Battles Lost and Won (12 page)

There was much excitement, and Daisy had brought everything with her to make tea, so they eventually all sat around the kitchen table, talking and laughing, while all the children played together in the garden.

By the time they returned home that evening, Alf was well satisfied. Plans had been made for the work, and Mrs Selby had suggested certain colour paints. Steve had promised to help, and even Derek Selby was going to come round after work and do a bit of painting.

For the first time since he had returned home, Alf slept soundly, free of nightmares.

Sitting cross-legged on her bed Ruth opened the bulky envelope. Much to her delight it contained a separate letter from everyone – even Sally had put in a little drawing of a house. Of course, it didn’t look anything like their house, but it brought a tear to her eyes. She missed them all so much. It was lovely here, but she was lonely, which was ridiculous because she was with people all day. But they weren’t family or friends. If only Bob still worked here then she wouldn’t be quite so lonely. She sighed, still cross with him for running away again.

The first letter she opened was from Eddie and he gave her all the news about the neighbours they were helping; John said he missed her and asked when she was coming home. That brought a lump to her throat and she moved on quickly to her dad’s letter. He told her all about their visits to the Imperial War Museum, and the astounding news that Mr Hunter had bought a house in Wandsworth with the money from his diaries. And one more piece of lovely news was that her dad had been promoted, and now worked in the main office at the docks, with an increase in pay.

‘Oh, my goodness,’ she gasped, absolutely thrilled with all the news. ‘Where are you, Bob? You ought to see what’s going on at home!’ But in her heart she knew he wouldn’t be going home any time soon. He had walked away twice from everyone who cared for him, and she suspected that he didn’t want to be close to anyone in case he was hurt again. She understood, but that didn’t make it right. ‘We all need someone, Bob, and one day you’ll find that out.’

The last letter was from her mum and had her laughing as she read about the scrapes her brothers and sister kept getting into.

Carefully putting the letters back in the envelope, Ruth began writing. Each one would get a separate reply, and she would send a special one to Mr Hunter to congratulate him.

Glancing at the small clock on top of the chest of drawers, Ruth tumbled off the bed. It was time to help the senior Mrs Russell to get ready for her afternoon nap. She still had a sharp mind, but her condition was painful and drained her strength. This often made her short-tempered, and she was very good at giving orders. Ruth smiled to herself as she hurried along the passage. The letters would have to wait until this evening when she was free. Her mind was still on the good news from her family when she collided with someone.

‘Watch where you’re going!’

‘Oh, I’m so sorry.’ Ruth looked into the face of a furious maid. She had seen her a few times, but hadn’t spoken to her yet. ‘Betty, isn’t it? I’m Ruth.’

‘I know who you are! You’re that common bitch the master found in the slums.’

Ruth was stunned by the girl’s rudeness.

‘I’ve worked here for five years,’ the maid continued, ‘and I should have been given the job you’ve got.’

‘Perhaps the Russells didn’t consider you suitable.’ Ruth had never been spoken to like this before, and she wasn’t going to ignore it.

‘And you think you bloody well are?’

‘Well, at least my language is better.’ Ruth wanted to keep walking, but the girl had blocked the way.

‘Think you’re so clever, don’t you?’ Betty sneered. ‘But you won’t last long.’

‘We shall see. Now, will you move out of my way, and I’m sure you have work to do.’

The maid stepped aside and as Ruth walked away she heard her mutter, ‘Bloody slum bitch!’

That hurt. There had been a nasty tone to the girl’s voice, and Ruth was under no illusion that the maid hated her for taking the job she wanted. She had only been here for three weeks and had begun to think that she might get over her doubts about living away from her family, but after that nasty incident she was sorry she had taken the job. Whenever she’d had problems in the past she’d only had to go to Bob, and he had always put things right for her. But she would have to deal with this on her own, and the best thing she could do was to keep out of the maid’s way.

When she reached the door of the elderly Mrs Russell’s rooms, Ruth stopped for a moment, took a couple of deep breaths to calm herself, then knocked on the door.

‘Come.’

Putting on a bright smile she went in. ‘Good afternoon, madam. How are you feeling today?’

