there making the tea. Beth was in the bedroom feeding her baby. ‘She don’t like going to the buildings.’
‘I’m not surprised. I shouldn’t think anyone likes going there.’
‘She leaves me to go up on me own. I’m frightened. I always think that Alfie Anderson’s gang’s gonner be round the corner.’
Ruby looked at her brother. He was clearly worried. ‘I’ll have a word with her.’
‘No, don’t. I don’t want her to think I’m a baby.’
Ruby grinned. ‘She won’t think that. She’ll understand. I think we’d better start putting these away for tonight, Mum’ll be in with the tea.’ Ruby gathered up the paper chains and put them in a box. ‘I think we’ve done enough.’
‘When we gonner put ’em up?’
‘I don’t know. I’ve got to get some drawing pins.’ Ruby sat back. ‘Cheer up, Tom. This Christmas is going to be the best we’ve had in years now we’ve got Beth’s money and me working. Mum’s even made a Christmas pudding. I think she put a thrupenny bit in it as well.’
‘I hope I get it.’
‘So do I. I’m just going out to the lav.’
Ruby shivered when she opened the door and the cold air hit her; she pulled her cardigan tighter round her. As she walked out into the yard she banged her feet on the concrete to discourage any mice or rats that were hanging about. The usual sounds came through the night air. A couple of cats were having a scrap and somebody’s dog was barking; she could hear a man shouting. The men round their way were always yelling, making the kids cry and the women shriek. Ruby pushed open the door. It was the spiders she hated most. They hung from the roof of the lav and sometimes in the dark she would walk into a cobweb. She would throw her arms about praying the spider wasn’t still on her. When it was dark she couldn’t even read the cut-up squares of newspaper that hung on the string. At night, when she knew Mr Cox was out, she always sat with the door wide open. She sat on her hands. It must be lovely to sit inside in a warm room that had a lav instead of having to rush in and out of the cold. She was quietly singing to herself when she heard the back door from the passage shut. Fear filled her; the family didn’t come through that door, they always used the door from the washhouse. Ruby shuddered when she heard Mr Cox clear his throat and spit. He stood in front of her, silhouetted against the light from the kitchen. Ruby was terrified as she leapt up from the pan.
‘You should shut the door, young lady.’
‘I thought you was out.’
‘I was.’ He laughed. ‘I’d love to be able to see your face. I bet you look like a startled rabbit. Here, let me help you.’ He went to move towards Ruby. ‘Your frock’s all bunched up.’
‘I’m all right,’ she said, scurrying away.
‘That Mr Cox came out,’ she said to her mother as she walked into the washhouse.
‘And I bet you didn’t shut the door.’
‘I thought he was out.’
‘You’re getting to be a big girl now, Ruby, you can’t sit there with the door open. Tell Tom that as soon as Beth’s finished feeding Danny, he’d better go to bed.’
Ruby went back into the kitchen as Beth walked in. ‘Well, that’s got him down for the night. They look interesting.’ She peered into the box of paper chains. ‘I used to love Christmas.’
‘You’ve never told us where you used to live,’ said Ruby.
‘I thought you knew I was with the Manns.’
‘No, before that.’
‘If I told you, you wouldn’t be any the wiser.’
Mrs Jenkins came into the kitchen. ‘Beth, if you want to wash the baby’s nappies out now, I’ve finished in the sink.’
‘Thanks.’
Ruby watched her leave. ‘Seems strange she’s been here a few weeks now, but she’s not had any letters from her husband. D’you think the Manns will send them on?’
‘Of course. She may even go round there to pick them up. She don’t have to tell us all about her private life.’
‘I’d
‘I’m not surprised. I shouldn’t think anyone likes going there.’
‘She leaves me to go up on me own. I’m frightened. I always think that Alfie Anderson’s gang’s gonner be round the corner.’
Ruby looked at her brother. He was clearly worried. ‘I’ll have a word with her.’
‘No, don’t. I don’t want her to think I’m a baby.’
Ruby grinned. ‘She won’t think that. She’ll understand. I think we’d better start putting these away for tonight, Mum’ll be in with the tea.’ Ruby gathered up the paper chains and put them in a box. ‘I think we’ve done enough.’
‘When we gonner put ’em up?’
‘I don’t know. I’ve got to get some drawing pins.’ Ruby sat back. ‘Cheer up, Tom. This Christmas is going to be the best we’ve had in years now we’ve got Beth’s money and me working. Mum’s even made a Christmas pudding. I think she put a thrupenny bit in it as well.’
‘I hope I get it.’
‘So do I. I’m just going out to the lav.’
Ruby shivered when she opened the door and the cold air hit her; she pulled her cardigan tighter round her. As she walked out into the yard she banged her feet on the concrete to discourage any mice or rats that were hanging about. The usual sounds came through the night air. A couple of cats were having a scrap and somebody’s dog was barking; she could hear a man shouting. The men round their way were always yelling, making the kids cry and the women shriek. Ruby pushed open the door. It was the spiders she hated most. They hung from the roof of the lav and sometimes in the dark she would walk into a cobweb. She would throw her arms about praying the spider wasn’t still on her. When it was dark she couldn’t even read the cut-up squares of newspaper that hung on the string. At night, when she knew Mr Cox was out, she always sat with the door wide open. She sat on her hands. It must be lovely to sit inside in a warm room that had a lav instead of having to rush in and out of the cold. She was quietly singing to herself when she heard the back door from the passage shut. Fear filled her; the family didn’t come through that door, they always used the door from the washhouse. Ruby shuddered when she heard Mr Cox clear his throat and spit. He stood in front of her, silhouetted against the light from the kitchen. Ruby was terrified as she leapt up from the pan.
‘You should shut the door, young lady.’
‘I thought you was out.’
‘I was.’ He laughed. ‘I’d love to be able to see your face. I bet you look like a startled rabbit. Here, let me help you.’ He went to move towards Ruby. ‘Your frock’s all bunched up.’
‘I’m all right,’ she said, scurrying away.
‘That Mr Cox came out,’ she said to her mother as she walked into the washhouse.
‘And I bet you didn’t shut the door.’
‘I thought he was out.’
‘You’re getting to be a big girl now, Ruby, you can’t sit there with the door open. Tell Tom that as soon as Beth’s finished feeding Danny, he’d better go to bed.’
Ruby went back into the kitchen as Beth walked in. ‘Well, that’s got him down for the night. They look interesting.’ She peered into the box of paper chains. ‘I used to love Christmas.’
‘You’ve never told us where you used to live,’ said Ruby.
‘I thought you knew I was with the Manns.’
‘No, before that.’
‘If I told you, you wouldn’t be any the wiser.’
Mrs Jenkins came into the kitchen. ‘Beth, if you want to wash the baby’s nappies out now, I’ve finished in the sink.’
‘Thanks.’
Ruby watched her leave. ‘Seems strange she’s been here a few weeks now, but she’s not had any letters from her husband. D’you think the Manns will send them on?’
‘Of course. She may even go round there to pick them up. She don’t have to tell us all about her private life.’
‘I’d
Similar Books
