by Debbie Chase
“Look,” I said wryly. “Just because Rose said she’s going to give notice doesn’t mean she will. I don’t need to tell you that I know Rose as well as I know myself.”
“So,” he teased, “If you said you were going to do something, would you definitely do it?”
“Yes,” I replied, nodding my head and helping myself to a handful of peanuts. “I’m too boring and straightforward to do anything else.”
“Ruby,” he said, taking hold of my hand and softly kissing the palm. “You could never be boring.”
I blame the effect of the rum because my eyes filled with tears, and I let James pull me close and kiss my cheek. His lips felt warm and dry against my skin. The door suddenly banged open, making me jump, and a group of people dressed as if for the North Pole surged in, followed by a burst of icy cold air and a flurry of snowflakes. Chairs noisily scraping the floor, they sat at a table and began to study the menu.
“What do you think?” asked James, fluttering the menu at me. “Shall we order, madam?” I started a bit at the “madam”—it reminded me so much of La Bar and the young waiter fluttering around me on the day that Blake had turned up to perform. Memories that I really didn’t need at the moment.
Much later, fueled by food and alcohol, we crunched home through the snow, the air cold and crisp and the sky arching above us clear and black, set with tiny pinpricks of stars. I felt invigorated as we walked, my senses heightened to everything around me—the shushing of the sea and the cawing of the gulls, the strong smell of salt and seaweed, James’s hand firmly in mine, and our icy cold breath puffing from our mouths like speech bubbles as we talked.
He took me right to the door, where he pulled me close and, gazing into my eyes, leaned forward and kissed the very tip of my nose. “I love you, Ruby. Always have, always will.”
“James, I—”
“Ssh, it’s okay.” Gently he pushed my fringe from my eyes with his fingertips and, leaning forward again, softly touched his lips to mine. He smelled so good, spicy and aromatic. We stood together, our foreheads touching, his strong arms encircling my waist and pulling me ever closer and closer. My heart beat so hard I thought it would burst.
“I’ll text you, Ruby.”
He began to walk away but stopped and turned around, studying me intently, his head to one side, before saying, “Just wanted one last look.”
A wonderful shiver ran up my spine, and I grinned at him, lips turned up in a smile before he walked away.
Chapter Eleven
It was the last day of term at school, and Christmas was rapidly approaching. The choir was in the hall practicing for their carol concert, and their voices, such beautiful young voices, were moving me to tears. We had a massive Christmas tree in the reception area, a silver one bedecked with streams of red tinsel and flashing golden lights, a beautiful angel crowning the top. Many of the students had been standing, staring at it as if in awe. As if they couldn’t quite believe their school had such a fantastic Christmas tree.
“Wow, miss, the tree is awesome!” And I had to agree with them, it was.
“All thanks to the hard work of the Maintenance Team!” I kept telling them.
Just as she said she would, Rose had given notice at her job and already had an interview lined up at Butcher & Steele for the Legal PA position that Mum told her about. In the meantime, the library job was being advertised again with a closing date early in the New Year, so I had plenty of time to think about whether or not to apply.
I was still not sure. Something inside me wanted to travel again. I had a strong urge to go back to St. Malo, to stay again at La Petite Amelia and stand at the window gazing at the beautiful garden, with the sun on my face and the salty smell of the lapping sea hanging in the air. I had an irresistible urge to spend the evening in La Bar, sipping red wine in a dark corner while the crowds went crazy as the singer, a good-looking man with long dark hair cradling a guitar, took to the stage and serenaded me with “Ruby Tuesday.”
Everything awaiting me in the future was still a mystery despite the things the tarot reader had told me. Still nothing from Blake, but I had to admit that I didn’t check my phone with as much intensity as I used to. I was not so obsessed with the little beep that indicated there was a text message ready and waiting for me in my inbox. I still cared. I still wanted to know why he didn’t get in touch, but since I had started seeing James, it didn’t seem to matter as much as it had. There was something about James—I was not sure what. His kindness? His concern for me? His funniness and silliness? The way he looked at me as if he was going to love me forever and ever? I could go on and on, but as I said, there was something about James, something…oh, I don’t know. I don’t want to say it because it’s such a cliché, but…. Well, he touched my heart.
