Nobody’s Darling

by Nobody’s Darling (retail) (epub)

  He followed her. ‘Ruby is a level-headed girl. She’ll use that money wisely, I know.’

  ‘I pray to God you’re right.’ One tight little smile before Lizzie dismissed herself and made her way along the hall and out of the front door. At the bottom of the drive, she paused, took out her handkerchief and mopped the sweat from her brow. Even though she felt proud of the way she had controlled her nervousness, there was still something very disturbing about being face to face with the gentry. And if she lived to be a hundred she would never know how she came to be bedded by that man. She glanced back and a tiny smile lit up her pretty brown eyes. Jeffrey Banks was a good man though. For all that he had disappointed her on the issue that brought her here, he was a fine and caring gentleman with a warm heart. On second thoughts, remembering the way it had been between them, she could see how she had fallen into his arms. And, God forgive her, to this day she did not regret it. How could she, when Ruby was a living reminder who brightened her every minute?

  Unhappy that he had refused to take the money back, yet content that she had sought him out and secured another promise, Lizzie went on her way. If she hurried, she would just make the twelve-thirty tram.

  * * *

  ‘It will work, I know it will!’ The shop was shut, and Ruby had gone with Widow Reece into the back room. Earlier, she had dared to outline her plan. Widow Reece had been taken completely by surprise. She had asked for time to consider, and now it was the end of the day. The shop was closed and the two of them were in the back room. Ruby waited for the other woman’s decision, one that could shape her life from now on.

  She had her fingers crossed behind her back as she waited for the answer. Widow Reece paced the floor, from the window to the door and back again, turning Ruby’s interesting proposal over and over in her mind. Presently, she paused. Then she turned to study Ruby. The thoughtful expression relaxed into a wide warm smile. ‘All right, Ruby. I think it’s a marvellous idea, and I say yes.’

  Springing from the chair, Ruby flung her arms around the startled woman and danced her round the room. ‘Oh, Mrs Reece, it’ll be wonderful! You’ll never regret it, I promise you,’ she cried. When the idea first came to her, she never dreamed that Widow Reece would give it a second look. But now… Oh, now! This was her dream come true. And she couldn’t wait to tell her mam.

  * * *

  It was quarter to seven when Ruby struggled through the front door with her arms full. The whole family gathered round, watching with excitement while she dipped into a large box-like object and drew out present after present. The twins got so carried away that they started fighting and Lizzie had to clip Frank’s ear. Dolly jumped up and down and said it was like Christmas. Only it was better than any Christmas they had ever known.

  Everyone got a parcel. There was a brown clay pipe for Dad, a new game of Snap for the twins, a bow and arrow for Lenny, and the most beautiful pair of red shoes for Dolly. Lizzie’s face lit up when she saw her own present, a knitted shawl that reached down to her ankles. ‘And this is for our Lottie,’ Ruby announced, tearing away the wrapping from the box-like object. When the beautiful wooden cradle was revealed, Lizzie clapped her hands to her mouth and wept openly. ‘Well, I never,’ she kept saying over and over. ‘Well, I never.’ The tears ran down her face and plopped on to her blouse, and her old heart swelled with pride as she gazed at the polished cot with its big rockers and pretty covers inside.

  A hush had settled over everyone as they saw the marvellous gift which Ruby had brought for the babby. ‘Do you like it, Mam?’ she asked softly.

  ‘Oh, lass, what can I say?’ Lizzie glanced at her husband, and pointing to the cradle, murmured, ‘Look, Dad, ain’t that the grandest thing yer ever saw?’

  He gave no answer. His heart was too full. With great tenderness, he went to the sleeping child and raised her from the wooden box which had been her cot. ‘You’ve a better place now,’ he whispered into her ear. Ruby turned back the cream-flowered cover while he laid the bairn into its fold. She snuggled down and Dolly began gently rocking the cradle. Ted spoke to Ruby now, and what he said warmed her through and through. ‘The Lord blessed your mam and me when he sent us you. There’s only so much a man can do, lass, and I’ve been that worn down with putting the food into our mouths, and a roof over our heads that there’s never been anything left over for fancy things. But, oh lass, you shouldn’t have spent all your money on us.’

