by Carol Rivers
Ruby sat anxiously, uncertain if she was ready for the Manor. Did she really have the nerve to go downstairs and mix with these people? She was wearing a cheap off-the-peg dress and hadn’t ever been further than Devon. What would it be like to live the life of luxury that those women had taken for granted?
The door opened again. A tall, attractive brunette of about thirty walked in.
Ruby noted the stylish pearl slide in her thick dark hair and creamy pearls at her neck. She wore a deep green satin gown which – much to Ruby’s relief – was of a similar design to her own.
The woman was so striking that Ruby found herself staring. Much to her embarrassment, their gazes met.
‘Do we know each other?’ the woman asked in a friendly fashion.
Ruby went crimson. ‘N-no,’ she stammered. ‘I was – er – just admiring your dress.’
‘Thank you. I see we have similar taste.’
Ruby was taken aback. Not only was this woman pleasant, but she had just paid her a compliment too. With large green eyes full of warmth, she came over to where Ruby was sitting. ‘Do you mind if I join you for a few minutes?’
‘No,’ Ruby replied in surprise. ‘Not at all.’
‘I’m Annabella Charnwood-Smythe.’ A slim hand was extended and Ruby took it.
‘I’m Ruby Payne.’
‘Call me Anna. May I ask, is this your first time at the Manor?’
‘Yes.’ Ruby blushed. ‘Can you tell?’
‘It’s just that I know most of the faces,’ Anna said as she took a black satin case from her purse. With long, manicured fingers, she shook out a cigarette. ‘Do have one, won’t you?’
Ruby was about to say she didn’t smoke, but changed her mind as it seemed unfriendly to refuse. She slid the cigarette between her lips, leaned forward as Anna flicked on her lighter and then began to cough.
‘Why, my dear, you’re not a smoker, are you?’ Anna said with an amused expression as she slid the cigarette from Ruby’s fingers and ground it out in the coffee-table ashtray. ‘You should have said, you know. It’s not a crime not to smoke. Only, perhaps, a little unfashionable these days. Have you never succumbed to this terrible habit?’
‘No. But smoking does look very smart.’
Anna laughed lightly. ‘Believe me, once you start it’s very difficult to stop.’
‘That’s what Mum always told me.’
‘Your mother is a smoker?’ Anna enquired.
Ruby nodded. ‘At least forty a day and Dad likes his Old Holborn. But my brother and me never took it up, though.’
‘That is a surprise,’ Anna said, frowning.
‘Pete was very particular,’ Ruby found herself explaining as the green eyes regarded her curiously. ‘He was always – well – dead worried about his appearance, always eating healthy and looking after himself. He used to say you’ve got to look after number one in life, or who else will?’ Ruby stopped and looked down at her tightly clenched fingers. Talking about Pete always made her sad. She didn’t know why she had even said his name.
‘My dear, is something wrong?’
‘No. It’s just that he – he died two years ago. And I still miss him.’
‘Oh, I am so sorry,’ Anna replied softly, placing her hand on Ruby’s. ‘How indelicate of me to question you.’
Ruby sat up straight. ‘No, it’s all right. We were really close, you see. Even when he left home, he’d always come back to stay when he could. But then suddenly he was gone. And as I said, I still miss him so much.’
Anna sighed. ‘Only time will heal, so I’m told.’
Ruby remained silent. She didn’t want to talk about Pete any more. It was too painful.
‘So what do you think of the Manor?’ Anna asked, discreetly changing the subject as if she’d guessed how uncomfortable Ruby felt.
‘I haven’t seen much of it yet.’
‘Have you come with your date?’
‘Oh no. Just some friends.’
‘So there’s no romance in your life?’ Anna said, looking surprised. ‘I would have thought a pretty girl like you would have suitors falling over themselves to woo you.’
Ruby looked crestfallen. ‘I wish there were. Instead I’m playing gooseberry to the two people who brought me.’
Anna hesitated. ‘Listen, I’ve an idea. I know we’ve only just met, but we seem to be in the same situation. I’m with two couples and feel a little redundant. Why don’t you join me at my table? At least for a while and we can get to know each other better.’
Ruby was so shocked, she just sat there. Why would someone like Anna want to get to know her?
