He reached into his pocket, pulling out a crumpled envelope. ‘Here, lad,’ he called to a child still racing up and down the road. ‘Do us a favour and post this through the door of number thirteen, will you? Here’s thruppence for you to keep your mouth shut about it.’ He tossed a coin to the child and watched long enough to see the deed carried out, before picking up his backpack and heading away towards the town.
Since leaving Erith he’d headed to the hop fields of Kent and worked his back off in the fields until the season was done, then moved on to the coast, finding work where he could on fishing boats around Whitstable and down the coastline. It was a hankering to know how his family was that had brought him back here now. Saving every penny he could, he’d decided to leave it for Ruby without her knowing who it came from. He’d not left a note inside the envelope, as he couldn’t risk being found. Neither could he make himself known to Ruby or George, in case they came into danger. He vowed there and then to make the trip to Erith and leave money for his family whenever he was able. It was a plan that would give him hope and keep him going in his new life. What had happened to him was his own fault and he only had himself to blame. Whether or not Ruby ever spoke to him again, he would do his best for her and the boy.
Even so, as he walked into the darkness, Eddie felt his heart break.
‘Here, Ruby, this has just come through the letter box,’ Frank called out as he passed the envelope to Ruby.
‘How strange,’ she said as she opened the envelope and pulled out the money, then gasped. ‘Four pounds! But there’s no note of who it is from.’ She hurried to the door and looked out, but the street was empty.
‘Who do you think could have left it?’ Frank asked.
‘I have no idea. There’s only my name on the envelope.’
‘Don’t knock it, love,’ Stella said as she peered over Ruby’s shoulder. ‘You can do with every penny right now.’
Ruby clutched the envelope to her breast and smiled to herself. When, back in September, she’d lost Milly and Eddie had done his vanishing act leaving them nigh on destitute, she’d thought her life couldn’t get any worse. If it hadn’t been for her mother leaving money for the funeral and wake, plus a little more on top, they would not have survived. Ruby had found herself out of work after Marge bad-mouthed her to every shop-owner in town, and her future had looked bleak. It was just four days before the funeral that her fortunes began to look brighter. Her two sisters had arrived out of the blue to speak with her, asking about their mother’s will. Ruby had laughed and told them there was no will, and she was doing her best to give their mum a decent send-off.
Knowing Ruby would be receiving visitors in the lead-up to Milly’s funeral, Stella had lent her a tea set while her husband and sons had carried armchairs, a rug, a dark-green chenille tablecloth and two matching occasional tables to furnish the front room. When Ruby protested, Stella had dismissed her words, telling her they hardly used the front room; like many in the road, it was used for high days, holidays and laying out the deceased. Ruby had shuddered at her last word. With a child in the house, she’d decided not to bring Milly home the night before the funeral.
Leaving her sisters sipping tea from the matching cups and saucers, Ruby had gone to the kitchen to refresh the teapot and place dainty cakes onto a serving plate. She took her time, knowing Fanny and Janie would be discussing her remark about there not being a will. Returning to the front room carrying a laden tray, she was pleased to see George sitting between the women chatting politely.
‘George has told us that Eddie no longer lives here,’ Fanny said.
‘That is correct,’ Ruby said as she set down the tray and sat next to Janie. The look she gave urged them not to discuss the problem in front of George.
‘All I’ll say is, we didn’t appreciate your circumstances,’ Fanny said.
‘Given what has happened, you have done very well for yourself. We considered purchasing one of these houses when they were built three years ago,’ Janie said, nodding approvingly.
‘At the moment I’m renting the house,’ Ruby replied. Her dream of one day owning number thirteen had come to seem impossible with Eddie’s disappearance. It was all she could do just to keep a roof over their heads – and if not for the landlord of the Prince of Wales Hotel offering her Milly’s job and a few hours extra, she couldn’t even have managed that. She had been honest and told the man what had happened at the cafe, but he shrugged off her explanation, saying he didn’t listen to gossip – and that if she worked half as hard as Milly had done, then he’d be satisfied.
‘We’ve decided we will contribute to mother’s funeral,’ Janie told her, brushing aside Ruby’s explanation that there was money enough put aside by their mother. ‘I know I can speak for both of us when
