Love and Marriage at Harpers, page 16
‘Oh, yes, I’ve seen that in a shop,’ Rachel said. ‘It does make one frustrated – and I am already upset. I’ve told William that I think he is despicable and I do not want to see him again…’
‘Oh, Rachel, no,’ Beth said, looking at her in surprise. ‘I thought you were going to give him the benefit of the doubt?’
‘I was, I did – until I saw this…’ Rachel showed them an article in a magazine about William Bailey, the new Conservative candidate who had spoken out about the folly of the Suffragette Movement. ‘Read what it says, Beth – it is belittling…’
Beth read the article and gasped. ‘It is written as though we are foolish children. Oh Rachel, how hurt and upset you must be – and after you trusted him…’
‘I have written to him cancelling our next appointment and I’ve told him what I think of his deceit…’
‘Yes, I should think so,’ Beth said. ‘I am so sorry…’
‘I should never have gone to lunch with him…’ Rachel said stoutly, but Beth knew she was putting on a brave face. She’d obviously started to have feelings for him and now she was hurt that he’d betrayed her trust.
‘Why don’t you and Maggie book your holiday?’ she asked and saw Rachel relax, the anger draining out of her.
‘As a matter of fact we have. We’re going to Skegness. I have some old friends who run a boarding house there and we are going for a week. They’ve given us very favourable terms and I’m going to pay for Maggie, though she doesn’t know it yet…’
‘That will be lovely,’ Beth said. ‘When are you going?’
‘The week after next – which means we shall be back in plenty of time for the last fitting for our bridesmaids’ dresses…’
21
Miss Hart brought the two new members of staff to the department to show them where they would be working temporarily. One was a junior with no experience of selling at all and the other a girl who had worked in another department store.
‘I saw the advert for an experienced salesgirl,’ Janice Browning said to Rachel when she showed her their routine. ‘The money was better than I was getting, so I decided it was time for a change.’
‘We shall be glad to have you at Harper’s,’ Rachel told her and nodded to Beth. ‘Miss Grey, while I’m away, Janice will take over your counter and you will be in charge of my counter. Marion here will work on the scarves and gloves…’
Miss Hart came to take Janice away. She would be working on the ground floor normally, but Marion Kaye was left with them.
‘I shall rely on you to give Miss Kaye at least the first idea of what to do before you depart on your holiday, Mrs Craven.’ Miss Hart sounded as if she doubted it.
‘Yes, of course, Miss Hart – but Beth is very experienced now, you know, and I’m sure she will be able to cope for a week.’
Miss Hart sniffed in disbelief and went off.
Marion stood looking at the counters, clearly lost and frightened until Rachel took her in hand. She kept the girl with her at the jewellery counter, showing her where everything was stored, and how the stock books worked. She explained the way they wrapped the best things in tissue before placing them in the exclusive bags and how to work the cash dispenser to send the money up to the office.
Gradually, the baffled look disappeared and, by the evening, Marion was able to put stock away and tidy up efficiently. Maggie had let her look through the scarves and gloves, and Beth showed her the hats, and she seemed happy to be working with them.
‘We always had a junior until Miss Ross was promoted,’ Beth told the girl. ‘You will be very helpful to us all, Miss Kaye, and I’m glad you’ve come.’
‘I wish you would call me Marion…’ she replied a little shyly.
‘Well, we shall when we’re not at work,’ Beth explained, ‘but it is the policy of Harper’s to address everyone as Miss or Mr, whatever their formal title.’
Marion nodded and smiled. ‘Yes, Miss Hart told me – she is rather fierce, isn’t she?’
‘She is a dragon at times,’ Beth agreed. ‘She used to be worse than she is, but I’ve noticed she’s less sharp these days…’ A frown creased her brow. ‘It’s odd, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen her smile. Perhaps she is unhappy in her personal life. She never speaks to us and I really know nothing about her, which is a little sad…’
Marion nodded but still looked nervous. She’d been allowed to go to lunch with Maggie and by evening the two were firm friends. So much so that Maggie was able to tell them all about their new member of staff that evening at home.
