A Promise Between Friends

by Carol Rivers

  Larry sank down on the chair beside the counter. ‘Oh Ruby, I’m heartbroken.’

  ‘I’m so sorry, Larry, really I am. Especially as you took me on just after Pete’s death and I was a mess. I owe you, I know. But this new job means an awful lot to me.’

  Larry nodded slowly. ‘I can see that.’

  ‘I’ll stay on till you find a replacement.’

  ‘Stuart will be very upset.’

  ‘As I’ll be working and living in the West End, perhaps I could call by your flat sometime?’

  Larry nodded, once again using his handkerchief. He looked up at her with lap-dog eyes. ‘Have you told Debbie?’

  ‘No, I wanted to tell you first.’

  Larry slowly rose to his feet and took hold of her hands. ‘You’ve become very dear to us. I shall let you go, angel, but you must promise to stay in touch.’

  ‘What’s going on? Who’s to stay in touch?’ a voice said and they turned to see Debbie with Delilah in her arms. The white poodle gave a little struggle, but Debbie held on tightly.

  Larry sighed, letting go of Ruby. ‘We are about to lose Ruby to the big wide world.’

  ‘What!’ Debbie looked at Ruby. ‘Is this a joke?’

  Ruby took another deep breath, suspecting that Debbie wouldn’t be as eager as Larry to wish her well.

  ‘As you can see I’m not laughing,’ Larry said in a sober tone. ‘But I want whatever makes you happy, Ruby.’

  And with that he hugged her and wiped a tear from his eye.

  After Larry had gone and Mrs Freeman had collected Delilah, Ruby sat down with Debbie to explain. She deliberately avoided any reference to Nick and her fated second visit to the Manor. Even so, she could see the envy in Debbie’s pretty face as she described Anna and Dower Street and the modelling work she hoped to make her career.

  ‘Is this the woman you met with when me and Rog took you to the Manor?’ Debbie asked.

  ‘Yes, Annabella Charnwood-Smythe.’

  ‘Is she legit? You don’t know with these type of places. It’s said they’re just a front to find girls.’

  ‘Not in Anna’s case,’ Ruby replied evenly. ‘I’ve already had one assignment. It was very enjoyable. Next, I’m modelling rainwear at Steadman’s in the West End. That’s why I asked Larry for the day off.’

  ‘I’m amazed,’ Debbie said sullenly, ‘that you’ve kept this all secret.’

  ‘I needed to be sure.’

  Debbie stood up. ‘Well then, I suppose congratulations are in order.’

  ‘Thanks.’

  ‘You’ll have to starve yourself, you know. And with your appetite that will be a challenge.’ It was Debbie’s parting shot, but Ruby ignored the sarcasm. After all, Debbie needed to feel that she was still the centre of attention.

  ‘You’ll have to get Rog to bring you over,’ Ruby invited.

  But Debbie was already taking off her overall and shrugging into her winter coat. She grabbed her bag and checked the clock. ‘Better be off. As you know, Rog is never late.’

  Ruby sat alone in the parlour. She looked around at the mirrors, the many pairs of scissors and pictures on the walls of black and white poodles. She could smell the animal must and talcum powder mingling with the disinfectant. She had been very upset to see Larry distressed. As for Debbie, they had never really become close.

  Would she regret leaving? she asked herself.

  Not in a million years.

  The changing room was filled with half-naked girls wearing only their bras and knickers. Ruby had already put on her raincoat, a rather dull brown belted affair, and was dodging the arms and legs as everyone tried to dress. Paula was sliding on a beautiful silvery cocktail dress with a low neckline and balloon skirt. ‘Zip me up, will you?’ she asked Ruby and turned her back.

  ‘Hold still.’ Ruby fought with the fasteners. ‘There, that should do it.’

  ‘How do I look?’ Paula asked from under her page-boy-styled red hair.

  ‘Dazzling.’

  ‘Chin up, lovie,’ Paula said, grinning through crimson lips, ‘you’ll have the glam stuff next time. Steadman’s want to plug their wet-weather stock before the spring when the new designs arrive. Pull this one off and they’ll ask for you again.’

  Ruby smiled nervously. ‘I don’t mind.’

