The Dollmaker's Daughters (12 page)

‘C’mon, mate, let the little lady take you to the hospital.’

The men hefted Billy onto the passenger seat and Ruby leapt up beside him, picking up the reins.

‘Can you drive a cart?’ Billy gasped, his words punctuated with bouts of coughing.

‘I dunno,’ Ruby said, flicking the reins, ‘but I’ll have a bloody good try.’

Luckily, the horse did not seem to need much guidance, plodding along at his own pace and obeying the slightest tug on the reins when Ruby wanted him to change direction. Although he didn’t complain, Billy was obviously in no state to help, and Ruby kept glancing over her shoulder to check on the casualties, praying that they would reach the hospital in time. The baker lay as though he were dead but the woman moved a bit, moaning every now and then, and fighting for each painful lungful of air. The little girl was deathly pale and barely breathing; Ruby urged the horse to a trot, shouting at pedestrians to get out of the way. Billy was slumped forward, slipping in and out of consciousness and, in a desperate effort to make the animal go faster, Ruby seized the whip, cracking it above the old horse’s head. The wind had whipped her hair into a mass of curls, tumbling it about her shoulders and half blinding her as strands blew into her eyes. She was standing in the footwell,
encouraging the horse to one last spurt of speed, as they turned into Whitechapel Road. She could have cried with relief as the arched portico of the London Hospital came into sight. Drawing in the reins, Ruby drew the cart to a halt outside its doors, and, leaping to the ground, she ran inside to get help.

As she barged through the glassed doors into the main reception area, it seemed to Ruby that the world of pain and chaos outside had no place within these hallowed walls. The marble floors, high ceilings and polished mahogany, combined with the strong smell of disinfectant and a cathedral-like hush, enforced a sudden calm on her spirit. Nurses in grey uniforms with starched white caps and aprons moved quietly amongst the patients and visitors like well-mannered doves. A woman wearing sisters’ uniform appeared in front of Ruby and began questioning her. Soothed and reassured by her air of authority, Ruby told her what had happened. The sister listened intently and then acted, setting things in motion, without so much as raising her voice. Within seconds, nurses and porters carrying stretchers were sent outside to bring in the injured.

This is where I want to be, Ruby thought, dazed but impressed, as she stood aside watching their expert handling of the casualties. There was no sense of panic, everyone seemed to know
exactly what to do and Ruby felt her heart swell with admiration for the nurses. She knew now that she could never be happy until she was a part of this well-ordered, clinical world.

‘See me old nag safe,’ Billy murmured, as a nurse pushing a bath chair wheeled him past Ruby.

‘I will,’ Ruby said. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll do it straight away.’

Outside the hospital, the raw reality of the East End hit Ruby like a slap in the face. Although she was used to it, the noise of the streets was suddenly quite deafening. The rumbling cartwheels, the clopping of horses’ hooves, the cries of the costermongers and the endless marching of feet on stone pavements made her want to clap her hands over her ears to shut it out. Her knees were shaking and her hands trembling as she led the horse to a side street. She stroked his nose and he whickered as if in sympathy, rubbing his head against her shoulder. Leaving him tethered to a lamp post and munching from his nosebag, Ruby hurried back to the hospital.

There was nothing left for her to do now except pace the floor and watch the hands on the large, brass clock on the wall above the almoner’s office tick away the seconds, minutes and eventually the hours. Fuming at the enforced inactivity, Ruby had nothing to do except to watch the nurses going about their duties. One nurse in
particular caught her attention, a fresh-faced young woman with a pleasant smile, who came to escort patients to the treatment rooms. She went about her work as though she enjoyed every minute of it, offering words of encouragement to the sick people and comforting their anxious friends and relatives. Torn between admiration and envy, Ruby felt her ambition crystallise into a hard nugget deep inside her. The policy of all hospitals might be to take only middle-class young ladies with good educational backgrounds but it was time all that changed. She would make them accept her, or die in the attempt.

‘Are you all right, miss?’

Ruby spun around to look into the smiling face of the young nurse. ‘Yes, ta for asking.’

‘You’ve been waiting for such a long time. How about a nice cup of tea?’

‘I dunno …’ Ruby shot an anxious glance at the stern-faced sister.

‘Of course you would. Don’t mind old fish-face; you come with me.’

Suppressing a giggle, Ruby followed her to a side room filled with steam from a spirit kettle.

