Seven Scarlet Tales

She smirked. ‘What kind of unreasonable demands?’

‘I don’t know, yet. I don’t know how benign dictatorship is going to affect me. Maybe I’ll turn into a monster.’

‘That’s a chance I’m willing to take. Let’s start now. Tell me to do something. I’ll do it.’

She tidied her room, changed the bedding, washed all the old cups and plates.

For two days, Ruth was a busy bee and all Rob had to do was issue gentle reminders if she left a cup on the arm of her chair or switched on the TV five minutes before she was due to leave for the library.

The other housemates seemed to notice a subtle alteration in the atmosphere, but they couldn’t put their finger on it.

‘Aren’t you seeing Dave tonight?’ asked Kalaya, applying lipstick before dashing out to a meeting.

‘We’re on a break,’ said Ruth.

Kalaya and Lulu both whirled around.

‘Since when?’

‘Couple of days. Anyway, have a great night – I’ve got work to finish.’

She went upstairs.

‘Rob, do you know what’s come over her?’ asked Lulu in a confidential whisper. ‘She made dinner tonight and everything.’

‘Are you seeing her?’ asked Kalaya, always one of the sharper tools in the box.

‘No,’ said Rob, but he couldn’t help musing on the term ‘seeing’. Yes, he was seeing Ruth. He was noticing her. He was getting close to her. Was that the same thing?

‘She seems very cheerful for someone with boyfriend trouble,’ said Lulu.

Rob shrugged.

‘Perhaps she likes trouble,’ he said.

It turned out he was right about that.

At one minute to nine the next morning, he found himself knocking on her bedroom door.

‘Wake up, Sleeping Beauty,’ he called. ‘Did you forget to set your alarm?’

Incoherent sounds filtered through the door.

‘It’s nine o’clock. Thought you were walking down the hill with me? I’ve got to leave in five minutes.’

More muttering.

He waited in the hall, jacket and scarf on. Lulu emerged from the kitchen in her dressing gown, cup of tea in hand.

‘Ruthie won’t be up before noon,’ she said.

‘She has been the last two days,’ Rob contradicted her. ‘You just didn’t see it happen.’

‘Bloody hell, she really is turning over a new leaf.’

Lulu shuffled back up the stairs, but there was no sign of Ruth.

He shouted, ‘I’m going now!’ No reply.