Sometimes she wished that he would sit and talk with her as he did with Mum, but he never stayed long, and, although he treated her like a friend, there was nothing remotely lover-like in
his attitude. He seemed to have forgotten their ill-fated picnic in Epping Forest and, as time went by, Ruby began to think she might have imagined his passionate declaration of love and his proposal of marriage. Perhaps she’d been a fool to turn him down so resolutely? Maybe he was taking his new-found role as head of the family too seriously, and was content to think of her just as a cousin.
Alone at night in the bed she had always shared with Rosetta, Ruby tossed and turned, and finally, unable to get back to sleep, she would get up, go downstairs to the living room and study for her final examinations early in the New Year until her eyes were sore and her head spun with facts and figures.
The doctor only came once a week now to visit Sarah, who was allowed to get up and dress as long as she did not exert herself. Christmas was almost upon them and Ruby had neither the money nor the time to make preparations. But at least Rosetta seemed happy now that she was back with Billy and when she visited, usually bringing Martha with her, she was full of plans for the future. Ruby had fallen in love with Martha on sight, and she was delighted that Rosetta had at last come to terms with motherhood and was happy with Billy. She prayed that the New Year would bring happiness and prosperity to the bakery on Spivey Street, but she
dared not think about her own future; it seemed dull and cheerless without Jonas, but Ruby knew that she had only herself to thank for that.
Two weeks before Christmas, Rosetta came to visit, dressed in a new velvet-trimmed bonnet and mantle and with Martha wearing a miniature version of her cherry-red outfit. Ruby was touched to see her sister looking radiant, just like the Rosetta of the old days, but now she had a baby on her knee: a little dark-eyed, dark-haired edition of herself.
‘Jonas has loaned us the money to expand,’ Rosetta said, taking off Martha’s bonnet and setting her down on the rag rug. ‘We’re going to buy the shop next door and enlarge the bakehouse so that Billy can take on more staff. I’ve had a look over the premises and the flat above the shop is much nicer than ours. Billy says I can have it done up just as I like and you can all come and visit me when it’s finished.’
‘That’ll be nice, ducks,’ Sarah said, smiling.
‘Pity we got to wait till then,’ Granny Mole said, dunking a biscuit in her tea, ‘what with Christmas coming up and not a thing in the house, not even a pig’s cheek or a pound of beef sausages.’
‘Well then, I got something to tell you,’ Rosetta said, obviously enjoying being the bearer of good news. ‘Jonas has invited all of us to Raven Street for Christmas dinner. I’m surprised he hasn’t told you himself.’
Ruby’s heart gave an uncomfortable thud, just as if she’d missed a step coming downstairs. Jonas had been here only yesterday and he hadn’t mentioned anything about Christmas, but somehow she managed a smile. ‘I expect he forgot. He’s been very busy recently.’
‘Not that you’d notice anything with your head stuck in a book all the time.’ Granny Mole held out her teacup for a refill. ‘A body could die of thirst in this house.’
‘Ma, don’t nag the girls,’ Sarah said mildly.
‘Someone’s got to keep them on their toes, what with Rose being full of big plans what won’t help us a bit and Ruby with her head stuck in her books, not knowing what time of day it is.’ Granny Mole glared at them over the rim of her teacup, as if daring someone to argue the point.
Billy arrived later to collect Rosetta and Martha. He came in on a burst of cold air, his clothes sparkling with hailstones. ‘Cold enough for snow,’ he said, grinning. ‘Maybe we’ll have a white Christmas.’
‘Wouldn’t that be lovely?’ Rosetta said, lifting Martha onto her lap. ‘And your first birthday just before Christmas too, darling. Won’t that be exciting?’
‘You look a real picture,’ Sarah said, as Billy leaned down to kiss Martha on the top of her dark curls. ‘You’re a lovely little family and I’m so happy for you both.’
‘Martha is just the first,’ Billy said proudly. ‘I hope we’ll have half a dozen babies.’
Setting Martha on the floor, Rosetta got to her feet, pulling a face at Billy. ‘Hold on there, Mr Noakes. Give us a chance.’
Granny Mole made a clicking sound with her tongue against what teeth she had left. ‘Pity our Ruby’s on the shelf. Men don’t want a blue-stocking. She’ll end up an old maid at this rate. ’
‘Don’t take no notice of her,’ Rosetta said, hugging Ruby.
Billy flung his arms around both of them. ‘Any man would be lucky to get one of the Capretti girls. I ought to know, didn’t I?’
