Luke Arnold didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. In the end he stared at her, then dropped his head to his chest and said in a flat voice, ‘He’ll kill you when he finds out.’
‘What am I going to do, Luke?’ Teresa was frantic. ‘You’ve got to help me.’
He swung round, eyes blazing. ‘You can forget that, little sister,’ he said sarcastically. ‘You’ve had your fun, and now you can bloody well pay for it, because I’m not getting involved. Do you hear that?’ He strode across the room and thrust his face close to hers. ‘I AM NOT GETTING INVOLVED!’
Grabbing his coat cuff, she hung on. ‘You’ve got to help me, Luke. There’s no one else I can turn to. I’m afraid I’ll be turned out without a penny. Oh, I couldn’t bear it, Luke. I couldn’t bear to be disowned and have to live from hand to mouth. Father would do that to me if he found out. I know he would.’ She was sobbing. ‘I can’t live without fine things and servants, you know that, Luke. I’d die if he shamed me by turning me out. I would just die.’
Viciously shaking her loose, he snapped, ‘You should have thought of all that, shouldn’t you, eh? When you were writhing beneath him, with him poking at you like one of the stallions with a mare, you should have thought of the consequences.’ His expression was one of disgust. ‘How could you, Teresa?’ he demanded. ‘How could you lie with a stable-hand?’ He turned and spat into the fire, as though ridding himself of a nasty taste.
She had been desperate, coming to him against her better judgement and pleading for his help. She should have known better than to expect anything from her hard-hearted brother. In that moment, she recalled something he had confided in her some time back. Now, incensed by his condemnation of her, she told him angrily, ‘My fascination with a stable-hand is no more disgusting than your obsession with this lady’s maid!’
‘Shut up, you little fool!’ He lifted his hand to strike her, but then thought better of it. ‘I must have been mad to tell you about her.’ Thank God he hadn’t revealed Ruby’s name or her place of employment.
‘You were drunk.’ She laughed in his face, savouring the moment. ‘There’s no difference between us. Oh, the things you told me that night,’ she goaded. ‘How you thought she was the devil, come to bewitch you… the way she smiled, and how you fell head over heels in love the first time you saw her.’ A thought suddenly occurred to her. ‘When did you first meet her? And who is she, this dark-eyed beauty? You never told me that?’
‘It’s none of your business!’ Luke had never revealed Ruby’s little deceit on the night of the party, three months ago. Besides costing him an opportunity to use Cicely, he suspected that to betray their little charade would have closed the door with Ruby forever, and he couldn’t bear that. Even now, after all this time, he longed for her, dreamed of her. But she wouldn’t bend towards him, and though he still secretly, frantically, wanted her, there were times when he loathed her. The more she ignored him the more he needed to hurt her. He had discovered a way. Cicely. He had that foolish, pathetic woman dancing from a string, and he meant to tighten the knot. She was the route to the foundry, and she was the means by which he might yet win the elusive Ruby.
‘And there is a difference,’ he replied to his sister’s earlier comment. ‘The difference being that I have not slept with the maid.’
More’s the pity, he thought bitterly.
‘Ah! But you would if only she’d let you,’ taunted Teresa. ‘Perhaps the maid thinks herself above you? Probably seen the badness in you, I shouldn’t wonder.’ She flinched at the hatred in his eyes, and realised she had gone too far. He could be merciless when the mood took him. ‘Please, Luke. Tell me what to do.’
He couldn’t forgive her. ‘You’ll have to marry him. Go and live in a stable somewhere.’ Suddenly the thought of it was too much. He collapsed into a chair, laughing helplessly. ‘I hope the two of you will be very happy amongst the horse-muck,’ he spluttered.
‘You bastard!’ She lunged at him, clawing at his face with her long nails.
He struck her then, a short hard blow across the face which sent her reeling. ‘Don’t ever do that again,’ he warned. Springing out of the chair, he glared at her, feeling a sense of power as she curled into the chair, holding her face and softly weeping. ‘You’ve got yourself into this mess, and you must get yourself out of it. One thing’s for sure – you’re not bringing his bastard into this house, I can promise you that.’
His fists were hard clenched and his eyes were like black slits in his white angry face. ‘When Father finds out, he’ll no doubt whip him all the way down the road and you with him. And I for one won’t be sorry! To hell with you both. You deserve each other.’
She looked up and their eyes met. She searched for a little compassion, but there was only loathing. For as long as she lived, she would never forgive him. ‘He won’t whip him all the way down the road,’ she remarked coolly, ‘because he will never know the name of this child’s father.’
‘He will when I tell him.’
‘I wouldn’t advise you to do that, Luke. If you tell Father about Johnny Ackroyd, I’ll have to tell him that you’re only courting Cicely Banks to get the foundry. That you deliberately set out to entrap her… that you don’t love her one bit, but that you’ll marry her just so you can get your hands on her father’s business. At first, you wanted the foundry to give to Father as a peace-offering, a prize, to show him what a splendid fellow you are.’ She was growing braver by the minute. ‘But all that has changed, hasn’t it? Now that Cicely Banks is eating out of your hand, and you can see yourself as the owner of Banks’s, you want it for yourself, don’t you? You see yourself as the big man, and you intend to cause a little mischief and make life difficult for Father. Isn’t that right? In the end, you want it all! But along the way, you mean to make Father pay for what he’s done to you over the years. Isn’t that what you have in your evil, warped mind?’
