Stella topped up Ruby’s empty cup with hot tea while giving her a sympathetic smile. The younger woman had poured her heart out as Stella had sat and listened without speaking.
‘Blimey, you don’t half have to put up with a lot. I’d have kicked him up the backside by now and shown him the door. But then, when you love someone it’s a bit different, I suppose.’
Ruby sniffed. ‘Love – what’s that when it’s at home? The Eddie I married has long disappeared.’
‘I’m sorry to hear that. Me and my old man, well, I’m as happy as the day we met. I suppose not many can say that. You’ll just have to find your happiness elsewhere,’ Stella commiserated.
Ruby was shocked. ‘You mean, carry on with another man? I couldn’t do that. I took my vows seriously, even if Eddie didn’t.’
Stella slapped a hand to her mouth. ‘Gawd, love, I didn’t mean carry on with another bloke. I meant . . . well, find interests outside the home. You could go to church. I hear they have many interests for women.’
Ruby snorted with laughter. ‘I’m not one for church-going, but I agree I have to get myself out the house and away from Eddie and my miserable mother. I suppose me and George could take some trips on the tram. Visit new places and get some sun on our faces. Speaking of my lad, where is he?’
‘He’s out the back with my boys. They’re teaching him how to play cricket. I need to call them in as their grub’s ready. I’ve warmed up that pie you sent George over with, and he can have it with some mashed potato I prepared for their tea. They’re having leftover rabbit stew from yesterday.’
‘Cheers, Stella, he loves being with your boys. I’d best get back home and see what’s happening over there.’
‘Don’t you worry about George, he’s always welcome over here. He adores my sons and having a little lad about the house makes me feel quite broody, even at my age. I’ll have one of them bring him over later.’
‘What would I do without you, Stella? You’re a real diamond. I’m hoping Eddie has put some thoughts to finding another job. Either that or he’s packed his bag and sodded off. I don’t much care. Since losing my Sarah, I just want peace and quiet and a decent roof over my head. I was just about feeling at peace since finding her grave, and now all this with my Eddie . . . It feels as though someone up there’s got it in for me.’
Stella, who knew all about Ruby’s trip to the cemetery, nodded in agreement. ‘It might feel like it at the moment, but stay strong and things can only get better. I’ll ask the boys if they’ve heard of any jobs going begging. You never know – he could be back in work by Monday. Look, why don’t you make him wait a little longer. Stay and have some grub with us, eh?’
‘No, ta, it’s enough that you can look after George for me. I don’t want to put upon you any more than I have already.’
‘Anytime at all. You don’t have to thank me. That’s what friends are for. And I hope Eddie has had time to think about what you’ve said to him.’
‘I hope so, too.’ Ruby gave her friend a quick peck on the cheek and prepared herself to face whatever was going on over the road.
Letting herself back into number thirteen, she found Milly sitting alone in the front room. ‘I’ve tidied up out there. I got rid of the empty bottle, so there’s no need to check,’ her mother said in a tight voice.
Ruby slumped down in the other armchair. ‘Where is Eddie?’ she asked, wondering whether he had indeed packed his bags and gone. The thought made her feel sad. Perhaps deep down she still loved him, but that was of no use when he treated her so badly and seemed uninterested in being a father to George or a provider for the family.
‘He’s out the back, digging over the garden. After you left, he muttered something about putting in some vegetables and disappeared out the back door.’
Ruby looked at her mother and they both burst out laughing. ‘Why, Eddie wouldn’t know one end of a potato from the other,’ she said, as tears of laughter ran down her cheeks.
‘I have an idea he just wanted to get out of my way, and he knew that if he went out the front door, I’d think he was off to the boozer and go after him. The back door was the only way of escape for him.’
Despite her tiredness and anger, Ruby had to laugh at the thought of Eddie messing with the garden. The previous owner had made a job of laying out rows for a vegetable garden and another for flowers, but from what she could tell it hadn’t had much attention for a while. She’d thought it would be good to have a go herself, but hadn’t yet found the time. A shed at the end of the long, thin garden still housed a few garden tools that had been left behind in the man’s haste to leave the property. ‘I’d best go down and see what he’s up to,’ she said with a sigh. ‘Had you done anything for our tea yet?’