‘Reasonable. I’ll sit up and read today, so help me off with my shoes and pile up the pillows for me.’

Bending down, Ruth began to remove the shoes. Madam didn’t seem quite so sharp today, and that was a blessing after the encounter she had just had.

‘How are your riding lessons going?’

‘Not very well, madam. Cherry is a docile animal, but I’m not happy in the saddle.’ Ruth had difficulty keeping the disappointment out of her voice.

‘Not everyone likes riding, so don’t do it if you’d rather not.’

‘I’ll give it a bit longer. I might get used to it.’

‘Hmm.’ Madam cupped Ruth’s chin and made her look up. ‘You are not your usual bright self today. Has someone upset you?’

‘No, it’s just that I’ve had a letter today and it’s made me a bit homesick.’ There was no way she was going to tell anyone about what the maid had said – it would probably get her dismissed, and Ruth wouldn’t want to do that, even if the girl had been nasty to her. They were only words and couldn’t hurt her unless she allowed them to.

Over the next three weeks Ruth settled into the routine of the household, and was content. She hadn’t seen the maid often, and much to her relief there hadn’t been any further unpleasantness. Pete had called a halt to her riding lessons, saying that it wasn’t right to force someone to ride when they obviously didn’t enjoy it. Lilly had accepted this and she was grateful for their understanding. Now, when Lilly wanted to go somewhere on the estate, one of the stable lads took them in the buggy. So apart from still missing her family, she was happy enough, and had decided to stay. It was such a beautiful place; she loved the open fields and the sound of birds singing in the morning. After the noise and grime of London, this really was wonderful.

She had just received a message that she was needed in Mrs Russell’s private rooms, and she walked there humming softly to herself. She knocked on the door and looked in. Mrs Russell was there with her mother-in-law. ‘You sent for me, madam?’

‘Come in, Ruth.’ Emma looked distracted as she turned to her mother-in-law and pointed to the pile of gowns strewn across the bed. ‘But there isn’t time to get a new gown made. What am I going to do? Everything is too tight around the bodice and waist.’

Waiting patiently to be told what she was to do, Ruth studied the beautiful creations, and one in particular caught her attention. It was made of silk in a glorious shade of sapphire blue. Mrs Russell would look stunning in that, she thought, as it was almost the same colour as her eyes. She itched to reach out and touch it, but didn’t dare.

‘The regimental dinner is tomorrow evening, and I cannot understand why we have been given such short notice. I shall have to go in one of the pregnancy dresses and will feel very dowdy!’

‘The navy one is presentable, and people will understand.’

Mrs Russell’s expression was so crestfallen Ruth couldn’t keep quiet any longer. ‘I am quite good at sewing. Perhaps one of the dresses could be altered.’

Both ladies turned and studied her, as if they had forgotten she was there, and then the elderly lady said, ‘It might be worth a try, Emma.’

‘Do you really think you could do the alterations, Ruth?’

‘As long as there is enough material in the dress.’ She reached out and picked up the sapphire one, quickly looking inside to inspect the seams. ‘I might be able to do something with this.’

‘Oh, would you try? That is my husband’s favourite and I would so like to wear it.’

Ruth held it out. ‘Would you try it on for me, please? Do you have a workbox?’

‘Yes, there is one over by the window. It should hold everything you need.’

By the time Ruth had found a tape measure, marking chalk and pins, Mrs Russell had the dress on, but was unable to fasten it. She set about measuring and marking. Finally she stood back. ‘It only needs letting out a little, and there is plenty of material, so I’m sure I can make the necessary alterations.’

‘I would be most obliged if you could. You are relieved of all other duties today, and you may work in my sitting room.’

‘I’ll start at once.’ Ruth picked up the workbox and waited while Mrs Russell removed the gown, then she carried everything she would need into the other room and shut the door.

The elderly lady glanced at the clock. ‘The child has been in there for over three hours. Have you sent in refreshments, Emma?’

‘Yes, Mother, but I cannot believe she is capable of the skilled work necessary to make the gown wearable. I had to let her try because she seemed so positive.’

After nearly another hour there was a light knock on their door, and Ruth came in with the dress. ‘I’m sorry it took me so long, but the material is very fine and I had to be careful not to damage it. I have already pressed it, so would you try it on for me, please?’