‘Your guesses are a little wild, aren’t they?’ He tried to laugh, but it stuck in his throat. She was right. Everything she had said was right, and he could easily have strangled her for it.
‘Not guesses. Dear me, no. All of it is what you yourself have told me. You’d be surprised how the drink loosens your tongue.’ She sat in the chair opposite and crossed her legs, looking up at him with irritating sweetness. They were two devils, one as weak and wicked as the other. ‘Oh, yes. Father would be most interested to hear what I’ve got to say. He might also be interested to know that once you’ve got the foundry, you’ll discard that gentle kind woman just as fast as you can… perhaps even setting up home with your precious lady’s maid. There’s no doubt that your reputation, which you have cunningly retrieved these past months, will be irrevocably tarnished in his eyes. If there’s one thing we both know about our father, it’s his sense of duty and his tiresome principles.’
She paused in her tirade, before going on with a vindictive smile that made him realise she would do anything to put him out of favour with their father. ‘I promise you, Luke, those same principles that would put me out on the street, will damage you every bit as much.’ She said something then that made his blood run cold. ‘You’re a bad one, Luke. You’ve always been a bad one. You may have begun to fool Father, but you can’t fool me. It wouldn’t surprise me if you were up to no good with the small amount of responsibility Father’s already entrusted to you. After all, I do believe you have a considerable say in how the money is spent with regard to safety at the main foundry.’
She watched his face for signs of guilt, but he was clever. He merely stared at her in disbelief. ‘To this day, I don’t believe he realises how much you hate him.’
‘Not as much as I hate you, I think.’
‘So you won’t help me?’
‘No. Even if I could see a way, I would not want to help you. You’re a fool. I have no time for fools.’
The tears ran unheeded down her face. If Johnny Ackroyd had money or prospects, she would have seen to it that he was made to marry her. As it was, she had no intention of coupling her name with that of a penniless young man. ‘You’re right, I am a fool. But let me tell you this: if the day ever comes when I can make you suffer, I will,’ she vowed.
‘Oh, I’m not altogether cruel, sister dear.’ He smirked, ‘You have only yourself to blame when I end up with all Father’s money. But I won’t see you destitute. I think I could manage a small allowance. Perhaps enough to buy you a decent meal now and then. After all, I wouldn’t want it to get about that I let my sister and her bastard starve to death, now would I? But as for keeping you in finery and feathered hats, you can forget that, my dear. Low-bred women have to do without these things, and you must learn to do the same.’ He smiled and bowed from the waist making a little click with his heels, ‘Forgive me, but I really must leave you now. I’m sure you have a great deal to think about.’ He straightened his back and the smile fell from his face. Without another word he strode from the room, leaving her staring after him with murderous eyes.
Coming out of the drawing-room, Luke almost collided with his father. ‘What the devil are you two arguing about? I could hear you from the other end of the hall?’ Oliver demanded. Lately, his children were a real trial, and there were times when he thought they would be the death of him.
Luke was all charm. ‘Oh, I’m sorry, Father,’ he said. ‘I thought you were still resting in your room.’ He was never one to miss an opportunity. ‘If you’re still unwell tomorrow, you know I can be trusted to attend to things in your absence. I hope I’ve proven my ability these past months?’
Oliver nodded. ‘I’m pleased with you, son, I won’t deny that. You’ve shown yourself to be very capable, and it won’t be long before you and I will be having a little talk.’ he promised.
Luke feigned surprise. ‘But that’s wonderful, Father,’ he exclaimed. ‘Have you thought any more about putting me in full charge of the men’s safety? Legislation is demanding more and more along these lines,’ he pointed out.
‘I’m well aware of it,’ Oliver reminded him sharply, ‘I don’t need you to tell me these things.’ Only last week an employer had been heavily fined and one of his factories closed down, when two of his workers had been killed because of out-dated and rusting machinery. Already Luke was showing admirable concern and considerable talent for matters of safety. The time was nearing when he would be trusted with the overseeing of these matters. ‘As I say, you and I have things to discuss.’
‘When?’
‘Soon.’
‘I shall look forward to it, Father.’
Oliver inclined his head towards the drawing-room door. ‘Is my daughter still in there?’
‘She is.’
‘You were arguing.’
‘I’m sorry if we disturbed you, Father. It won’t happen again.’
‘What were you arguing about?’
‘Something and nothing.’ He so much wanted to betray Teresa. He felt she deserved it. But he was a coward at heart, and was afraid of the explosion that would follow if he was to tell his father that his eldest daughter was carrying the groom’s child. Besides, his sister’s threat was still ringing in his ears, heightening his fears. Teresa must confess to her own mistakes. She was the one who had brought it all about. ‘I have to go now, Father,’ he said swiftly. ‘The new machinery’s being installed, and your own orders are that I have to be there.’
‘I asked… what were you arguing about?’
‘Teresa will tell you.’
‘You tell me!’