‘I’d started some liver and onions before he kicked off. It won’t take long to finish. Do you want a cup of tea first?’
‘No, ta, I’m swimming in the stuff. I had a couple of cups over at Stella’s house. I’ll go and see him first.’ Ruby heaved herself out of the chair, wishing she could just settle back and have a snooze.
‘Hello, love. I thought it was about time I made a start out here,’ Eddie said, not making eye contact with Ruby.
‘A bit pointless if you want us to move away, isn’t it?’ She sat down on an upturned wooden box and made a show of straightening the skirts of her shabby navy-blue work dress. The hem was frayed from dragging on the ground; it had been too long when she picked it up cheap on the second-hand stall up Woolwich market before they moved away. There’d never been time to take it up and then, as her tummy grew, there’d been no real need. Perhaps she could use some of her savings to pick up another dress. She’d seen a shop that sold cast-offs; a dress from there would do her for work, once she’d given it a wash.
‘Perhaps I was a bit hasty,’ Eddie said.
Ruby noticed how his hands shook as he bent over the spade and guided it into the hard earth with his foot. ‘Maybe you were, but think how I felt when I saw you the worse for drink. You still look rough now. It’s not good for you, Eddie. We’ve not long buried our daughter. I don’t want to be standing over your grave in my widow’s weeds. We could have a good life here, if you just knuckled down and thought of us rather than where the next drink’s coming from.’
‘I still say it wasn’t my fault I lost the job,’ he muttered. ‘I was miserable and wanted to drown my sorrows. What else could I do?’
‘You could have come home and talked it over with me. Am I that bad a wife, that you can’t speak to me and share your problems?’
Eddie lifted his head and looked at Ruby. He could see her eyes brimming with tears, just as he felt his were. ‘I’m just a silly old bugger. I don’t know why you put up with me,’ he said, lowering his head.
‘Less of the old,’ Ruby smiled, attempting to lighten the atmosphere. ‘Just remember, I’m your wife – we should be able to face anything together. I know me mum can be a pain in the backside, but if we’d chatted through this the day you lost your job . . . why, we could have done something without her finding out and having her two penn’orth.’
‘I don’t deserve you, Ruby Caselton,’ Eddie said. ‘What you said to me about leaving you really hit home. I knew you meant what you said, and I could so easily have lost me family. Not only will I get looking for a job first thing on Monday, but I promise to dig over this garden tomorrow and have it ready to grow you some beautiful flowers.’
Ruby reached out and took his hand. There must be something behind the way he drank, and it worried her so. He needed to knock it on the head, and she was determined to help him do just that. ‘If you don’t mind, I need to hang the washing out tomorrow, as I’m going in to work on Monday. I don’t want dirt flying over the sheets.’
Eddie slung his arm over her shoulders and they started to walk to the back door when the head of their elderly neighbour popped up from the other side of the fence. ‘Tomorrow is a day of rest, when we read our bible and attend church. No decen
t woman hangs out her washing on the Sabbath,’ she said in a stern voice. ‘You, young woman, have a lot to learn if you wish to live in a respectable road like this.’
Ruby sighed and muttered under her breath before smiling to her neighbour. ‘Good evening, Miss Hunter. We didn’t see you there. Do you often eavesdrop on private conversations?’
‘I was merely in my garden, Mrs Caselton. If you and your drunken husband must insist on discussing your lives so loudly, then you must expect others to comment.’
Ruby shrugged off Eddie’s arm and nodded to him to go indoors. He didn’t need a second bidding. Two women falling out was of no interest to him. ‘Miss Hunter, making oneself known is more neighbourly than hiding and listening to a husband and wife’s conversation.’
The older woman sniffed her disapproval. ‘The man who lived in this house before you was a true gentleman. He never had children who played like ragamuffins in the street, he never argued and fell about drunk, or dragged sacks of coal down the back pathway and left behind a mess. As for wishing to hang out washing on a Sunday, I fear the Reverend Grayson will have something to say about this when he is informed.’
