Beyond the Ashes

by Karen Barnett

  * * *

  Ruby folded her knees under her skirt, fiddling with the tassels on the red woolen picnic blanket. The bright sunshine warmed her shoulders and arms and she drew in a shaky breath, filling her lungs with the sweet fragrance of grass and trees. The idyllic meadow reminded her of a scene from a storybook, complete with a tiny brook splashing over a series of small stones on its way down the gentle slope.

  Davy cavorted in the trickling water, stomping his bare feet through the water to send it splashing onto the rocks.

  Gerald lay sprawled on his back, hat shielding his eyes from the sunshine as he dozed. His lanky legs bent at the knees, feet resting flat on the ground and one arm draped over his stomach. The man could sleep anywhere, it seemed. Likely due to his odd hours. What must he think of her—arriving uninvited in his home, forcing her way into his medical practice, demanding to drive his vehicle? Was this the woman she aspired to be?

  She turned her head, glancing down the slope to where Robert strolled along the creek with Abby, his attention never wandering from the young woman’s face. The quiet, unassuming girl had clearly stolen her brother’s heart. And why not? She was thoughtful and gentle. Abby’s beauty turned heads, even though she didn’t seem to care about fashion and did little with her hair beyond twisting the long brown locks into a simple knot.

  Nothing came so easy to Ruby. She twirled a grass blade between her fingers, her muscles tense with nervous energy. Why did men prefer soft-spoken women? Charlie had never minded her ways. At least he’d never said so. Then again, he never said much of anything.

  The couple’s laughter drifted on the warm breeze. Robert took Abby’s hand as she hopped over the small brook, her hat dangling from her fingers. Davy splashed water at them, earning a shriek from his sister.

  Had she and Charlie ever been so in love? Ruby brushed away the uncomfortable thought and glanced back at Gerald. His chest rose and fell in an easy cadence, the gentle lines of his arm and shoulder beckoning her to curl up at his side. A shiver raced across her skin. Mustn’t think like that.

  She reached up and checked her hat. It hadn’t moved an inch. Her fingers itched to loosen the pins, feel the sunshine on her hair. Of course, the result would be a new crop of freckles. She cast a glance over at the automobile. The drive had been blessedly uneventful. But she hadn’t gotten behind the wheel yet.

  Ruby pushed up to her feet and strolled over to the vehicle. With everyone else otherwise occupied, it would be a good time to sit at the controls. If she closed her eyes and imagined driving, perhaps the fluttering sensation in her chest would ease.

  She ran a hand along the red frame as if it were the flank of a skittish mare. “There, it’s not so bad.” The sun-touched metal warmed her fingertips. She stroked the brass side lamp. “You’re merely a contraption. An invention. You won’t hurt me. Right?” Ruby cast a quick glance over her shoulder before placing a foot on the step and plopping into the driver’s seat. Touching the wooden wheel, Ruby closed her fingers around it as she glanced over the controls. Levers, foot pedals, and switches surrounded her. What made her think she’d be able to learn all this? Her throat tightened.

  “You must be pretty eager.”

  Ruby jumped, her knee bumping against one of the levers.

  Gerald’s hand closed around the long handle. “Whoa, there. Let’s save this one until we get started, shall we?”

  Ruby gripped the steering wheel, her heart racing. “You shouldn’t have startled me. Who knows what might have happened?”

  The corner of his mouth turned upward. “The engine is off and the tires are resting on flat ground. What on earth could have happened?”

  “It might have run off or something.” A wave of prickly heat crept up her neck. Ruby released the wheel and straightened her collar.

  He chuckled. “It’s not a horse. The motor only does what it’s told.”

  “Then perhaps you should demonstrate how I give it orders.”

  Gerald laid his hand on the seat rail. “You begin by turning on the ignition switch.” He gestured to a switch just behind her knee.

  She reached out trembling fingers. “Now?”

  “Whenever you are ready.”

  She withdrew her hand. “Perhaps you should go over the entire process step by step before we begin.”

  Gerald huffed. “We would be here all day. It’s not a snake, it won’t bite.”