Rosetta flashed him a smile beneath fluttering lashes. ‘I’m glad you appreciate your good luck. But just you wait until I’ve put all my ideas for the new shop into action. We’ll be the Fortnum and Mason of Whitechapel when I’ve finished.’
Billy gave her a smacking kiss on the lips. ‘We will that, sweetheart.’ Scooping Martha up in his arms, Billy kissed Ruby on the cheek. ‘You’ll be round for Martha’s birthday tea then, Ruby?’
‘I wouldn’t miss it for the world.’
Despite all Ruby’s entreaties, Sarah insisted that she was well enough to walk to Spivey Street and that she was not going to miss Martha’s first birthday tea even if she was to die in the attempt. Ruby worried that this might well happen but
Jonas turned up just in time to prevent a full-scale war in the small house.
‘I’ve come to take you all in my motor car.’
‘That was very thoughtful of you, Jonas,’ Ruby said, with an indifferent nod of her head. She was still smarting from the fact that Jonas had seen fit to invite Rosetta and Billy to his house for Christmas and had either forgotten to mention it to her, or had thought it unimportant, and that they would be grateful to receive his charity. ‘I’m sure Mum and Granny will be pleased to accept.’
Raising his eyebrows, Jonas gave her a quizzical smile. ‘It’s sleeting outside, but perhaps you’d rather walk?’
‘Perhaps I would.’
‘Don’t talk soft,’ Sarah said, wrapping a shawl around her head and shoulders. ‘It’s kind of Jonas to think about us.’
‘Have we got to share the motor with that Carlottie creature?’ demanded Granny Mole, rising stiffly to her feet.
Jonas shook his head. ‘No, Lottie’s got other things to do today but she sent a present for Martha. She said she’ll look forward to seeing you all on Christmas Day.’
‘We haven’t been invited.’ The words were out before Ruby could stop them; she bit her lip, unable to look Jonas in the eye.
‘I’m sorry if I didn’t think to mention it, Ruby,
but I thought it was understood that we would have a family Christmas.’
‘I might be on duty at the hospital.’
‘Then we’ll work around your shift, or I’ll go and sweet-talk Matron Luckes into letting you off.’
‘You’re a good man,’ Sarah said, smiling. ‘I don’t care what anyone says, Jonas, you’re a good man.’
The living room above the shop had been transformed with paper chains and brightly coloured balloons. A fire blazed up the chimney and with everyone crowded into the small room the atmosphere was warm and cheerful. Martha ripped the brown paper off her presents and hugged the rag doll that Granny Mole and Sarah had made as a joint effort. Ruby had bought her a red India-rubber ball and Elsie had spent her pocket money on two sugar mice and a bar of Fry’s chocolate, which Martha stuffed in her mouth, eyeing Granny Mole as if she were afraid she might snatch it off her, and dribbling chocolate cream down the front of her new dress, a present from Billy and Rosetta.
‘And what did you get her, Jonas? A rocking horse, a real pony, something that would make all our gifts seem shabby?’ Still smarting, Ruby couldn’t resist the temptation to goad him.
‘Why are you so angry?’
‘I’m not angry. I couldn’t care less what you do.’
‘Is that so?’
Shrugging her shoulders, Ruby turned away from him, but Jonas took her by the hand. ‘My present is in the kitchen. Come with me, Ruby, and we’ll fetch it together.’ He dragged her out of the room, across the narrow landing and into the kitchen, closing the door behind them and leaning against it.
‘How dare you manhandle me?’ Ruby began, and then stopped as a puppy leapt out of a wicker basket and jumped up at her making excited whimpering sounds. ‘Oh, the little darling.’ Bending down, she scooped the puppy up and held it against her cheek. It licked her face, yelping ecstatically, and she rubbed her cheek against its soft fur, inhaling the warm puppy smell as if it were the most expensive French perfume.
Jonas stood watching her for a moment and then, taking the puppy gently from her hands, he set it down in its basket. Without a word, he swept her into his arms and began kissing her, softly at first, tenderly but with mounting desire. Running his hand through her hair, he held her so that she could not escape even if she had wanted to, and she didn’t want to. Her lips parted and her arms slid around his neck; tongues caressing, teeth grazing, lips devouring,
Ruby felt herself swirling in a vortex of desire that sent her senses spinning out of control. When he released her to draw breath, she relaxed against him with a deep sigh, resting her forehead against his chest until the world righted itself.
Tilting her head back with his finger under her chin, Jonas’s eyes bored into her soul. ‘Now say you don’t love me, Ruby. Say it if you can but I won’t believe you.’