  ‘Mr Steadman junior sits in the front row, a middle-aged man with a moustache, and squinting eyes. He’ll have his personal assistant by him, a stuffed shirt, excuse the pun, who wears a grey pinstripe suit every day of the year. Give them your full attention as you come to the end of the catwalk.’

  ‘I thought we are supposed to look up,’ Ruby said, panic-stricken. How was she going to identify someone in the audience when she had been practising keeping her nose in the air?

  ‘It’s an old trick. If he likes you he’ll ask for you again.’

  Ruby swallowed, joining the line of girls waiting to leave the room and walk out to the shop floor where the audience was gathered. Some models were wearing expensive winter coats, but most rainwear like her. How was she to catch anyone’s eyes dressed so frumpily? It was stock they needed to clear at reduced prices. She felt a bit tacky in comparison to the others. But she mustn’t think like that. She was lucky to be here.

  Just then the line moved up and Ruby felt slightly sick. She had forgotten everything she was supposed to do. Her pulse was banging hard at her temples and a slight veil of sweat had formed under her fringe. She smoothed it away quickly, hoping her severely drawn-back hairstyle didn’t reveal how nervous she was feeling.

  And then her turn came. The girl in front of her walked out and through the curtains. Ruby paused until a little woman in black called Elsie, who was the dresser, thrust her forward.

  ‘Hurry up,’ Elsie barked. ‘And don’t forget to show off the pockets.’

  Ruby found herself walking along the catwalk. All around her there was a sea of faces. And they were staring at her. She tried to remember how to hold herself, pretending she had a pile of books on her head. She tucked in her tummy and gracefully performed the turn. Then, revolving her body, she pulled gently at the pockets in order to show off the garment to its best. Just as Elsie had reminded her. But there was so much to remember! Had she remembered it all?

  As she turned on her heel, she remembered Paula’s advice. Quickly she glanced down into the audience. All she could see was a blur. Her nerves were so bad, she was shaking from head to toe. Then she suddenly saw Mr Steadman junior, a middle-aged man with a moustache and narrow, close-set eyes. He was sitting with his personal assistant, a man in a pinstripe suit, just as Paula had described. It was only sheer fright that caused her to smile, her lips trembling as she did so.

  Quickly she moved on, her head in the air and her bottom swaying under the mac. She reached the safety of the curtains and the tiny lady in black pulled them apart.

  Ruby wanted to run out to the lavatory. Her tummy was in turmoil with fear. She had forgotten everything Anna had taught her. Had she managed to smile at Mr Steadman?

  A hand gripped her arm. ‘Good for you, ducks,’ Elsie said in a sharp cockney accent. ‘Now, don’t rush off as I’d like to see you in something else. Go over to Margaret and ask for the cream linen with the semi-fitted bodice. We’ll squeeze you in later at the beginning of day wear.’

  Ruby nodded, forcing herself forward, searching for this Margaret, unable to believe she had been given approval, when she had felt such a disaster.

  ‘You see, that smile did the trick,’ Paula said as she drove them in her car to Dower Street.

  ‘So I did smile?’ asked Ruby, still in a daze.

  ‘You certainly did. Making eye contact with the boss was a shrewd move,’ Paula said with a cheeky grin.

  ‘I was very nervous.’

  ‘You didn’t look it. And you were given another outfit to model. That doesn’t often happen with first-timers.’

  ‘I thought I was awful.’

  ‘No, not at all.’

  Ruby turn
ed to look at Paula who had changed into a black-and-white two-piece suit. ‘How did the silver dress go down?’

  Paula just shrugged. ‘Same as usual. I don’t think I’ll be working stores much longer.’

  ‘Why not?’ Ruby asked.

  ‘The pay is a pittance. And with no extras.’

  Ruby shook her head. ‘I didn’t know there were any.’

  Paula turned slowly. ‘How sweet. I suppose I used to be innocent too.’ She sighed. ‘A long time ago.’

  Ruby sat thinking. What did Paula mean about extras? And even if there weren’t any of these so-called extras, Ruby couldn’t ever imagine wanting to turn down work. Once the fear had left her and she had paraded down that catwalk in the gorgeous cream dress to die for, she had been in her element. And eager to repeat her performance. There had been smiles and whispers from the audience. A little clap came at the end, which she hadn’t expected at all. Even Elsie had nodded approvingly as she’d walked through the curtains for the second time.

