Ruby hugged Ariana. “Now go back to Alessandro and the children,” she said. “And if you don’t mind, I’d like to relax and have a glass of wine in my room. Give my regards to Alessandro.”
Ruby made her way upstairs to her bedroom. After opening the doors to her balcony, she sat outside in a chaise lounge that Ariana had positioned to catch the sun. She pulled a lightweight throw over her legs. Sipping her wine, she watched Alessandro’s children play in the orchard and garden below. Carmela and Sandro were sweet children—and soon, Ariana would have one of her own.
Besides the children’s laughter, Ruby could also hear the soft chatter of Ariana and Alessandro as they leaned toward each other across a table. They were talking about the shop and the new collection. Enthusiasm was evident in Ariana’s voice as it rose in the air.
Ruby was pleased that Ariana had left the studio and was planning her future. She sipped her wine and smiled. That was one item Ruby could cross off her list. She leaned forward slightly so that she could see the pair.
As they talked, Alessandro reached across the table for Ariana’s hand, which she slipped into his in a small, natural movement.
Ariana had told Ruby about the supper she’d had with Alessandro and the children at his home. Although her niece had tried to downplay the developing relationship with Alessandro, the look in Ariana’s eyes gave her away.
Ruby sipped her wine in thought. Ariana had also told her that she had no intention of telling Alessandro about her pregnancy until later because they were only friends.
But what if Alessandro were the right man for Ariana? If she waited too long to tell him, he could be devastated by her lack of trust. Or he might be angered, feeling like he had been played. And if that happened, Ariana would be equally destroyed. Ruby couldn’t help but fear for Ariana if she broke her heart over Alessandro.
For all Ruby knew, babies might feel their mother’s grief. She wanted her niece to have a happy pregnancy. More than ever, Ariana needed people around her who loved her.
This much, Ruby knew for certain.
Chapter 24
Texas Hill Country, 1953
* * *
Gale force winds rattled the windows in Ruby’s bedroom at the ranch as a cold norther seeped through frosted glass panes, chilling the room. February in Texas was usually bitter cold. The wind whistled across the pastures, bending trees until their frigid limbs froze, forming awkward, akimbo skeletons listing to one side.
Footsteps sounded through the house. On the coldest of nights such as this in the higher elevation on the Edwards Plateau, Ruby’s father woke long before sunrise to make sure the animals were moving so they wouldn’t die from temperatures far below freezing. With less feed this year, the cattle had thin winter fur and less fat to insulate their bodies, so the risk was higher.
Even though Ruby had been sending funds to her parents and her sister, they were still suffering financial difficulties. Though her father had told her he was grateful to her, she could tell that Harrison Smith didn’t like accepting money from his daughter. He’d been sullen and on edge since she’d arrived.
Unable to sleep, Ruby pulled a robe over her nightgown and rose to lay a fire in the kitchen hearth. She put the coffee pot on the stovetop and struck a match to light the gas, turning a knob just so. While the coffee simmered, she touched another match to the kindling in the fireplace and sat on a bench to warm her hands.
Ruby had remained in Los Angeles over Christmas, claiming that she had to go on auditions, but she wanted to be there in case Niccolò arrived. She hadn’t heard from him and was growing increasingly worried. After her third film, Forever a Rebel, wrapped in mid-February, she’d decided it was time to go home.
As Ruby coaxed the flickering flames, she thought about how she would tell her parents about her pregnancy. She’d only been home a couple of days, and she’d managed to hide her expanding waistline beneath bulky sweaters. When she heard a noise, she looked up.
Her mother shuffled into the kitchen. “You’re up mighty early.”
“Couldn’t sleep.” Ruby glanced at her mother. Mercy’s hair was considerably grayer than it had been last year, and she’d lost weight.
“Anything in particular on your mind?” Mercy asked.
Slowly, Ruby nodded. She thought of Joseph, and how he’d told her to tell her parents. They’ll know what to do. She sucked in a breath and plunged in. “I’ve been keeping a secret. Several, in fact.”
Sighing, her mother gave her a sad smile. “You’re pregnant.”
“Did Aunt Vivienne tell you?”
“Well, I wish one of you would have.” Mercy poured two cups of coffee and handed one to her daughter. “To a mother, it’s easy to see. As thin as your arms are, you’ve lost your waistline. Yet your face is radiant. It wasn’t hard to guess.”
“Think Dad knows?”
“Men rarely see the signs.” Her mother frowned and sat beside her on the bench. Sipping her coffee, she asked quietly, “Want to tell me what happened?”
“His name is Niccolò, and we got married in Lake Como.”
“Married?” Her mother breathed out a sigh of partial relief. “Well, where in heaven’s name is he now?”
Ruby twisted her mouth to one side. “Still in Rome, I suppose. Maybe dead, for all I know. He stopped writing to me in September.” Since then, Ruby had gone through a range of emotions from devastation to worry to anger to dread.
Her mother rubbed Ruby’s shoulder. “I’m sorry that happened.”
“Me, too. I didn’t want to worry you.” She slid her hand into her mother’s. “I had to keep working, and I can’t very well marry Granger now.”
“No.” Her mother grew quiet. Finally, she asked, “Was he nice, or…?”
“Niccolò was wonderful, Mama. He was all I could have ever wished for in a husband. I only wish I could reach him. I’m afraid something might have happened to him.”
Having shared her secret with her mother gave Ruby a measure of relief. She wished she could have told her sooner, but she hadn’t wanted to burden her with more grief. The deep lines in her mother’s face confirmed that Ruby had made the right decision.
Ruby shifted a log in the fireplace with a poker. “Dad’s going to be furious, isn’t he?”
“I’ll talk to him first,” Mercy said. “And I want you to know how much I appreciate what you’re doing for us.” She glanced around the modest kitchen. “This place might not be fancy enough for some people, but this land is our home. Because of your efforts, we’ve made it this far. If the rains come this spring, I pray we can catch up on our debt payments. Then you won’t have to go back to Hollywood. Maybe that will help sway him.”
“But I like working, Mama. I want to give my baby a chance at a good life.”
Mercy sighed. “Have we lost you already?”
“I’ll visit when I can.” Ruby leaned her head on her mother’s shoulder.
“Think about what’s best for your child,” Mercy said.
Even if Ruby wanted to quit Hollywood now, she couldn’t. If the drought continued, her family would still need help. Even if they caught up, their debts were still more than they could pay. Now, more than ever, Ruby had to maintain her career. She would have to figure out a way to care for her child and work.