It had been on the tip of his tongue, and now when his father spoke to him in that formidable voice, it spilled out. ‘She’s with child.’ Astonished by his own outburst, he was instantly mortified, consoling himself only with the fact that he had not revealed the name of the father.
Oliver had been standing tall and straight, a proud man, even in the onset of illness. He faltered, his gaze fixed on Luke’s face and his lips quivering – with rage or shock, it was hard to tell. Presently in a strong hard voice he told his son, ‘Get to your work.’ And the cowardly man lost no time in departing the house, leaving his sister to face their father alone.
The manager was expecting him. ‘I’ve instructed the gangers and they’re installing the new platforms now.’ He sat at his desk, his shifty eyes levelled at Luke and his great spade-like hands spread across the desk surface. ‘Do you want to talk?’ he asked meaningfully.
He rose from his seat and went across the room where he slyly closed the door. Going to the cupboard, he collected a bottle and two glasses. ‘I’ve closed off the main area, but we shouldn’t lose too much production while the machinery’s being put in.’ He poured a measure of whisky into each glass, and after handing one to Luke, was about to take a sip of the other when it was viciously snatched from his hand.
‘I’ve told you before, Marshall, leave the booze alone when you’re working.’ Luke had already learned to his cost that it loosened a man’s tongue, making him spill out too many secrets. Grabbing the half-filled bottle, he tipped it upside down over the sink and drained it dry. Then he threw that and the glasses into the rubbish bin, ‘No more booze. Understand?’
The fellow nervously wiped his greasy hands on the front of his overalls. ‘Whatever you say,’ he agreed. ‘You’re the boss.’
‘I’m glad you remembered that.’ Luke glanced down to the foundry floor, where the men seemed like tiny ants scurrying about. ‘Have you done what I told you?’ He didn’t look at the fellow but kept his gaze downwards, watching the men at their work, thinking how dispensable these lowly creatures were. The heat from below reached up and almost suffocated him.
At once the fellow went to the cabinet. ‘It’s all done. Do you want to check it?’ he asked, drawing out a thick leatherbound ledger which he thrust in front of the other man.
Luke made no attempt to check it. Instead he continued to watch the men below, asking in a quiet meaningful voice, ‘Do I need to check it?’
‘No, sir. You don’t,’ the fellow replied proudly. ‘I’ve followed your instructions to the letter. It’s all set out exactly as you wanted it.’
‘And the invoices?’
‘One set manufactured and the others kept safe, just as you said.’
‘Get them.’ He turned then, his greedy eyes following the fellow’s every move. He saw Marshall go to the far wall where he dipped his hand into a crevice. Then he watched while the fellow hurried to the cabinet and unlocked the bottom drawer. Furtively, he grasped a small blue file and came forward with it. ‘It’s all here,’ he said in an urgent whisper, handing it over.
‘There’s no need to whisper, my good man,’ Luke told him with a patronising smile. ‘We can’t be overheard up here. Can we?’ he added, quickly looking round.
‘No, sir.’
‘Good.’ He came away from the window and sat himself at the desk, leaving the other fellow to stand on the opposite side, his mouth opening and shutting like a fish out of water. He was thirsty. He was always thirsty when Luke Arnold came into the foundry. Fear made a body thirsty.
Luke went through every note and every figure. It was exactly as he had instructed. ‘You’ve done well,’ he remarked, glancing up.
‘Oh, you’ll find that I’m a man to be trusted,’ the other fellow declared with a sideways nod of his head.
‘But then I should, shouldn’t I?’ Luke told him with a frown. ‘After all, I pay you well enough, wouldn’t you say?’
‘Oh, yes indeed, sir! Yes, you do, and that’s a fact. You’re most generous, that you are.’
Luke looked him up and down, slowly nodding. Presently he said, ‘You do realise what would happen if this ever got out?’
‘I do.’
‘I could never admit to being involved. It would be your word against mine, and I can afford the very best lawyers.’
‘Yes, sir. But it wouldn’t get out.’
‘At best you would be put away for years.’
‘Yes, Mr Arnold, sir.’
‘At worst, I would have you murdered.’
The fellow gulped and began to tremble. ‘There’s no one will ever know what goes on, you’ve got my word on it.’
‘Good fellow.’ Snatching a batch of invoices from the file, Luke perused them once more then ripped them from top to bottom. There was a small stove in the office and the fellow ran towards it, lifting the top and standing back while Luke rammed the papers deep into the flames. ‘You do understand what I’ve just been saying to you?’ he asked, staring into the flames.
‘Oh, I understand well enough.’
‘Then I’ll leave you.’ He strode across the room. ‘I think it might be wise if I showed my face to the gangers, don’t you?’
‘Whatever you say, sir.’
‘You’re a good man, Marshall.’
‘Thank you, Mr Arnold, sir.’
Luke bestowed on him a smile before stepping outside and leaving the fellow to close the door behind him. As he travelled along the gangway, he kept his handkerchief to his nose. The heat was intense, and the fumes seemed to reach right inside his head. He wondered how people could work in such distressing conditions. Still, he wouldn’t stay. Just long enough to display his ‘interest’ in what was going on. After the men had caught sight of him, he would be on his way.