‘It is rather impertinent of me, I’m afraid,’ Anna said before she could reply. ‘I’m sure you’d prefer to be with your friends.’
‘Oh no, not at all,’ Ruby said hurriedly. ‘I’m sure they won’t miss me.’
‘In that case, let’s make the most of this evening.’ Anna laughed, her green eyes sparkling as she stood up. ‘This really is fun, isn’t it?’
Ruby couldn’t believe her good fortune. This evening was turning out to be more fun than she’d ever had before.
Chapter Four
Although Ruby looked for Rog and Debbie as they passed through the bar, there was no sign of them. However, Ruby’s attention was on Anna, who drew many glances as they made their way through the crowded room. She was so flawlessly elegant that women as well as men seemed to be taken by her appearance.
This place is so much more than Roger described, Ruby thought as they passed groups of people knotted together in conversation; men dressed formally in dinner suits and women wearing evening gowns like the couple she had seen in the Powder Room.
A buzz of conversation came from the bar, its shelves fitted with more optics than Ruby could count. White-coated barmen with black bow ties served the drinks while black-uniformed waitresses brought glasses on silver trays to those who were seated. Ruby’s heart thumped as Anna turned to crook her finger, gesturing to a pair of double doors.
Together they passed through them and into a semi-darkened area, where individual orbs of light cast glows across the many low tables arranged around a dance floor.
The music, Ruby realized, came from a softly tuned tannoy as there were instruments on a raised platform: a black piano, double bass, saxophone and set of drums.
‘The band is taking a break,’ Anna explained, coming to stand close to Ruby. ‘Do you like jazz?’
‘I’m not sure,’ Ruby replied, feeling very unworldly.
‘Then you are in for a pleasant surprise.’ Anna nodded to a table in the far corner. ‘There’s my party. Come along.’
But Ruby didn’t move as she saw the circle of distinguished-looking men and stylish women seated in comfortable bucket chairs laughing and talking together. Instinctively she felt as though she wouldn’t be welcome.
Anna smiled knowingly. ‘My friends won’t bite, you know.’
Ruby managed to smile but she still felt nervous. What if Anna’s friends were like those other women? She wouldn’t be able to engage in conversation and was sure to embarrass both herself and Anna.
Moving backwards rather than forwards, Ruby bumped against a chair. ‘Oh . . . s-sorry,’ she stammered, aware that the man carefully returned the glass he was holding to the table, disguising the fact that he’d spilled some of its contents. His companion, an attractive young woman dressed in a deep blue cocktail gown, took a handkerchief out of her bag and wiped his jacket.
Ruby wanted to die of embarrassment. She wanted to run. Run far away from the Manor where she felt so out of place. Everything was going wrong. She should never have agreed to Anna’s invitation. The Manor and the people there were out of her league. She daren’t even open her mouth or she would betray her cockney accent.
‘We’ve met before, haven’t we?’ the man said.
With a gasp she was unable to disguise, Ruby stared into the handsome features of the mysterious stranger she had met at Fortuno’s.
‘Nick!’ Anna was swiftly at Ruby’s side, a smile on her lips. ‘Do you two know each other?’
‘Indeed we do,’ he replied, standing up and smiling charmingly. ‘Although it was, I regret to say, a very brief meeting.’
‘I see.’ Anna’s soft fingers gently tucked under Ruby’s arm. ‘Well, as nice as it is to see you again, Nick, Ruby and I must take our seats before the cabaret begins.’
‘Of course.’ Nick met Ruby’s gaze. ‘I’m glad we met again.’
Ruby felt Anna pulling her gently away. ‘I’m sorry to hurry you, but we should be in our seats. It’s only fair to the band.’
Ruby nodded. She tried to glance back, but Anna urged her on. ‘Is Nick a friend of yours?’ Ruby asked as they made their way forward.
‘An acquaintance,’ Anna replied. ‘As I told you, one knows most of the faces at the Manor.’
When they arrived at Anna’s table, four faces looked up at them.
‘Gwen, Paula, Charles, Taylor, meet Ruby,’ Anna said and the man called Charles stood up, offering his hand and his seat to Ruby.
‘Thank you, Charles,’ Anna said, and after shaking his hand Ruby sank onto the cushioned chair. ‘We’ll talk more after the cabaret,’ Anna whispered. ‘I’ve ordered champagne. I take it you’ve no objection to a little refreshment?’