Ruby walked to the side of her garden, where a short wooden fence and bushes separated number thirteen from number fifteen. She’d yet to be formally introduced to her neighbour, and had given up trying after being rebuked by the woman. This time, she intended to try to be friendly, although it was proving difficult. ‘I have no idea who the Reverend Grayson is, but if he wishes to speak to me about my laundry, he is more than welcome. Where will I find him?’ she smiled graciously, while counting to ten under her breath.
Miss Hunter gave Ruby a steely look. ‘Why, in church, of course. You do know where our churches are in Erith?’
Ruby bit her lip. ‘I’m new to the area. I have a home to sort out, a child, and a job to do each day. I’ve also been poorly as I lost my baby. I have yet to find time for pursuits outside of my family. If you had heard all of my private discussion with my husband you would know that I am not able to do my washing on Monday as I need to be working.’ Even more so now Eddie doesn’t have a job, she thought to herself.
‘Could your mother not do your washing, so you do not offend the Lord?’
‘My mother is a busy woman. She works in the Prince of Wales Hotel. I’m surprised you don’t know this,’ Ruby explained, wishing she could add, you nosy old witch.
‘I have never entered a public house,’ Miss Hunter sniffed, before adding: ‘You will keep your child under control?’
‘My son is a good boy. I wish you would keep your views to yourself. Why is it I feel as though you’ve been watching my family?’ Ruby asked as she started to shake with anger. ‘For a God-fearing church-goer you certainly seem to like saying horrid things about people you hardly know.’
‘It is my Christian duty to speak as I see things. You’d do well to sort out that husband of yours. I had to walk the length of the back pathway collecting the coal he dropped and had not cleared up.’
Ruby was confused. What was the woman talking about? ‘Where is this coal you collected?’
‘I placed it in my coal shed.’
Ruby laughed out loud. ‘Was that your Christian duty, too? I promise you, I will speak to my husband. However, I will do it in the privacy of my home, and if he is upset by what you have told me I’m sure he will be knocking on your front door very soon.’
Miss Hunter gasped, reaching for the cross she was wearing on a chain at her throat, before hurrying into her house.
Ruby knew she’d gone too far, but if that’s what it took to stop the prying old witch, then so be it. She had enough problems already without adding a difficult neighbour to the list.
Shaking her head as she walked towards the house, Ruby stopped at the door that opened into the coal shed, next to the outside lavatory. Both were built into the back of the house, which had fascinated Ruby when they first moved in. She was astonished to see such pristine facilities, having always shared an outside lav with others in the building where they’d had rooms. To Ruby, this was luxury. Also, having their own coal hole, as Milly called it, meant no one would pinch what coal they could afford to buy. Ruby knew before too long she’d have to dip into her savings to stock up on fuel for the winter. After pulling open the door to look inside, she stepped back in shock. The coal shed was full to the brim. So that old bat had been speaking the truth about Eddie dragging bags of coal down the back pathway.
Ruby’s spirits dropped as she realized that Eddie must have pinched it from the coalyard before he was given the sack. She was married to a liar and a thief. Slamming the door shut, she stormed indoors. If it took every penny of the money she had hidden away at the back of the stone pantry, she would pay back the coalyard owner and beg for his forgiveness. She’d not have anyone label her family as thieves, although in her heart of hearts she knew Eddie had indeed been stealing.
Storming into the house, Ruby shoved past her mother and opened the door of the pantry. Pushing aside packets and a few cans, she grabbed the small battered tin where she kept her secret savings. Pulling off the tight lid, she cried out in shock. There were only a few coins left.
‘Ruby, love . . .’ Milly started to say, as she saw her daughter’s distressed face, ‘don’t get too upset.’
‘What do you mean, don’t get upset? Where’s the bloody money?’
‘It’s not what it seems, love.’ Milly tried to hold on to her daughter. ‘I took most of it . . .’