There was another duty to perform yet, and its name was Cicely. In the process he hoped to catch more than a glimpse of Ruby. The thought made him quicken his steps. It didn’t occur to him that he might be risking his life by walking along this recently installed structure. All he could think of was Ruby. And what he wondered was how long it might be before he could entice her into his bed.
Ruby had been sitting in the chair, her dark head bent and her quick fingers running the needle and thread through the brim of Cicely’s favourite hat – an exquisite turquoise creation with narrow ribbons and pert little feathers. Ruby had mended it so many times that given the materials, she could have made an exact replica.
Every now and then she glanced up, sighing aloud when Cicely went to the drawing-room window for the umpteenth time, her anxious eyes searching the path to the front door. ‘There’s no sign of him, Ruby,’ she moaned. ‘He said he was coming to see me today.’ She glanced at the clock on the mantelpiece. It was almost ten minutes past five. ‘Five o’clock, he said. He’s late. Perhaps he’s not coming after all?’ She shifted her gaze to Ruby. ‘He wouldn’t let me down, would he?’
‘Who knows?’ she replied, shrugging her shoulders and wishing Cicely had never set eyes on him. Since the Christmas Party three months ago, the obnoxious Luke Arnold had been a regular visitor to this house. Ruby knew what he was up to, but Cicely could see no wrong in him. In fact, she spent her days just waiting for his visits. If he allowed her a moment of his time Cicely was elated, and if he chose not to visit, she sank into a deep depression. Cicely’s once mellow and gentle nature had changed so much that there were times when she was like a different person. But Ruby made allowances because she knew how cleverly Luke had woven his spell round her. She still hoped it would be only a matter of time before he made that one mistake which would show him in his true light. ‘Anyway, if he did let you down, who would care?’ she said crossly.
‘I would care.’ Cicely rounded on her. ‘I know you don’t like him, Ruby, but I think you should remember that while he is here, Luke is a guest in this house. He’s a good man, and I respect him. Please have the decency to do the same.’
‘If you say so.’
‘I do.’ Turning away, Cicely pressed her face close to the window, watching and waiting. Still there was no sign of him.
It was a moment before she swung round to demand, ‘Why do you hate him so?’ Irate because he had not yet arrived, she turned her anger on Ruby. ‘He’s always behaved like the perfect gentleman. Besides, he kept his promise, and he has never spoken one word to anyone about our little deceit at the party. I think that should tell you what an honourable man he is.’
Ruby kept her attention on her work. Without looking up, she replied, ‘You’re wrong, Miss Cicely.’ These past weeks, Cicely had been so distant and aloof, that Ruby felt obliged to address her in a proper manner. ‘If you don’t mind me saying so, Luke Arnold is not a good man. Nor is he honourable.’
‘I do mind, and to be perfectly honest, I’m beginning to think you might be jealous.’
Ruby was horrified. ‘Jealous?’ She leaned back in her chair and stared up at Cicely with shocked eyes. ‘Oh! Surely you can’t think that?’
‘What am I to think then?’ Cicely insisted. ‘I’ve seen the way you linger when he enters the room, and I’ve seen the way he looks at you… probably wondering why you’re taking such an interest in him.’
Ruby was on her feet then, eyes ablaze as she explained, ‘If I linger, it’s because I know he means to hurt you. And if he looks at me, it’s only because he knows I’m onto him.’
‘Utter and absolute nonsense! I’ve heard all your arguments… about Luke wanting to get at the foundry through me. You couldn’t be more wrong. I’ve already asked him, and he emphatically denies it. It’s me he wants. I believe him, so why can’t you?’ She paused, regarding Ruby with angry glittering eyes. ‘Or don’t you think a man would want me for myself?’
Ruby was mortified. ‘Oh of course a man would want you for yourself, Miss Cicely. Any man would think himself lucky to have you for his wife.’ She shook her head. There were tears in her eyes. ‘But not him. Not Luke Arnold. He’s bad. Like I said before, his own sister told me things about him. Even she called him a scoundrel. She said that he was only using you to get his hands on your father’s foundry.’ Cicely’s face stiffened and Ruby feared she might have gone too far. ‘I’m sorry,’ she apologised. ‘Happen I should mind my own business. But I love you, and I don’t want to see you hurt.’
‘If anyone is hurting me, Ruby, it’s you.’ Cicely folded her dainty hands across her narrow waist and in a low trembling voice she told Ruby, ‘You are never again to mention his name. I forbid it.’ Then she said something that startled Ruby. ‘Lately I’ve begun to wonder if I made a mistake in promoting you as my personal maid. Perhaps it might be better for you to return to your work below stairs.’
‘Is that what you really want, Miss Cicely?’ Ruby asked in a shaking voice. She had been so happy in her new post. No Cook to order her about. No dirty fire-grates to empty, or great heavy rugs to shake. Her hands had become soft and white, and her ‘uniform’ was a pretty blue dress with white patterned lace at the collar and cuffs. She had become accustomed to having nice things about her. Fine clothes to sew and press, dainty shoes to polish, and more precious than all of that, she’d had Cicely as a companion.