  Ruby placed her feet firm against the floor. She grasped the device and clicked into place, gritting her teeth in the process.

  “That’s it. Now, the spark lever on the steering column needs to be like so.” He pushed it into position. “I’ll go ahead and crank it. We can show you the starter another time.” He bent down beside the vehicle and inserted the metal hand crank.

  Ruby’s arm muscles knotted. She glanced down at the controls. There were three pedals on the floor. Gerald hadn’t bothered to explain them. She took one hand off the wheel and wrapped it around the steering column, bending down for a closer look. “What does this—” The engine’s roar startled her, and Ruby grabbed for a new handhold, knocking into the lever beside her. The auto lurched.

  Gerald popped up like a jackrabbit before tumbling out of the way.

  Ruby squealed as the car surged forward. She locked both hands on the steering wheel.

  * * *

  Breath exploded from Gerald’s lungs as he collided with the ground. Rolling to his knees, he sprang up and dashed after the car as it trundled away, its occupant shrieking. His heart hammered in his chest.

  The car bumped down the gentle slope toward the creek. Davy splashed well out of the path, laughing.

  Gerald put on a burst of speed and leaped onto the step, pushing the gear lever and jamming down on the brake with one foot.

  As the auto shuddered to a halt, Ruby’s shrieks faded to ragged, gasping cries.

  She placed both hands on her cheeks. “You said it wouldn’t do that.”

  Robert’s laughter carried across the open field. “Good try, Ruby!”

  Fire crept up Gerald’s throat. “It doesn’t, unless someone fiddles with the levers while I am cranking the engine. Why didn’t you press the brake pedal?”

  Ruby glared. “You never told me which one was the brake.”

  He hopped down, knees rubbery. “It’s on the left. Haven’t you been watching as I drove around town?”

  “Of course I have, but I couldn’t see what your feet were doing.” Her cheeks flamed. “Maybe this was a bad idea.”

  Yes, indeed. Gerald placed a foot on the step. “Scoot over. I’ll demonstrate.”

  She shifted across the upholstered seat, creating room behind the wheel.

  Gerald sat down. Drawing a deep breath, he explained each step in detail, as if describing a complicated surgery to a first-year medical student.

  Ruby leaned forward, focusing on each item in turn.

  The pressure of Ruby’s shoulder against his arm nearly drove him to distraction. He swallowed hard. If she sat any closer, she’d be on his lap. Pulling his mind back to the matter at hand, Gerald put the automobile in gear. He kept the pace slow, easing the tires across the meadow grass. He pointed out the reverse gear, the timing lever, the throttle, and most importantly—the brake. No more surprises.

  She peppered him with questions, pointing at each lever and pedal and demanding succinct answers. After a few more turns around the grassy pasture, she leaned back against the cushion and fell silent.

  He shot a covert glance at her face. Ruby’s pale eyes sparkled in the sunshine, her pink cheeks framed by the flapping scarf. He increased their speed, enjoying the feel of the tires bumping over the uneven ground.

  Ruby’s hand shot up to touch her hat, but a second later a smile crossed her lips. “This is actually sort of enjoyable—when there are no streetcars and newsboys about.”

  “Are you ready to take the wheel?” Gerald backed off the throttle.

  “I believe I am.”

  “Any q
uestions?” he asked.

  “Why is your hand blue?”

  “I meant questions about the automobile.” He stopped the vehicle and climbed out. Careful to walk behind the car, he took his seat on the opposite side as she slid back into the driver’s seat.

  She smiled. “You didn’t specify.”

  Gerald opened his hand. “It’s methylene blue. Your brother thinks it will help with the dermatitis on my palm. Or perhaps he thinks it amusing for me to appear as if I’ve been squeezing blueberries with my bare hands.”

  Ruby gripped the wheel with white knuckles, but she flashed him a rare smile. “This is exceedingly gracious of you, Gerald. I appreciate you taking a day away from the hospital to teach me.”

  Gerald leaned back, a rush of warmth spreading through his chest. “I think it demonstrates great courage on your part. You’re the only woman I’ve met who has shown the least interest in driving. I respect your determination.”

