Ruby by Marie Maxwell Read Free Book Online

overseer.’
    Ruby laughed in astonishment as she went to push past him. She couldn’t believe that her brother would speak to her like that.
    ‘You’re a kid, you’re underage and you do as I say or else.’ He moved in front of her, blocking her way with his body.
    ‘Or else what? No, I do what I like and it’s none of your business. I’m not your daughter or your wife. Now get out of my way if you want supper tonight, else I’ll tip this lot out in the street and you’ll have bugger all.’
    For a moment Ray looked quite shocked. He hadn’t expected her to challenge him.
    ‘You dare talk to me like that, you little cow! Now get into your room and stay there until I say you can come out!’
    Ruby stared hard at Ray and slowly shook her head. ‘Not bloody likely. Get away from me …’
    His hand flicked out and he grabbed her forcefully by the arm, dragged her down the path to the front door, then pulled her round until they were nose to nose.
    ‘Get indoors and get into your room or I’ll get Dad’s belt to you.’
    ‘You just try it, you lay one finger on me and I’ll be out of that door for good. Don’t forget, I’ve got somewhere to go.’
    As soon as the words were out she regretted them. In the heat of the moment she had given Ray an insight into her thoughts.
    ‘That’s what you think,’ he snarled. ‘You ain’t going nowhere, never in a million years. Nowhere!’ His face was so close to hers she could feel the spittle on her cheek as he spat the words at her.
    She tried to pull away from him but he just tightened his grip around the top of her arm and walked her over the doorstep into the hall before pulling his other hand back and slapping her across the face. As she reeled away he snatched the shopping basket from her before shoving her so forcefully into her bedroom she tumbled straight onto her bed. Then, before she could stand up, he took the key from the inside, slammed the door shut and locked it.
    ‘Now you can stay there until I say you can come out.’
    She rattled the handle with one hand and massaged her face with the other. She could feel her cheek swelling and her eye starting to close.
    ‘Open this door,’ she screamed as loud as she could. ‘Open the door!’
    But there was just silence from the other side.

Four
    ‘Oh, Ruby, you silly girl, what have you done to upset Ray? He’s got a fearsome temper, that lad. He’s not one to be crossed.’
    Ruby looked round and realised for the first time that her grandmother was also in the room and sitting quietly in her chair by the window.
    ‘I haven’t done anything. He’s just being a pig because he
is
a pig. I hate him,’ Ruby said, fighting hard not to cry. Not because she was upset or even because she was hurt, but because she was so angry and frustrated. How dare he do that to her? Hitting her was bad enough, but locking her in her bedroom like a child? She rattled the handle loudly and kicked out at the door, hoping that her mother would come and let her out.
    ‘Let me out of here,’ she screamed as loudly as she could. ‘Mum? Arthur? Are you there? Someone unlock this bloody door. Ray locked me in and Nan’s inside. Mum?’
    ‘They won’t open the door, Ruby, not if Ray’s locked it. They’ll never cross Ray, none of them. They’re all scared of him, even your mother; and anyway, he’ll have the key in his pocket, like as not. No one’ll dare ask for it.’ Her grandmother’s tone was wearily matter-of-fact.
    ‘But why’s Mum scared of him? He’s her son, he should respect her, shouldn’t he?’ Ruby asked.
    ‘Because that Ray’s just like his father – your father – and she knows it. He doesn’t respect anyone. He’s nothing but a bullyboy and your grandfather would turn in his grave if he could see the way that boy carries on. My Ernie never liked your father right from the first day your mother brought him home, and he wouldn’t like Ray, I know that for a fact. Truly like father like son.