There was something else too. Since becoming a lady’s maid, Ruby had learned so much about how the gentry behaved. Such knowledge would carry her far in the future. Even her mam had complained that her daughter was ‘beginning to talk like the bloody gentry!’ Cicely had given no answer to Ruby’s tremulously delivered question, so she softly rephrased it. ‘Are you saying I must report to Cook, Miss Cicely?’ She crossed her fingers behind her back, holding her breath, while Cicely continued to stare at her. Her mam had warned her all too often that her impulsive tongue would get her into trouble, and it looked as though she had been right.
At the sight of Ruby’s deep blue eyes looking up at her, and knowing what a special friend she had been, Cicely felt a slight regret at her harsh words. She visibly relaxed. ‘We shall see,’ she said in a warmer voice. She smiled, instantly putting Ruby at ease. ‘I know you mean well,’ she admitted, ‘but you are wrong about him, Ruby.’ She lowered her gaze and Ruby was surprised to see her blushing. ‘He has great affection for me.’
‘And do you feel the same for him?’ Ruby boldly put the question, but in her heart she already feared the answer.
‘Have you forgotten so quickly?’ Cicely sharply reminded her. ‘I meant what I said, Ruby. From today, you are forbidden to murmur his name in this house.’ She turned away, going to the window where she resumed her vigil. In a voice so low that Ruby could scarcely hear her, she confessed, ‘I think I love him with all my heart.’
The silence that followed was charged with emotion. Saddened that Luke had not come to see her as promised, Cicely closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against the window.
Realising that nothing she could say would change Cicely’s misguided love for a man who would use her without mercy, Ruby remained silent though in her heart she was crying. Cicely was so good. She was such a trusting and affectionate creature. For someone as devious as Luke Arnold, she was an easy conquest. All manner of things ran through Ruby’s mind in that moment. Perhaps it would be better if she returned to the kitchen where she wouldn’t see him destroying the person she loved? But no. Dear God, no! It would be tantamount to throwing Cicely into the lion’s den. Ruby realised she would never rest, down there, away from her beloved Cicely. At least if she stayed here, she could keep a proper eye on her.
What then? What else could she do to protect someone who wouldn’t protect herself? She had tried to warn Cicely, but her words had fallen on deaf ears. She had even waylaid Luke Arnold and accused him of setting out to destroy Cicely’s life. All he did was laugh. ‘If you want me to be nicer to her, then you will have to be nicer to me,’ he told her. Ruby knew well enough what he meant. And she loathed him all the more.
As a last resort, she had even toyed with the idea of asking to see the master when she would repeat exactly what Teresa Arnold had told her. What was more, she might even reveal something to him that she had kept from Cicely in order to spare her any anxiety. Ruby had not yet described how Luke had almost forced himself on her that night, and on many occasions since when he had come upon her at the house. Perhaps if she told the master all of these things he would know what to do.
But then Ruby recalled how delighted Jeffrey Banks appeared to be with regard to Cicely’s blossoming courtship. There was no doubt that he craved a grandson and heir, and perhaps it was that which blinded him to Luke’s treacherous character. Luke Arnold had charmed them both, and if Ruby was to speak out to the master, she might easily find herself sent packing altogether, and then how could she keep an eye on Cicely?
Suddenly there was a tap on the door and Cicely jerked round. ‘Come in,’ she called excitedly, her small fists clenching and unclenching. ‘He’s here, I know it,’ she muttered glancing at Ruby. ‘I told you he wouldn’t let me down.’
The door opened and a small fair-haired woman stepped inside. She had recently been hired to take Ruby’s place below stairs, and Cook had reported sullenly that the new recruit was ‘passable’. Looking directly at her mistress, the maid said in a firm clear voice, ‘You have a visitor, Ma’am… a Mr Arnold.’
Rushing forward, Cicely told her, ‘Show him in.’ As the maid prepared to turn away, she reprimanded her, ‘In future you will not stand on ceremony with regard to Mr Arnold. He’s to be shown in without delay. Do you understand.’
Going red in the face and bowing from the neck, the woman uttered a hasty, ‘Yes, ma’am,’ and then was sent on her way. Ruby felt for her because she realised how the poor thing would be wondering whether she would be dismissed before the day was out. Later Ruby would tell her not to worry because Miss Cicely’s bark was worse than her bite.
In a moment Luke Arnold swept in through the door, his arms outstretched in greeting and his smile as devastating as ever. ‘Cicely! How charming you look,’ he purred. And she blushed a soft shade of pink.
‘I was afraid you might have forgotten me,’ she said, her face uplifted in a dazzling smile and her blue eyes shining.
‘Forget you, my dear?!’ He looked suitably taken aback. ‘Never!’ He lifted her small white hand and placed his lips over her slender fingers, knowing she would believe anything he chose to tell her.
When Cicely’s gaze went beyond him to the far end of the room, he swung round and found himself staring straight into Ruby’s condemning eyes. ‘Well, well! The maid who fancies herself as a lady!’ he exclaimed in a burst of laughter. He might have gone on but that would have been foolish because to utter one more word would have told Cicely far too much about the way he really felt towards Ruby.
‘Leave us.’ Cicely’s voice was unusually sharp as she turned on Ruby.
Without delay, she gathered the pieces of the hat she had been working on and left the room. She didn’t look back. If she had done so, she would have seen Luke looking questioningly at Cicely. When the door was closed, he remarked, ‘That was a little abrupt, my dear. I understood that you saw Ruby as your dearest friend?’
