A Respectable Veneer by Rachel Doré

Author:Rachel Doré
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Upstart Press
Published: 2023-04-15T00:00:00+00:00

29

At the school gates on Monday morning, Douglas opened the car door like a chauffeur and waited for Edie and Ruby to get out.

‘Don’t leave your lunch on the back seat.’ Ruby said.

Edie grabbed the paper bag of sandwiches. ‘I don’t want my lunch.’

‘Bye, kiddo,’ said Douglas.

Edie ignored him. ‘No one else has their lunch in a rotten paper bag.’

Ruby bent towards Edie’s ear. ‘Cut that out, or we won’t go shopping after school.’

‘Shopping! I nearly forgot,’ Edie squealed. ‘Will you buy me a wee case, like that girl’s?’

‘We’ll see. And don’t point at people – it’s rude.’

‘Have a good day,’ Douglas said. ‘Learn something new…’

‘Ta-ta…’ Ruby said, but Edie had already flitted away.

In the car, he turned to Ruby. ‘Would you allow me to –’ he reached into the breast-pocket of his jacket.

She knew what the movement meant. ‘No,’ she almost shouted. ‘No. Don’t…’ How dare he think of offering her money!

He withdrew his hand. ‘I-I just thought a couple of pounds might–’

‘Thanks, but no.’

‘All right, but if you ever need…’

‘I won’t. Thank you, though.’

They didn’t speak as he drove. She should have walked. It was only a few blocks. Pink camellias were beginning to spot the glossy-leafed shrubs, and it was neither raining nor windy for a change.

‘Outside the library at half past four?’ Douglas said as they pulled up in the lane behind Vardo.

‘Would outside McKenzies at five be all right?’

‘Five, then.’ He gave her a brief, sad smile. Had she hurt him?

*****

It must’ve been afternoon tea time when the blocking room door opened and Janice poked her head out. ‘It’s nearly three o’clock, hun.’

Ruby had been halfway through a line of stitches. She threw the cover over the tray, raced down the stairs without much care, ripping off her smock as she went.

All last week she’d made it to the school before the children were released; now, as she ran, she passed herds of children already walking down the street.

Tomorrow she’d tell Edie to meet her on the porch at the back of Salon Vardo. There’d be time for her to dawdle with her friends as any child should. After all, she was safe here, wasn’t she?

Edie waved to her classmates. Ruby took her hand and caressed the fine bones with her thumb as they walked to The Square.

There wasn’t much money left in Ruby’s pay packet after buying Frank’s mutton roast on Friday; some of Angel’s sock money was still in her purse. How much would one of those little cases cost? The one Edie pointed out was probably pressed cardboard with a leather-look grain. An imitation of an imitation. But if it was fashionable for little girls…

‘I should buy you a proper schoolbag strong enough for books,’ said Ruby, doubting she could afford one.

‘I’d like a little case. Everyone’s got one.’

‘Who’s everyone? If everyone else jumped off a bridge you’d want to, too, I suppose? I’d like to see what those girls carry in those silly little cases. I’ll bet there’s nothing more than a sandwich and a pencil.

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