A Mother Forever

cup securely. ‘I’m going to check my logbook to see what work we had on the fifth of August. If anyone should come out of the office and question why you’re here, you can tell them Ernie Grafton asked you to drop off a fresh supply of shrouds. We often get deliveries from the seamstresses so no one will be any the wiser.’
Stella felt a shudder run through her body at the thought of making such items, but with Ruby still upset, it quickly went from her mind. ‘Here, love, finish the water, it will make you feel a lot better.’
‘Thanks, but I’ve had enough.’ Ruby refused the mug. ‘Why don’t you have some? You must be as shaken and thirsty as I was.’
Stella thankfully finished what was left. ‘That went down well. I don’t know about you, but I could manage another cup of tea from the cafe.’
‘And another of Marge’s meat pies,’ Ruby said, licking her lips.
‘Why don’t we go back there again after we say goodbye to Ernie? I do need to pick up some black bootlaces, but apart from that I’ve got a while before I need to be home sorting out dinner for my hungry lot.’
‘It’s a deal,’ Ruby said, ‘but please let me treat you. I couldn’t have done this without your help. In fact, God knows what would’ve happened to me that day if you haven’t come out into the street when I collapsed.’
‘Don’t be so daft. That’s what neighbours are for. I expect you’d do the same for me if I was in the same circumstances. Not that I’m likely to catch at my age,’ she added.
Ruby could only give her a sympathetic smile. Stella was a tonic, and even though she was grieving for Sarah, she couldn’t help but feel joyous that she had found a good friend.
‘That’s put the colour back in your cheeks,’ Ernie said, returning with a small cloth-covered ledger. ‘The fifth of August, you say,’ he added, thumbing through the pages.
‘Yes, and it was late afternoon.’ Stella peered over his shoulder. She couldn’t make out any of the words as the handwriting was too small and neat.
‘Here it is,’ he said triumphantly, tapping the page with his finger. ‘I thought it was so, but wanted to check before I said anything to you. We buried a Miss Allinson on the sixth along with a small unmarked coffin containing a female child. That’ll be the one.’
‘Are you sure?’ Stella asked. ‘Could it have been another baby?’
Ernie flicked through the pages. ‘There was a boy two days later, so the girl buried with Miss Allinson is definitely your baby.’
Ruby shook her head in disbelief. ‘I don’t understand why a family would allow an unknown baby to be buried with their loved one. It doesn’t make sense.’
Ernie gave Ruby a hard stare. ‘The family know nothing about it. We slip the child into the fresh grave and cover it with earth. Then, after the service in the chapel, the deceased is laid to rest and the family are none the wiser.’
Stella thought it an ideal situation, in the circumstances, but didn’t like to say so in case of upsetting Ruby. ‘So now you know, girl. Do you feel any happier?’
Ruby kept her gaze on Ernie. ‘So where is this grave?’
Ernie looked uncomfortable. ‘I shouldn’t really say, but as you already know the name of the deceased, it wouldn’t take much ferreting about for you to find it. It’s up at Brook Street cemetery.’
Ruby looked to Stella. ‘Do you know this cemetery? Is it far away?’
‘You’re not thinking of going up there, are you?’ Stella asked. ‘You’re still recovering, my girl. You don’t need any more excitement today.’
‘Of course I am. I’ve not found the information only to go home without paying my respects to my daughter. I’ll not tell a soul,’ she assured a worried-looking Ernie. ‘Thank you for all you’ve done. I’m happy to go alone, if one of you would point the way.’
Ernie thought for a moment. ‘The quickest way would be to get on one of those new trams and go as far as Northumberland Heath, then walk down Brook Street. You can’t miss the cemetery, although it’s a fair walk,’ he said, thinking she’d find the walk taxing.
‘My George would like to go on the trams. He has spoken of nothing else since his nan walked him around the road to watch them. Perhaps I should wait until tomorrow before I go to this cemetery. I can take George as a special treat. He’d like that. Yes, that’s what I’ll do,’ she said, before thanking Ernie for his help and following Stella back through the alleyway and out into the busy high street.

3
Ruby burst through the front door of number thirteen. Even a sudden downpour of rain couldn’t dampen her spirits.
‘What’s taken you so long?’ Milly grumbled from the kitchen. ‘I can’t be expected to take care of your kid as well as your husband, not with my dodgy ticker.’
Ignoring her mother’s words, Ruby smiled softly. ‘I found her, Mum. I found where they laid Sarah to rest.’
‘Have you gone barmy or something? What the hell are you talking about?’
Ruby froze. She’d not told her mother the name she’d given to her daughter. ‘The baby, Mum, I found where they buried her. I’m going to take George to see the grave tomorrow. Do you want to come with us so we can lay some flowers and pay our respects?’
Milly threw down the cloth she was using to wipe dust from the black iron mantelpiece in the front room and glared at her daughter. As yet there was very little furniture in the room, apart from two armchairs left by the previous tenant. Ruby had plans for the room but until there was money coming in it was all she could do to pay the rent and put food in their bellies. ‘What do you mean lay flowers on a grave and pay