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

‘What man, Ma?’

‘Don’t know his name. Ruby calls him Harry but I don’t know his surname. I think he’s a bad lot. She’s out till all hours with him and his pals. I don’t like it, Emma, not one bit. T’ain’t right for a girl of that age to be out in all the pubs and bars till all hours, with a man. I tell her this and she tells me I’m Victorian and everything’s different now, and girls can go about as they please with whoever they please, and I’m to keep my nose out.’ The dough took another beating, then Ma sat down suddenly and heavily on one of the battered old kitchen chairs, and covered her face in her floury hands. ‘Truth be told, lovey, I don’t know what I’m to do with her. What would your da have done? Mrs Williams says I should throw her out on her ear. But she’s my girl. I can’t do that, can I?’

Emma sat beside her mother and wrapped her arms around her, no longer caring if her uniform got covered in flour. Ma’s needs were more important. ‘No, Ma, you can’t throw her out. It’d just send her into the arms of this chap, anyway.’ She sighed. ‘I’ll try to talk to her again. Can’t quite promise anything though – I tried last time I was home and got nowhere.’

Ma sniffed. ‘I know you did, lovey, and I’m grateful to you for trying. I only wish she’d listen.’

‘And I can try to find out something about this Harry. Maybe he’s all right after all. Harry Paine, is it? Mrs Williams said—’

Ma stared at her, horrified. ‘Harry Paine? No. Can’t be him. Even Ruby wouldn’t … sure she wouldn’t …’ She shook her head, disbelieving. ‘No wonder people are gossiping.’

‘What, Ma? Who’s Harry Paine?’

But Ma wouldn’t say any more. She stood and continued pummelling the dough, her expression even more furious than when Emma had entered. Emma watched for a moment then put the kettle on, making a pot of tea for the both of them and resolving to say no more about Ruby or this Harry to Ma until she’d had a chance to speak to Ruby.

Ruby was late home that night, and Emma, exhausted after the voyage, was fast asleep in the room she shared with Lily by the time Ruby returned. She did not even hear her sister come in. The following morning, Emma awoke late to find Ruby had already gone out to work.

‘Ma, I’ll go and catch her when she leaves work this afternoon, and speak to her then. I can wait outside the staff entrance,’ Emma said, when she went downstairs to find her mother already up and fretting about Ruby once more.

‘Shall I come with you?’ Lily asked.

‘Haven’t you got school today?’

Lily pouted. ‘Suppose so. Wish I was old enough to leave school and do something useful.’

Emma hugged her sister. ‘Don’t wish your life away, Lily. Go to school, learn everything you can, and that’ll help you get a good job in the future.’

‘Like you. I’d rather work on a ship than in a hotel, and go to all those exciting places.’

‘So far I’ve only been to one exciting place, and the work is hard, but it’s good to have ambitions, Lily.’

‘You tell that to our Ruby,’ Ma said. ‘She needs ambitions that’ll take her away from that Harry Paine.’

‘I’ll talk to her later,’ Emma said. ‘Come on Lily, isn’t it time you were off? I’ll walk you to school if you like.’

‘Yes! Like old times!’ Lily leapt to her feet and grabbed her satchel, stuffing the pack of sandwiches wrapped in greaseproof paper that Ma had made for her inside.

Emma pushed her feet into her shoes and followed her sister out of the house. It had been many years since she’d walked to the school with Lily – once Emma had left aged 14 she’d got a job almost straight away and had been rarely able to spare the time to accompany her little sister. Lily skipped along happily, acting younger than her twelve years, making Emma smile. It was good to see her so well this time. Lily had always been such a sunny child; even during her many bouts of sickness she’d always had a smile on her face. It was as though all the goodness in the family had flowed into Lily … and the badness into Ruby.

‘Work hard, Lily,’ she said as she kissed her sister goodbye at the school gates. ‘You’ve two more years. Learn everything they can teach you.’

‘Will do, Ems. See you later.’ Lily skipped into school, spotted a friend and linked arms with her, waving to Emma as she began the walk home.

On the return walk, Emma debated how best to approach Ruby. By the time she reached home she’d decided the best way was to take Ruby out – offer to buy her tea and cake at a Lyons corner-house, maybe even offer to buy her a present somewhere. Get her onside, happy and friendly, gain her confidence and then perhaps she’d be a little more receptive to sisterly advice. Yes, it was a plan, and it might just work.

Emma spent the day helping her mother with chores around the house – taking over the cleaning and grocery shopping so that Ma could put her feet up and rest awhile. It helped, Emma thought – by mid-afternoon Ma was looking happier and less stressed.

‘So Lily gets out of school at four, but I need to go and meet Ruby at that time. I thought I’d try to talk to her somewhere away from home, but we’ll be back in time for dinner.’

‘Thanks, lovey. Lily will help me make the dinner. It’ll be on the table around six o’clock.’

As it always had been, all Emma’s life. She finished her chores, took off her pinny and went upstairs to wash her face and comb her hair. She felt strangely nervous