gil handed him the list.
“Mr. Phillips, we saw swans,” James announced, jumping off the couch where Mrs. Croydon was reading a story to him. He came to a stop in front of Gil. “They looked cold.”
“I’m sure they were a little cold, Master James,” Gil said with a smile. “Swans always forget to wear their mufflers when they go out.”
James laughed. Gil checked with Mrs. Croydon to make sure she wasn’t put out by the informal interaction. She was all smiles, which put Gil at ease. He liked Mrs. Croydon. She was the best thing that had happened to Alex since he’d started working for the man years ago. And the way she had championed Ruby….
Gil straightened, clearing his throat and losing his smile. No matter what he did, thoughts of Ruby followed him. And with those thoughts came mountains of emotions that left him tangled and confused. His heart insisted she deserved his sympathy. More than just that. Her life had been impossibly hard, and she couldn’t be held responsible for most of what had happened to her. But his head argued that she’d been given the chance of a lifetime and had wasted it. She’d caused so much harm to the Croydon family in the autumn in spite of the opportunities they’d given her, and that couldn’t be forgiven. And other parts of him…. Well, other parts wanted what any red-blooded male wanted.
“I despise purchasing new shoes,” Alex grumbled behind him, shaking Gil out of his thoughts.
He turned, cursing himself for being distracted yet again and forcing himself to focus. “Sir?”
Alex sighed and handed the inventory list back to him. “It appears as though we’ll be making a visit to Oxford Street when we return to London next week.”
“Sir.” Gil nodded. Uneasiness spilled through him. He’d forgotten their return to London was so imminent. That in itself was a sure sign he was distracted beyond what was good for him. There was a mountain of preparations to be made. At least those preparations would require his full attention. And once they were in London, he’d be too busy with Alex’s parliamentary business to worry about Ruby.
He turned to leave, eager to dive into some sort of work that would take all of his energy, but before he could go two steps, Mrs. Musgrave stormed into the room.
“Mr. Croydon, sir,” she began without waiting for acknowledgement, which irritated Gil to no end. “And Mrs. Croydon,” Mrs. Musgrave added. “I need to speak with both of you on a matter of utmost urgency.”
Alex and Mrs. Croydon exchanged a surprised look. Gil swayed on his spot, wondering if he should leave to give his employers privacy or if they would need him to assist with whatever Mrs. Musgrave had to say.
The decision was made for him when Mrs. Musgrave charged on with, “Ruby Murdoch must be dismissed at once.”
Gil’s heart dropped to his feet. He tensed reflexively, his instinct to come to Ruby’s rescue almost overpowering. But sense kept his mouth shut and told him to listen to whatever the housekeeper had to say.
Mrs. Croydon stood. “Mrs. Musgrave,” she began in a soothing tone, wearing a patient smile. “You know that Ruby is here for very special reasons. She is under our protection after enduring a great deal of hardship.”
Mrs. Musgrave’s expression remained firm and fiery. “It has come to my attention, ma’am, that those hardships involve being arrested for the crime of prostitution.” Her voice rose to an indignant squeak that was highly unlike the stern housekeeper’s usual manner.
Mrs. Croydon and Alex exchanged a look that was both knowing and sheepish, as though they’d been caught pulling one over on their staff.
“We are aware of Miss Murdoch’s past,” Alex said, though he didn’t look as sympathetic to it as Mrs. Croydon did.
Mrs. Musgrave blinked at him in astonishment. “Forgive me, sir, but you knowingly set a viper loose amongst my staff?”
“Ruby isn’t a viper,” Mrs. Croydon insisted, stepping toward Mrs. Musgrave with a frustrated frown. “She is a sweet woman who has been through so, so much.”
Gil’s heart leapt in agreement, but he clenched his jaw, mirroring Alex’s unsettled frown.
“All the same,” Mrs. Musgrave said, looking as though she were trying to master her temper in front of her employers, “it is completely and utterly unheard of for a woman of such low character to work in a respectable house such as this. Now that the rest of the staff has learned of her despicable past—” Gil’s gut clenched at the revelation. “—I insist that she be removed.”
“Has she caused trouble with the staff?” Mrs. Croydon asked.
“The knowledge of her past has caused a stir, ma’am,” Mrs. Musgrave answered.
“But has she provoked direct conflict with any members of the staff, the maids or the footmen?” Mrs. Croydon pressed on.
