The Three Miss Allens, page 17
‘Where are we going?’ she whispered to him, still nervously afraid they might be seen by someone she knew.
‘We’re nearly there.’
They reached the end of the cobbled laneway and turned right, crossing Railway Terrace and the train line and then, a few moments later, they were at the grassed reserve that curved around the beach. Wooden seats had been placed periodically so people could sit and enjoy the view out to Granite Island and the Bluff, and Cain and Ruby stopped when they reached the bench furthest from the noise of the celebrations. Cain waited while Ruby sat first. She smoothed her dress and pulled her coat about her against the chill evening wind.
He simply stood there, his arms loose at his sides, looking at her, his aqua eyes filled with something so warm and tender it brought tears to hers.
‘Are you going to sit down?’ she teased.
‘The view’s better from here.’ And then he grinned and it shot a bolt of lightning through her.
‘I need someone to keep me warm.’ Ruby felt a sudden flush of heat in her cheeks. She wasn’t sure what had overcome her. She’d never been this flirtatious with anyone.
‘Ruby …’ he started and then shook his head as if he couldn’t believe his luck. ‘You look so pretty. I wish we could go right back there to the Wonderview and dance all night. I want to take you in my arms and twirl you around that dance floor and show off to every other bloke in the place.’
She patted the bench next to her and he came to sit beside her, one arm around the back of the bench, one leg crossed towards her. She laid her head on his shoulder and he gathered her in closer, and Ruby knew that this was the place she was meant to be. This was happiness. In the arms of this man, a man she had chosen, not someone who had been chosen for her.
‘Cain, you were right about what you said before, about me not wanting Harold to see us together, but it’s not for the reason you think.’ She paused, wanting to get this right. She looked into his lovely blue eyes. ‘I’m not embarrassed about you. But I have to do the right thing by Edwin. It’s so complicated, with Adeline and James engaged and our fathers working together. Our families are already tied up with each other in too many ways to count. Edwin has to hear it from me—no one else—that I’m never going to be his wife. I have to be the one to tell him that I don’t love him.’
Ruby knew she could be strong. She was a young woman and in a few hours it was going to be 1935 and things were changing for women, after all. She wasn’t the only one who hoped they were. She’d read the Women’s Weekly from cover to cover and knew girls and women were making their places in the world fuelled by their own ambitions, not those of their families. She could be strong: after she’d told Edwin, she would tell her parents she wasn’t going to marry Edwin, and then she would introduce them to Cain Stapleton, son of a dairy farmer of Remarkable Bay, who was studying science at the University of Adelaide. Surely he would be respectable enough for them?
It had to be. She had made her choice.
‘Are you certain?’ Cain’s arm around her shoulder tightened, squeezing her closer.
‘More certain of it than anything. When we return to Adelaide after our summer holiday, I’ll tell him and then we’ll be free.’ She pressed a hand to his chest, right about where his heart was, and she could feel it racing under her palm.
This was what love was, she knew that now.
‘Each day will seem like a year until then, Ruby.’ He ran a knuckle down her cheek and then kissed her tenderly. She already loved his touch. ‘I’ll be leaving the farm and going up to Adelaide in February. I’ll be moving back into my old digs at the residential college in North Adelaide, near the scoreboard end at Adelaide Oval. It’s a damn good place to be when the cricket’s on, I can tell you. Every time someone hits a four, you can hear the crowd roar. And when Bradman plays? Well, you can hear the whole of Adelaide clapping. You live near there, don’t you?’
Ruby realised home was ten minutes away from there, on foot. Cain would be that close. ‘Yes, on Buxton Street.’
Cain looked at her in disbelief. ‘All those years ago, when I was studying. We were so close. I can’t believe that. Do you think we ever passed each other on the street?’
‘It’s a funny thought, isn’t it?’ Ruby sighed.
Cain paused. ‘What do you think your parents say about me, Ruby?’