I knew that Mum and Dad were secretly over the moon that James and I had become a couple. There was nothing they’d like more than to see me happy and settled with somebody who lived close by and to finally get that upsetting holiday romance out of my system. Oh, don’t get me wrong, it couldn’t be just anybody local—they loved James. They always had, right from when he was a little boy at school. He was always the good little boy, the one that obeyed his mum and dad without a second thought, and, as he got older, he was the calm steadying influence on his two close friends, Steve and Craig.
The three of them were always together. Rose and I would see them all the time sitting on the harbor walls fishing, their own makeshift rods and lines dangling in the water, or foraging for cockles in the sticky, slimy mud at Langstone, or riding their battered old bikes to Hayling Island along windy country lanes. They were fascinated by our identical looks and argued all the time about who was who until one day, as if a light bulb had gone off in his head, James said, “Ruby’s the one with the mole!” Bingo!
Maybe it was because he had to go through his dad’s death at such a young age, or maybe it was because he was just James. Whatever. He was a nice guy, and I felt lucky to have him. But why, then, did I feel so restless sometimes, as if there was a great big world out there and I was missing out on it? Rose was always lecturing me as if she were someone older and wiser, someone, with years of experience. “A classic case of assuming the grass is greener on the other side, Ruby. And it isn’t, it really isn’t—it’s a mirage!” How Rose knew that I have no idea.
She was over the moon, too, because her dream of the six of us going out as couples had come true. Vanessa had hooked up with Craig and Rose with Steve, so James and I made a nice tidy six. Rose’s dream had been realized and, do you know what? I thought she was secretly planning our wedding day, maybe all six of us together. I’d spied her looking in the window of the wedding dress shop, Dream Day Bridal, on the High Street so many times that she must be up to something. The dresses, while being identified as a bride’s dream, with so many flounces and lace and long flowing veils, could also turn out to be a bride’s nightmare! Or was that just me?
“Hey, Ruby, can I have a word?”
I looked up to see Katie, the library manager, standing next to me. “Hi Katie, how can I help?”
I liked Katie. She was a nice woman, maybe in her thirties, married, I thought, with a couple of little kids, even though she looked like a kid herself with her long multi-colored hair and Doc Martens boots. When I’d first started at the school, I was amazed at how many of the staff dressed so bohemian, slightly on the hippy side. Unfortunately, my thoughts then turned to Blake, who also gave off that sort of vibe.
“I just wanted a quick word with you,” she whispered. “Look, Ruby, I’ll come straight to the point. Are you going to apply for the library job this time?”
I grinned to myself as I wondered what she’d say if I told her I’d wanted to apply for it last time but had been warned off by my own sister. Instead, I just said, “I’m not sure yet.”
“Oh.” She looked disappointed. “Rose has done a good j
ob, but….” She took a cursory glance over her shoulder. “I think you could really be cut out for it. You’re so bookish and get on really well with the students. Why didn’t you go for it before?”
“Well, I went travelling, and actually, I might be off again. So who knows? There’s other interest in the job, though, isn’t there?”
The break time bell shrilled, making us both flinch, giggling, hands to our hearts, and then there was pandemonium as students rushed out of classrooms and made their way, shouting and laughing, either outside into the cold frosty air or to the canteen for much needed refreshments.
“I’m not sure, but there wasn’t a lot of interest when Rose got the job.”
A group of people came wandering uncertainly into the reception area and came to stand at the desk, looking at me expectantly, and then the phone started to ring. Summing up the situation, Katie said, “I’ll let you get on. Maybe we could have a chat when we’re back at work after Christmas?”
