The Davenports(15)

Ruby dressed without Margaret’s help, trying to push the thoughts from her mind. Her dress hugged her curves and was a bit more scandalous than her mother preferred. But appearances were everything, and being seen in the latest style was peak Tremaine, even if it meant sacrificing a garment from a past season’s wardrobe. Ruby had pulled her hair back to show off her long neck and graceful shoulders.

She felt like a gem. Still, something was missing.

Ruby stared at her bare neck and frowned. She glanced at the door behind her, a little afraid her mother might appear.

Just a quick look, she told herself. Music drifted from the mahogany box on her dresser as she lifted the lid. The tinny music reminded her of a lullaby. She placed the earrings and fragile gold cross on a chain to the side. Carefully, she pried the bottom of the box up. The light glinted off the sharp edge of the ruby hidden beneath, teardrop-shaped and lovely.

The sight of it still took her breath away. The namesake stone was a gift for her sixteenth birthday from her mother and father, before their dreams grew bigger than her happiness. With one more quick glance at her closed door, she lifted the necklace by the ends of its lobster claw closer.

The deep red stone sat in the hollow of her throat and matched the rich fabric of her dress. This would go perfectly, she thought with a sadness she wished she could swallow down. Her father’s reasons for running for office were noble. But she couldn’t help the bitterness that welled up at having to hide her most prized possession. It rankled almost as much as the bitterness of her parents asking her to sell it. How could they? This gift from them—it was more than a trinket. It was strong, beautiful, and set in gold. A perfect reflection of her own self-confidence, when she wasn’t feeling second chair to her best friend. When she held her parents’ gift, much less wore it, she felt bold and strong.

Ruby harbored no regrets about the necklace of her mother’s that she’d pawned instead. Served her right for asking such a thing of her daughter. And the fact that her mother never missed it only confirmed that Ruby had made the right decision.

The music died and in the sudden silence, Ruby heard footsteps stop outside her door. She watched the knob turn as she fidgeted with the clasp behind her neck. There was no time to hide it now. But no one could know she kept it. The stone and its delicate chain disappeared into the neck of her dress.

“Are you about ready?” Mrs. Tremaine asked from the doorway.

“Yes,” Ruby answered quickly. She shifted her weight, hoping to block the broken-looking jewelry box on the dresser. Her skin warmed as she took in her mother’s stare.

Mrs. Tremaine sighed. She walked up to Ruby. “I know things are more difficult than we expected when your father entered this race, but this isn’t forever. The whole harvest isn’t lost. And your uncle is working on contracts with other farms. We just need to give it time.”

Ruby nodded stiffly as her mother adjusted the fabric draped over her shoulders. The chain of the necklace slipped further, tickling her skin. She hoped that the bodice of the dress was tight enough that the stone wouldn’t clatter to the ground beneath her feet.

“Your father may not always show it, but he is proud of you,” her mother said.

Ruby’s body tensed. She wanted to hold on to the anger a bit longer.

“Just stick to the plan, and everything else will work itself out.”

The plan. Anger flared in Ruby’s chest again. The plan that she had no say in. She decided she would continue to protect what was important to her, starting with the little piece of her identity caught between layers of her clothing. She longed for the day when she would be the mistress of her own home, adored by an affectionate husband and surrounded by their children. And not treated as a means for her parents to achieve their goals.

“Ruby, what have you done to your jewelry box?” Mrs. Tremaine picked up the seemingly broken pieces.

“Is it a jewelry box, if it doesn’t have any jewelry in it?” she asked.

Her mother looked at her steadily, her expression not without compassion. Then she seemed to make a decision, her face hardening. Quietly she said, “You better fix your attitude before you head downstairs.”

Your attitude. Ruby exhaled, her temper escaping her lungs with enough force to shift the bodice of her gown. Her prized necklace clattered to the ground. It skittered across the hardwood floor, and came to a stop at the rounded toe of her mother’s silk shoe.

“Ruby,” Mrs. Tremaine said, her voice trailing off as she bent to retrieve the jewel. “I thought this was included with the other items you brought to the adjuster? You were supposed to bring all small items of value to him when he was here.”

Ruby watched the light glisten off the delicate chain. The bright stone had disappeared into her mother’s palm and with it any excuse she could muster.

“Ruby?”

“I replaced it with something else,” she said. Her pulse began to pound behind her ears. “That is mine. I don’t understand why I can’t keep it. You’ve sold nearly everything else.”

Mrs. Tremaine stayed firm. “Do you know how many people this could help?”

Other people, Ruby thought. Never her. Not their daughter who had to smile and pretend nothing was amiss. Plus the money technically went to the campaign. “What about me?” Ruby’s voice had risen to a louder than acceptable volume. Her chest heaved with each breath. All she wanted was to snatch the chain back, to feel the comforting weight around her neck. She knew any move to do so would guarantee its loss. Even now she pressed against the boundaries of her parents’ thinning patience. “What about me?” she asked again, calmly, as if her heart weren’t at risk of breaking.