‘Sit down, before you fall down,’ said the nurse cheerfully, as she made a pot of tea. ‘We’re not supposed to do this, but you look as though you could do with a little sustenance.’ Adding two
teaspoonfuls of sugar, she passed the mug to Ruby. ‘My name is Pam, Pamela Chadwick, and you are?’

‘Ruby Capretti.’

‘Well, Ruby, you sit here and drink your tea and I’ll go and find out what’s happened to your people.’

‘Oh, they ain’t mine,’ Ruby said, gulping down a mouthful of hot tea. ‘I mean, Billy’s a friend, but I don’t know the others. We was just on hand at the right moment.’

‘Then well done you! I mean, your prompt action probably saved their lives.’

Ruby felt the blood rush to her cheeks. ‘Oh, I dunno about that.’

‘Nurse Chadwick!’ A voice echoed down the corridor.

‘Coming, Sister.’ Pulling a face, Pamela opened the door. ‘I have to go or I’ll be in trouble. Stay and finish your tea, Ruby, but don’t let old fish-face see you.’

Ruby swallowed the tea as quickly as she could and then she tidied everything away so that Pamela would not get into trouble. Making sure no one saw her, she made her way back to the vestibule and took a seat next to a fat woman who had nodded off to sleep and was snoring with grunts and whistles. After waiting for what seemed like eternity, Ruby felt like stuffing a cork in the woman’s mouth and was about to go
outside for a breath of fresh air when Pamela returned with Billy. He was smiling but he looked deathly pale and his hands and forearms were swathed in bandages.

Ruby jumped to her feet. ‘Billy, are you all right?’

‘Well, I ain’t going to go ten rounds with the champ,’ Billy said, attempting a laugh and ending up with a rasping cough. ‘But they fixed me up good, so I can’t complain.’

‘He’s had a dose of laudanum for the pain,’ Pamela whispered. ‘He’ll be a bit dicky for a while.’

‘How is the baker?’ Ruby asked anxiously. ‘He looked really bad.’

‘He’ll survive, but it may take a while for him to get well again.’

‘And his wife and the little girl?’

Pamela smiled. ‘They’ll be fine, thanks to you and Mr Noakes.’

‘I’m fine too,’ Billy said, grinning stupidly and hooking his arm around Ruby’s shoulder. ‘Let’s go to the pub. I’m parched and I really fancy a pint.’

‘Yes,’ Ruby said, humouring him. ‘We’ll do that, Billy, but first we ought to take your poor old horse home.’

‘He’s a good chap, is my old horse. Best friend I got.’

Pamela laid a hand on Billy’s shoulder. ‘You’ll
need to get your doctor to change the dressings regularly, Mr Noakes.’

‘If I can’t work, love, I can’t afford to pay the sawbones.’

‘I know,’ Pamela said, her smile fading. ‘If I had my way all medical treatment would be free.’

‘Maybe I could do it?’ Ruby felt herself blushing. ‘I mean, I’m sure I could, if you was to show me how. I’ve always wanted to be a nurse, just like you.’

‘I’m sure you’d make a wonderful nurse, Ruby. Come back this time tomorrow and I’ll show you how to change the bandages and put on a dressing. There’s really nothing to it.’

‘Nurse Chadwick, stop chattering and get back to work.’ Sister’s voice echoed off the high ceiling.

Pamela gave a guilty start. ‘See you tomorrow then,’ she whispered as she hurried off.

‘There now.’ Billy nudged Ruby in the ribs. ‘Nurse Capretti.’

‘Never mind that now,’ Ruby said, leading him to the exit and holding the door open. ‘Let’s get you home.’

Stepping outside, Billy stopped, staring around with a dazed expression. ‘Me cart’s gone.’

‘It’s all right, Billy. It’s just round the corner.’

Billy stared at his bandaged hands. ‘Bugger it! I can’t do nothing with me hands all trussed up
like a Christmas turkey. I suppose I’ll have to ask you to drive me home, Ruby.’

Billy’s home turned out to be a loft above a stable that was situated next to a coal yard, close to the railway lines. Having unhitched the horse and settled him in his stall and, ignoring Billy’s protests that he could manage on his own, Ruby took the key from him and ran up the wooden steps to unlock the door. Hesitating on the threshold, she peered into the gloomy interior. The room was clean but sparsely furnished with a narrow bed, a table, two chairs and a chest of drawers; the only source of light was a small roof window and that was coated with grime and bird droppings. Stumbling past her, Billy fumbled with a box of matches but the bandages made him clumsy and he spilt them all over the tabletop. He swore loudly and Ruby hurried over to help him.