  Ruby was on her knees, looking up at him. Now she stood up at his words and, looking from one to the other of her beloved family, said quietly, ‘I haven’t spent it all on you. I’ve bought myself a present as well.’

  Dolly asked the question that was on everyone’s mind. ‘Where is it then?’

  Ruby reached out and ruffled the girl’s hair. ‘It isn’t that kind of present,’ she explained. ‘You can’t see it. It isn’t wrapped in paper, and you can’t carry it home in a parcel.’ She looked at her mam and she was a little afraid. ‘This is the best day of my life, Mam,’ she pleaded softly.

  Lizzie’s heart turned somersaults. ‘What have yer done, lass?’ She knew something had happened. She, could sense the fear and the excitement in Ruby’s countenance. ‘You’d best tell me now. What’s this present you’ve bought yerself that we can’t see?’ The whole family waited for Ruby’s answer.

  Taking a deep breath, she told them her news. ‘Widow Reece has let me buy a small share in the milliner’s shop.’ There! Now the sparks would fly.

  Everything happened at once. Ted let out a great whoop and grabbed her in his arms. ‘By! You’ve done us proud, lass,’ he exclaimed. ‘Whoever would’a thought a Miller would rise to be a property owner?’ Overwhelmed by the occasion, the twins started fighting again and Dolly rocked the cradle with such vigour that the bairn let out a loud shriek. Lenny shrugged and walked out. It was only a moment before Ted put on his coat and followed him. He made his way to the pub with quickening footsteps. By! He had summat to tell them tonight, and that was a fact.

  Lizzie sat in her chair and stared at the carpet. ‘This is the best day of my life’ Ruby had said. But, much as she wanted to, Lizzie couldn’t see it that way. Deeply concerned at her mam’s condemning silence, Ruby knelt before her. ‘This is only the beginning, Mam,’ she told her. ‘Can’t you see that?’

  Without a word, Lizzie rose from the chair and went into the scullery where she looked out of the window to the yard below. She didn’t see the high stone wall nor the grey flagstones glinting in the evening light. All she could see was Jeffrey Banks, and their daughter. It haunted her: the way Ted had been so proud just now; the way she felt herself curl up inside when he thanked the Lord for giving Ruby to them. Lizzie could see all of these things. But Ruby, going to a party as gentry. Even now she couldn’t believe that her daughter had kept that from her.

  A strong persistent instinct told Lizzie that things would never be the same again. Suddenly, everything she had ever feared was staring her in the face.

  Chapter Thirteen

  It was Saturday 15 September in the year of Our Lord 1893. It was also Cicely Banks’s wedding day. Thanks to Luke’s insisting that the wedding should be delayed until the first phase of the foundry refitment was completed, Cicely’s big day had been put back by many weeks. She had pleaded with him not to let the work at the foundry interfere with their plans, and was peeved when he resisted her pleas. She wasn’t to know that the real reason was his great fear that his underhand and dangerous practices would be discovered. To his mind, once the platforms and gangways were completed, his crime would go undetected. And so, instead of being a June bride, Cicely was forced to be patient. The main work at the foundry was now complete, and the remainder could wait until Luke returned from honeymoon; he would have curtailed the length of that, but thought it wise to act the loving husband in front of Cicely’s father.

  Now, at long last, she would have her dearest wish. The local newspapers were filled with news of the event, and it was reported that the h
appy couple would spend their honeymoon travelling Europe and return sometime towards the middle of October.

  Ruby could think of nothing else. There were times when she was sorely tempted to go to Cicely and persuade her that what she was doing would be the ruin of her. But then she remembered how Cicely had shown her the door for saying much less than that. It was plain that Cicely was hell bent on becoming Luke Arnold’s wife. She had fallen under his spell, and nothing would make her change her mind. Ruby knew that any interference from her would only make Cicely dig her heels in even more.