‘Her mother is often unwell and her father works on the ships and is away most of the time,’ Maggie said as she helped Beth get their meal. ‘Marion has an older brother, who also works on the ships, two younger sisters and two other brothers. Marion gets her youngest sister up and gives them all breakfast. This is Marion’s first job.’
‘She isn’t getting much money for a start,’ Beth said. ‘I suppose she’s trying to help her mother, but she seems an intelligent girl. She picked up the method of stock-keeping very quickly.’
‘Marion told me that she’d hoped to stay on at school and become a secretary.’ Maggie looked sad. ‘She made the decision to leave because her mother could not afford for her to learn typewriting. I think her mother is finding it hard to cope…’
‘Now that is sad,’ Beth said, shaking her head. Marion Kaye was not the only one who had had to make sacrifices for her family. With the breadwinner gone there was often no alternative than to send girls and boys to work, who might otherwise have continued in education.
‘Well, we’ll all help her settle in,’ Maggie said. ‘She is a nice girl and she will fit into our department.’
Beth nodded, because she liked the new junior and thought her a big improvement on replacements they’d had inflicted on them in the past.
Marion’s intelligence and worth was proved when Rachel and Maggie were on holiday. Janice came up from the glass department to help and Marion took over the scarves and gloves. Janice did well enough in the hat department, though Beth thought her artistic skills lacked something and felt the display had never looked so poor. However, she was busy on Rachel’s counter and made a mental note to rearrange the hats as soon as she had the department to herself.
However, the next morning, when Beth got in, she found that Marion had arrived before her and everything had been transformed. There was a stunning display of hats in contrasting colours that she would not have thought of putting together but which looked arresting.
‘Did you do this?’ she asked and Marion smiled.
‘I hope you don’t mind, Miss Grey. Art was one of my favourite subjects at school and I was going to take it at college – and I thought the hats looked dull…’
‘Yes, they did, and I was going to do them before I started on my own counter,’ Beth said. ‘You’ve done very well, Miss Kaye, but it may be best if you don’t mention it was you to Miss Browning…’
‘Yes, Miss Grey,’ Marion’s smile was brilliant. ‘I would love to arrange some of the jewellery – if that would be a help to you?’
‘We’ll do it together this morning…’ Beth promised, but as it happened, their whole morning was suddenly turned upside down.
It was around eleven when Miss Hart came into the department. Beth had been about to send Marion for her break, but she waited, some inner instinct telling her that something was wrong, though she couldn’t have said what. Just that there was a grey look about the supervisor’s skin.
‘Your department looks very tidy and… rather smart…’ Miss Hart looked about her. ‘I came…’ She blinked several times. ‘I came to tell you…’ She shook her head, clearly in distress. ‘I don’t know…’
‘Are you unwell?’ Beth asked just as the floor supervisor gave a sigh and crumpled in a heap at her feet.
‘Miss Hart…’ Beth knelt by her side, but Marion was ahead of her. The girl leant over Miss Hart and unfastened the high neck of her dress and then took her wrist.
‘Her pulse is weak, but she is alive,’ Marion said. She pulled back Miss Hart’s eyelid and looked at her. ‘She hasn’t fainted. I think she has had some sort of a fit, but she’s breathing. We should get an ambulance immediately…’
Beth nodded and went into the office, where the telephone stood on the desk. She lifted it and explained to the operator that she needed an outside line.
‘Is it a doctor you need?’ the girl asked.
‘This is an emergency,’ Beth told her urgently. ‘We think Miss Hart may have had a fit or a stroke… we need help quickly.’
‘Very well, leave it to me…’
Three ladies had entered the department. They stared curiously as Marion remained on her knees and stroked the floor walker’s head, talking to her softly.
‘Perhaps we should come back later?’ one of them said.
‘Yes, would you mind?’ Beth beckoned Janice, ‘Could you stand by the door and tell any customers that this department is closed for half an hour please?’
‘Yes, of course, Miss Grey.’
