Blue Moon (43 page)

May was skipping in the road with her friends when Ruby and Jim slowly made their way back home. They were both tired. Eastbourne had been crowded with August bank-holiday visitors and the weather was kind to them. Cecil’s coach might have been a bit of a relic, but it was clean and comfortable and he was a careful driver. Their picnic on the beach had been a pleasure and they both enjoyed the newness of their married relationship.

However, the discovery of the bullet in the bed had dominated their day. They had rehearsed the names of everybody who had come to the house the day before, and the list was so long that it felt as if the rest of the world and his wife had passed through the doors. Friends, neighbours, Susan Marley, the florist, the chimney sweep who had come to wish them good luck, several fishermen who had sailed with Nelson, all the girls from Warnes … the list went on and on. Everyone had had access to the bedroom, because their coats had been thrown across the bed and Ruby couldn’t resist showing some of them her new ‘home’. As far as she and Jim could see, not one of them was a threat, let alone a killer. They’d gone over and over it until Ruby’s head hurt, so they’d made a pact not to speak of it again, only to find themselves drifting back to it once more.

May waved and ran towards them.

‘Hello, Pipsqueak,’ said Ruby. ‘Did you and Mummy have a nice day?’

‘We went to the beach with Mummy’s friend.’

‘Did you now,’ said Ruby.

‘It wasn’t our beach,’ said May. ‘It was miles and miles away, and we went in a big car.’

Ruby chuckled. ‘Oh, yes?’

‘We
did
,’ May insisted. ‘And I went fishing in a rockpool and I caught a baby crab, but Mummy said I had to put him back, because that’s where he lives and he would miss his home.’

Her mother had come to the door. ‘May, you can stay outside for another five minutes and then it’s time for bed,’ said Bea. ‘Ruby, Jim, I need to talk to you.’

Ruby’s heart sank. Something was wrong. Had something happened to Percy? ‘What is it, Mum?’ she said, going indoors and pulling off her hat.

She listened open-mouthed as Bea told them about Rex turning up.

‘Did he know it was my wedding?’

‘No, love,’ said Bea. ‘He was most upset to miss it. Apparently he was here in Worthing, but he was ill and had to stay in his room at the hotel.’

‘Oh, darling, what a terrible shame,’ Jim murmured.

‘Is he all right now?’ Ruby asked anxiously.

Bea nodded. ‘He turned up soon after you’d gone, and he took May and me to Elmer Sands.’

Ruby felt a stab of jealousy: Rex was
her
father. Jim must have sensed how she felt because she felt him reach for her hand. In the run-up to their wedding she had told him everything she knew about her mother and Rex. Surprisingly, for a man, Jim thought it was
romantic. ‘I’m glad your mother has known real love,’ he’d said. ‘She deserves it. Your father … Nelson was never very nice to her.’

‘The thing is,’ Bea went on now, ‘he wants to meet you both.’

‘When?’ Ruby asked eagerly.

‘I told him you might be too tired, but he’d like us all to have dinner with him at the hotel tonight.’

Ruby gasped.

‘He’s sending a car around in about …’ she glanced at the clock, ‘forty minutes.’

‘Forty minutes!’

‘If you’d rather leave it for now,’ said Bea, ‘we’ve arranged that you could meet him tomorrow instead.’

Ruby glanced at her husband. ‘I can’t wait until tomorrow and, besides, it’s bank-holiday Monday. All the day-trippers will be on the prom wanting their “Magic Memories”.’

‘This is far more important, Ruby,’ said Jim. ‘He’s your father.’

Ruby suddenly realized that her mother was all dressed up. She was wearing the dress she had bought for the wedding, and her hair was neatly curled.

The next half-hour was manic. Ruby and Jim dashed around each other, concentrating on getting ready before the car came. Susan Marley came round to babysit, while Bea put May to bed. The child complained and pleaded to come, but by the time everyone was ready, she was already tucked up and Susan was reading her a story.

No one could have been more shocked than Ruby when the car pulled up outside Warnes Hotel. But if any of the staff who greeted them were surprised to see their ex-chambermaid walking through the doors as a guest, they certainly didn’t show it.

As they were shown into the dining room, a man sitting at a table near the window stood up. Ruby’s eyes never left his as they made their way through the tables. He was tall, with a military bearing. He had dark hair, greying at the temples, and he was clean-shaven. He was wearing a dinner jacket with a dark tie on a snow-white shirt. Ruby waited as he kissed her mother on the cheek and shook hands with Jim. Then Jim stepped aside and Ruby came face-to-face with her real father for the first time. They smiled at each other shyly, then Rex opened his arms and she stepped towards him with a shiver of excitement. His hug was warm and inviting, and yet sensitive to her feelings. He smelled of the carbolic fragrance of Lifebuoy soap. This was the hug she had longed for all her life; the hug Nelson could never have given her – her father’s hug.