I nodded as we wished each other a Happy Christmas and then turned my attention to the school’s visitors, who had come for a meeting with a teacher about “our” Robert. The rest of the day passed quickly, and before I knew it, I was on my usual walk home with the two-week Christmas break stretching in front of me. I felt unusually lighthearted. Groups of students ambled along, talking about their holiday plans and seeming in no rush to get home, and I urged them to hurry and get back before dark. My thoughts turned to James, and I wondered what he was doing that evening. I hoped that perhaps we could go out, just the two of us, for something to eat and maybe a drink.
I walked quickly, my boots like slippers on my feet and my coat zipped up to the neck, together with a hat and gloves keeping me warm and cozy. With lamps shining in the windows and Christmas lights twinkling, home looked welcoming as I walked up the garden path. Although I was glowing from my walk, I was still glad to step into the cozy kitchen where Mum, Dad, and Michael sat companionably around the table, clutching mugs of tea and coffee. The oven was on, bathing the room in warmth and, from the smell, could only assume that some sort of fish pie was browning nicely in there. There was no sign of Rose.
“Hey Ruby,” Michael stood up and enveloped me in a bear hug. Gazing at him, I saw that he looked tons better than he had when we’d seen each other in the house in Bosham. He’d transformed himself from the old down and out with the bushy beard and tatty clothing back to the smart, clean-shaven boy next door, and my God was I glad to see it. I took off my coat and hung it neatly on the back of the chair.
“Hey, Michael.” We high-fived and grinned, whilst Mum told me to sit down as she pushed a mug of coffee over the table towards me. I helped myself to milk, definitely no sugar, and took a great gulp, licking my lips with pleasure as the caffeine shot through my veins.
“How’s school today, number one twin?” asked Dad jokingly.
“Good, busy as usual. More so because of it being the last day of term. Where’s number two twin?”
“Pampering herself upstairs,” replied Mum, nodding her head towards the ceiling. “Getting ready for tonight.”
“Oh, where’s she going?”
“Aren’t you all going out? Some sort of a Christmas do at the Coal Exchange?”
“Yeah, and I’m working,” put in Michael. Michael had been helping Robert at the pub while hoping to get a job at the local newspaper, The Emsworth Echo. According to another contact of Mum and Dad’s, they would be looking for a new reporter within the next couple of months. “So I can keep an eye on both of you and make sure you don’t drink too much.” He gave a short laugh. “I wouldn’t want you to have a hangover tomorrow!”
“Yeah, good luck with that,” I said, taking another sip of coffee. “I feel like a few glasses of wine tonight, although I did actually think that the ‘do’ was tomorrow night.”
My phone beeped with a message from James. Hey Ruby, I’ll be round at 8 … can’t wait to see you Jx
Hmm, bang goes my cozy twosome with James tonight, I thought.
“It’s gonna be a good night. Robert’s booked a live band—they’re supposed to be really good.”
“Who are they?” I asked, thinking for one crazy moment that Blake might have set up a new band and was laying low in Emsworth until he could surprise me tonight with an extra special rendition of “Ruby Tuesday.”
“They’re a duo called Two’s Company, a couple of women that do Motown, disco—you know, that sort of thing. The place will be rocking.”
“Sounds good. I love that sort of music.”
“Yeah, Robert’s been a bit worried that the Bluebell was doing better on the live music front, so he decided to book this band even though they’re really expensive. He’s hoping the punters will stream in tonight.”
“Oh, I’m sure they will,” I assured him. “Everybody loves a good live band.”
“I have contacts, you see, from my old job in Swansea. That’s what I specialized in, you know—interviewing new up and coming bands.”
“I envy you that,” I said, thoughts of Blake once again coming into my mind. Mum gave me a penetrating glance as I said, “A very interesting job.”
A blast of steam hissed into the kitchen as Mum got up and peered in the oven at the fish pie. “This is ready. Anybody want any?” She set the steaming dish on the table and started to share it out onto plates while shouting loudly for Rose to come down and eat. “No, Stan,” she said to Dad as, hopefully, he proffered a plate towards her. “We’re going to that new pizza place tonight with Lenny and Sue, so you’d better not have any of this.”