Janice did as she was bid and Beth knelt beside Miss Hart once more, glancing at Marion. ‘You’re sure she’s still breathing?’
‘Yes, it’s very shallow, but she is breathing…’
‘How did you know what to do?’
‘I didn’t, it was just instinctive…’
Beth nodded in appreciation, but her attention was on the floor walker. ‘She’s unconscious, isn’t she? I thought something was wrong – and she hasn’t been quite herself for a few days…’
‘This has probably been coming on,’ Marion said and continued to stroke Miss Hart’s head gently, her voice reassuring and calm as she told the prone woman that everything would be all right.
Miss Hart’s eyelids flickered once or twice and Beth thought she could hear but was unable to reply.
It must have been nearly a quarter of an hour later when two men entered the department bearing a medical bag and a stretcher. They were a private ambulance firm that Harper’s employed in emergencies.
‘You can leave her to us now,’ they told Marion and she stood up, moving away. Miss Hart moaned and her fingers moved. ‘Yes, looks as if she may have had a fit or a stroke…’ the man spoke again after bending over her.
‘You’ll take her into hospital?’
‘Yes, we shall,’ he said. ‘Do you know the name of her next of kin?’
‘No. She is Miss Glynis Hart – the manager, Mr Stockbridge, may know more…’
‘Very well,’ he said and then glanced at Marion. ‘Good work, miss…’
Marion didn’t say anything, just inclined her head.
‘I’m going to inform Mr Stockbridge,’ Beth said. ‘Tell Janice to allow the customers back in…’ She felt quite upset as she made her way swiftly up to the manager’s office. Miss Hart was a dragon, but she didn’t deserve to be ill like that!
Her visit to the manager was brief. He promised to contact the ambulance driver with Miss Hart’s details and Beth returned to the department.
‘You should go for your break,’ she told Marion. ‘You deserve it – and that was most upsetting.’
‘Poor woman,’ Marion said. ‘I wonder if she has anyone to look after her…’
‘I don’t know whether she lives alone or with someone…’
Marion went off for her break and Beth was busy in the department. She sold three leather bags and a silver bracelet and Janice sold two hats. Beth also served on the scarf counter and sold a pretty red and white silk square. When Marion returned, Beth sent Janice for her break. She was just serving a customer with a silver brooch when Sally entered the department.
‘What happened to Miss Hart?’ she asked after the customer departed.
‘She just collapsed at my feet,’ Beth said. ‘I think it may have been what is called a stroke…’
‘She is young for that, surely?’
‘Yes, that is what I thought, but the ambulance men said it can happen at any age if someone is under extreme stress…’
‘Poor woman,’ Sally said. ‘Goodness knows what she will do if it affects her badly and she can’t work. She lives completely alone and has no family – at least, none that she mentioned when she gave her personal details to Mr Stockbridge.’
‘Then she is going to be in some difficulty,’ Beth acknowledged. ‘Do you have any idea which hospital she has been taken to?’
‘Mr Stockbridge said they thought the London – but I’ll telephone later and find out if she’s there and how she is…’
‘She is going to need help,’ Beth said.
Sally nodded. ‘Yes, she will – we’ll do what we can. She was a dragon sometimes but I feel sorry for her. I know it’s no fun living alone…’ She wrinkled her brow. ‘It’s odd that we work with her every day and yet we knew nothing about her life…’
‘She didn’t encourage anyone to ask…’
‘Miss Hart enjoyed telling us what to do,’ Sally admitted, ‘but we can’t just desert her. I shall see what I can do for her.’
‘She was worse to you than anyone.’ Beth touched Sally’s arm. ‘But that is why I love you. We’ll take it in turn to visit her – and we’ll do what we can for her.’