  Each day that week everyone who came into the milliner’s commented on the imminent occasion, relaying with great relish and in graphic detail what they had learned about Cicely’s gown and accessories. ‘They say she’ll be wearing satin shoes,’ remarked Mrs Lacey. ‘Oh, it’s said her head-dress will be encrusted with tiny gems,’ added the baker’s wife. In her usual cynical fashion, the lady from the draper’s next-door told Ruby, ‘What a pity you were dismissed, dear. Just think, it might have been you preparing Miss Banks for her wedding day.’ Widow Reece had been annoyed at the woman’s insensitivity, but Ruby had made light of it. After all, the draper’s assistant was only echoing what had been in her own mind for some time now.

  ‘Why don’t you go and watch?’ Widow Reece’s voice cut across Ruby’s thoughts. She was standing at the door, craning her neck to hear the church bells ring out. In her mind’s eye she could see Cicely, all done up like a dream, sedately walking down the aisle towards the man of her choice. Suddenly, in thinking of him, Ruby’s joy was cruelly dashed. She prayed that she might be wrong and that Luke Arnold would make Cicely a good husband. Somehow, though, she couldn’t bring herself to believe it.

  ‘Oh, I can’t do that,’ Ruby protested. ‘Lunchtime on Saturday is always busy, and besides it was me who persuaded you not to close each day for lunch. The least I can do is stay and do my share.’

  ‘Nonsense!’ Widow Reece bestowed a fond smile on her. ‘You were right in persuading me to stay open at lunchtimes. My goodness! I never would have imagined people would flock in the way they do, although I should have thought of it myself. As you rightly pointed out, there are more women working these days, and the only time they can get to the shops on a weekday is at lunchtime. My dear, you’ve made us a great deal of money, what with one thing and another.’

  She looked round the freshly painted shop, admiring the clean fresh lines and the open shelves filled with bright and colourful displays. ‘You’ve given this old shop, and me, a new lease of life, Ruby Miller,’ she confessed. ‘I have to admit I was on the point of selling when you walked through that door over three months ago. You were a stranger, yet by the end of that first day when you came to work for me, it was as though I’d known you all my life.’

  She took a moment to recall the occasion when Ruby had asked to buy a small share in the milliner’s. At first she had been horrified. After all, she had known her for only a week. The idea seemed preposterous. But then, by the end of the day, three things had swayed her into going along with the proposal. First, there was her own diminishing good health. Second, Ruby had already proved herself to be a born businesswoman; she had a keen open mind and a natural instinct for serving customers. And then there was the question of the money which Ruby had offered in exchange for a small interest in the business; to someone from her background, that money must have seemed like a fortune, and yet she was willing to risk it all without hesitation. That alone was enough to tell her employer how highly Ruby regarded the business, and also that she had great faith in her own abilities. She was not afraid of the future, and that made the widow ask herself why she should be afraid. Right from the start, Ruby was bursting with ideas – ideas for improvement, for increasing sales, and with regard to the needs of the more modern woman. For a full hour she and the widow had talked, and the more Ruby outlined her ideas, the more the widow was impressed. She had never been a woman for taking risks, but where Ruby was concerned she’d followed her instincts. And it had paid off handsomely.

  She looked at Ruby now, and saw not only a business colleague but a kind young friend. ‘You know, Ruby,’ she continued, ‘the wisest thing I ever did was to take you on, and though I must admit I had reservations about selling you part of my precious business, I have never regretted it. You’ve raised our takings right through the week, you’ve streamlined the business with your direct approach, and you’ve made my disability seem lighter.’ Her expression softened as she looked into Ruby’s bright eyes. ‘If anyone had told me that I would sell part of my little business, I would have said they were out of their minds.’ She laughed. ‘With my hands the way they are, I suppose I would have been mad not to say yes to you.’

  ‘I’m glad you’re not sorry,’ Ruby told her, ‘because I’ve never been so happy.’

  ‘You miss being with Cicely though, don’t you?’

  ‘Sometimes,’ she admitted.

  ‘Then it’s only right you should see her married.’ The widow hurried away to the back room, returning with Ruby’s coat. After handing it to her, she opened the door. ‘Go on,’ she urged. ‘I know she was more than just an employer to you. Off you go, and you tell me all about it when you get back.’