She snuggled closer into his arms. Her confidence drained. He was right to ask and his question revealed he was perhaps more realistic about what Ruby was planning than she was.
‘It’s almost 1935,’ Ruby said, wanting to sound tough, if not for him then for herself. ‘Young women can do things their own way now, don’t you know.’
Cain stroked her hair. ‘Although that’s perhaps not as easy as you think, sweetheart.’
She grabbed his lapel and there it was, the white carnation. He slipped it out of his buttonhole and gave it to her. She lifted the flower from Cain’s fingers and held it to her nose. It had no scent of its own, she knew that, but it smelt of Cain’s soap and that was the best kind of perfume.
‘I’ll be studying for a couple of years at least.’
‘I know.’
‘And then I may have to go and work in the country.’
‘I can wait,’ she said confidently and he kissed her again, hungry this time, his hands gripping her shoulders, his tongue exploring her mouth, and Ruby didn’t need to think about Rudolph Valentino any more.
They sat in silence, knowing more words weren’t necessary, and gradually soft music drifted in their direction. Behind them, The Anchorage Guest House seemed to be having a party of its own. It carried on the wind and Cain began to whistle along with the tune.
‘Do you know this song?’
She cocked her head and listened. ‘No, what is it?’
‘“Let’s Fall in Love”.’ And when Cain kissed her again, and they held each other in the moonlight with the Eddy Duchin song playing softly in the background, Ruby knew beyond a doubt that she already had.
She startled at an enormous, echoing sound and clutched Cain.
‘That’s the cannon being fired at Warland Reserve,’ he said with a chuckle.
‘It scared the life out of me,’ Ruby gasped. They could hear the distant cheers of the crowd in the centre of Victor Harbor.
‘And the ceremonial firing of the cannon means it’s gone midnight. Happy New Year, Ruby.’
‘Happy New Year, Cain. 1935 holds so much promise, don’t you think?’
Nothing could put a dampener on Ruby’s happy feelings as she headed up the Bayview stairs to her room. After the cannon had fired at midnight, Cain had seen her back to the Wonderview before slipping out of sight. Ruby had found Adeline and James, who were still dancing wildly, and they made their way back to Railway Terrace to board the late train back to Remarkable Bay. Their mother had made her way back earlier with Mrs Stuart. Deliciously, Cain had never been far from her the whole trip back. She sensed his presence at the train station, and when she turned, he was there, two people behind her, jammed in the crowd. And then on the train, Ruby and Adeline managed to find seats. James stood next to Adeline, holding the overhead strap, and there was Cain, next to him but one. They shared secret glances the whole way back to Remarkable Bay.
When they got off the train, Cain brushed past her and his fingers lingered on hers for just a moment. Oh, she was in love. She knew she was. She could still feel the tingling in her fingertips as she climbed the stairs and reached for the door of the room she shared with Adeline and Clara. Adeline was still outside, sitting on the lawns across the road talking with James, so she was alone. She knew she would have to be as quiet as a mouse so as not to wake Clara.
Her youngest sister was sound asleep and Ruby snuck into bed, feeling aglow from the inside.
She had found it. She had found him. She had found love with Cain Stapleton and that made her the luckiest young woman in the world.
The next morning, on the very first day of 1935, Ruby washed in the bathroom at the end of the hallway and came back to her room to dress for breakfast. She pulled out the upholstered stool and sat at the dresser, while Clara slept and Adeline fussed and bothered about which frock she should wear.
She was glancing around for her hairbrush, pushing away Clara’s straw hat and Adeline’s slip, when she saw Edwin’s letter. She’d forgotten all about it.
She still hadn’t read it. Now she knew she must. She owed him that much. When she slowly opened the envelope, she could see there were perhaps six pages of his neat, small handwriting. She took a deep breath.
‘Is that Edwin’s letter you’re reading?’ Adeline looked over her shoulder and Ruby flipped the pages face down on to the dresser.