She chose not to remark on this observation, because it was hurtful to her. Ruby was very special, and she was already regretting the harshness with which she’d addressed her. Yet she did not see it as her fault. If only Ruby would stop trying to damn Luke in her eyes, she would have forgiven her anything. As it was, she was still a little cross. ‘Did I misunderstand your message?’ she asked him, deliberately changing the subject. ‘I was certain you said five o’clock.’ She checked the time by the mantelpiece clock. It was now twenty minutes past the hour.
‘No, you didn’t misunderstand,’ he confirmed. ‘But I had to oversee a delivery at the foundry. All day long I’ve been there, since six o’clock this morning, and I might tell you, I’m very weary.’ He lied magnificently. ‘I should have gone straight home to bathe and change, but I couldn’t wait to see you, my lovely.’ He leaned towards her and smiled deep into her eyes. ‘Unfortunately, I can’t stay long because Father is expecting a full report on his desk. He will want to discuss all manner of things. No doubt it will be the early hours before I get a wink of sleep.’
‘Oh, dear.’ Cicely was obviously disappointed. ‘And here was I thinking we might have a cosy evening together. There would be no one to disturb us because Father won’t be home until quite late.’
He sighed and kissed her hand again. ‘An evening together? Just the two of us? Oh, what a shame. That would have been wonderful. I am sorry.’
Cicely led him to the settee where they sat and looked at each other, he with a fixed smile and she with mooning eyes, ‘All the same, I’m grateful that you chose to come here before going home.’ She looked towards the pull-bell beside the fireplace. ‘You must be longing for a cup of tea and something to eat?’
He panicked then, sensing a delaying tactic. ‘Oh no. I would rather spend the short time we have together just talking and holding hands.’ He had known other women such as this gullible creature and knew that a little flattery would go a long way. They were so susceptible to a few chosen romantic words. ‘As I said, my first thought was that I must come and see you, regardless of how tired I was.’ He glanced at the clock. ‘My! Is that the time?’ It was almost five-thirty, and he knew that Ruby would be about to finish for the day. ‘A few minutes more then I really must leave.’ For the next few minutes he pampered and wooed Cicely, and she blushed and giggled and before long was completely under his spell. At precisely five-thirty he kissed her lightly on the mouth, and while she was recovering, stood up, saying, ‘I daren’t stay another minute, or my father will send out the hounds after me.’
‘Will I see you tomorrow?’
‘I can’t promise.’
‘But it’s Saturday tomorrow!’
‘A man’s work is never done,’ he reminded her.
She was proud of him. No wonder her father approved of this young man. He was so conscientious, so dedicated. ‘I understand,’ she said warmly. ‘So when will I see you?’
‘Soon,’ he assured her. ‘Perhaps we could take a ride in the park on Sunday?’ The very idea filled him with dread, but if he was to achieve his plans, there was no choice but to suffer her company. First the courting, then the customary long engagement. Next the wedding. Then the prize. A reward well earned, he mentally congratulated himself. It might be a year or two but in the end he would have it all. It would take all of his cunning to bring the ownership of Banks’s foundry into his hands. Besides, even if that stubborn old man proved a hard nut to crack, his daughter Cicely would inherit everything when her father passed on. The inheritance would then become his. The thought made him smile: she was foolish enough to believe that he was smiling at her.
‘Until Sunday then?’ he teased.
‘Oh, that will be lovely,’ she said shyly. She fussed and blushed and thanked him for being so kind and thoughtful, then she reluctantly escorted him from the house, waving her little white handkerchief at him from the doorstep as he climbed into the waiting carriage.
In a moment he was being driven away, leaving her to return to the drawing-room where she paced back and forth, her hands to her mouth. ‘Oh, Luke, I do love you so,’ she murmured. In years to come, those words would return to haunt her many times.
‘Oh. Lowered yourself to come and see us have you?’ Cook was hanging the big copper pan on the wall above the great range when she heard the door swing to. She seemed surprised to see Ruby. ‘Well, now,’ she said, looking from the new maid to the wretched girl, both of them cleaning silver at the table. ‘Look who’s ventured below stairs.’ She made a stiff little bow from the waist. ‘What can we do for you, m’lady?’ she asked sarcastically, looking pleased with herself when the other two began giggling.
Ignoring the jibe, Ruby came into the room and seated herself at the table. ‘Can’t I come and see you when I like?’ she asked. After Luke had left the house, she had crept back to the drawing-room, where through the half-open door she had seen how agitated and lovestruck Cicely was. It worried her more than she could say. What was more, she had missed her tram. It always left at precisely five-forty and not one minute later. It was now almost quarter to six. ‘I thought I might be offered a cup of tea,’ she said hopefully. ‘I’ve missed the tram, and the next one isn’t for fifteen minutes.’
‘Oh? So that’s the reason for this little visit. I don’t suppose we should have seen you at all if you hadn’t missed your tram then?’
‘That’s not fair, Cook,’ Ruby told her, ‘I come and see you as often as I can.’