  Chapter Fourteen

  It was a freezing-cold February day when Bernie helped Ruby to take her few possessions to Anna’s. He was now sitting opposite her in the El Cabala, a frown on his face. ‘You sure you’re doing the right thing?’ he asked once again. ‘It’s the big city you’re moving to. And full of sharks.’

  Ruby sighed, rolling her eyes. ‘Anna isn’t one of those.’

  ‘Because she talks with a posh accent?’

  ‘No, because she has offered me the chance I’ve always wanted.’

  ‘I wouldn’t like to see you stitched up,’ Bernie complained. ‘There’s something about that woman I don’t trust.’

  Ruby laughed. ‘Anna was very polite to you.’

  ‘Yes, because she has to be.’

  ‘What do you mean by that?’

  ‘Well, she’s on to a good thing and wants to keep you sweet.’

  ‘Anna only wants what’s best for me,’ Ruby said, becoming irritated by Bernie’s unsupportive attitude. When he’d moved Kath out a few weeks ago, he’d been full of smiles and jokes, telling his sister he now realized she was making a change for the better.

  ‘Just don’t say I didn’t warn you,’ Bernie continued, pushing away his empty coffee cup. ‘And when your life goes tits-up, don’t blame me.’

  Ruby wondered what it was that Bernie didn’t like about Anna. When she had introduced them, he’d been cold and unfriendly from the off. Yet Anna, like the lady she was, had greeted him warmly. Much to Ruby’s embarrassment Bernie had carried her luggage up the stairs to her room at 10 Dower Street without a word or a smile.

  Anna had ignored his rudeness and suggested that, as Bernie had taken time off work, it was only fair that Ruby spend the rest of the morning with her friend.

  That was how considerate Anna was, Ruby thought as she looked at Bernie’s solemn face.

  Now Ruby wished she had said goodbye to Bernie in Dower Street. His gloomy mood was getting her down.

  ‘All I’m saying is,’ Bernie persisted as they sat by the misted window overlooking the busy pavements of Oxford Street, ‘you needn’t have moved your clobber out so quick from the bedsit. I’m keeping the digs on for a bit. Just in case the usherette job don’t work out for Kath.’

  ‘I’m sure it will.’ Ruby took a sip of the scalding coffee and smoothed her finger around the edge of the glass cup. ‘But it is very lonely there without Kath.’

  ‘Beats me why you girls had to leave.’

  ‘Because everything changes, Bernie. And if you don’t grab the chance when you can, you ain’t living life.’

  ‘Yeah, I know,’ admitted Bernie dolefully.

  ‘You’ve got dust on your coat from my stuff.’ She reached out to brush the marks off.

  Bernie looked into her eyes and smiled. ‘Thanks.’

  ‘You always were a messy bugger.’

  ‘You ain’t supposed to swear any more, remember? Or Madam will clip your ear.’

  ‘Don’t call Anna that.’

  ‘Why not?’ He laughed. ‘It’s a wonder she let the likes of me into that posh house of hers.’

  ‘You’re just in a bad mood.’

  ‘She was flitting around you, almost up your a—’

  ‘You didn’t even bother to talk to her.’

  ‘She put the mockers on me,’ Bernie snorted, sitting back and smoothing his hand over his greasy black brilliantined hair, ‘just with that snobby look of hers.’

  Ruby laughed. ‘It’s what’s called sophistication.’

  Bernie dug out an empty packet of Woodbines from his pocket and threw it on the coffee table. Drumming his fingers, he squashed the paper with his palm. ‘Well, this is it,’ he said, heaving a long sigh. ‘There’s been enough goodbyes since Christmas and I hope this is the last of them.’

  ‘It’s not goodbye,’ Ruby said evenly. ‘We’ll still see each other.’

  ‘Don’t suppose you want to go to Fortuno’s this Saturday?’

  She smiled. ‘You should get yourself a decent girl and settle down.’

  ‘I’ve been too busy doing what Pete would have wanted, trying to keep an eye on you.’

  ‘Yes, and you have,’ Ruby said, feeling a little sorry for Bernie now. He had done his best for her and Kath.

  ‘I saw a book in one of them boxes of yours,’ Bernie said suddenly. ‘It brought back a lot of memories. Pete wrote in the bloody thing all the time.’

  Ruby was surprised. ‘How do you know that?’

