‘Well . . . the man meant he thought Nanny would be going to heaven before too long.’ She hated herself for falling back on using the word, but ‘dead’ sounded so brutal – and so final for a little boy to hear.
George sighed. ‘Do you mean she has died?’
Not for the first time, Ruby thought that her son was an old soul in a young body. ‘Yes, my love. Nanny died early this morning. It was very peaceful, and I don’t think she suffered. She did tell me to send you her love, and to say she would be watching over you to see no harm befell you.’ The more she spoke, the more she thought she was digging a hole for herself. Her mother had not given a message for her grandson, or for anyone else for that matter. Had she committed a sin for telling fibs? ‘It is just you and me on our own from now on,’ she added, giving him another squeeze.
‘Did Nanny remind you to give me Grandad’s medals? She said I can have them when she pops her clogs.’
Ruby ignored the way George spoke; he was only repeating her mother’s much-used words. ‘I have no idea what she would have done with them. But if we come across them, then they will go to you as the only man in the family.’
George wriggled out from beneath the blanket and stood in front of Ruby with his hands on his hips. ‘Didn’t she tell you where she’d hidden them?’
Ruby thought of the empty box Eddie had emptied of any valuables while Milly lay on her deathbed only two roads away. She couldn’t tell her son that his dad had pinched the medals. However badly her husband had behaved, she needed to keep his memory as positive as possible in her son’s eyes. If Eddie ever did return home, she couldn’t bear to see George upset by knowing what he’d done. He could make his own mind up when he was an adult; until then, she’d do her best not to sully her son’s memories with her bitterness. Besides, she still loved Eddie, regardless of what he’d done. Love was something you couldn’t turn on and off. ‘Nanny never told me what had happened to the medals, George. But if we find them then they are yours.’
George looked thoughtful but accepted Ruby’s words. ‘I’m hungry. Can I have something to eat?’
Oh, to be young and so innocent that you could move from learning about the loss of a loved one to thinking about food, Ruby thought to herself. ‘There’s a fresh loaf of bread and some cheese in the kitchen. Shall I make you a sandwich?’ she asked, getting to her feet cautiously in case she felt dizzy again. Holding out her hand, she took George’s and they went out to the kitchen.
Ruby wiped the crumbs from her son’s mouth. ‘Why don’t you go out into the back garden and play for a little while? It will do you good to get some sun on your face. I’ll stay here, in case Stella or Frank knocks on the door,’ she said before watching George skip quite happily out through the back door.
Rinsing the plates, she left them to dry on the wooden draining board before filling the kettle and putting it back on the hob, ready for when her friends returned. She looked round the small kitchen, remembering the plans she’d had for the house. Nothing grand, but a bit of distemper in the outside toilet, a piece of lace curtain at the windows; and, when she had time, she’d planned to make a couple of new rag rugs for their bedrooms. Milly had taught her how to make the rugs out of scraps of old fabric. There was no point now, as no doubt the landlord would be slinging them both out on their ears once he knew she didn’t have a penny to her name. Deep in thought, she didn’t at first hear the front door being knocked frantically. It was only after she heard her name called through the letter box, followed by more knocking, that she hurried to open the door.
‘Oh my goodness,’ Stella panted. ‘I thought something had happened to you.’
‘I was tidying the kitchen. Why are you out of breath?’ Ruby asked as she led Stella into the living room and watched her sit at the table, breathing deeply and trying to compose herself.
‘There’s a right kerfuffle round at the cafe. Someone has been in there and helped themselves to what money was left under the counter, as well as bits and pieces of food. Marge is doing her nut and accusing you of all sorts to the policeman.’
‘Oh God, I was supposed to have opened up this morning as Marge was wanted elsewhere. With everything that’s gone on, it completely slipped my mind. I’d best go down there and see what I can do to help.’
Stella shook her head. ‘No, don’t go near the place unless you want to be arrested.’
‘But why would anyone want to arrest me? I’ve not done anything wrong apart from not turning up from work,’ Ruby said, looking confused.
‘The thief got in through the front door. He had a set of keys . . .’
Ruby looked to where her bag was placed, where she always left it on the floor by the cupboard under the stairs. ‘I have a set of keys. Marge gave them to me on Saturday so I could let myself into the premises.’
‘You’d best check they’re still there, as my gut is telling me that they will be gone, along with your Eddie,’ Stella said angrily.
‘Please, no, they must be there,’ Ruby cried as she grabbed the bag and tipped the contents out onto the table. ‘I know I put them there along with my wages on Saturday.’
‘What happened to your wages?’ Stella asked.
‘He took them . . . I know he took them,’ Ruby
