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

‘I know. But it’s not like you’re engaged, or anything. So I’m allowed to fancy him if I want to.’

‘For goodness’ sake, Rubes. About 80 per cent of the crew on this ship are men, and you set your sights on my man?’

‘Your man? Like I said, you’re not even engaged, so he’s hardly yours, is he?’

‘Even so, leave him alone.’

Ruby turned her face and stared at Emma. ‘You don’t sound very confident that he wouldn’t stray. If you’re sure of him, you wouldn’t care if I flirt a little, as you’d know he wouldn’t do nothing. But if you’re telling me not to flirt, that means you’re not so sure of him. Hmm. Maybe it’s time you listened to advice from me, Ems. I’ve had more experience with men, after all.’

‘With a married man! A married man with young children, who ended it with you at last, thank goodness.’

‘What do you mean, thank goodness? Don’t it even matter to you that I loved him? I was heartbroken. And he’s left me with …’

She tailed off, biting her lip. Emma looked at the way her sister’s hand had moved to lie protectively over her midriff. Oh God, she wasn’t, was she? She opened her mouth to say something, but Ruby got in there first.

‘Look, I’ve even had to run away to sea to get over him. So let me have a little flirtation with the good-looking man they’ve paired me up with. It’s only for this week, after all, then you gets him back.’

‘Only for this week? And the week it’ll take for the return voyage. They don’t swap crew around while we’re in New York.’

Ruby pressed her lips together. ‘Hmm. I might not be on the return voyage.’

‘What?’ Emma stared at her sister. ‘What do you mean? You’re signed on for both directions.’

Ruby sighed. ‘I suppose I’ll have to tell you my plans. You can’t stop me now, anyway, and you’d find out soon enough. Just remember you’re my sister, you wants me to be happy, so you won’t do nothing to mess this up.’

‘What are you talking about?’ Emma was getting worried now. She was trying to think of some way that she could ask Ruby if she was pregnant, without being too blunt about it. She needed to know, didn’t she, as Ruby’s sister, the only family member on board. But she couldn’t ask outright, in case she was wrong. She hoped Ruby would confide in her.

‘I’m going to leave the ship in New York. This job was just a cheap way of getting across the ocean. I’m going to start again, over there.’

‘But … but … you won’t be paid for this trip if you don’t go back to Southampton and get your discharge book stamped!’

‘I have some money. Enough to keep me going for a little while. I’ll get a job in New York. There are lots of hotels there, Martin says. I’ll easily find work like I was doing in Southampton, to get me started.’ Ruby sat up and looked directly at Emma. ‘So no, I’m not going back to Southampton. I’ll write Ma a letter that you can take back to her.’

‘She’ll be heartbroken.’ Emma tried and failed to imagine telling Ma that Ruby was not coming back. Even worse, that she was not coming back and pregnant with a married man’s child. That explained why she’d packed the shawl. It was intended for her own baby.

Ruby laughed. ‘She’ll be glad to see the back of me. She says I’ve brought her nothing but worry. But look, I can’t live in the same town as that bastard Harry Paine any longer, can I? And he won’t move – not with his wife and kiddies. So I’ve no choice, really. Besides, I quite fancy trying my luck in New York. Perhaps I’ll meet some nice rich American. Maybe someone on board – one of the passengers. Violet said some passengers try to recruit their stewards as their own staff, if they’ve been impressed with them.’

Emma had heard this too. ‘Only in first class, though. And as this is your first voyage …’

‘I know. Unlikely to happen. But a girl can dream, can’t she? So now you knows my plans. And don’t you dare try to do anything to stop me.’

‘I promised Ma I’d look after you,’ Emma said quietly.

‘That’s just it, don’t you see? You’re always there, fussing around, claiming to be keeping an eye on me. I’m fed up of it, Ems. Fed up of Lily holding us back, always having to tread on eggshells around her in case she gets sick again. And Ma, always looking at me with disappointed eyes. My friends – well, I don’t have any, do I? I’m staying in New York, and nothing you say will stop me. I’m a grown woman and I can and will look after myself.’ With that, Ruby stood up, grabbed her wash things and headed off to the bathroom along the galley-way that they shared with several other staff cabins.

Emma sighed. She’d have to leave it there. But she resolved to have another talk to Ruby about her plans, before they docked in New York. She owed it to Ma to at least try to talk Ruby out of jumping ship. And she had to know – was Ruby carrying Harry Paine’s child? It would certainly explain her need to get away and stay away from Southampton, but how on earth would Ruby cope alone and pregnant in New York?

Chapter 13

Harriet

On the Sunday after the cruise Harriet cooked lunch for herself, Sally, Charlie, and Jerome. She’d bought a rib of beef – a real treat as there was never any point buying a large joint for just herself. It had always been a favourite dinner of John’s. She spent the morning cooking, preparing a tray of vegetables to roast, whipping up a batter for