“Don’t be mean, May,” said Dad, disappointment evident in his voice. “I’m peckish. Just a tiny bit?” he cajoled.
Michael and I exchanged amused glances as Mum dumped one tiny spoonful on his plate before putting yet more on mine and Michael’s and Rose’s.
Rose came down and took her place at the table next to me. She nodded around the table, and I noticed that she still wore her pajamas but had styled her hair in a different way, and her face sparkled and glittered with make-up.
“You look like a fairy princess,” commented Dad, as he nibbled at his meager helping of fish pie.
“Thank you,” she said graciously, picking up a fork and poking about at her food. “How’s it going with the solicitor, Michael?” she asked.
“Really good,” he replied, picking up his mug and drinking, and then, nodding at Mum and Dad for confirmation, said, “There’s no reason why I can’t have visiting time with Leah. It will probably be every other weekend, and maybe once during the week. Oh, and once she starts nursery and school, there’ll be some of the school holidays too.” He beamed around the table.
“Brilliant!” we said in unison.
“The trouble is, though,” his face was downcast now, “Nobody knows where Priscilla is at the moment, and all this will have to go to court, so it could be ages before anything happens.”
“It could happen sooner than you think,” said Dad kindly. “The solicitor may already have an idea of where she is.”
“Oh, and—” Michael almost choked on a forkful of the pie and, sitting back in his chair, breathing heavily and batting his hand in front of his face, said, “Too hot! Oh my God!”
“Ha,” said Dad. “Serves you right for taking too big a bite! You should have had a small portion—like me!” He glanced at Mum, who poked out her tongue like a child.
“The house in Bosham is up for sale, so hopefully, I’ll recoup some of the money that Priscilla took.”
“You may get it all back when they track her down,” put in Mum.
Michael frowned and said morosely, “Hmm, it could be a long job. Maybe it would be quicker to get a private detective onto her.”
“Yeah,” said Dad, slowly shaking his head. “But that will cost money, Michael.”
“I know, but it’s something to think about.
I get mad when I think what she’s gotten away with.” Scraping his plate clean, he checked his watch and said that he’d better go. Robert would need help in setting the pub up. He stood up, thanking Mum for the meal, shaking hands with Dad, and kissing us goodbye.
“The trouble is,” he said sadly, turning around, his hand on the door handle, “The more waves I make, the more she’ll try to stop me from seeing Leah. I know what she’s like.”
“It’s got to be done,” Mum said. “Be strong, Michael.”
When he’d gone, Rose said, “I bet she’s gone back to Swansea. Are they looking for her there?”
“I think so,” replied Dad, looking hopefully at our plates like a starving man. “I’m meeting with Ralph Butcher tomorrow after morning surgery. Maybe he’ll have news.”
Looking at her phone, Rose suddenly squealed and nudged me so hard I almost fell off my chair. “Good God, Ruby, it’s almost seven o’clock, and Steve’s coming for me at half-past. I need to get dressed.”
“James is coming at eight,” I replied. “But I’ll be right up to get ready.”
“Go on,” said Mum as I looked worriedly at the dirty dishes on the table. “Go get ready. Me and your dad can clear up.”
“No,” I could hear Dad say as I sped up the stairs to get in the bathroom before Rose took over. “I haven’t the energy. I’m too hungry.”
“Oh, for God’s sake, Stan,” said Mum irritably.
I giggled as, hastily, I locked the door and, flinging off my clothes, quickly got in the shower.
Chapter Twelve
James arrived well before our meeting time of eight o’clock. I could hear the murmur of his voice as he talked to Dad downstairs. Dad was starving hungry by now and wanting to talk about food, and was telling him about the pizza he would be enjoying soon, the largest they had in the Pizza Parlor in Havant, with several different toppings and extra cheese and extra olives, all washed down with a good bottle of red. He sounded like a condemned man ordering his last meal. I’ve got to say I felt nauseous even thinking about it.