‘Go away.’
‘Are you only just reading it now? James gave it to you days ago.’
Ruby scrambled for an excuse. ‘Of course I’ve already read it. I’m … I’m missing him, that’s all so I thought I’d read it again. If you’ll leave me in peace, that is.’
Ruby’s obfuscation worked and Adeline changed the subject.
‘What are you doing today? I’m heading over to Sunnybrae for breakfast with James and his parents. They’ll officially be my in-laws soon. I can hardly believe it.’
‘Yes. I’m off to …’
Ruby stopped. She’d made plans to meet Cain again at the beach that afternoon at two. She looked down at Edwin’s letter, then tossed it on the dresser. What was she doing? What kind of person was she to be caught between two men? Both loved her but she only loved one and that meant one of them was going to be hurt. She put her head in her hands and tried to think about what to do and how on earth she was going to do it.
She would read Edwin’s letter and then she would discuss it with Cain today.
‘I’m going to have breakfast and then read for a little while. No big plans. I’m a little tired from last night, actually.’
Adeline sidled up to Ruby and sat on the edge of the dresser. ‘Where exactly did you disappear to last night? James and I were looking for you all over when the clock struck midnight and we all linked arms and sang “Auld Lang Syne”.’
Ruby caught her sister’s reflection in the oval mirror and saw the deceit in her own expression. She hoped Adeline was too distracted to notice. ‘I caught up with some friends from Adelaide. Remember Harold, Edwin’s friend from the tennis club? He was there and we danced for a while.’
‘Mmm,’ she replied. ‘I don’t know anyone who’d want to dance with Harold, but beggars can’t be choosers, can they, Ruby? Anyhow, I’m off. I’m desperate for a cup of tea.’ When she flounced past Clara’s bed, she slapped her hand on the mattress. ‘Wake up, sleepy-head. Please tell me you’re going to do something today other than stay cooped up in this room being miserable.’
An arm emerged from the blankets, smacking Adeline’s hand away.
Adeline took her purse and slipped her straw hat on her auburn curls. ‘Au revoir, deux soeur.’
Ruby nodded her goodbye and then slowly picked up Edwin’s letter. She took a deep breath and began to read it.
My dearest Ruby …
* * *
Twenty minutes later, Ruby was downstairs at breakfast, eating to distract herself. She had porridge and then eggs, sunny side up, and toast with thickly spread butter. She stopped to think about Cain while she was eating the butter from his very own cows.
There were a few too many sore heads that morning and many of the guests were still sleeping, so she had a table to herself. She needed to think, to plan her way out of marrying Edwin. Because he seemed quite determined to marry her. His letter had implored her to say yes and it set out all the reasons why she should agree to be his wife. With every sentence, she’d felt sicker and sicker. He’d listed off a series of transactions. How successful his father’s firm was and how secure his position therefore was. While he didn’t hint at the size of his salary, he indicated it would continue to increase until one day he would be managing the firm. Ruby wasn’t quite sure where that left his older brother James in the scheme of things. There would be a house, he wrote, a gift from his parents to them once they were wed. A bluestone cottage in Norwood, just east of the city. There had been tenants in it who would be removed as soon as they had set a date. There were lots of rooms for children and for help, nannies and a cook if she wanted one.
How on earth could he know her at all if he thought these things were important to her? He was promising her security and the continuation of the life she was already living. That was not the life she wanted. She wanted laughter and adventure and love.
In all that he’d written, he hadn’t mentioned love once.
I know you are down at Remarkable Bay to consider your options. I would expect nothing else of someone so sensible as you. I hope you will come to the conclusion that we are very much suited to each other, and I’m certain that we will have a happy and settled future together.
When she’d finished reading, she’d screwed the pages into a tight ball and stuffed it at the bottom of her suitcase.
Now she stared at the toast she’d covered with Cain’s butter.
She was more determined than ever to tell her mother the truth.