‘No, not all. But—’
‘With my compliments,’ Anna told her. ‘Let me spoil you a little.’
There was sudden applause as the musicians sat at their instruments. The atmosphere was so exciting that Ruby forgot entirely about Debbie and Rog though she did glance over her shoulder to see if she could see Nick Brandon.
Ruby was feeling the heady effects of the expensive champagne. As she listened to the energetic rhythms of the music – at first so unfamiliar to her – it seemed as if she had been enjoying that type of music for years. Bubbles of alcohol danced on her tongue and flew up into her nose. All her tension had slipped away. She had looked for Nick, but hadn’t caught sight of him again.
The tall American called Taylor had said very little but Charles, an older man, had given her friendly smiles. Gwen and Paula had both asked her if she was enjoying herself. And much to her own surprise she was.
She was talking to Anna when the pianist spoke into the microphone. ‘Let’s get you all dancing,’ he said, running his fingers over the keys. ‘We’ll start with a catchy little number you all know from Charlie Parker, the evergreen “I Got Rhythm!” ’
An applause drowned his voice and Ruby watched the couples file onto the small dance floor. She smiled to herself. There was no way she could dance here like she did at Fortuno’s.
As Ruby watched Anna’s friends take to the floor, she wondered if they were very rich. The two men looked it, with their air of confidence and the rather old-fashioned way in which they danced.
Paula, a stunning redhead, was closest to her own age, she decided, while Gwen and Charles must have been in their forties. How long had they all known each other? Ruby wondered. And why didn’t Anna have a partner? Once again Ruby craned her neck round to see if Nick was there.
‘So, tell me more about you,’ Anna said suddenly. ‘What do you do for a living?’
A little reluctantly, Ruby told Anna about her job at the poodle parlour. To Ruby’s surprise, Anna seemed interested and listened attentively as she explained that coming here tonight had only been made possible by Rog’s job as an insurance salesman and the free tickets he’d been given by the management.
‘How kind of him,’ Anna said. ‘Has the Manor lived up to your expectations?’
‘Oh yes, and more,’ Ruby replied. ‘Do you come here often?’
‘Rather too much, I’m afraid. Even though the Manor is quite new on the scene, it’s only the cabarets that interest me.’
‘I don’t think I’d ever get bored with a place like this,’ Ruby sighed. ‘Although at first I was scared I wouldn’t fit in. That was, until we met in the Powder Room.’
‘Oh, my dear, all eyes have been on you. Haven’t you noticed?’
Ruby blushed. ‘No. I thought they were on you!’
Anna laughed. ‘How charming! Now tell me – I’m curious. Where did you meet Nick?’
‘Well, we just bumped into each other really,’ Ruby said, feeling awkward. ‘I was out with my friends at a local dance hall. He came over and gave me his card with his telephone number. Then asked me to phone him.’ Ruby deliberately left out the argument with Bernie. She didn’t want it to sound cheap.
‘And did you phone him?’
‘No, as I wouldn’t have known what to say.’
‘He attracted you then?’
Ruby hesitated. ‘Well, for an older man he is very good-looking.’
‘Do you like older men?’ Anna pressed.
Ruby giggled. ‘I don’t know. I’ve only been out with boys of my own age.’
Anna smiled. ‘Then may I give you a word of advice? From someone a little older and perhaps a touch wiser? You see, if I had a daughter of your age, I would be concerned.’ Anna paused, appearing to choose her words carefully. ‘Nick Brandon is a man of the world, charismatic and charming. But he did, after all, try to pick you up. It’s obvious you’re not that sort of girl, so I consider the gesture quite reprehensible.’
‘I’m not looking for a man,’ Ruby said with a casual shrug, at the same time remembering the feelings Nick had stirred in her and which she hadn’t been able to forget. ‘I want to enjoy life, travel and see places.’ She thought of the two women in the Powder Room. ‘Like Paris and Rome.’
Anna’s green eyes twinkled. ‘Let’s drink to that.’ Her expressive eyebrows lifted. ‘Now, a little more champagne while we sit back and watch these lovebirds.’
