A Promise Between Friends (21 page)

But the hall was empty. Ruby opened the front door and walked down the path. There was no one in sight on the Mallard Road. Shivering, she went back indoors.

The noise again! Like someone talking. Perhaps Maggs had gone in to see her mum? Ruby hurried in there. The room was empty, the bedclothes pushed to one side. Ruby ran to the bathroom, the
kitchen and her own room. A wave of panic flooded her as she hurried out to the yard. All was deserted.

Once again she tried the road. There were a few figures walking up and down, but not her mum. Ruby ran back indoors. She didn’t know where else to search. Would her mum have walked down to
Maggs’s house? But in her nightclothes? Ruby grabbed her coat from the hall stand. Just as she was about to leave, she heard the soft noises again.

‘Mum, is that you?’ she called.

No reply. Ruby shivered. Who was in the house? She walked slowly forward, her eyes darting around. The sound came from Pete’s room.

‘Mum?’ Ruby slowly opened the door. She hadn’t been in here since she’d come home. It still upset her to see all Pete’s things just as they were.

‘We was just having a chat,’ her mother said, looking up with huge, vacant eyes from where she sat on Pete’s bed.

‘Who was?’ Ruby asked, looking round.

Babs smiled in surprise. ‘Me and your brother of course.’

Ruby shook her head in bewilderment. ‘Mum, Pete ain’t here.’

‘Course he is, love.’

‘Where?’

Babs patted the bed beside her. ‘Look, he’s smiling at us. Ain’t he a handsome bugger?’ Babs frowned as she gazed into thin air. ‘But I’ve torn him off a
strip. Told him he’s got to visit more. That boss of his is working him too bloody hard.’

Ruby’s legs went weak. Now her mum was seeing things. She was having hallucinations. ‘I’ve lit a fire,’ she coaxed with a shaky smile. ‘Let’s go in the front
room.’

‘I’ve got my boy to keep me warm,’ Babs said with a happy expression. ‘Look, he’s coming to give you a hug.’

Ruby felt a shiver go over her from her head to her toes. What was she to do? Or say?

‘There,’ Babs sighed, pulling on the buttons of her nightdress. ‘He’s telling you he wants to talk to you. But you ain’t been in here much, have you? You used to
come all the time. You and him. Always telling each other your little secrets.’ Babs laughed strangely. ‘Don’t think me and your dad didn’t notice. We always knew you two
was peas in a pod. And thank God for it.’

The tears filled Ruby’s eyes. ‘Mum, you mustn’t do this.’

‘Why?’ Babs asked in surprise. ‘Don’t upset your brother now.’

‘There ain’t no one to upset!’ Ruby burst out. ‘You know as well as me that Pete is dead. He took all them pills and we found him that morning. Here where you’re
sitting. Where he was—’ She took hold of her mother’s cold hands and shook them. ‘Where he was lying. Right? Christ, Mum, losing Pete was bad enough, but we’re losing
you too. You’ve got to come back to us. I’m your daughter, after all. I need you. I need you more than Pete does. He’s gone. But I’m here, in the flesh, so is Dad. And
you’ve got to realize that.’ The bitter tears streamed down her face as she spoke.

Babs pushed her away. ‘I’m going back to bed now.’

‘Don’t leave me,’ Ruby called as her mum walked out of the door.

Ruby sank down on the bed.

If only there was someone to tell her what to do.

Ruby jumped.

She’d fallen asleep on Pete’s bed. How long had she been lying here? The mantel clock said half past one. Almost an hour.

She sat up and the conversation she’d had with Babs came back to her. Her mum must be very ill. Nothing was going to bring her back to reality.

Her gaze went to Pete’s wardrobe where she’d found his diary. She hadn’t read it since coming home. It had been easy to look at it at Dower Street. But here in the room that
Pete had occupied, reading his written words made her sad.

What had her mum said? This imaginary Pete had said Ruby hadn’t gone in his room to talk to him. This gave her the willies, because this room was indeed where she and Pete had talked
together. Though he’d carefully kept hidden the biggest secret, Joanie. Who was this Joanie? Why had he never talked about her?

Ruby stood up and brushed down her crumpled blouse. The tears had dried stiffly on her cheeks. She looked in the mirror to inspect the damage. As she saw her reflection she barely recognized her
ashen, puffy face. Where was the person who had spent hours in the bathroom at Dower Street, soaked in scented water? The girl who scoured the magazines for the latest fashions. The model who had
paraded so confidently at Steadman’s.

How had she come to this?

Ruby’s thoughts were disturbed by Maggs calling her name. Quickly Ruby pushed back her hair and took a breath. When she got to the kitchen, Maggs was putting on the kettle.