‘I’m going to have a collection for some flowers for her,’ Sally said. ‘Mr Harper has given me five pounds, but I’ll put that into an envelope for her. I think she may not be able to work for some time…’
‘Oh, poor thing,’ Beth said and sighed. ‘Jack will be docking later this evening. His ship is a few days late, because of repairs, and he’ll have to go straight to his job on Monday. He’s the new manager of the Hotel Maddison. We’re all so lucky and poor Miss Hart is lying there in hospital…’
‘You didn’t make Miss Hart ill,’ Sally said. ‘We’ll help her in whatever way we can, but you mustn’t let it upset your plans for the wedding…’ She smiled. ‘Does the thought of being married give you butterflies?’
‘Yes, it does a bit.’ Beth laughed. ‘I love Jack and I want to be his wife… but sometimes I’m scared.’
‘Why? Jack isn’t the sort of man who bullies or beats his wife…’
‘I know.’ Beth shivered. ‘Perhaps it isn’t my wedding that is bothering me – perhaps it is my aunt and now Miss Hart…’ Beth sighed. ‘Aunt Helen seemed fine when I took her the fudge, but Gerald was there and she didn’t say much…’
‘Visit her again with Jack,’ Sally suggested. ‘I’ll let you know what I’ve discovered about Miss Hart later this evening…’ Sally then left them to get on.
Beth was too busy to dwell on the events of the morning, but both Marion and Janice looked subdued and she knew the incident had upset them.
‘You mustn’t worry,’ she told them both when they were closing the department that night. ‘I am sure Miss Hart will be all right…’
‘Will she?’ Janice asked. ‘My Aunt Sheila lives alone. Her husband died at sea and she has never remarried, though she had chances. She was ill last year and we had her home with gran and me and looked after her. Aunt Sheila told me that if it hadn’t been for us, she would have died, because she couldn’t have worked or cooked for herself…’
‘I think there must be quite a few women who have to live alone,’ Beth said. ‘I suppose that was what the workhouse used to be for, though everyone hated it and not many go there these days. Well, there aren’t as many now…’
‘Awful place!’ Janice said at once. ‘My grandfather was taken in to the workhouse when he got too old to look after himself. My mother was too busy to look after him and her children were all under five, but she regretted not taking him in afterwards. He was only there a week before he died…’
‘Oh, poor man,’ Beth said. She knew that many old folk lost the will to live if they were forced into what was thought of as the shame of living in the workhouse. ‘But Miss Hart is young enough to recover. If she is lucky, she will return to Harper’s to work when she’s better.’
The girls nodded, but she could see that neither of them were convinced and she wasn’t sure she believed it herself. Strokes could impair movement or speech and Miss Hart would have a difficult time getting over it – if she lived.
Sally was late leaving the office and Beth was home alone when she got in. She’d shopped and had a ham salad with fresh bread and butter waiting for their supper. Her friend’s face lit up at the sight.
‘It was manic this afternoon,’ Sally said and flopped down, accepting the cup of sweet hot tea from Beth with a sigh of relief. ‘There was a mix-up over an order and I’ve been hours sorting it out…’
‘So, did you have time to ring the hospital?’
‘Yes, I managed that,’ Sally replied. ‘Miss Hart is still unconscious, but they think she has a good chance of recovery, though she may be affected – either paralysis on her left side or speech…’
‘She can’t be much more than forty…’
‘Somewhere around forty-five,’ Sally agreed. ‘I wonder what brought it all on. Her job is responsible, but there isn’t really much stress attached to it. She is really just a watchdog and her bark is worse than her bite…’
‘Oh, Sally!’
‘Well, it is true…’ Sally gulped her tea. ‘Gosh, I needed that, and I’m hungry. There’s no point in visiting Miss Hart yet, but I’ll go at the weekend – hopefully, she may be conscious by then…’
‘Let’s hope she is,’ Beth agreed. ‘Will Harper’s do anything for her if she is off sick for a long time?’
‘I’ve spoken to Mr Harper about that,’ Sally said. ‘He agreed that they will pay her full wages for a month and then half for a further six months…’
‘That is very generous,’ Beth replied. ‘I doubt many employers would do as much.’
‘I might have done a little arm twisting…’ Sally grinned wickedly. ‘He is taking me to Paris next week – and I hinted I might not go if he didn’t show a bit of sympathy…’
