Chapter 25 Ruby
Chapter 25
Ruby
“Woo!” cried Odette. Her ball rolled through the wicket.
Ruby fanned herself furiously, slouching, her mallet at her feet, until a glance from Harrison’s mother had her fixing her posture. Clouds moved in the distance but they never managed to come close enough to provide shade over the Learys’ open lawn.
“Well done,” said Agatha. “My, Ruby, you do look like you’re melting. It’s much cooler under the tent.” Agatha grinned at her.
“I’d hate to miss out on all the fun,” said Ruby. She was sure it was more comfortable under the tent, but changing locations would put her in the path of parents, including her own and Mrs.and Mr.Barton.
“My brother used to play croquet all the time with Harrison’s brother, Jeremiah. It was always a good time,” said Odette.
Ruby had come to realize that Odette was always looking for a good time . She managed to befriend anyone who could connect her to a person with exclusive access to a dance hall, restaurant, boutique, or who shared her penchant for “fun.”
Odette waved over a waiter with a fresh bottle of champagne. The game had stalled in the heat. There was a ring toss match set up across the lawn where Jeremiah and Mr.Barton stood, bystanders watching with varying degrees of curiosity. The drinks were flowing and the music was lively from a band ensemble beneath the tent. And Agatha Leary played junior hostess.
“Refill?” asked Agatha.
Ruby held up her glass. “Lemonade is fine for me.”
“Too bad Harrison couldn’t be here,” said Odette.
“Yes,” said Ruby. “He had to work, but he said he’ll be at the race next week.”
“Working on a Saturday?” Odette shook her head. “I know I would be unable to keep my wits if I had to wait for my beau to get out of work on a weekend. Oh! How is that little venture of yours?” Odette swung her club over her shoulder. “Do tell!” she said. Her eyes were bright and her smile welcoming.
“Well,” Ruby said, “I’ve taken Mr.Price’s comments to heart—thank you again for introducing us—and with Olivia’s help, I’ve found the perfect person to help me bring my sketches to life.”
Odette squealed, drawing the attention Ruby wanted to avoid. “Shall I put my orders in now?”
Agatha pouted. “You haven’t seen what they look like, Odette.”
Carter had walked over and now held his glass high. “Well, I think this deserves a toast.”
At Odette’s encouragement, the four of them clinked their glasses together. Though Agatha’s comment stung, Ruby enjoyed their praise. She was excited. She’d begun frequenting her former haunts with new vigor, not shopping for the thrill of it, but studying style and technique, appreciating what she once took for granted, and looking for her own ways to entice the modern young lady.
Odette stood on her tiptoes. “Bertha’s arrived!” She and Agatha left Ruby and Carter to greet their friend. Freed, Ruby took to the closest table under a shaded tree where Anne-Marie, Harrison’s sister, sat. What was the alternative? Standing under a crowded tent with her parents? No thank you.
“Miss Barton,” she started. “Do you enjoy garden parties?”
“Yes,” replied the young girl. Anne-Marie, at twelve years, watched the party unfold before them. “There aren’t many other girls my age, but everyone has been friendly. I do wish Harrison was here too.”
Ruby nodded.
Carter joined them then, taking the open seat next to Ruby. He smiled at her and watched her openly. Ruby’s face warmed. “Have I got something on my nose?” she asked.
“No,” he said, shaking his head. “I was simply admiring the view. My friend sure knows how to find a beautiful woman.”
Ruby smiled tightly, glanced at Anne-Marie, who’d become absorbed in the pattern on her dress, and looked to where the rest of the Bartons seemed deeply involved in their game. “That’s kind of you to say.”
Then Ruby felt the weight of a palm on her knee.
She stood so quickly, she pushed the table forward. If not for Carter’s quick hands, the drinks would have gone flying. She could still feel the heat of his skin through the fabric of her dress. Though heads turned, they’d already begun to look away. Music and laughter rang loudly in Ruby’s ears.