Mrs. Musgrave clenched her hands into fists at her sides. “She has not, but now that her true nature is known, I have no doubt it will only be a matter of time before order is disrupted below-stairs.”
“But order has been maintained in the many months since she first came here,” Mrs. Croydon argued.
A crackling silence followed as Mrs. Musgrave pursed her lips and looked as though she were praying for patience. Gil felt caught between two tidal waves himself, and as much as he wanted to leap into the situation to smooth things over, he didn’t have a clue which of the women he sided with.
At last, Mrs. Musgrave drew in a breath and said, “I simply don’t see how you can, in good conscience, ma’am, with all due respect and deference, continue to give employment to a woman who was instrumental in the…difficulties Master James faced several months ago.”
Lightning could have struck and no one in the room would have noticed. James glanced up from the papers he was scribbling on at the table, but he wasn’t interested in what the adults were talking about. Alex’s frown had grown dark, etching his face with lines. Gil recognized the signs of the man’s internal conflict as he rubbed his chin. Mrs. Croydon looked as though she were ready to scream.
The silence was only broken when Alex let out a breath and said, “If Miss Murdoch’s presence is causing so much upset downstairs, perhaps we should dismiss her.”
Gil nearly choked. His heart pounded with horror at the idea of Ruby disappearing from his life, drowning out every rational and reasonable argument of his head.
Mrs. Croydon looked every bit as alarmed as he felt. “You can’t just cast Ruby aside. Not after everything she’s been through.” She crossed the room to argue with Alex directly. “She depends on us. Without our help, what would become of her?”
“I know, my love,” Alex said, resting his hands on her arms and fixing her with a loving but frustrated look. “I know you care about Miss Murdoch’s welfare, but Mrs. Musgrave has a point. I can’t think of any house of our standing that would hire a woman with Miss Murdoch’s background, no matter what the circumstances.”
“She’ll end up back at the workhouse, or worse,” Mrs. Croydon insisted, causing Gil’s stomach to turn with the truth of the whole thing. “We can’t abandon her.”
“I fear you will have a heavy burden of staff resignations on your hands if you do not dismiss the woman, sir,” Mrs. Musgrave added from across the room. Gil shot her a scowl that she didn’t notice before going on with, “Including my own.” She tilted her chin up in defiance.
Alex sighed, rubbing his wife’s arms before letting her go. “If Mrs. Murdoch and others leave and word gets out as to why, we will have a devil of a time replacing them,” he told Mrs. Croyd
on.
“It’s not fair,” Mrs. Croydon whispered back, just loud enough for Gil to hear. She blinked rapidly, suggesting she was fighting back tears. “It simply isn’t fair that, after all Ruby has endured, she would be forced out of the protection of the only people who care about her.”
Mrs. Croydon’s words were like a knife in Gil’s heart. He should be the one caring for Ruby, his heart argued. He’d felt that from the moment he’d gone with her to her pitiful attic room and warmed her with his coat. He’d felt it again when he’d taken her out of the workhouse, when he’d suggested she be moved to Wiltshire instead of kept in London. He’d wanted to wrap her in the mantel of his protection…until James was taken.
His head forced its way back into the argument. It didn’t matter how sweet Ruby was, how much he wanted her, or how good it felt to be her champion. She’d done something unforgivably wrong. Her lapse in judgement could have been fatal to a child.
Alex let out a tense breath and rubbed a hand over his face. “Marigold, I love you. You know I do. But we’ve reached the end of the line. We simply cannot keep Miss Murdoch employed at Winterberry Park, or at Croydon House, without suffering dire consequences.”
“I won’t let you throw her out on the streets,” Mrs. Croydon argued, her lower lip quivering.
“Perhaps we won’t have to,” Alex said.
Gil stood a little straighter, straining to overhear his employer’s conversation. Mrs. Musgrave leaned forward, still glowering, to listen as well.
“We can’t keep Ruby,” Alex said, “but we don’t have to throw her out on the streets. We could find another position for her, someplace respectable and willing to take her on in spite of her past.”
Mrs. Croydon studied him, her eyes narrowed. “What kind of a place could that be?”
Alex shrugged. “I don’t know, but we could find something, I’m sure. Perhaps a smaller house in the country or a factory of some sort. We may even be able to find a position for her in a shop. But I assure you, we won’t toss her out cold.”