The Lost Sister by Kathleen McGurl (i can read book club .TXT) 📕

Sally would need her help while she was away. Sheila had booked it back in January before she knew about the little boy’s diagnosis, and while Sally had been originally enthusiastic about the idea, now she seemed to be against it. But it was only five nights. And Charlie was right – she was more than ready for a break.

Chapter 4

Emma, 1911

Emma rushed home feeling as though she could burst with her exciting news. As she turned into the familiar street, she paused for a moment. Ma would be pleased for her but also sad that she was leaving home. Ruby would be jealous, wanting excitement for herself, and resentful that she’d have to take on more responsibility at home. And Lily would be excited but would miss her. Perhaps Emma should tone down her enthusiasm a little. There were two weeks left until the ship was due to arrive in Southampton. She had to work out her notice at the hotel, and put together a trunk of personal things to take on board. She’d been given a list of suggested items. She’d been advised she would be issued with a uniform when she first went on board. Violet had been helpful – adding a few essentials to the list (‘Bring a photograph of your family,’ she’d suggested, ‘in case you feel homesick’) and crossing off things she said she’d never seen the need for.

Emma arranged her face into an expression of quiet, understated happiness as she approached the house. Today there was no grumpy Ruby on the step. She opened the door – it was rarely locked – and stepped inside. Ma was in the kitchen, elbow deep in pastry-making and Lily was helping her.

‘Well?’ Ma said, pausing in her kneading of the pastry mix. ‘Any luck?’

‘She’s got the job, you can tell by her face!’ Lily squealed with excitement and jumped up to give Emma a hug.

‘Did you, lovey?’

Emma nodded, unable to stop herself breaking into a huge grin. Well, Lily was excited for her at least, Ma looked pleased, and there was no sign of Ruby. Perhaps she was out with her friends. She wouldn’t be at work at this hour. ‘I certainly did, Ma, and I start in two weeks when the ship arrives here from Liverpool after its ocean tests.’

‘Oh, that’s marvellous! Very exciting, and I am so pleased for you, really I am. Two weeks!’ Ma rinsed her floury hands, wiped them on her apron and enfolded Emma into a hug, but not before Emma had caught the tell-tale glint of tears in her eyes.

‘The maiden voyage is over to New York and back. I’ll be away only about three weeks on this first one, and back before you know it,’ Emma said, hoping this would settle Ma. ‘The lovely thing about living in Southampton is that as soon as the ship’s docked and my duties are done I’ll be able to get back here in minutes.’ Emma smiled at Lily. ‘And I’ll be full of stories of life at sea, just you wait!’

Lily clapped her hands with glee. She was almost 12 but still loved it when Emma came to sit on her bed at bedtime and tell her stories, either made up or anecdotes of things that had happened in the hotel. ‘It will be so wonderful! Oh, I wish I could go!’

Ma smiled. ‘You’re too young, Lily. Thankfully, so is Ruby, though I would lay good money on the idea that she’ll follow you to sea in a year or two, Emma.’

Emma hoped so. Ruby tended to want to go her own way, rather than follow in Emma’s footsteps but perhaps the lure of the excitement of crossing the ocean would tempt her. ‘Where is Ruby, Ma? I want to tell her my news.’

Ma rolled her eyes. ‘She’s out somewhere. I don’t know where and I don’t know who with. She came home from work, changed into her blue dress and dabbed a bit of my rouge on her cheeks. Then she sang out, “see you later, Ma” and was gone before I could say a word to her.’

‘Want me to go and look for her?’ Emma really didn’t want to go out again that day, especially as it had started to rain, but if Ma was worried she’d do whatever she could to help.

‘Ah no, lovey. You sit down and let me put the kettle on. Ruby’ll be back soon, no doubt, in time for her tea at least. She’s wayward, but not daft.’

Emma smiled, and pulled out a chair from under the kitchen table. She should make the most of being at home with Ma and her sisters, Lily at least, while she still could. She’d miss them when she was away, she knew it. That thought reminded her of Violet’s advice. ‘Ma, I would like a photograph taken of our family, that I can take to sea with me, to look at if I feel lonely. I know it’s expensive, but I’ll pay … could we do this, please?’

She’d assumed her mother would dismiss the idea as frivolous and too expensive, but to her surprise Ma nodded. ‘What a wonderful idea, lovey. I’d like a photograph of my three girls too, to sit on my mantelpiece. Shall we see if we can arrange it all this week? Ruby has a day off on Friday.’

‘That would be lovely. I’d like you in the picture too, Ma,’ Emma said.

But Ma shook her head. ‘Ah no, not me. I’m too old, and have nothing I could wear for a photograph. Just you three pretty girls, I think.’

‘Me, in a photograph!’ Lily was delighted by the idea. ‘May I have a copy of it too?’

‘Yes, I think we should have a copy each,’ Emma said, though privately she wondered whether Ruby would cherish the picture quite as much as she, Lily, and Ma would.

At last, in the early hours of June 3rd, RMS Olympic docked at Southampton. Emma had decided