“Oh, yes, I do.” Vivienne glared at her. “Why the devil do you think I left Texas?”
While Ruby was gaping at her, Vivienne pinched her ear and dragged her toward the truck. “We’re going to call your mama first. Poor Mercy will have to break it to your father. Though you ought to be the one.”
Her anger flaring, Ruby twisted out of Vivienne’s grip. “My husband is on his way here.”
“And when was the last time you heard from him?”
“Not long ago.”
“It’s been more than a month.”
Ruby bit back a cry. “Niccolò is earning money to come here.”
“Oldest story around.” Vivienne dug into her purse and pulled out a cigarette, which she stuck between her lips. “Time to grow up, kid. Those guys are all hat, no cattle. Bet he showed you a real good time.”
The sweetest time ever, Ruby wanted to scream, but she was still in a daze. She ignored her aunt’s last comment. “I didn’t know you smoked.”
“There’s a lot you don’t know, child.” Vivienne fumbled for a match. After lighting the cigarette, she inhaled and blew out a thick plume of smoke. Leaning against the truck, she said, “This is going to break your mother’s heart.”
Wrinkling her nose from the smoke, Ruby pushed her hair back from her forehead, which was damp with perspiration. Maybe from nerves, maybe from her new condition.
Although Ruby wanted to believe her mother would be happy for her—and the grandchildren they’d been waiting for Patricia to have—she knew her father would explode. And her mother would bear the brunt of his temper.
Ruby hadn’t thought about that.
“And your father will kill you,” Vivienne went on. “Unless…”
“What?”
“You go back to Texas and marry Granger Johnston right away. I’ve heard he might do well for himself.”
“But I’m already married.”
“In Italy. Who knows about that here?”
“Never.” Ruby spun around to walk away.
Vivienne latched onto her arm. “Don’t be twice an idiot. Granger would never know.” She huffed. “That’s what I should have done.”
So this was the tragedy her mother spoke of that Vivienne had suffered. Ruby slid a glance toward her aunt. “I will not. I’ll keep working.”
“Like that?” Vivienne sneered. “Not a chance.”
“We need the money. And I won’t show until…” Ruby pressed a hand against her still smooth belly. “When will I actually look…” She couldn’t bring herself to say it. Pregnant. Ruby brushed an errant tear from her hot cheeks. If only she could reach Niccolò. Surely he’d come right away. And he’d be happy, so happy. She’d write to him tonight.
“Well, you’re tall and thin, so…” Her aunt looked her over. “You’re probably good for three more months. Maybe four. You could wear a girdle and keep your weight down. Lots of women do that to keep working.”
Ruby’s head was spinning, and her stomach was threatening to heave again, but if she didn’t focus on something else, she feared she’d collapse. She breathed out slowly. A baby. Niccolò. What could she do? Ruby pressed her fingers to her temple. “I’ll go to New Mexico and finish that film by Christmas.”
“And that new part you just got for January?”
Ruby’s heart dropped. Her agent had been sending her out on auditions at the studio, and she’d gotten another part. “I’ll talk to Joseph.”
“Whatever you do, don’t tell him you’re with child,” Vivienne’s voice dropped to a whisper on the last word, as if pregnancy were shameful. “Women in your condition get black-balled. And you have a good shot at a big career. Just tell Joseph you need a break after Christmas.”
“But I’m married. It’s not like I’m pregnant out of wedlock.”
“You might as well be. Studios like their stars shapely.”
“I’ll get back in shape fast after the baby is born,” Ruby said.
Her aunt threw up her hands. “You’re still only seventeen. In Hollywood, that’s a scandal. Might as well marry Granger, because your film career will be deader than dead when this gets out.” Vivienne stubbed out her cigarette and hoisted herself into the truck. “And here I thought you’d be rich enough to support us all someday.”
Her aunt’s words sliced through Ruby, yet she clung to the thought of Niccolò. They drove in silence back to her aunt’s apartment.
After they returned, Ruby immediately wrote another letter to Niccolò.
* * *
My darling Niccolò,
I have such wonderful news. You’re going to be a father! Please plan to come for Christmas, and we’ll celebrate and get ready for our sweet baby together. I’m starting work on the new film I told you about, so I’ll have a little money for an apartment.
* * *
When Ruby finished writing, she brushed away the tears that dotted the page and sealed the letter right away so that her aunt, who was lingering nearby, couldn’t read it. She tucked it into her purse to mail tomorrow.
But the next morning, Ruby woke up to severe nausea again.
Hurriedly, Vivienne mixed baking soda into a glass of water and squeezed lemon juice into it. “Sip this,” she said, putting it on the coffee table next to the blue couch where Ruby slept.
Ruby did, but moments later, feeling sick, she careened toward the bathroom, nearly knocking over Vivienne’s prized porcelain rooster collection in the process. After vomiting until she had dry heaves, Ruby rinsed her mouth and splashed cold water onto her face. When she finally emerged, her aunt was gone.
Easing onto the couch, Ruby sipped the lemon juice and baking soda concoction, determined to keep it down.
An hour later, Vivienne returned with more lemons. “Eventually, this will take the edge off.”
“I think your mixture might have already helped.” Ruby sat up. She still felt queasy, but not urgently so. Mostly, she just felt tired. She closed her eyes. The letter. Ruby pushed herself up.
“Stay there,” Vivienne said. “Let your stomach settle.”
“But I have to mail my letter to Niccolò.”
“I just did,” Vivienne said, smiling. “I saw you writing it, and I knew it was important. With you feeling so poorly, I thought you’d appreciate it.” She fluffed a pillow for Ruby and tucked it behind her. “Relax. I’ll take good care of you until you leave.”
Ruby eased herself back down, relieved that Vivienne was no longer yelling at her as she had yesterday. “I need to call Mama.”
“Why worry her? You have plenty of time.” Vivienne sat beside Ruby and took her hand. “I hate to say this, what with your condition, but sometimes a woman’s first go at making babies doesn’t take.”
Alarmed, Ruby scrunched her brow. “What do you mean?”
“You could have a miscarriage. It’s not uncommon. If that happened, you would have worried your mother for nothing.”
“I guess that makes sense,” Ruby said slowly. She longed to hear her mother’s voice, though she didn’t want to bring any more misery into the poor woman’s life.