Read Online Ruby Flynn by Nadine Dorries - Free Book Online

break in a moment. It will be a good time to meet them all. Then I’ll take you to the room where the girls sleep and from there we will proceed to the nursery so you can meet Lady FitzDeane.’
    Just at that moment, the day servants began to file into the kitchen.
    ‘Here they are.’ Amy winked at Ruby as she shouted at the staff entering the kitchen through the back door, ‘Did ye all smell the pie and know it was time, did ye?’
    As the noise in the kitchen grew with chatter, Mrs McKinnon could not take her eyes off the new girl’s face. There was another, just like it, which she had once known well, a long time ago and her eyes lingered on Ruby’s expression as she responded to the welcome from the other servants.
    ‘At least they appreciate my cooking, even if the lady upstairs does not. My warm boxty, ye cannot beat it,’ Amy said to Ruby.
    The eight members of staff, male and female, joked with each other and jostled for bigger slices of the pie and the boxty bread, as they all took their plates and mugs and sat along the wooden bench table for their mid-morning break. A young girl who was not much older than Ruby sat next to her.
    ‘Are ye from the convent then?’ she asked.
    ‘Don’t go scaring Ruby away with too many questions now, Betsy,’ said Mrs McKinnon as she moved along the table, filling their mugs with buttermilk.
    Betsy wore her dark hair tucked neatly under her linen hat. Her eyes were big and round and almost as black as her hair and she was so gently spoken, she immediately reminded Ruby of Lottie.
    ‘I am. How do you know the convent? Were you there?’ asked Ruby.
    ‘No, none of us were. We just heard this morning that Mrs McKinnon was off to fetch a girl who could read and write. I would love to read, I would.’
    ‘Why don’t you, then? My mammy taught me,’ said Ruby.
    ‘Where are you from then, I mean before the convent?’
    ‘I lived in Doohoma.’ Ruby didn’t hesitate when Betsy asked about her home..
    ‘Doohoma, eh? My granny came from there. Before she married my granddaddy and moved into the cottages on the estate. I thought there was something familiar, as soon as I set me eyes on you. We used to go back when I was little to visit granny’s family and we went to mass. Have I seen you at mass?’
    Ruby’s face lit up. Could it really be that there was someone in the world who knew her? She had to stop herself from reaching out and grabbing hold of Betsy’s arm. ‘Do you ever see your family now, do you?’
    Before Betsy could answer, another young girl came and sat on the other side of Ruby. She was as thin as Betsy was plump and the lack of welcome in her face made Ruby bristle even before she had pulled out her stool.
    ‘So, you are from the fancy convent then, are you?’ she asked, by way of an introduction. ‘The only airs and graces around here are upstairs in the castle, not down here in the kitchen, isn’t that right, Betsy?’
    ‘Shut yer gob, Jane,’ said Betsy. ‘How about saying hello or something nice for a change?’
    Ruby looked around her, waiting for someone to tell them off for talking. No one had noticed, or at least if they had, they weren’t the slightest bit bothered. Ruby was surprised, and told Betsy as much. At the convent every mouthful had to be taken in silence.
    ‘Sure, we is busy working all day. When would we get time to talk if not now? It is so noisy in here sometimes, Mr McKinnon has to shout to get everyone to pipe down when he has the news on the radio and no one even noticed when one of the pigs escaped and was squealing under the table. If Danny had his way, it would have slept there, wouldn’t it, Danny?’
    A young boy who was tucking into his bread grinned sheepishly back at Betsy. ‘I never heard a thing, thought it was Jane whining as usual, didn’t I, Jane?’ said Danny. ‘You will get used to Jane’s moaning, miss,’ he went on as he looked admiringly at Ruby, ‘she never stops.’
    Betsy grinned good