‘What’s mine is his, do you mean?’ Ruby sniffed, fighting back tears.
Stella put her arm around Ruby. ‘It’s the way of the world, my love.’
‘How about the man abandoning his wife and child?’ Frank asked.
Sergeant Jackson shook his head. ‘How long has he been gone?’
‘Less than a day,’ Ruby said, knowing as she spoke that it didn’t sound significant. Many men were away from home far longer just by going to work. ‘It’s fruitless, isn’t it?’
‘I wouldn’t say that, Madam,’ he assured her as the two policemen stood to take their leave. ‘I will talk to the owners of the cafe, so they know you are not to blame for the theft.’
Stella opened the door, ready to see them out on Ruby’s behalf. ‘I’d do it quickly if I was you,’ she remarked as she looked out. ‘There’s Marge coming up the road now – and she looks pretty angry from where I’m standing.’
The policemen offered to stay, but Ruby refused their help. She had to face Marge alone. ‘If you could just tell her how things stand,’ she said as they quickly closed the door.
Frank went out back into the garden to keep George company, while Stella waited to open the door to Marge. She could see from the bay window that there was a heated discussion going on in front of the house – and she could also see curtains twitching at almost every window on the opposite side of the road. The residents would dine out on this scene for many a day. ‘Are you sure you don’t want me to stay? That Marge can be a force to be reckoned with at times. I’ve seen her in action before when people have tried it on with her in the cafe.’
‘No, thanks all the same; this is one battle I have to face alone. It’s my husband who’s put me in this mess, and as he isn’t here, it’s down to me to sort it out.’
‘Then I’ll be in the other room. If I hear her leading off at you, I’ll be in here waving your frying pan at her.’
Despite the circumstances, Ruby giggled at the thought. ‘No, Stella, please. I can manage, no matter what she says.’
‘Right, here she comes. I’ll let her in and then keep out of the way. Chin up, love.’ Stella patted Ruby’s shoulder before going to the door.
When Ruby looked back afterwards, she couldn’t believe she hadn’t blown her top at Marge. It could only have been the shock of the past day and losing her mum so suddenly that made her sit and take a tongue-lashing from her employer. Marge rejected an offer of tea and refused to sit down, instead towering over Ruby while she bellowed and fumed.
When she stopped to draw breath, Ruby took the chance to speak. ‘I’m sorry things have come to this, Marge. None of what happened in the cafe was my fault. The policemen must have told you just now that my husband took the set of keys from my bag without my knowing. And I’m sorry I wasn’t at the cafe to open up as planned – but my mother has just passed away in the early hours of this morning, and it was a shock. You will also have been told, I’m sure, that Eddie left me while I was at the hospital overnight. I know this has nothing to do with you, but I want you to understand the situation. I have no idea what has been taken from your business, but I will try to pay it back bit by bit from my wages each week – that’s if it can be proved my husband really was to blame.’ She leant back in her chair, relieved to have got that off her chest. Hopefully Marge would not take too much each week, and she’d still have enough to get by.
Marge gave a harsh, brittle laugh. ‘You sit there thinking I’ll have you back working for me? You’ve got to be having a laugh.’
‘But . . . I thought you liked me working for you? I’ve always been hard-working and turned up on time, until today. Why are you doing this to me when I really need to work now? I’m the only breadwinner in the house! I have nothing because of Eddie. I can’t even afford to bury my mother. Please, Marge, don’t do this to me!’
Marge looked at Ruby as she begged for her job, and just for a moment she seemed to falter before making her mind up. ‘No. I can’t risk you doing the same as your old man and fleecing me. I’ll not chase you for the money that he pinched, as I know you don’t have it. However, I’ll spread the word, so you’ll find it hard to work in this town ever again. I know many shop owners in the high street, and most are friends. They won’t give you the time of day, so you might think about moving away. We don’t want your husband or his kind in this town.’ Waving her finger at Ruby, she turned and marched out of number thirteen, slamming the door behind her.
Ruby took a shuddering breath. What’s done is done, she thought, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly.
‘What an old cow,’ Stella said as she hurried into the room, ready to comfort Ruby. She was surprised to see her up and straightening the chairs, looking around the room and checking for dust.
‘It’s all said now, and I know where I stand,’ Ruby said with a newfound confidence. ‘God knows how I’ll get by, but I swear I will, and I won’t let go of this house until my dying breath.’
‘That’s more like it,’ Stella said, although she did wonder how Ruby intended to live when