‘Hello, ducks, I reckoned you could do with a cuppa by now.’

‘Yes, that’d be nice.’

‘How’s yer mum today?’

‘She was talking to Pete in his bedroom.’

Maggs turned round, a smile on her face. ‘Did she say what he said?’

‘She said she gave him a ticking off for not coming round more.’

Maggs cackled with laughter. ‘Sorry, but I can see the funny side.’

‘I wish I could.’

‘You’ll have to, if this is to be a regular thing.’

Ruby groaned softly. ‘Do you think it might be?’

Maggs waved her hand. ‘Did she seem happy to see him?’

‘Yes, but no one was there,’ Ruby repeated. ‘There was only us in his room.’

Maggs’s thin eyebrows disappeared under her turban. ‘No one you could see, at least.’ The kettle boiled and began to whistle. Maggs turned off the gas. ‘If your mum was
happy to talk to this invisible someone, what’s the harm?’

While Maggs made the tea, Ruby put out the cups. She sat down and sighed. ‘I don’t know what to do for the best, Maggs. I feel lost.’

‘We’re all lost until someone turns on the light in our heads. And believe me, there’s lots of lights to turn on before you can see where you’re going.’

Ruby laughed.

‘That’s better. Now drink your brew. And then you can get off to do yer shopping.’

Once, Ruby thought with amusement, she wouldn’t have thought shopping at the market would have been the high spot of her week.

Now she couldn’t wait to get out of the door.

It was on a cold and crisp Friday later that month when Kath and Bernie called round. ‘It’s my first day off in weeks,’ Kath said, giving Ruby a hug on the
doorstep. ‘Are you stopping?’

‘Bernie’s in the car. We thought you might like a ride out. That is, if you can leave your mum.’

Ruby glanced over Kath’s shoulder to catch Bernie’s wave from the window. ‘I could get Maggs to come and sit with her.’

‘Who’s Maggs?’

‘Mum’s friend. She lives at the end of the road and calls in most days.’

‘Good,’ Kath said eagerly. ‘Go and put on something nice.’

‘Where are we going?’ Ruby glanced down at her overalls which were already thin and patched. She had forgotten what nice clothes looked like.

‘It’s a surprise.’

Ruby didn’t know if she was in the mood for surprises. And, in comparison to Kath, who wore a smart herring-bone-patterned coat with a black patent belt and matching high heels, she felt
like the dog’s dinner.

‘Go on,’ Kath said, ignoring her hesitation. ‘Meanwhile I’ll have a chat with your mum.’

‘She’s in the front room by the fire.’

Kath hustled Ruby towards her bedroom. ‘Now, dolly yourself up and prepare for a nice afternoon out.’

Ruby knew Kath wouldn’t take no for an answer. Wishing she had washed her hair last night, she looked in her wardrobe. She only had the grey suit with the fur collar that she’d
bought from Patterson’s. At least it was in good condition. And why shouldn’t it be?

She hadn’t gone anywhere to wear it!

‘Darling girl. Happy birthday!’ Ruby found herself folded into Larry’s arms. All the smells she remembered from the poodle parlour engulfed her. Doggie hair,
talcum powder, shampoo and Debbie’s cheap perfume. Debbie and Stuart stared at her over Larry’s shoulder, smiles on their faces, and Bernie and Kath stood grinning beside them.

‘My birthday?’ Ruby repeated, suddenly realizing she had forgotten it was today.

‘Happy birthday,’ Debbie said. ‘Long time no see.’

Ruby blushed. She hadn’t even sent Debbie a wedding card. ‘Yes, it is. Are you Mrs Stacey now?’

‘Yes, and very happy too.’ Debbie flashed the diamond engagement ring on her finger by the band of gold.

‘I’m sorry I couldn’t come to your wedding. I had to look after me mum.’

‘So I hear.’

‘Have you got a kiss for Uncle Stuart?’ Stuart said as he embraced her. ‘I’m glad to see you’re as beautiful as ever, my dear.’

Ruby was close to tears. She hadn’t expected all this.

‘Well, let’s get the party started,’ Larry gushed, taking her hand and dragging her out to the back room. Everyone followed and Ruby was shocked to see a white tablecloth over
the bench, complete with a large pink-and-white iced birthday cake and twenty candles. Beside this stood a bottle of champagne and half a dozen glasses.

‘Is this for me?’ Ruby gasped.

‘Who else?’

‘What if a customer comes in?’

‘We’ve no appointments for today and there’s a
Closed
sign on the door.’

