Ruby Read Free Page B

stitching in the light of the gas lamp.
    “Do you have a minute?”
    “Of course, dear.” She glanced at her husband, and he looked up from the account book at his desk and nodded.
    Ruby crossed the room. “I received a letter today from my father, and I believe I should read it to you.”
    “All right. Would you like to sit down?”
    “Er, yes . . . no . . . ah . . .” Ruby shook her head and removed the letter from the envelope. She unfolded the page, began, then cleared her throat and began again. When she finished, she looked up to see the husband and wife exchanging glances.
    “I’ve always feared something like this might happen one day.” The sorrow in Mrs. Brandon’s voice made Ruby want to weep. “I don’t suppose there is an alternative.” Mrs. Brandon gave Ruby a hopeful glance, but at Mr. Brandon’s clearing his throat, she shook her head again. “Oh, I know you must go, but what shall we do without you?”
    Since Ruby had no answer to that question, she kept silent, all the while wishing she had not been the bearer of bad tidings to people who had been so good to her.
    “You will leave in the morning, then?” Mr. Brandon stated more than asked.
    “If that is convenient.” No sooner were the words out of her mouth than she wanted to haul them back. Of course this was not convenient for them. It wasn’t convenient for her either, but if she wanted to see her father before he died, if he hadn’t already, they must be off as soon as possible.
    “Then we must get to your packing.” Mrs. Brandon set her needlework aside and stood. “I’ll tell Mr. Klaus to bring a trunk down from the attic.”
    “But, I have no trunk there.” Ruby thought of the two carpetbags and three boxes she had brought from Bestemor’s house.
    “You will need one, and I have several garments that I’ve been meaning to give to you. One, especially, will do as a traveling suit. Mr. Brandon, dear, will you see to paying Ruby what we owe her?”
    “Of course, my dear.” He looked toward Ruby. “Your wages will be in an envelope for you by morning. I will have Klaus ride down to the station tonight to see what time the first train leaves tomorrow.”
    Feeling a bit like a brittle leaf tossed before a brisk wind, Ruby nodded, thanked them both, and took herself back upstairs to begin her packing.
    A short time later, Mr. Klaus, man of all chores for the Brandon household, lugged a steamer trunk into her room. “I am so sorry to hear you are leaving, miss. We shall miss you both dreadfully.”
    “Thank you. And I all of you.”
    “How they will find someone to replace you, I’ll never know. Will take two, maybe three.”
    Ruby bit her lip. Her heart felt as though a gigantic hand was squeezing the blood from it. “Perhaps we will be back. Who knows what will happen?”
    “If your father is dying, why did he not just send your inheritance on?”
    “I don’t know. But I do want to see him again if at all possible, so the trip is inevitable.”
    “You could leave the little one here. Mrs. Klaus and I would take good care of her.”
    “Again, thank you.” Oh, please don’t make this so difficult . “But someday down the road, she would hate me for not letting her meet the father she has dreamed of for so many years.”
    “Ach, I know, but there was no harm in offering.” He glanced toward the closed door to the sleeping quarters. “She is asleep?”
    “Ja, she had a hard day.”
    A smile tugged at one corner of his mouth. “Finding a hard day for her is not hard.” He touched his forehead with one finger. “I’m off to the station. I’ll take care of your baggage in the morning. You just leave it right there.”
    “Thank you, Mr. Klaus.” Never, since the day they moved in, had she heard him speak so many words at a time.
    A few minutes later Mrs. Fleish followed Mrs. Brandon into the room, their arms buried beneath both girls’ and ladies’ garments.
    “What is this?”
    “Just some things for