was Ruby – Ruby O’Hagan.
When Ruby and Jacob left Brambles, they’d headed straight for Kirkby station. ‘It’s too late for a train,’ Ruby said, ‘but we’ll be safer inside the waiting room, out of sight.’
They walked quickly. The rain had stopped, the moon was out, though the midnight air was chilly. Ruby regretted not bringing a coat.
Jacob followed like an obedient animal. He hadn’t said a word since they left the house. Ruby spoke to him gently. He’d killed Bill Pickering while protecting her. Who knows what Bill might have done if Jacob hadn’t been there. She doubted if Emily had been in a fit state to help.
During the hours spent in the waiting room, she held his hand and murmured comforting words of support. ‘We’ll be all right,’ she told him. ‘We’ll bury ourselves where no one knows us, the Dingle, I’ve been there loads of times. We’ll find a nice place to live and get jobs. I’ve always wanted to work in a shop.’ The more she thought about it, the more she tried to convince herself it was an adventure, the sort of thing they might have done, anyway, at some time in the future.
A train came puffing in just after six o’clock by which time a watery sun had risen in a pallid sky. Jacob had only seen trains in the distance and found the noise terrifying. He put his hands over his ears to shut it out, wishing he could shut out the world as easily.
When they reached Exchange station, Ruby remembered they hadn’t bought tickets. She paid the fares at the barrier and looked worriedly in her purse. ‘I’ve only got tenpence left. Have you got money, Jacob?’
He shook his head. He had more than five pounds saved, but it was in his loft on Humble’s farm.
‘We’d better walk to the Dingle,’ Ruby was saying. ‘We’ll need to buy food later.’
For Jacob, the walk was a nightmare. So many tall buildings rearing skywards, threatening to collapse on top of him, tramcars almost as noisy as the trains, buses, cars, lorries, the occasional horse-drawn cart that made him think longingly of Waterloo, the horse that kept him company on the farm. Ruby said, ‘It’s only early, so it’s not so busy as usual,’ as if he’d like it better when it was, when he already hated it with all his heart.
It started to drizzle, and he felt as if they’d been walking for ever by the time they reached the Dingle, a rabbit warren of little streets. It was only then that Ruby paused, looking lost.
‘How do we find somewhere to live?’
Jacob hoped she wasn’t asking him because he had no idea. He had no idea about anything any more.
‘I know, I’ll ask in a shop,’ she said cheerfully. She went into a sweet and tobacconists and emerged with a piece of paper clutched in her hand.
‘There’s a room to let in Dombey Street. The landlady’s called Mrs Howlett. It’s along this way, second on the right. I think we should take it, whatever it’s like. If necessary, we can look around for somewhere better when we’ve got more time.’
He trudged behind her in a daze, wanting to die, yet knowing he would have followed her to the ends of the earth. She knocked on a house with steps up to the front door and it was opened by a nervous-looking girl of about eighteen.
‘I’ve come about the room,’ Ruby said importantly.
‘Me mam’s gone out a minute.’ The girl had a nice, kind smile. ‘Come and have a decko. She won’t be long. It’s upstairs at the back.’
The room was small and cramped and had too muchdark furniture including a great double bed. Jacob felt his insides shrink. It was like being inside a coffin.
‘It’s nice,’ Ruby said. She sat on the bed and bounced up and down a few times. ‘We’ll take it. How much is the rent?’
‘Half a crown a week in advance, but you’ll have to wait for me mam.’
‘What does “in advance” mean?’
‘It means me mam wants paying now. People have been known to do a moonlight flit and she ends up out of
When Ruby and Jacob left Brambles, they’d headed straight for Kirkby station. ‘It’s too late for a train,’ Ruby said, ‘but we’ll be safer inside the waiting room, out of sight.’
They walked quickly. The rain had stopped, the moon was out, though the midnight air was chilly. Ruby regretted not bringing a coat.
Jacob followed like an obedient animal. He hadn’t said a word since they left the house. Ruby spoke to him gently. He’d killed Bill Pickering while protecting her. Who knows what Bill might have done if Jacob hadn’t been there. She doubted if Emily had been in a fit state to help.
During the hours spent in the waiting room, she held his hand and murmured comforting words of support. ‘We’ll be all right,’ she told him. ‘We’ll bury ourselves where no one knows us, the Dingle, I’ve been there loads of times. We’ll find a nice place to live and get jobs. I’ve always wanted to work in a shop.’ The more she thought about it, the more she tried to convince herself it was an adventure, the sort of thing they might have done, anyway, at some time in the future.
A train came puffing in just after six o’clock by which time a watery sun had risen in a pallid sky. Jacob had only seen trains in the distance and found the noise terrifying. He put his hands over his ears to shut it out, wishing he could shut out the world as easily.
When they reached Exchange station, Ruby remembered they hadn’t bought tickets. She paid the fares at the barrier and looked worriedly in her purse. ‘I’ve only got tenpence left. Have you got money, Jacob?’
He shook his head. He had more than five pounds saved, but it was in his loft on Humble’s farm.
‘We’d better walk to the Dingle,’ Ruby was saying. ‘We’ll need to buy food later.’
For Jacob, the walk was a nightmare. So many tall buildings rearing skywards, threatening to collapse on top of him, tramcars almost as noisy as the trains, buses, cars, lorries, the occasional horse-drawn cart that made him think longingly of Waterloo, the horse that kept him company on the farm. Ruby said, ‘It’s only early, so it’s not so busy as usual,’ as if he’d like it better when it was, when he already hated it with all his heart.
It started to drizzle, and he felt as if they’d been walking for ever by the time they reached the Dingle, a rabbit warren of little streets. It was only then that Ruby paused, looking lost.
‘How do we find somewhere to live?’
Jacob hoped she wasn’t asking him because he had no idea. He had no idea about anything any more.
‘I know, I’ll ask in a shop,’ she said cheerfully. She went into a sweet and tobacconists and emerged with a piece of paper clutched in her hand.
‘There’s a room to let in Dombey Street. The landlady’s called Mrs Howlett. It’s along this way, second on the right. I think we should take it, whatever it’s like. If necessary, we can look around for somewhere better when we’ve got more time.’
He trudged behind her in a daze, wanting to die, yet knowing he would have followed her to the ends of the earth. She knocked on a house with steps up to the front door and it was opened by a nervous-looking girl of about eighteen.
‘I’ve come about the room,’ Ruby said importantly.
‘Me mam’s gone out a minute.’ The girl had a nice, kind smile. ‘Come and have a decko. She won’t be long. It’s upstairs at the back.’
The room was small and cramped and had too muchdark furniture including a great double bed. Jacob felt his insides shrink. It was like being inside a coffin.
‘It’s nice,’ Ruby said. She sat on the bed and bounced up and down a few times. ‘We’ll take it. How much is the rent?’
‘Half a crown a week in advance, but you’ll have to wait for me mam.’
‘What does “in advance” mean?’
‘It means me mam wants paying now. People have been known to do a moonlight flit and she ends up out of
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