Ruby took a sip from her refreshed glass. She was happy to sit with Anna and watch, even though Nick hadn’t come over. She didn’t fancy dancing with Charles or Taylor, and she certainly wouldn’t have wanted to be asked to dance by anyone else here.
Despite Anna’s warning, she couldn’t stop thinking about Nick. He was definitely more mysterious and handsome than any other man at the Manor. Anna’s advice had only served to make her even more curious.
‘So this is where you’ve been hiding!’ Debbie’s voice boomed suddenly into Ruby’s ear. ‘We’ve been looking all over for you.’
Ruby looked up at Debbie. ‘I couldn’t see you at the bar.’
‘We sat in the lounge.’
‘Debbie and Rog, this is Anna,’ Ruby said quickly.
‘Anna? Anna who?’ Debbie’s voice rose.
‘We met upstairs in the Powder Room,’ Ruby continued, glancing apologetically in Anna’s direction. ‘I was just coming to find you.’
‘Don’t bother!’ Debbie interrupted sulkily. ‘You seem to be getting on all right without me.’
‘We’ll be in the bar,’ Rog called as Debbie flounced off, tugging him with her. ‘I’ll order your usual, right?’
Ruby nodded, but she felt ashamed. Debbie had been very rude.
Ruby sank down on her chair. ‘I’m sorry,’ she apologized to Anna who was sitting quietly, watching. ‘There was no call for Debbie to speak like that, even though, perhaps, I should have gone to look for them.’
‘Not your fault but mine, Ruby,’ Anna said graciously. ‘I’ve had the most wonderful time.’
‘Have you really?’ Anna looked amused.
‘I’d like to stay with you longer. But I’d better go.’
‘Of course you must. Good friends don’t grow on trees.’
‘Perhaps I’ll see you again?’ Ruby said, wondering if this was the end of what had felt like the beginning of an exciting new friendship.
‘Yes, indeed,’ agreed Anna. ‘Perhaps we could make a date? Do you ever travel up to town?’
‘Oh yes,’ Ruby said eagerly. ‘I go shopping in Oxford Street sometimes. Mostly on Saturday afternoons after work.’
‘Well, I am busy in October but less so in November. Come to see
me then and over coffee we’ll make plans for an evening together at the Manor. I live at 10 Dower Street, just off the Edgware Road. Press the little red button and I’ll let you in.’
Ruby felt elated. She had actually received an invitation to Anna’s home!
‘I will,’ Ruby finally agreed.
‘That’s settled then. Now go off and enjoy the rest of the evening with your friends.’
Ruby smiled gratefully. She didn’t want to leave. But she knew that Debbie would be waiting.
Anna smiled her beautiful smile. ‘Au revoir, until we meet again.’
Ruby thought Anna’s words sounded like poetry. If only she could express herself in the same way.
‘Say goodbye to your friends for me,’ Ruby said as she moved away.
‘I will.’
Ruby made her way past the tables and thought how well-mannered Anna had been. She hadn’t criticized Debbie for being rude and unfriendly. In fact she’d said how important friends were.
Ruby passed by Nick’s table and saw his chair was empty. The woman he was with had gone too. She looked around, but couldn’t see him. Had he forgotten her existence already?
‘Did you get home all right?’ Debbie asked on Monday morning. ‘The buses from our road to Poplar don’t run very often on Sundays.’
‘Yes, one came eventually.’
‘Who was that woman you were with on Saturday night?’ Debbie asked pointedly as she swept the parlour floor.
‘I told you, I met her in the Powder Room. She was very nice and made me feel welcome,’ Ruby replied, hoping Debbie was in a better mood. ‘Thank you for taking me. It was a great night out.’
‘Even though we didn’t spend much time together,’ Debbie couldn’t resist adding.
Ruby was relieved when Larry and Stuart walked in the parlour door. ‘Girls, girls! We have some interesting news!’ Larry waddled over, his plump skin smelling of something fresh and spicy as he greeted them.
‘You’re giving us a rise,’ Debbie said hopefully.
‘Sadly not yet,’ Stuart chuckled. ‘But you’ll have an increase as soon as the parlour makes it big.’
‘One day in the not too distant future,’ Larry sniffed, darting a glance at Stuart. ‘Now, girls, as I was saying, we’ve got a surprise in store.’