  She laughed. “Determination is one thing I have in abundance. But I think you’re the one showing courage.” She faced the front, one corner of her mouth lifting into a smirk. “After all . . . you’re putting your life in my hands. Aren’t you?”

  “I suppose I am. But I think you can be trusted.”

  She gripped the gear handle as she opened the throttle. The automobile pitched forward.

  Gerald braced a foot against the front rail as his black derby hat went sailing.

  11

  Ruby dipped a foot into the steaming water, the warmth sending ripples of pleasure up her skin. She sank into the bath with a sigh. After the long drive home—Gerald back at the wheel—her thoughts had been consumed with the idea of an extended soak. The muscles along her spine unknotted, the day’s tension seeping out into the water with the road dust.

  She relaxed against the back of the tub, trying to push away her niggling worries, but images continued to motor through her mind. The memory of Gerald’s ruffled hair at the end of their lesson made her smile. The man deserved a little fright after the ordeal he had put her through earlier in the week.

  Ruby hated to admit it, but after today’s expedition, she felt a tad of sympathy for the doctor. Evidently controlling an automobile was not for the simple-minded. At least with a horse’s intelligence to assist you, one could be relatively confident of not driving off into a creek as Ruby had nearly accomplished. With so many pedals and levers, all designed to manage the mysterious workings of the vehicle’s innards, how did one observe the road as well?

  She scrunched down in the water, sending wavelets lapping against her chin. She’d been quite unfair by lumping him together with other drivers. Ruby closed her eyes, allowing the water’s heat to penetrate into her bones. Occasional droplets plopped from the tap, echoing through the otherwise silent room.

  Her heart fluttered as she remembered guiding the vehicle around the meadow, its tires bumping over the grassy hillocks. Gerald kept one hand on the frame, the other gripping the seatback just shy of her shoulder, his face stretched in an unreadable expression—terror, most likely. Had she ever experienced such a heady power? Such control? Life had ruled over her for too long as she had allowed it to carry her places she didn’t wish to go. A laugh bubbled up from somewhere deep in Ruby’s chest. Now I’m in the driver’s seat.

  A gentle tapping sounded on the door.

  Ruby straightened, the water cascading off her skin in rivulets, cold air rushing to take its place. “Yes?”

  Her brother’s voice wafted in, muffled by the wooden door. “Ruby? Don’t forget there are seven other people living in the house. Don’t stay in the bath all evening.”

  “I’m sorry. I’ll hurry.” She reached for the rose-scented soap. Funny how he sounds more like Father with every passing year.

  His voice sounded again. “I’m going to retire for the night. I’ll see you in the morning. Are you driving to the hospital with me?”

  The bar escaped her fingers and slipped under the surface. The auto, again? “Abby asked me to join her at the refugee camp. Gerald said I could work the afternoon rounds. I’ll meet you there.”

  Her brother’s footsteps receded down the hall, and Ruby turned her attention to the task at hand. After a quick wash, she pinched her nose and slid backward until her head plunged under the water. A blessed stillness filled her ears and for a moment she floated in a world of her own making. When her lungs complained, she broke the surface and sat up, water streaming down her face like a waterfall. Blinking the droplets from her eyelashes, Ruby reached for a towel. She stepped out of the bath, tiny hairs rising along her arms and legs as the cold air chased away her peaceful mood. She toweled off quickly, imagining Gerald or Mr. Fischer hovering in the hall in wait.

  Ruby secured the dressing gown’s belt snug at her waist. As the drain gurgled, she opened the bathroom door a tiny slit and peeked into the dark hallway before tiptoeing down the quiet passage.

  In the shadows, a door creaked. Gerald stepped into the gloom, a book clamped under one arm, gold-framed reading glasses perched on his nose.

  Ruby froze, one hand clutching her dressing gown, the other steadying the towel covering her damp, unruly hair.

  His eyes widened. “Oh, I’m sorry. I thought everyone had gone to bed.”

  She plastered on a smile, hoping to distract him from her unkempt appearance. “Um, no. I’m on my way there now.”

  He glanced up at her headdress. “So I see.”

