All My Tomorrows by Ellie Dean

Author:Ellie Dean
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9780099585282
Publisher: ARROW
Published: 2014-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

RUBY HAD BEEN living with the Frasers for two weeks, and in that time Harold had twice tried her door in the middle of the night, and his knee rubbed against her leg every time they sat at the dining room table. So far, she’d managed never to be alone with him, but she was getting tired of always being on her guard and had begun to think seriously about finding another billet.

Once again there was little food to be had for breakfast this morning, and although she’d been sorely tempted to cook one of Marjory Fraser’s precious eggs, she hadn’t quite got the nerve, so made do with toast and dripping and the heel of a bit of stale cheese. It didn’t taste very nice, but it lined her stomach and the two big mugs of sweet tea filled her up nicely.

She had tiptoed back to her room and wedged the door shut while she retrieved her hidden stash of money and tucked it deep into the pockets of her dungarees. Her shift finished at four today, and this was the first chance she’d had to get to the post office and open an account before she went in search of Stan at the station. He was a difficult man to find, for he seemed to be absent from his post a great deal and she had no idea where he lived. The lovely red scarf was still tucked in with her gas mask, and she was determined to give it to him before yet another week passed. Having checked the room was neat and tidy, she put the chair back and opened the door.

‘Well, good morning,’ said Harold, who was again resplendent in his dressing gown and slippers as he stood squarely on the landing and barred her way. ‘My goodness, you are an early bird, aren’t you?’

‘I’m on early shift and don’t like to waste the day,’ she replied. She eyed him coolly. ‘Excuse me, Mr Fraser, but I have to get to work.’

‘Please, Ruby, don’t be so formal after all this time of living here,’ he said as he came towards her. ‘You must call me Harry.’

Ruby’s back was almost pressed against her bedroom door, but she was also aware that Marjory was only in the next room and she doubted dear ‘Harry’ would risk anything much within her hearing. ‘I were always taught to be formal with them what’s a lot older than me,’ she said flatly. ‘Especially when they’re in their nightclothes.’ She took a small step away from the door. ‘I gotta go to work, Mr Fraser, and you’re in me way.’

‘Harry, what’s going on out there?’ Marjory’s voice drifted out to them from her bedroom.

‘Nothing, dear,’ he called back. ‘Just passing the time of day with Ruby.’

Ruby took advantage of this distraction and tried to dodge past him.

But Harold was a fast mover for a fat man and in the blink of an eye he had her pinned against the wall,

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