  ‘I was his mate, wasn’t I? He’d say, “Oh, that’s one for the diary,” or, “That’s one for posterity.” I never understood the long words he used, but he did show it to me one day and I kidded him about it.’

  ‘Did he let you read it?’

  ‘No. He just had this big grin on his face. He said he’d sell his memoirs to the newspapers one day.’

  ‘I thought I was the only one who knew about the diary,’ Ruby said, a little upset. ‘I found it in his wardrobe.’

  ‘Did you read it?’ Bernie asked curiously.

  ‘Yes, there was a girl in it called Joanie,’ Ruby explained. ‘Do you recognize the name?’

  Bernie thought for a moment then shook his head. ‘Haven’t the foggiest.’

  ‘I was a bit upset,’ Ruby admitted. ‘If he had a special girlfriend, why wouldn’t he have told me?’

  ‘Just goes to show,’ Bernie said, ‘you was his sister and me his best mate and neither of us knew about Joanie.’ There was a drawn-out silence before he added, ‘Dunno if she had anything to do with it, but Pete was acting strange towards the end.’

  ‘How do you mean?’

  ‘He was quiet one minute, then the next he was all over the place. He’d say that when he was in the money he was gonna get away from all this. I never knew how to take him. He used to love the East End once. Before he moved up to the city and worked for the rich guy. After that, all we shared was small talk.’

  ‘He thought you was jealous, probably,’ Ruby accused.

  ‘Maybe I was,’ Bernie admitted, shifting on the chair. ‘But he started mixing with a different set, not my type at all.’

  ‘What sort of types?’

  ‘Foreigners by the looks of ’em.’

  ‘What didn’t you like about them?’

  Bernie shrugged. ‘Dunno. It’s me sixth sense, I expect.’

  ‘Didn’t know you had one except when it comes to chasing women.’

  ‘What I mean is, I never saw Pete with any of our old crowd. One night, when we was back on the island and drinking at the Quarry, I said to Pete, why did he want to meet there? I like the pub, mind, it’s our old turf. But Pete mixed in different circles and I had accepted that. So this night he said, “You’ve been a good mate but I may have to go away for a while. So I want you to watch out for Ruby.” I asked where was he going. “Spain,” he said. And that was it.’

  ‘Did you ask why he was going to go to Spain?’

  Bernie nodded. ‘Said he needed the sunshine.’ />
  ‘So it was a holiday?’

  ‘What else could it be?’

  ‘Why didn’t you tell me this before?’ Ruby was annoyed with Bernie for having kept this to himself. Pete had never said anything about Spain to her. As far as she knew Pete had never been out of the country.

  ‘Because the minute I tried to talk to you about Pete, you got miffed. Like that night at Fortuno’s. So I just shut up.’

  ‘Yes, but this is important.’

  ‘Because he told me and not you?’

  ‘No,’ she replied impatiently. ‘Because someone going on holiday wouldn’t want to top himself.’

  Bernie was silent, then nodded. ‘You’ve got a point there.’

  Ruby thought about the empty bottle she had found beside Pete and the aspirins spilled on the bedcover. ‘The coroner said he had been drinking and as a result took too many aspirin. That it was an accident.’

  Bernie sighed. ‘Yes, but Pete wasn’t a boozer, as we both know. We never drank more than a couple of beers together.’

  Ruby frowned, leaning her elbows on the table and rubbing her aching temples with her fingers. Was what Bernie told her true? And if so, what did the information mean? All these new questions seemed to gather inside her brain and fill it so much it hurt. Bernie had never expressed his doubts before. No one had about Pete or the last months of his life, which to her hadn’t seemed much different to normal. He had a good job with a rich boss and was away a lot. He came home to the prefab odd weekends, but he never was anything other than happy. Or so she thought.

  ‘Did you tell the police all this?’ Ruby asked, looking up sharply.

  ‘Course I did.’

  ‘So you told them and not me?’

  ‘They were a bloody sight easier to talk to.’

  ‘I’m going back to Anna’s,’ Ruby said, getting to her feet. ‘Thanks for the coffee.’

  ‘What’s all the rush?’

  ‘There has to be something in Pete’s diary that I’m missing.’

  ‘Like what?’ Bernie demanded.

  ‘Don’t know. But you can come with me if you like. We could look at it together in my room.’

  ‘Not on your nelly. Not with Madam giving me the evil eye.’