Ruby's War Read Online Free

along the narrow garden. He pulled up his collar to light a match, and then all she could see was the tip of his cigarette, pulsing slowly with each inhalation. Ruby squeezed her music case tightly and swallowed hard. When he’d finished, he knocked on the door again. This time it swung open.
    The fat woman’s cross face appeared from behind aswell of white cotton sheet. ‘Will you shut that door,’ she said, shaking and folding the fabric.
    Then, with the folded sheet under one arm, she began collecting pieces of fine tweed cloth that were scattered on the furniture and the floor. Depending on the way it caught the light, the fabric was either a soft lilac or violet in colour. One of the pieces, a sleeve, lolled on the back of an easy chair by the open fire, another hung over a wooden chair next to the table, and still more were piled on the tabletop, where they clashed with the red crushed-velvet cover. The plump woman moved easily, bending to scoop up each piece of fabric, folding each one as she moved on to take up the next one. With each movement, her crystal drop earrings glittered icily.
    Ruby shivered. In front of the range was a large brass fender with boxes for holding kindling built into its two corners. She would have loved to sit on the padded top of one of the brass boxes and stretch out her fingers to the coal fire, but thought it was better to stay by the door, until she was invited to sit down.
    â€˜I offered to go round the back, Jenny, love.’
    â€˜What, an’ walk in on our Sadie again, when she’s in the scullery havin’ a wash?’
    The plump woman scooped up the pieces of a paper pattern that were lying on the floor, and as she settled down in an easy chair to fold them, there was a knock at the front door.
    The blonde girl, now fully dressed, hurried in from the scullery. ‘I’ll get it,’ she said. ‘It’s only Lou.’
    She opened the front door to a dark-haired girl of about her own age.
    â€˜Oh, is this my suit?’ the girl asked, picking up a stray scrap of fabric from the flagged floor.
    â€˜I was hoping to have it tacked up by now, and you could have tried it on,’ the woman replied. ‘I was pinning it on our Sadie, but we was interrupted.’
    â€˜Who’s this?’ Lou asked, smiling at Ruby.
    â€˜This is Ruby,’ Granddad said. ‘She’s my son’s daughter. Lives with her aunt, since she lost her mum. I’ve been over there to sort out some family business and thought I’d bring her home with me for a few days. She can stay in her dad’s old room.’
    â€˜Ahh,’ the blonde girl cooed. ‘That’ll be nice. Nice to meet you, love. I’m Sadie and this is Lou.’
    â€˜Hello, love,’ Lou said. ‘Haven’t you got lovely eyes.’
    Outside, a horn tooted loudly, and the two young women checked their make-up in the mirror.
    â€˜That’s our lift,’ Sadie said. ‘See you later. Don’t wait up.’
    â€˜I don’t know what Jack’s mother will think when she sees a Yank calling for her son’s intended,’ Granddad said, as the sound of the engine died away. ‘Blackout or no blackout, she misses nothing.’
    â€˜What Sadie does is no business of yours, Henry,’ the woman said.
    Granddad bent down and picked up a delicate piece of paper pattern from the pegged rug.
    â€˜I was wondering,’ he said, handing the piece to the woman. ‘Since Ruby will be staying here, would it be fitting for her to call you Grandma, Grandma Jenny? If you wouldn’t object?’
    â€˜Well, it’s more respectful than Jenny,’ the woman said,and smiled slightly as she took the tissue paper from his outstretched hand. ‘I suppose she’ll need feeding as well.’
    Granddad winked at Ruby and began unbuttoning his mac. ‘Take your coat off, Ruby,’ he said, ‘and we’ll hang it here. Then