Free Blue Moon by Pam Weaver

it.’
    Deflated and miserable, Ruby sat back down at the table. Avoiding her daughter’s eye, Bea busied herself by stacking the dishes, ready to wash up.
    ‘By the way,’ Nelson said to Ruby, ‘Albert Longman stopped by to see me about you.’
    Ruby frowned. ‘Albert Longman?’
    ‘It seems he’s sweet on you,’ said her father. He laughed sardonically. ‘Although what he sees in you, I can’t imagine. Your hair is as straight as a die and you’ve got no shape, but there it is. There’s none so blind, as they say, and he wants to court you.’
    ‘Albert Longman?’ said Ruby again.
    ‘That’s what I said, cloth ears,’ Nelson snapped. ‘Anyway, I told him it was all right.’
    ‘But I’m not in the least bit interested in Albert Longman,’ Ruby cried. The thought of it filled her with horror, and she could feel tears pricking the backs ofher eyes. ‘I’ve never thought of him in that way. I don’t even like him.’
    ‘Well, you must have encouraged him somehow, or he wouldn’t have asked me,’ said Nelson. ‘Anyway he’s coming round Sunday. Come and kiss your pa, May darlin’.’
    ‘Father, he’s years older than me,’ Ruby insisted. ‘I don’t want to be married to an old man.’
    May climbed down from the table and Nelson picked her up. ‘Be a good girl for Pa, won’t you?’ he said, kissing her cheek and ignoring Ruby.
    ‘I will,’ said May and wriggled down. Stopping only to ruffle her hair, Nelson walked out of the room.
    ‘Father!’ cried Ruby.
    Percy turned to follow him, but then turned back to kiss his mother and sister.
    ‘Good fishing,’ said Ruby, giving him a sad smile.
    ‘Well done, Sis,’ he said, lowering his voice. ‘Whatever they gave you, you deserve it.’
    ‘But I don’t deserve Albert flippin’ Longman.’
    ‘You coming, boy?’ their father shouted from the street. ‘We haven’t got all day.’
    Percy patted her shoulder. ‘You’re right. You definitely don’t deserve Albert Longman.’ And they both grinned.

CHAPTER 5
    The next few days were difficult for Ruby. Nothing was said, but it was clear that the events in Mr Payne’s office had for some reason annoyed Mrs Fosdyke. From her demeanour when she’d summoned her, Ruby guessed that Mrs Fosdyke had expected her to get a reprimand, or the sack. She had been as surprised as Ruby herself when she got an accolade and a reward. Ruby did her work efficiently, as usual, but the housekeeper followed close behind her, complaining about trivial things. ‘Those towels aren’t straight, Bateman.’ ‘Bateman, the curtains in room 34 weren’t pulled back far enough.’ ‘You’ve forgotten to put a serving spoon on the staff table again, and where’s the soap for the sink in room 38?’ The final straw came when Ruby returned to her perfect linen cupboard to put in some clean sheets.
    ‘Morning, Ruby,’ Winnie, the florist, called cheerfully as she walked by.
    ‘Good morning,’ Ruby smiled. For some reason she had difficulty in getting the linen-cupboard door open and, when she finally did, she discovered that Mrs Fosdyke had pulled everything from the shelves onto thefloor. Her heart sank and tears sprang to her eyes. She was going off-duty in ten minutes, and refolding and stacking everything into neat piles would take at least an hour.
    ‘Oh, dear,’ said Winnie sympathetically. ‘That’s a shame. I’d offer to help but …’
    ‘Blimey, Roob,’ said Edith, coming up behind her. ‘What has the old witch done now?’
    ‘I wondered what Mrs Fosdyke was doing,’ said Winnie. ‘That was a bit unkind, wasn’t it?’
    ‘I really wish I hadn’t been given that extra half-day off,’ said Ruby miserably. ‘She’s made my life hell ever since.’
    ‘Don’t let the bugger get you down,’ said Edith. ‘She likes to see she’s upset you. Don’t give her the satisfaction.’ She bent to pick up some pillowcases. ‘Come on, let’s get started.’
    ‘Well, I’ll leave you to