‘Don’t do this to me,’ Ruby gasped, struggling to catch her breath. ‘This isn’t love, it’s not.’
Jonas let her go and her legs refused to hold her so that she stumbled, narrowly missing treading on the puppy. ‘What is love to you, then?’ he demanded angrily. ‘Your saintly doctor friend who lusted after you while he was promised to your best friend? That was all right, was it, because it was done in a gentlemanly fashion? Take a good look at life, Ruby; real life, I mean, not the stuff of penny romances. Would your doctor go against his family and marry you? Would you really be happy with a pale shadow of a man with milk in his veins instead of blood?’
‘Leave me alone, Jonas.’
‘For the moment I will, but I know you better than you know yourself, Ruby. You need me just as I need you. I’m not prepared to lose you to a romantic schoolgirl’s dream.’
Before Ruby could reply, the kitchen door
opened. ‘I thought you’d come to get Martha’s present.’ Billy’s grin faded into an apologetic smile. ‘Shall I go out again?’
Ruby pushed past him. ‘Don’t talk soft, Billy.’
Managing to avoid Jonas by working extra hours at the hospital, Ruby did not want to spend Christmas Day in Raven Street, but Mum and Granny were so looking forward to it that she hadn’t the heart to disappoint them. Rosetta and Billy were going to be there with Elsie and Martha, and Granny Mole was betting that she could out-drink Lottie, given half a chance. Sarah had spent hours trimming an old dress with lace that was left over from the doll-making days and was planning to wear it on Christmas Day. Her eyes sparkled with excitement when she told Ruby that Jonas was coming over in his motor car to drive them to Raven Street and she couldn’t wait to see the grand things that Jonas had done to the house since their last visit. Rose had told her all about it and said it was fine enough for the Queen to visit, should she happen to be in Shoreditch at any time. Sarah had chuckled at the idea of the old Queen dropping by for a cup of tea and a biscuit. It was so good to hear her mother laugh again that Ruby made up her mind the day would go without a hitch; nothing must happen to set back Mum’s complete recovery.
Ruby had not intended to dress up for the occasion but when she came downstairs in her ordinary day clothes, the disappointment in her mum’s eyes, and Granny Mole’s blunt remark that she looked like a ragbag, sent her scurrying up to her room to change into the silk gown that she had worn to Rosetta’s wedding. The only mirror in the house was the small one above the mantelpiece in the living room and she could only see her head and neck in that, but the appreciative expression in Jonas’s eyes when he arrived to collect them made the blood rush to her face. Annoyed at herself for being pleased, Ruby greeted him coolly and concentrated her efforts on getting Mum and Granny settled on the back seat in the motor car. Having draped a fur travel rug across their knees, Jonas offered his arm to help Ruby into the front passenger seat.
‘I can manage, thanks.’
‘Of course you can.’ Handing her a tartan rug, Jonas went to crank the starting handle.
‘See the faces at the windows,’ Sarah said smugly. ‘I bet they’d all die for a chance to ride in a horseless carriage.’
‘If he don’t get a move on we’ll freeze to death,’ Granny grumbled, snuggling the fur rug up to her chin. ‘Coney,’ she said, sniffing.
‘Hush, Ma. It don’t matter if it is bunny fur, it’s warmer than a piece of sacking.’
Ruby glanced at Jonas’s profile as he leapt in
beside her; she could tell by the angle of his jaw that he had overheard the remarks from the back seat and he was grinning. As he put the engine into gear, Jonas turned his head to look at her and his eyes were brimming with laughter. Ruby found herself smiling back; maybe the day would turn out better than she had anticipated.
Tucker opened the door and Sarah, who was leaning heavily on Jonas’s arm, gave a gasp of surprise and delight. Even Granny Mole made an appreciative noise at the back of her throat, a cross between a growl and an exclamation of pleasure. In the middle of the floor, reaching almost up to the high ceiling, was a Christmas tree sparkling with dozens of lighted candles and hung with glass balls, tinsel and strings of shiny beads. Dazzled, Ruby inhaled the scent of pine and warm candle wax. Piled around the tree were boxes tied with red ribbons and interestingly shaped parcels. Martha was sitting on the floor playing with a piece of tinsel and Rosetta stood by the tree arm in arm with Billy. She was smiling happily, her cheeks flushed and her eyes sparkling. Breaking free, she rushed towards them giving everyone a hug in turn.
‘Isn’t it wonderful? Hasn’t Jonas done us proud, Mum?’