‘Well, that ain’t too often neither,’ came the haughty reply. ‘Since you’ve been got up to lady’s maid, you can’t seem to drag yourself away from up there.’ She clenched her fist and jerked her thumb upwards to the ceiling. ‘Too good for us now, that’s the truth of it, I dare say.’ Cook was a spiteful woman when she set her mind to it, and she had set her mind against Ruby.
Suddenly another voice interrupted. ‘Ruby does come and see us.’ It was the wretched girl. And so astonished were the others that she had spoken out, all eyes were turned on her.
‘She’s allus coming down to see if we’re all right, and she helped me the other morning when I dropped the tray outside Miss Cicely’s door…’ She clapped her hand to her mouth, her colour deepening when she realised how she had let the cat out of the bag. Ruby had been shaking her head all the while the wretched girl had been speaking, but the poor little soul didn’t have the brains to know that she was trying to warn her.
Cook was on her like a mad dog. ‘WHAT!’ She leaned over the table. ‘You dropped the tray?’ she thundered. ‘You little idiot. Can’t I trust you to do anything?’
Terrified, the wretched thing ran off into the scullery, whimpering and squeaking, ‘I didn’t mean to. There weren’t no harm done.’ The new recruit didn’t know what to make of it all. She stared from one to the other with round frightened eyes.
‘She’s right,’ Ruby confirmed. ‘There was no real harm done. The tea-cups were drained and the pot was half empty.’ There had been a time not long back when she would have run a mile rather than argue with Cook like that. But she couldn’t stand by and see the wretched girl frightened half out of her wits for something and nothing.
Cook was not impressed. She had suffered a long hard day, and her temper was up. She had been waiting for a chance to vent her feelings and this little episode was perfect. Woe betide anyone who got in her way now. ‘I don’t want you interfering in matters that don’t concern you, Miss High and Mighty,’ she snapped. ‘Either get back upstairs where you belong, or get yourself off for the tram. I don’t care which. But I would be obliged if you’d get out of my kitchen this very minute.’
When she banged the table with her fist, making all the crockery leap up and down Ruby remained in her chair, but the new recruit gave a startled cry and jumped up, rushing to the pantry cupboard and disappearing inside where she could be heard frantically tidying the shelves. It occurred to Ruby in that minute that the poor thing wouldn’t last long in this household, what with the telling-off she’d got from Cicely and now Cook throwing her considerable weight around.
Ruby glanced at the big round clock over the door. It was gone quarter to six. If she wasn’t careful she’d miss the next tram, and her mam would be worried out of her mind. ‘I’m sorry you feel like that, Cook,’ she replied. ‘I might be maid to Miss Cicely, but I’m no different than I was before. I still have to work for a living, the same as you.’
‘Happen you do,’ Cook conceded. ‘But you ain’t the same. You’ve got ideas above your station. You’ve allus had ideas above your station. But let me tell you this – fancy ideas won’t win you any friends, and they’ll get you in trouble before too long. There’s nothing surer than that.’
Ruby had seen Cook in this awful mood many times and knew from experience that the only solution was to put a distance between them. ‘Goodnight then,’ she said brightly, anxiously glancing at the clock again. All Cook saw was a flurry of movement as Ruby rushed through the door. ‘By! What’s the world coming to when the young ’uns rise up agin the old?’ she asked herself. Then she yelled for the other two to: ‘Come and get on with your work, else feel the weight of a rolling pin round your arse!’
It was enough. Even before she stopped yelling, the new recruit and the wretched girl were seated at the table, heads down and arms going like shuttlecocks as they rubbed and polished at the silver.
‘That’s more like it,’ Cook beamed from one to the other, then went to the cupboard and poured herself a sizeable measure of port. ‘Medicinal!’ she barked when the new recruit dared to look up.
The day had grown bitterly cold and the grey skies heralded a stormy night. Ruby pulled her coat tighter about her as she came up from the house and on to Billenge End. The walk to the tram-stop on Preston New Road would take but a few minutes and already she was thinking of that cosy little house on Fisher Street. In her mind’s eye she could see her mam trotting from the scullery to the table, clearing the plates away and muttering to herself because Ruby was late. No matter, she thought. She should be home in time to enjoy her meal while it was still warm. Afterwards she would make her mam and dad a fresh brew of tea, then she’d wash the dishes and Dolly could dry. On leaving Cicely earlier she had been downcast, and then when Cook ended the day on a spiteful note, Ruby was made to feel miserable. Now, though, with her family in her thoughts, her spirits were lifted and she went down the road with a brisker step.
Normally there would be others walking down Billenge End to catch the tram. This evening though, apart from a carriage parked a short way ahead, the road was deserted. It puzzled her until she reminded herself that she had missed the earlier tram and the other folks were already on their way home.
She was nearing a dip where the trees overhung the path, camouflaging the entrance to a dark and narrow lane. The lane cut off to an isolated hamlet and from there to the open fields. She shivered as she came up to it. ‘Spooky’ she murmured, glancing down the cobbled overgrown alley. There were two dogs confronting each other with their fangs bared and hair standing up. Each was threatening the other, emitting low throaty growls and occasionally darting forward combatively. Alarmed, Ruby pushed on, her head down against the rising breeze and her hands jammed deep into her coat pockets.