‘I’m so pleased to meet you, Ruby,’ he smiled. ‘Your mother has told me so much about you. I can’t believe I missed your wedding. I am so sorry.’

‘Please don’t worry,’ said Ruby, her eyes shining. ‘It couldn’t be helped.’

They sat opposite each other, and several times during the evening Ruby realized she was staring at her father. They talked about everything: her childhood; how much he loved her mother and missed her; how hard it had been to wait for the right time; his days in the army;
and his life now as a country doctor. They talked about Ruby’s job at the hospital, Jim’s life in the children’s home, and Rex keeping alive the memory of Bea with the help of the locket …

Ruby frowned. ‘The locket?’

Bea took something from around her neck. Ruby hadn’t noticed it before – or had she? It was vaguely familiar. Her mother showed her the hidden catch and she found herself looking at the picture of a baby.

‘That’s you,’ said Rex. ‘That was all I had of you, for all these years.’

Ruby ran her finger over the curl of hair.

‘You had dark hair, even as a baby,’ said Bea.

‘Didn’t Lily …?’ Ruby began.

‘On the day of Nelson’s inquest, Rex gave that locket to Cousin Lily to give to me,’ said Bea crossly, ‘but the little minx kept it.’

Ruby leaned across the table to show Jim her picture.

The meal they ate as they talked was amazing. Ruby had occasionally seen what was being served at Warnes, but she had never tasted it for herself. The choice was unbelievable: hors d’oeuvres, consommé – a sort of watery-looking soup – or cream of rice
amandine
, followed by fillet of whiting, duck with green peas or English roast beef, all served with either fresh vegetables and boiled potatoes or lettuce and tomato salad. Dessert was Viennese tartlets, fruit jelly and whipped cream or ice cream.

A little later Jim changed the subject. ‘Do members of your regiment keep in touch with each other?’ He glanced at his wife; Ruby would know where this was
going. He was trying to find out if there was any way of contacting Charlie Downs.

‘Sometimes,’ said Rex. ‘There’s the regimental club and, of course, the wonderful work the British Legion does helps to keep friendships alive.’

‘So if I wanted to find someone,’ Jim ventured, ‘would the Legion be able to help me?’

‘I imagine so,’ said Rex. ‘Or if you knew which regiment your friend was in, you could try writing to them. Why? Are you thinking of tracing your own father?’

‘Just curious,’ said Jim brightly. ‘I have no idea who my father is. The Searle family tree begins with me.’

They drank wine with the meal, but Ruby thought it wasn’t as nice as Susan Marley’s home-made elder-flower wine. Then they were invited to take their coffee in the lounge.

Ruby was following the group when she realized she’d left her scarf on the back of the chair. As she came out of the dining room into the corridor, Mrs Fosdyke came down the stairs. Her mouth visibly tightened when she saw Ruby.

‘What are you doing here, Bateman?’ she hissed as she advanced towards her. ‘How dare you!’

‘Is everything all right?’ Rex was standing in the doorway.

‘This girl,’ Mrs Fosdyke spat contemptuously, ‘has no business to be here. She is trespassing.’

The maître d’ came out of the dining room as Rex said in acid tones, ‘This girl is with me. She is my guest, and I’ll thank you to treat her with respect.’

With the maître d’ apologizing profusely and Ruby blushing a deep crimson, Mrs Fosdyke gaped from one to the other.

‘I think it’s you who should give my daughter an apology,’ said Rex, glaring at her.

Mrs Fosdyke’s lips curled. ‘Your daughter?’ It was obvious by her tone of voice that she didn’t believe him for one minute.

Ruby opened her mouth to say something, but Rex interrupted. ‘Yes, my daughter.’ He turned to the maître d’. ‘Do you usually allow your guests to be insulted like this?’

‘I do most humbly apologize, sir,’ said the maître d’ and, turning to Mrs Fosdyke, he added, ‘Mrs Fosdyke?’

‘I know this girl,’ said Mrs Fosdyke. ‘And you are
not
her father. Her father is dead. He was nothing more than a common fisherman.’

‘Mrs Fosdyke!’ said the maître d’ indignantly.

‘I wouldn’t be so quick to make judgements,’ said Rex tartly.

‘Mrs Fosdyke!’ said the maître d’. ‘Apologize – this minute.’

‘It doesn’t matter,’ Ruby said quietly. ‘Really.’