“Come now, no need to make a scene. Have a seat and we’ll have another game when Odette returns.” He touched her wrist and Ruby flinched at the contact.
“Ruby?” Both were surprised to see Anne-Marie Barton was no longer sitting across the table but standing at her elbow. “I was hoping you would be my partner in the ring toss.” Ruby grasped her suggestion like a life vest.
“I’d love to,” said Ruby. “I’m no good at croquet anyway.”
Carter grinned and leaned back in his seat. “Enjoy, ladies.”
As they walked away, Ruby curled into herself and suppressed a shudder. “Thank you,” she whispered to Anne-Marie. How could Carter be so bold? Did Odette or Harrison know of this side of him? The questions gnawed at Ruby. She pushed down the feelings of disgust and waited for the heat of his hand on her knee to dissipate.
“I don’t actually need a partner,” Anne-Marie confessed. “You looked distressed and I thought since we are to be sisters soon…”
“We should look after each other. Agreed.” With one arm, Ruby briefly hugged Anne-Marie to her side, and they found a spot within the protective bubble of the Bartons’ corner of the tent near the ring toss. Ruby played with her necklace, ignoring the prickling of the hairs on the back of her neck. She knew without looking that Carter watched her.
“Do you know how to play?” she asked Anne-Marie.
“Oh yes, we all learned. I’m quite good at it, which is why I don’t usually play. Not so much fun when you win all the time.”
Ruby stared at her, not sure if there was a joke hidden somewhere in her words, but Anne-Marie’s eyes were locked on the game. “If it brings you joy,” whispered Ruby, “who cares if you win all the time?”
When Anne-Marie glanced back at her, there was a hint of a smile spreading across her face. “That is one of the many reasons he loves you,” said Anne-Marie. The younger girl stepped out of the shadow of the tent and reached for a set of rings.
Hmm, Ruby thought to herself. There’s a chance we may all get along after all.
···
The next morning, Ruby and her mother waited outside the restaurant for Mrs.Barton and Anne-Marie. She and the younger girl had spent the rest of the Learys’ garden party together. And later, in the carriage, they’d chatted about Ruby’s design endeavors. Two days ago, Ruby had dreaded being seated at a table with their mothers staring each other down. Now she imagined it would be far more bearable with Anne-Marie at her side.
A flyer in the restaurant window caught her attention. It was the same portrait of her father that had been plastered everywhere before the election. This establishment was one her family had frequented often before they’d had to cut back to support the campaign, and Mr.Tremaine’s stoic gaze now seemed to frown at Ruby through the glass. She was surprised to see the poster still up. Most places had so thoroughly removed all evidence of his bid for mayor that she was left to wonder if their current predicament was all just a nightmare.
“Ruby, don’t slouch,” said her mother.
“Papa’s picture is still posted,” she said.
Mrs.Tremaine moved to where Ruby stood. Her eyes roamed over the grainy print of her husband. “He returns to work and his regular routine this week. It will begin to feel more like how things used to be.”
Ruby doubted that a change in scenery alone was the answer for her father. As things stood, he’d only made brief appearances at labor meetings and charity events so as not to look like a sore loser. He’d come home in a sour mood from a debrief at Samson House with the reverend and several activists. She was poised to argue her point when the Bartons arrived.
“Good afternoon, Mrs.Tremaine, Ruby,” said Mrs.Barton.
“Good afternoon,” Ruby and her mother said together. Ruby smiled at Anne-Marie.
Harrison’s sister returned the greeting and fell in step next to Ruby as they walked inside.
“I’m so glad you suggested lunch,” said Mrs.Barton.
They were seated right away. The owners were a Black couple, and after enduring their offers of condolence, the four women sat at a round table with a thick white linen tablecloth. It was a popular place for lunch with the wives of the Black upper class, hosting charity luncheons and ladies’ social club meetings. If Mrs.Barton was impressed, she didn’t show it.
“This is a favorite place of mine,” said Ruby.
“Is that so,” said Mrs.Barton. “Harrison says you have great taste.” She looked at Ruby as if she believed the opposite.