Ruby froze to the spot. There she was thinking Eddie had pinched her money, and all along it was her mother. ‘I don’t understand – why would you take the savings? I thought I was the only one that knew there was money here. Why, Mum, why did you steal it all?’
Milly shook her head, her eyes full of sadness. ‘I’m upset that you think I’d do such a thing, when all along I’ve been doing what’s best for this family.’
‘I think you’d better explain,’ Ruby said. ‘Only hours ago I was telling Eddie to leave the house, but maybe I should have told you to pack your bags and go. Stealing from your own family – is there anything worse?’ she said bitterly.
‘I want you to come and sit down and listen to me,’ Milly said. ‘If after what you hear you still want me to leave home, then I will. No doubt one of your sisters will put me up.’
‘I doubt it, when they know what’s happened,’ Ruby snarled; but she did follow Milly into the living room and sat at the table opposite her mum, placing the empty tin between them. ‘Now, tell me what happened – and it’d better be good.’
‘It was a couple of weeks ago. I got in a bit early and found Eddie snooping about. He was the worse for drink and digging about in the pantry. I thought he was looking for some grub and told him I’d cook something, as it was nearly teatime and you’d all soon be home and hungry. He didn’t expect to hear me, and almost jumped out of his skin and dropped the tin. He stuffed a couple of notes in his pocket and chucked the tin back into the pantry. I guessed he was up to no good – and when I took a look at the tin, I recognized it as being your dad’s tobacco tin I gave you when you was a kiddie. You always used it to keep your precious bits and pieces; a button, a shiny piece of glass, even the odd coin. I guessed you’d been using it to hide away your savings. I tackled Eddie, but he denied taking anything that wasn’t his. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to tell you, as you’d brightened up such a lot since being poorly. Instead I put what money I had in the tin and hoped it was enough. To be on the safe side, I did a couple of cleaning shifts in the pub while you was at work. I pawned the ring your dad gave me and put some of the money in there. I kept checking the tin, and until today, the money had stayed in the tin. God knows why he tried to pinch it now, while I was in the house and you was out in the garden. Any one of us could’ve caught him – and I did just now. So I’ve taken the money and hidden it.’
‘I’ll bloody kill him!’ Ruby cried as she ran to the bottom of the stairs. ‘Eddie,
if you’re up there, come down right now. We need to have a word!’ She heard him shuffling about in the bedroom and yelled again. ‘I said, get down here – now!’ Returning to the table she sat down and buried her head in her hands. Too angry to weep, she heaved a big sigh. ‘I’m sorry, Mum, I shouldn’t have blamed you.’
‘You wasn’t to know, love,’ Milly said as Eddie came downstairs, placing a bundle of clothes on the floor in the hall. ‘I assume you’re taking the coward’s way out,’ she snarled at her son-in-law.
Eddie slunk into the room and sat down in the chair Ruby had pulled out from the table. ‘Were you really going to leave without saying goodbye to me or your son? I assume your sudden change of heart is because of what you heard our neighbour say? Why did you have to steal? You had a decent job, and they might even have taken you on full-time. Not only have you brought shame on this family, but you’ve also blackened your name for any future employment in the town.’
‘I was doing it for the family,’ he mumbled. ‘At least you’ll all keep warm during the winter.’
‘But why, Eddie? You were earning and could have paid for it yourself. I take it all your wages have gone on beer and gambling, so you took to stealing instead?’
Eddie had the shame to nod his head. ‘You’re better off without me. I’ll tell Cedric that you won’t be able to afford the rent on your own and will be out of the house by next week. That will give you time to look for somewhere else to live. It won’t be as fancy as this place, as all you’ll need is a room for you, your mother, and the nipper,’ he said, getting to his feet.
‘Oh no you don’t, Eddie Caselton,’ Ruby said, barring his way. ‘You don’t drop your family in all this mess and then walk away. I have enough money to pay the rent from what I brought home in my pay packet . . .’
‘And I’ve got the rest of the money I hid so you didn’t get your filthy hands on it,’ Milly spat at him.
A Mother Forever Page 7