Emma went into the dressing room and almost at once called for her mother-in-law to help with the fastenings. She gasped when she looked at her reflection in the long mirror, turning round and round to inspect the gown from every angle. ‘Remarkable!’

When the two ladies came out of the dressing room, Ruth’s face lit up with pleasure. ‘You look beautiful. I knew that was the one you should wear.’

‘It’s a perfect fit, Ruth, and any professional would be proud of the stitching. Where did you learn to do such fine work?’

‘My mum worked for a dressmaker before she was married and she taught me. Keeping a little sister and two lively brothers in clothes has given me plenty of practice. Of course, I’ve never worked on expensive material before, so I had to be extra careful.’

‘You’ve done an excellent job, and I thank you very much, Ruth.’

‘Glad I could help, madam. I’ve left the sitting room and workbox tidy. Do you need me for anything else, as I promised to go with Lilly to say goodnight to the horses?’

Both women laughed, and Emma shook her head. ‘My daughter is mad about animals. Of course you must go.’

Ruth grinned, then turned and left the room, happy she had been able to help.

Emma kept the gown on and went to the library where her husband was working. ‘Look at this, darling! I won’t have to attend your regimental dinner in one of my dowdy dresses. Ruth has altered this one for me, and it fits perfectly. Her stitching is so fine it is impossible to see where she has made the alteration. Who would have thought she had such talent?’

‘Indeed, she is a surprising girl.’ He came over and kissed her cheek. ‘You look beautiful, my dear.’

‘I do believe I shall even enjoy your stuffy old gathering now.’

Ben laughed. ‘And I shall be proud to have such a lovely woman on my arm. We must also think of a way to reward Ruth. I’ll give it some thought while I’m away on business next week.’

There was a strange air about the house. Ruth had been out in the buggy with Lilly all afternoon and was curious to know what was going on, but every time she asked someone they just shook their heads and turned away.

The butler saw her and came up to her at once. ‘Ah, there you are. The mistress wants to see you in the library, Ruth.’

‘Oh, right.’ Her concern faded as she made her way to the library. There was probably a last-minute function being arranged for when the captain returned, and there might be another dress to alter. The last one had been a challenge, but she had really enjoyed doing it, and would love to work on such beautiful materials again.

She knocked on the door and went in when told to. Mrs Russell was sitting behind the captain’s desk and her mother-in-law next to her. They both looked very serious and the older lady was clearly furious about something.

‘You sent for me, madam?’

‘Something very unpleasant has happened and we would like an explanation.’

Ruth frowned at her tone. ‘About what, madam?’

The senior Mrs Russell stood up and moved towards Ruth. ‘When you were working in the private sitting room did you notice one of my brooches on the table by the fireplace?’

‘I didn’t see it. I went straight to the window where the light was better and stayed there.’ Ruth was now very concerned. She didn’t like the sound of this at all. ‘Have you misplaced the brooch?’

‘No, we’ve found it.’

‘Oh, that’s good.’ Ruth smiled. ‘Where was it?’

‘In your room, hidden under your pillow.’

The two women in front of Ruth went out of focus as her head swam in disbelief. ‘But how did it get there?’

‘Enough of this!’ The captain’s mother turned to her daughter-in-law. ‘This child doesn’t even have the decency to own up!’ She faced Ruth again. ‘It was there because you put it there.’

The accusation hit her with tremendous force and she staggered towards the desk so she could grip on to it and steady herself. ‘No! No! Someone must have put it in my room.’

‘Who would do such a thing – and why? You’ll have to come up with a better story than that before I believe you! You saw the brooch and couldn’t resist it. That’s the truth, isn’t it?’

By now Ruth could hardly stand upright, and when she tried to speak, the words wouldn’t come, so she just shook her head.

‘You need to convince us that you are innocent of this crime,’ the captain’s wife said. ‘If you didn’t take it, then tell us who you believe might have put it in your room.’

This was a nightmare and Ruth fought back the tears. How could this be happening to her? She had never stolen anything in her life, and never would. She couldn’t tell them about the maid, Betty, because she had no proof the girl hated her enough to do this terrible thing to her.