She wanted Cain Stapleton, not Edwin Stuart. No matter what it would cost her.
Ruby went back upstairs to find her mother, but there was no answer, so she returned to the room she shared with her sisters. When she turned the knob and pushed, it knocked against something and wouldn’t open all the way. She tried with a little more force and it gave another couple of inches.
When she squeezed her head through the gap she saw something on the floor. The curtains were drawn and it was dark. It took Ruby a confused moment to realise what it was.
Clara.
Her sister was lying on the floor, crumpled, her knees pulled up against her chest. Ruby had been forcing the door against one of her shoes.
‘Clara!’ Ruby gasped and flicked on the overhead light before falling to her knees. There was little response from her sister. Ruby smoothed her hand over Clara’s forehead and could feel in an instant that she was clammy and hot. Her full lips were almost bloodless and sweat was trickling down the sides of her face. ‘Good god, Clara. What’s happened? Did you fall and strike your head? Why are you on the floor?’
And a sinking, suffocating sense of dread almost bowled Ruby over.
She could not keep this secret any longer. She struggled to her feet, but she was shaking so much she was barely able to stand. She leant back against the door and gripped the doorknob. Her own breath was shallow and quick. ‘I’m fetching Mother. You need a doctor.’
Clara moaned and sucked in a deep breath. Then she shot up and reached for the silver bucket beside her and dry-retched into it. Ruby didn’t need to look inside to know that Clara had nothing left to bring up.
‘Please, Ruby.’ Clara shook her head weakly. ‘Don’t.’
‘I must tell her, Clara. Look at you. I can’t keep this secret any longer.’
Clara burst into violent tears and the shock of seeing her this way scared Ruby.
‘Please, Ruby,’ Clara begged, her voice an aching sob. The sound of it cut Ruby to the core and she began to feel frightened. ‘Tell me what to do.’
‘I don’t understand. What to do about what?’ Ruby pleaded, pushing the damp hair back from Clara’s forehead, fighting the sensible urge to go and find their mother.
Clara placed a hand across her belly and looked up at her sister with weeping, red eyes. ‘The baby.’
CHAPTER
17
2016
Roma had Bayview all to herself for the weekend.
Addy had driven up to Adelaide to pick up a few things from home and then have lunch with some of her friends from the film world. Roma couldn’t blame her. Addy had been down in Remarkable Bay for three weeks now, and she could understand that Addy needed to get together with people who knew what best boys and gaffers actually were. Addy still hadn’t heard anything further about the finance for the film she’d been working on, so her stay was becoming more open-ended than they’d both originally thought. But Roma didn’t mind at all. They’d settled into a comfortable routine with each other. During the day, they worked on the house to really loud music. Room by room, they were making their way through the upstairs and only had Roma’s bedroom and the long hallway to go. Its ceilings were high and there was lots of ladder shuffling, but Roma was in no rush. And, once she was swept up in the rhythm of their work, Addy had seemed to relax. She didn’t feel the jittery need to talk quite so much and—shock horror—one day she hadn’t even put on any lipstick before lifting a paint brush.
Roma was growing to like Addy’s company more than she thought she would, and it was the simple things. The silent sharing of a coffee in the mornings. The unspoken way they knew how to clean up together after dinner—Addy would wash and Roma would dry. The witty conversations at night in front of something fluffy on TV, especially the home renovation programs.
‘When did the paint dry?’ Addy would call out at a miraculous room transformation that seemed to happen in a commercial break and Roma would laugh uproariously.
Those were the things she’d missed living alone.
It was September now and spring had done its typically South Australian thing and thrown up a series of days with temperatures in the mid-thirties. Today was one of them and Roma decided it might be time for her first swim of the season, so she’d slipped on her bathers, thrown on a light dress, found a wide-brimmed straw hat and slathered herself in sunscreen, before toeing into her thongs and doing a last-minute search for her keys.