  She nodded, cautious not to let the towel tumble. Bad enough to be seen in her gown, but to display her wet locks would be a disaster. Ruby edged past, escaping to her room.

  * * *

  Gerald sniffed the air, the scent of roses lingering as the young woman hurried down the hall. A rush of heat stampeded over his good sense for a moment as he imagined touching the single corkscrew curl dangling by the woman’s milky white ear lobe. Gerald shook himself. Perhaps sharing his home with an unmarried woman was not such a wise idea. When Robert had proposed the situation, Gerald had pictured someone more like Abby or Clara. Someone sisterly. Gerald headed to the back stairway and trudged down, clutching a worn copy of Radiotherapy and Phototherapy to his chest. After a day like today, his strained nerves wouldn’t permit sleep. He clicked on the electric lamp in the study and settled into the leather armchair. Propping his feet on the padded ottoman, Gerald laid the book on his lap, without bothering to open it.

  He stared at the cover, his imagination fixated on the dripping redhead in the hall. Since Robert and Abby had eyes only for one another, Gerald had been thrown together with the young widow on multiple occasions now—an experience simultaneously pleasing and infuriating. Never had he struggled with being so dual-minded. He certainly didn’t need another complication in his life, and Ruby Marshall appeared to be the personification of the word.

  He flipped open the text, tipping it to catch the glow from the lamp. Squinting in the darkness, he focused on a chapter discussing the deleterious effects of the X-ray. Gerald’s stomach churned after reading a few pages of case studies. His hand itched like mad, and he scrubbed it across his knee in an attempt not to dig his fingernails into the irritated skin.

  Gerald’s thoughts wandered back to Ruby’s face as she drove his automobile today, brows scrunched over her fixed eyes, shoulders back, a tip of a pink tongue touching her upper lip.

  How quickly she’d mastered the basics. Did many women face their fears in such a manner? He couldn’t remember having encountered one before. Not once had her fortitude wavered. His head fell back against the antimacassar.

  “Hard at work?” Robert’s voice wafted into the room from the open doorway.

  “Always.” Gerald managed a smile, but his voice cracked.

  His friend entered and took a seat in the chair opposite, the springs squeaking. “Am I disturbing you?”

  “No. Too weary to focus my eyes, I’m afraid.”

  Robert leaned back, his long legs splayed out. “It’s been a long week. You’ve earned a re
st.”

  Gerald sighed. “Week? How about year? I won’t be sad to see 1906 go.”

  “It’s only August, but I suppose I agree. A few good things have happened as well.” Robert smiled. “And we have a few blessings to look forward to before 1907 arrives.”

  The fog cleared from Gerald’s thoughts, the gleam in his partner’s eye catching his attention. “Have you and Abby set a date, finally?”

  Robert grinned. “You know, if it had been up to me, we’d have married the week after the quake.”

  “Abby has always been more pragmatic. What have you decided?” There had already been a record number of post-earthquake nuptials, even among the hospital staff.

  “We thought November might be a good time. My family would be able to join us. I suppose I can survive three more months—barely.”

  “Where are you planning the festivities?”

  “That’s the thing.” Robert glanced down at his lap, smoothing wrinkles from his trousers as he spoke. “Abby wants to have the wedding here.”

  Gerald yanked off his spectacles. “Here—at the house?”

  “Just a small gathering. Her family, and—and mine.”

  Two families. How bad could it be? “A small family gathering sounds acceptable.” Gerald squinted in thought. “Not much different than now, I suppose. A bit fancier. You know my mother and Clara have already discussed cakes. Might be good for them to combine forces on a project beyond fattening us up.” Robert’s solemn expression gave Gerald pause. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  Robert cleared his throat. “My mother will be joining us. She’d—she’d need to stay here.”

  Gerald sank against the padded back. “Of course. Another cook for the kitchen.”

  “And a few sisters.”

  He squinted, drumming his fingers against armrest. “How many sisters?”

  Robert raked fingers through his dark hair. “You’ve already met Ruby, and there’s five more besides.”

  Gerald sat forward, sending the book crashing to the floor. “Five more women? In my house?”