Ruby hadn’t noticed. She had been very anxious when Bernie and Kath had appeared. Meeting anyone at the parlour meant giving explanations, and right now she couldn’t give them.

‘Let’s toast the birthday girl,’ Stuart said, expertly opening the bottle, and everyone screamed as the champagne cork popped out. Soon their glasses were full and Ruby cut the
cake with a sharp knife that Debbie handed her.

‘You went to all this trouble on my behalf?’ Ruby said as she stood with eyes wide.

‘You’re very special to us, darling. Kath told us about the hell you went through at Dower Street. So this is our way of cheering you up.’ Proudly, Larry pushed out his round
stomach under his polo-neck sweater. Ruby thought how fashionably dressed he was, in a dark suit and new horn-rimmed spectacles that suited his big eyes. Stuart was wearing a white jacket and
Paisley silk scarf that made him look more like an actor than ever. Debbie had chosen a plain brown dress, Ruby noticed. There was a noticeable curve to her stomach. Was she pregnant already? she
wondered. Kath and Bernie stood quietly in the background until Larry looped his arm through Kath’s.

‘This young lady has been very concerned about you,’ he said earnestly. ‘We all know how hard it has been for you looking after your mother.’ His face grew solemn.
‘Remember, I had a mother of my own once who I loved dearly, but demanded so much attention I almost forgot who I was.’

‘Now, now, Larry, we aren’t here to depress Ruby,’ interrupted Stuart, waving his hand. ‘In fact, we are hoping that, when your problems at home are over, Ruby,
you’ll come back to the fold.’

She tried to smile. Stuart’s offer was a generous one, but the thought of coming back to the parlour and having to deal with customers like Mrs Freeman again wasn’t something she
wanted. All the same, she said quietly, ‘You’ve all been so kind. Thank you.’

‘We’re your friends, my sweet,’ Larry cooed. ‘You can always count on us.’

As everyone was drinking and talking, Ruby looked at Bernie. ‘You’re very quiet.’

‘Don’t have much to say, except happy birthday.’

‘You managed to keep this a secret.’

‘Yeah, well, they told me to keep shtoom.’

‘Your sister is such a good friend to me.’ Ruby looked down at the sparkling liquid in her glass. Tears were close again. ‘So are you, Bernie.’

‘Thanks.’

‘Don’t say it like that.’ Ruby saw disappointment in Bernie’s face. He still wanted more than friendship.

‘Oh, by the way, there’s one more guest to arrive,’ Larry shouted across the room. ‘Should be here any sec.’

Bernie walked away from her to pour himself another drink. Kath looked expectantly through the window and Stuart nodded, adding, ‘A very special guest.’

‘Who?’ Ruby couldn’t guess who they meant. But then her heart almost leaped out of her chest as the familiar shape of a large car drew up outside.

Her heart beat so fast she thought she was about to faint. A figure climbed out and walked to the front door. A few seconds later a handsome man wearing a navy camel-haired overcoat entered.
Pushing his hand over the immaculate cut of his short brown hair, he smiled.

‘N-Nick!’ Ruby stammered as he slid his hand around her waist. ‘What are you doing here?’

‘I’ve been out of town on business for a while or I would have come sooner.’

‘How did you find me?’

He raised his broad shoulders in a shrug. ‘Anna told me you’d decided to leave the agency.’

‘So you spoke to her? Did she tell you what happened?’ Ruby asked anxiously.

‘It doesn’t matter now, darling. I bumped into Kath in Dean Street a couple of weeks ago. She was on her way to the theatre and I had some business to attend to. It was just the
opportunity I needed to ask how you were.’

Ruby looked at Kath. ‘You never said.’

‘I wanted to give you a birthday surprise,’ Kath replied with a grin. ‘And when I saw Nick, I realized I could bring you two together again.’

‘Welcome back to the real world,’ Nick whispered in Ruby’s ear as Debbie, Rog, Larry, Stuart and Kath joined them with smiles and laughter.

Everyone, Ruby noticed, except Bernie.

The party was coming to an end and there were tearful goodbyes all round. Ruby promised she would keep in touch and consider Larry’s offer of work when her mum was
better. She knew that day was a long way off, but her reply seemed to satisfy him.

‘Take care of yourself,’ Debbie said as she kissed Ruby’s cheek. ‘Come and see me and Rog when you’ve got time.’

‘Where are you living?’

‘We’re still at Paradise Row. But we’re leaving soon. The twins are driving Rog crackers.’

‘I hope you’ll both be very happy.’ Ruby turned to Larry and Stuart. ‘Thank you for today. It was so unexpected.’