  ‘If you’re sure?’

  The other woman merely pushed her out of the door and closed it on her, smiling through the window pane as Ruby went at a run down the street.

  By the time she reached the path that led up to the church, everyone was inside. The strains of organ music filtered through the air; a beautiful plaintive sound that touched her heart and made her want to weep. By rights Cicely’s wedding day should be heralding a new beginning, a time of joy and hope for the future. Tiptoeing into the vestibule of God’s own house, Ruby gave up a little prayer that Cicely would find the happiness she truly deserved. ‘We all make mistakes, Lord,’ she murmured. ‘So don’t punish her too harshly.’

  Gently swinging open the great oak door, Ruby peeped inside. The church was packed. There were flowers everywhere and the intoxicating smell of blossom was all around. Cicely was at the altar, her face upturned to the tall handsome man by her side. He gazed down on her as though she was the most precious thing in the whole world. The music stopped and the ceremony began in earnest. Ruby watched for a while, but then, when one or two guests turned to glare at her, she softly closed the door and turned away.

  Coming out into the bright sunlight of a September day, Ruby took up position by a big old oak tree that had stood the test of wind and weather for many long years. Leaning into its broad dark trunk, she waited.

  A small crowd began to gather on the lawns. Chattering factory workers in their cotton turbans, plump smiling women with small children clinging to their skirts, a few inquisitive men, and a bevy of young giggling girls who dreamed of their own wedding day. None of them appeared to notice Ruby.

  Suddenly there was an excited cry as music wafted through the air and the church doors were flung open. Almost immediately Cicely swept out, a vision of loveliness in a startling white gown; a straight-cut and stunning creation bedecked with pearls and trimmed with a scalloped hem sewn with the most exquisite tiny pink rosebuds. Her hair was swept up into a diamanté head-band, and dainty wispy curls had been arranged to tease her face. In the bright sunlight, her eyes seemed bluer than Ruby remembered.

  To all who watched, Cicely was a young woman in love, so obviously captivated by the man at her side. And yet, as Ruby studied her face from the vantage point that hid her presence, she wondered at the faint shadowy circles beneath Cicely’s blue eyes, and somehow her smile, though bright and wide, gave Ruby the impression it was painted on. You’re looking too deep, Ruby Miller, she chided herself, before stepping forward with the intention of losing herself in the crowd.

  In that moment, Cicely caught sight of her. Their eyes met. The smile slid from Cicely’s face, and just for one fleeting second Ruby thought she detected a certain regret. But then she held her head high, a
look of defiance on her features, a look that warned Ruby: Leave me alone. I know what I’m doing.

  Ruby held Cicely’s gaze long enough to mouth the words, ‘Be happy.’ Just a simple wish, but she meant it with all her heart.

  Cicely gave the slightest nod, and then was lost in a shower of confetti and the crush of well-wishers. Ruby was delighted that Cicely had at least acknowledged her because, to her mind, it meant that her old friend had not forgotten the way things once were between them.

  As Cicely climbed into the carriage, with Luke standing below, his hand dutifully cupped about his wife’s elbow, Ruby came down the narrow path, discreetly keeping to the side. It was when he leaned out of the carriage to secure the door that he saw her. At once his eyes lit up. He didn’t smile. Instead he stared for a moment, dark longing in his gaze. The merest nod of his head and a sly look of satisfaction. Then he was in the carriage and on his way, leaving Ruby in no doubt: Luke Arnold had not mended his ways. He never would.

  * * *

  It was more than a week after the wedding when Ted came home from work in a strange mood. He picked at his evening meal in silence, and afterwards went into the yard, where he paced up and down, furiously puffing on his pipe, his head bent deep in thought. ‘What’s to do with him, Mam?’ Ruby asked. ‘He hardly touched his dinner. Is he ill, do you think?’

  The very same thought had been running through Lizzie’s head. ‘I don’t know, lass,’ she replied. ‘Happen it’s summat at work that bothers him. Yer know what yer dad’s like. Keeps things to hisself most o’ the time.’