‘You’re helpless as a baby,’ she said, lighting the paraffin lamp. ‘You oughtn’t be here on your own, Billy.’

‘Ta, but I’ll be all right,’ Billy said, sitting down suddenly as the drugging effect of the laudanum began to wear off. ‘A good night’s kip is all I need and tomorrow I’ll be back to me old self again.’

‘I don’t see no food,’ Ruby said, glancing around the room. ‘You ought to eat something.’

‘I ain’t hungry. If I get peckish I can always go down the pie and eel shop.’

‘Don’t be so stubborn, Billy. Give us the money and I’ll go down the pie shop for you.’ Fixing him with a stern stare, Ruby held out her hand.

‘Maybe I could manage some pie and mash. There’s some money in the top drawer of the chest.’ Billy waved his bandaged hand in the vague direction of the chest of drawers.

Ruby found the coins and was counting out the pennies when she dropped one and it rolled under the wooden pallet that served as Billy’s bed. Getting down on her hands and knees, she lifted the coverlet and ran her hand over the bare boards. As she found the coin her fingers touched something soft wrapped in material. It was too dark to see but Ruby’s experienced hands recognised the texture of a wax doll. Reaching beneath the bed, Ruby pulled out one doll after another. Jumping to her feet, she faced Billy, waving a doll by the leg.

‘So you never sold them to the wholesalers!’

‘You wasn’t meant to find them.’

‘But you gave Mum the cash for the dolls. You said they was sold to the warehouse.’

‘Ruby, don’t go on. I done it for the best. Your old man was sick and I knew that pious old sod of a priest wouldn’t pay up.’

Ruby gasped in horror. ‘Don’t talk about Father Brennan like that. You’ll end up in purgatory.’

Billy threw back his head and laughed. ‘Get on
with you. You don’t believe all that religious cant.’

‘What I believe don’t count,’ Ruby said, laying the dolls out on the coverlet and smoothing their crumpled dresses. ‘But I thank you for what you done and I’ll pay you back somehow or other. You’re a good man, Billy.’

‘Leave it out, girl. I owed Aldo a favour. I’ll sell them on and probably make meself a tidy profit. There’s only one person what matters to me and that’s Billy Noakes.’

‘You never gave yourself a thought when you run into that burning building, so don’t give me that.’

‘Anyone would have done the same. You get on home, Ruby. I’m going to be just fine on me own.’

‘I’m going, but not until I’ve seen you fed.’ Ruby slipped the money into her pocket. ‘I’m off down the pie shop but I’ll be quick as I can. You sit there and don’t move.’

‘Yes, nurse,’ Billy said, with a mock salute.

When Ruby returned to work after the funeral, the women at Bronski’s had been a bit cool after they discovered that she had tricked them into thinking she was Rosetta. Big Biddy and little Winnie had stuck up for her, but Ruby got the feeling that she had broken their unwritten code of comradeship, and that the others were more
hurt than angry. If she could have found another job quickly, she would not have gone back to Bronski’s, but with Poppa barely cold in his grave, there was no alternative. On the morning after the fire Ruby went to work, determined to get off early so that she could visit Billy and make sure he was all right. The fire and Billy’s injuries had put the business of returning the stolen money out of her head; Ruby was quite unprepared for the welcome she received and the heartfelt gratitude of the women, that was largely delivered in pats on the back, winks and whispers. All the same, she couldn’t help wondering how they would all react if they knew that their benefactor was the person who had ordered the robbery in the first place. But she wouldn’t think of that now. She had to find a way to get off work early and having confided in Big Biddy, Ruby realised for the first time the power of collective action. At a given moment, Ruby pretended to faint and the women did the rest. They buzzed around her like worker bees around the queen, giving Vinegar Lil no opportunity to examine her, and countering her protests that one faint did not merit being sick enough to go home with a tirade of angry catcalls. Within minutes, Big Biddy had hefted Ruby up on her shoulder and carried her outside into the alley.

‘There now, you get off and see to Billy. We’ll
sort out Lil and Bronski too, if it comes to it.’

‘Ta, Biddy. You’re a sport.’

Ruby ran all the way to Billy’s place and found him lying on the bed, still fully clothed, flushed and feverish. For a moment she was seized with panic, uncertain what to do next. Billy groaned and opened his eyes but there was no recognition in them, just the fog of high fever. Knowing instinctively that she must get the fever down, Ruby seized the jug from the chest and went down into the yard to fetch water from the pump. The horse neighed at her from his stable, but she told him he must wait. She would see to him later.