‘My, my! Don’t be in such a hurry.’ The voice broke in on her thoughts, causing her to jerk her head up. Her heart turned somersaults and a scream almost burst from her lips when she saw that it was Luke Arnold. As she made to push by him, he put out his hand to restrain her. ‘I’ve been waiting for you,’ he said gruffly. ‘Waiting to take you home.’ Leaning forward, he pressed his two hands to the wall, pinning her between them. ‘You and I should talk, I think.’ His smile was evil. In the background, the two dogs could be heard savagely fighting.
‘We have nothing to talk about.’ Ruby kept her voice calm. Here was a man who would relish the knowledge that he had frightened her. ‘As for you taking me home…’ She gave a small laugh, ‘One sight of you and my mam would send you down the street so fast you wouldn’t know whether you were on your head or your heels!’
‘Oh?’ He seemed amused. ‘She sounds like a wise woman. A woman who knows the virtue of keeping gentry away from rabble.’
‘It’s you who’s the rabble.’
‘That’s what I like about you, Ruby. You say what’s on your mind, and you don’t give a damn.’ Holding her fast, he stared at her for a while before remarking in a sly voice, ‘If your mother is so opposed to the idea of you mixing with the gentry, what did she have to say about your little game on Christmas Eve, I wonder?’ Ruby’s fleeting downward glance told him all he wanted to know. ‘Ah, so you haven’t told her? Well, well. That was deceitful, Ruby. Perhaps it should be you she should chase down the street.’
‘Get out of my way.’ She thrust her hands against his chest but he was like a solid wall.
Inclining his head towards the waiting carriage, he told her, ‘We could go for a ride?’
‘I’m going nowhere with you.’ The minutes were ticking away and she was frantic that she would miss her tram. She began to struggle then, but it only excited him the more. Suddenly his hand was gripping the back of her hair, wrenching her head back as he closed his mouth over hers. His kiss was fiery and brutal. Helpless, she could feel herself propelled up the alley into the shadows there. Her feet were off the ground and his arms were wound tight about her. Partway along the alley, he put her to her feet and pressed his body against her.
‘You must be a witch,’ he moaned breathlessly. ‘I can’t sleep for thinking of you. I want you all the time.’ He was perturbed by her stony expression and hard condemning eyes. ‘I’m no monster,’ he pleaded. ‘I’d rather you came to me of your own free will.’
Sensing his confusion, she didn’t answer. Instead she remained silent and passive against him. He was infuriated. ‘I could take you here and now,’ he threatened. She gave him no encouragement, no sign that she was willing. He let out a long sigh but still he held her fast, his arms like iron bands about her and his body pressing her hard into the wall. ‘I don’t want her,’ he groaned. ‘It’s you I need. When I have her where I want her and everything is mine, you and I could have such a good time, Ruby.’
Still she made no move.
‘What is it? What do you want from me?’ he demanded. ‘A place of your own? Fine clothes? You can have them all. Just keep yourself for me and I promise I’ll provide whatever you want.’ She turned away and he boiled inside. ‘Bitch! What other man can offer you all that? It isn’t as if I’m old and ugly. You must feel something?’
He lowered his head and pressed his open lips against hers, his tongue probing the inside of her mouth.
Suddenly a huge black shape ran at them, knocking Luke sideways. He yelped and lost his balance as the two dogs raced out of the alley. Grabbing her chance, Ruby took to her heels and followed them. ‘If you hurry,’ she yelled with a chuckle, ‘you might just get to that bitch before the dog!’
When she came to the bottom of Billenge End, her ribs felt as though they were coming out of her chest, she was hot and breathless, and to her horror the tram was just pulling away
‘WAIT!’
Her cry sailed out, alerting the conductor who rang the bell and delayed the tram’s departure while she ran full pelt down the road.
‘Oh thanks,’ she gasped, leaping on to the platform. ‘You saved my life.’
Whether he had or not, she would never know. But this much she did know: all her suspicions about Luke Arnold had been proved correct.
On the journey into Blackburn centre, Ruby relived the ordeal in the ally. She recalled his words. ‘You can have everything you want… a place of your own… fine clothes.’ He had meant every word, she knew. All the things she had ever wanted, had been offered to her on a plate. But at what price? she asked herself.
It was one she would never pay. Even though Cicely had threatened to send her back down below, and though lately she had been harsh and even cruel when Ruby had tried to make her see what a villain that man was, she still loved her mistress dearly.
Luke Arnold was the worst kind of man, a base and greedy creature without conscience or compassion. A man who would trample over others to get what he wanted. Desperate as she was to get out of Fisher Street, she could never deliberately hurt anyone. Oh, but she would get what she wanted. In time. In her own way. And she would get it by working, not by cheating and making others miserable.
Several times she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. The taste of his kiss was still on her. Soon, much to her disgust, she found herself deliberately reliving the experience. Her feelings were a strange mixture of distaste and curiosity. Surely to God she wasn’t attracted to him, was she? No! Heaven forbid! She loathed him.
Yet she had to admit that he did have a certain dark persuasiveness about him. She was shocked rigid by her own emotions. All this time she had never been able to understand what the foolish Cicely had seen in such a low creature. Suddenly, in that moment, she understood. And it made her all the more determined to be on her guard against him.