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

respectable, not to embarrass her, to make her proud. I haven’t done that, have I? I needs to get away. Away from him, and from this city. Really hope I can get a job like yours.’

‘I hope so too,’ Emma said. She tried, but failed, to imagine working alongside Ruby on one of the ships. It might be better if they signed on for different ships. ‘Come on. Let’s go downstairs and tell Ma your plan. It’ll make her feel better.’

As expected, Ma was thrilled by the idea of Ruby getting a job on board a ship. ‘I’m losing another daughter but it’ll be so good for you, lovey,’ she said, though tears sparkled at the corners of her eyes.

Emma guessed Ma was most pleased by the idea of Ruby being far away from Harry Paine. ‘You’ll be all right here with just Lily, will you? What if Lily’s sick again?’

‘I’m not going to be ill again,’ Lily said. ‘I’m out-growing it. So I can help Ma in the house, and we’ll be fine. Rubes never did much anyway, and you’ll be back every few weeks.’

‘I does my share,’ Ruby said, glaring at her younger sister, and it took all Emma’s and Ma’s diplomatic skills to avert an argument.

Later, when Ruby and Lily had both gone through to the front room and Emma was helping make the dinner, Ma turned to Emma. ‘You said there were two ships?’

‘That’s right – Olympic and Titanic.’

‘Will you and Ruby be on the same one?’

‘I don’t know – depends which one she signs up for. As I said, I want to stick with Olympic. My friends are probably going on that one.’ And stick with Martin, she thought.

Ma took a step towards Emma and clutched at her upper arms. ‘Promise me, lovey, that you’ll persuade her to sign on for Olympic as well? So you can keep an eye on her? You know what she’s like … I’d feel so much better if I know you’re there with her, to stop her getting into any trouble …’

Emma hugged her mother. ‘All right. I’ll take her to the Olympic signing-on. I’ll look after her, no matter what.’

Inwardly she sighed. She’d enjoyed keeping the two parts of her life separate. Her time on board ship was busy but it was hers, there was no need for her to worry about Ma or her sisters while she was at sea. Now those two lives were going to collide, if the White Star Line took Ruby on. But she’d have to do what she’d promised Ma.

The following day Ruby and Emma headed down to the docks together. ‘What about the hotel? If you aren’t taken on by White Star you’ll need to go back to your old job, and they’ll be cross you didn’t turn up today,’ Emma cautioned.

‘I’ll tell them I was at home, sick.’ Ruby shrugged. ‘But anyway I wants to give up that job, whatever happens.’

‘But you’ll need references.’

Ruby pulled a sheet of type-written paper from her bag. ‘I have those.’

Emma tried to take it from her sister to look more closely, but Ruby tucked it away again quickly. ‘How did you get a reference when you haven’t told them you’re leaving?’ Emma asked.

‘Never you mind,’ Ruby said. ‘Just need to hope they don’t check the references too thoroughly.’

‘You forged it?’ Emma was aghast.

‘I didn’t, no. Let’s just say Harry has his uses. We’d talked about going away and starting again somewhere new. Until he decided he couldn’t leave his kiddies.’ Ruby’s tone was bitter.

Emma said no more. It was clear Harry had strung Ruby along with promises that he’d had no intention of keeping. When he’d bored of her, he’d dropped her. And he’d do the same to some other poor gullible girl, like the one Ellie Carter had seen him with in the Crown and Anchor. She prayed silently that the White Star Line would give her sister a job, despite the faked references, so Ruby could rebuild her life. She needed a second chance. Whether she deserved it or not was another matter.

They reached the White Star offices, where dozens of people were milling about as was usual on signing-on day. Emma kept scanning the crowds for Martin, Mary, and Violet. Mary and Violet usually came later, but Martin was due to travel to Salisbury to his folk that afternoon so she’d expected him to be there early on.

‘There are a lot of rough-looking chaps about,’ Ruby commented, gazing at a group of men in scruffy, coal-blackened clothes.

‘They’ll be firemen and engineers. A lot of men are needed to keep those steam engines going,’ Emma replied, enjoying the chance to show off her knowledge of how the liners operated.

‘Do they mix with the stewardesses much?’ Ruby wrinkled her nose in distaste.

‘No, hardly at all. Stewarding staff have no reason to go to the engine rooms, and we have our own cabins and rest areas.

‘Good. So where do I sign on?’

The offices were even busier than usual as they were dealing with both the Olympic’s next trip across the Atlantic, and the Titanic’s maiden voyage that was due to depart a few days after the Olympic. Emma was amazed that there were enough rich people to warrant two such enormous ships plying the same route. And Martin had said the Harland and Wolff dockyard in Belfast was building a third ship, too. She glanced up at the signs. ‘Through here to sign on for the Olympic.’

‘I fancy the Titanic,’ Ruby said, turning towards that sign.

‘I’m not sure they’re taking people with no experience as it’s a maiden voyage,’ Emma said, catching her sister’s arm to stop her. ‘Come with me on Olympic.’

‘Your first voyage was a maiden voyage,’ Ruby reminded Emma, pulling her arm free. ‘Why do you always have to try to control me? I’d love to be on Titanic’s first voyage – and the papers are saying Titanic’s even more luxurious than Olympic. I wants to be on the best ship.’

Emma