“A ladies’ outing was in order,” said Mrs.Tremaine.
“And we can discuss the wedding,” said Ruby. Anne-Marie’s confidence in their union last night had given her courage. She directed her next words at the young girl. “I’ve brought the sketches of my dress for you to see. And you can even visit to see some creations in process, if you’d like—sometime soon.”
“Ruby,” her mother said, smiling tightly. “Let’s not start with that. We haven’t even ordered yet.”
Anne-Marie spoke up. “Mrs.Tremaine, I would love to see them. I’m sure after the wedding, my parents, Jeremiah, and I will be heading back home…” Anne-Marie’s voice trailed off as the expression on their mothers’ faces changed, further dampening the atmosphere. “I do hope to get to know my future sister before then.”
Anne-Marie’s intervention last night had shifted Ruby’s perspective. She had thought the young girl meek, frightened by the likes of Helen Davenport and her unconventional notions of courtship and propriety. She’d been wrong.
She smiled now at Anne-Marie. “Likewise,” Ruby said to her, the full realization dawning that her union with Harrison would not only bring her closer to his parents, but bring her a pair of siblings. I’ll no longer be an only child. The thought struck her as strange. Her parents were very social and their friendship with the Davenports ensured she was surrounded with children her own age, but they couldn’t always be around.
Mrs.Barton inspected the silverware. “How resourceful you are, Ruby. Such a talent in finding opportunity.”
“My daughter is intelligent, and not one to let the good pass her by simply due to external pressure.”
“And I’m sure you taught her well,” said Mrs.Barton.
Ruby looked to her mother as Mrs.Barton spoke. She couldn’t help but think of the story her mother shared this past spring, of the other gentlemen Mrs.Tremaine might have wed in place of Ruby’s father. Someone closer in age. Ruby wondered if Anne-Marie Barton knew her mother chose security over love. It was from her mother’s pragmatic decision that Ruby had confidence in her future with Harrison—she did not want what her parents had.
“As all mothers should,” Mrs.Tremaine replied.
Anne-Marie caught Ruby’s attention, her eyes wide with silent embarrassment. Their mothers seemed to be in a battle of wills.
When their waiter returned, Mrs.Tremaine placed an order for her and Ruby, not offering a recommendation to the Bartons. Once the waiter left, Ruby’s mother unfolded her napkin and placed it on her lap. Seeing the lunch devolving into silence, Ruby took a deep breath. She needed to reset the relationship between these women like a broken bone. “I know it’s crass to speak about money,” she began, “but I’m sure you’re aware that your son contributed to my father’s campaign. And that, for many reasons, my father lost. One reason, I would think, as women yourselves, you would have found not only objectionable but completely unfair.”
Mrs.Barton looked taken aback that Ruby would raise this topic. But she said, “We are, of course, aware. But in matters that involve our son, we have the right to be concerned.”
“My daughter’s reputation is beyond reproach,” said Ruby’s mother.
Mrs.Barton and Mrs.Tremaine locked eyes. Ruby waited, as did Anne-Marie, for one of them to say more. When neither did, Ruby broke the silence.
“In fact, I am strong-willed, independent, and hot-tempered,” Ruby said. “Harrison knows these things about me. And even if my reputation was not beyond reproach, there are plenty of gentlemen who are allowed to live their lives however indiscreetly they choose without any consequences at all. Harrison and I chose each other, and that is enough for us.”
Mrs.Tremaine squeezed Ruby’s hand under the table.
Mrs.Barton watched them stonily, her expression as unyielding as a statue.
Anne-Marie smiled. “I hope to one day have someone love me so deeply, to be as brave to love as you all are.” She looked at each of them, then down at her hands, and Ruby felt her heart squeeze.
“Yes,” said Ruby. “With love comes the strength to do great things.”
Mrs.Barton inclined her head ever so slightly. “Yes,” she said at last, very slowly. “I suppose it does take a strong woman to move through this world.”