Recovering her composure, Mrs Fosdyke pulled back her shoulders. ‘I never apologize,’ she said haughtily, ‘and especially not to a cocky little strumpet who once worked here as a chambermaid.’ And with that, she walked away, leaving everyone open-mouthed.

CHAPTER 39

‘The bloody woman deserves the sack!’

Rex Quinn was almost beside himself with anger. His loud voice filtered through the wall and into her room.

It was the next day and he was back at Bea’s place. Jim had gone to work, Percy was out and May was playing outside, but Ruby was still in her room. All the way back from the hotel the previous evening she had fought back her tears, pretending that she was all right. But she wasn’t. Mrs Fosdyke’s words had hurt her deeply. Why did she hate her so much? Ruby only ever treated her with respect and obedience. Jim had done his best to comfort her, but even he was at a loss to understand. Why had Mrs Fosdyke been so rude?

Hearing her father’s voice now, Ruby opened the door and was just about to walk into the kitchen when she heard Rex say, ‘Of course I have lodged a complaint. The woman’s behaviour was appalling. I’ve never heard such a tirade of abuse.’

‘I think I may be the cause,’ said Bea quietly, and Ruby froze.

‘You?’ said Rex. ‘Oh, my darling, why on earth would you think that?’

‘I grew up with Freda Fosdyke,’ said Bea. ‘Years ago she set her cap at Nelson, but I was the one he married. It broke her heart.’

‘Well, I’ll be damned,’ said Rex.

Ruby came into the room and her mother put on a bright smile. ‘Hello, love. I’m glad you had a bit of a lie-in. Sit down and I’ll pour you some tea.’

Ruby sat down, and Rex kissed his daughter’s cheek.

‘We were just saying …’ her mother babbled on.

‘I heard what you were saying, Mum,’ said Ruby, ‘and I want you both to stop worrying about it.’

‘I’m seeing the manager this morning, before I finally leave,’ said Rex firmly, ‘and I’ll be telling him that I’m not having my daughter spoken to like that.’

Ruby smiled. To hear him talk about her like that was music to her ears. All her life she’d wanted a father who cared about her – one who would stick up for her – and now she had one. ‘I’d rather you didn’t,’ she said. ‘I don’t want to give Mrs Fosdyke a moment more of my life.’

‘But the woman—’

‘I don’t work there any more,’ said Ruby. ‘It really doesn’t matter. I refuse even to think about it.’

‘It’s my fault,’ said Bea, sinking into the chair.

‘No, Mum,’ said Ruby. ‘Mrs Fosdyke is a cow and a bully. While I worked at Warnes, I let her opinions rule my life. Well, I won’t do it any more. Bullies look for someone to bully. Well, not me; not any more. She can think what she likes. I refuse to let it bother me.’

‘You’re an amazing young woman,’ said Rex. There was no disguising the admiration in his voice.

‘Not at all,’ said Ruby.

‘The woman deserves the sack,’ he insisted.

‘Perhaps she does,’ said Ruby, ‘but if I get her the sack, I shall never be free of her. I’m cutting all links with her, right here and now.’ She looked up at her parents’ astonished faces and smiled. ‘Now, we’d better get a move-on or we’ll miss the day-trippers.’

Although Rex was only in Worthing for one more day, it was imperative that Jim spend the day on Marine Parade with his camera. The day-trippers would be in town, despite the overcast skies and the usual bank-holiday drop in temperature. The Sunday trading laws had prevented them from putting up the booth yesterday, so even though it was cold and miserable, the bank holiday was still an opportunity for Magic Memories. They simply couldn’t afford to miss the opportunity to get the business going.

Surprisingly, Rex had elected to join them later that morning, taking a turn in the booth with Bea and looking after May at the water’s edge. Ruby spent her time developing the morning pictures, ready to sell before 4 p.m., when the coaches parked up by the pier, waiting to take visitors home, actually departed. She flew backwards and forwards from Newlands Road on her bicycle. It was a lot quicker than walking.

‘Bea, my darling,’ said Rex, as he helped her pack up ready to go home, ‘it’s time we talked about our future.’

*

Having settled in her own mind the way she was going to deal with Mrs Fosdyke, Ruby was still in a bit of a quandary. She was blissfully happy to be Jim’s wife, and settling down to married life was both fulfilling and satisfying. He was teaching her to develop the films and she was becoming more skilled by the minute. She’d designed some little cards that advertised Jim’s burgeoning business, to give to potential customers, and she’d taken over keeping the books. Ruby tried to be as encouraging as she could, but she knew Jim was worried. That was why she didn’t tell him about the thing that most concerned her.