‘Yes, she did,’ Minnie said and smiled sadly. ‘Together we could manage, you see – but apart she might have gone under, so I had no choice…’

  ‘Did you wish to marry?’ Rachel asked.

  ‘Yes, very much. I loved Jonathan dearly and I think he loved me. He didn’t marry for a year after I told him it was over, but then he went away and I heard he’d married a young pretty girl…’

  ‘That must have been hurtful?’

  ‘Oh no, I was glad he’d found happiness. I did not wish him to live alone for my sake, because I loved him. I hated hurting him and was pleased he had someone to care for him.’

  How little we knew of other people’s lives, Rachel thought. She’d known that the sisters lived in genteel poverty, but she’d never guessed what Minnie had given up for her sister’s sake.

  ‘Well, if you would like to share my room at the flat you will be welcome,’ she said. ‘Now, is there anything I can do?’

  ‘Most of it is arranged,’ Minnie told her. ‘Mrs Malone says I can bring a few people back here for tea after the funeral and I’ve paid for flowers in the church – but I wasn’t sure how to put a notice of Mildred’s death in the paper. Could you do that for me, Rachel? The coroner says it was her heart and has released her for burial – so the funeral is next Friday at three in the afternoon…’

  ‘Yes, I will do that with pleasure and I shall be with you on Friday,’ Rachel agreed. It was little enough and she wanted to do more, but now that Minnie had recovered from the shock she seemed to be coping well.

  As she told Beth later at the flat, ‘I thought she would be too upset to cope, but she is much stronger than I knew. I have offered her the chance to come here, but she will wait until after the funeral to decide and perhaps that is best. We all want to enjoy the preparations for your wedding…’

  Beth smiled and they talked about the flowers, which Jack had arranged, and the cars to take them to church. It was to be a white wedding and he wanted everything to be perfect, even though after their honeymoon in Devon they would be living with his father.

  ‘I really don’t mind,’ Beth told Rachel as they drank coffee and looked at some presents that had arrived for her that day. ‘Tim isn’t living at home now, so it is just Fred and us and he would never dream of interfering. It is almost as good as having our own home…’

  ‘I’m sure Jack will arrange it as soon as he can,’ Rachel said. ‘Lots of young married couple start off living with their families.’

  ‘Yes, I know, it isn’t what Jack wanted – but the right place hasn’t turned up. It makes more sense this way because we can save more and take our time finding what we want…’

  ‘What is it exactly that you need?’

  ‘Jack wants a pub or a small hotel that he can either buy with a loan from the bank or rent,’ she said. ‘He has a decent deposit saved and he spoke to the bank he uses. They told him he could get a loan of up to two hundred pounds…’

  ‘That is an awful lot of money, Beth,’ Rachel frowned. ‘I do not think I should wish to have a debt that size hanging over my head…’

  ‘No, and for that reason, Jack would like to lease the property rather than buy it, but the only property he has seen to let was too run-down. It was a repairing lease and that meant he would be responsible for putting it right, but it still wouldn’t belong to him.’

  ‘Not a good idea,’ Rachel said. ‘Has he seen a property he would like to purchase?’

  Beth looked thoughtful. ‘There was one, but he needed another fifteen hundred pounds and that was just too much. Even with his savings, he couldn’t manage that…’

  ‘Yes, I see…’ Rachel nodded her sympathy. It was difficult for young people to get started in life and only the lucky few would ever own property. Even Rachel’s husband had rented their house and he’d had a good job while he was well, their substantial savings seeing them through his long illness but leaving her with little on his death. ‘It is a wonderful dream and perhaps it will come true one day…’

  ‘We have to keep saving and keep looking,’ Beth said. ‘Jack thought if he took this job it would give him some experience in running a small hotel and he will be here in London all the time – not that he will have much to spare, because he has to work long hours. However, he feels the work he does now will stand him in good stead for the future.’

  ‘Yes, I imagine he will have to work long hours as a manager,’ Rachel said. ‘I know when I managed a small business, I worked after time night after night. I didn’t mind, but my boss wasn’t very appreciative. As soon as he was well, he wanted me gone…’

  ‘And that’s when you came to Harper’s…’ Beth smiled at her. ‘I think it was a good thing he was such an ingrate, Rachel. You’re much better off at Harper’s…’

  ‘Yes… though I’ve been thinking of something Minnie said about her sister’s fear,’ Rachel explained. ‘For women who live alone, there is very little to look forward to but a lonely old age and poverty…’

  Beth shivered. ‘Please, don’t say things like that, Rachel. I don’t believe it in your case. You will always have friends to share a home with – or, if you wish, a husband…’

  ‘I’m not sure I would wish to marry again.’

  ‘Just because William Bailey let you down, you shouldn’t let it put you off marriage,’ Beth said. ‘He spoke out of turn, but do you think he really meant to hurt you, Rachel?’

  ‘No, perhaps not,’ she agreed thoughtfully. ‘He did try to apologise, but I wouldn’t let him.’

  ‘There you are then,’ Beth smiled at her. ‘I’m sure you will find someone to love if you want…’

  Rachel nodded. As yet she didn’t know what she wanted, but Miss Hart’s sudden illness and Minnie’s revelations about her sister’s fear had certainly made her think about the future. A life spent living entirely alone would certainly not suit Rachel. At the moment she had good friends, but Beth would be married soon after Sally returned. Rachel was fairly certain that both Maggie and Sally would follow Beth in marrying one day and then what would Rachel do? Would she have to find lodgings again or take other women in to share the flat?

  Oh, why did men have to be so careless of other people’s feelings? She was annoyed with herself for being so hurt by William Bailey’s betrayal of her trust. It was foolish to let it upset her and she made up her mind that if he tried to apologise again, she would be friendlier.

  24

  They were driven on to the Southampton docks by the car Ben Harper had hired and men in uniform appeared as soon as the driver began to unload the cases and bags. All Sally had to do was look about her at the hustle and bustle. The Cunard liner SS Imperator was a hive of activity, though another large steamship was berthed a short distance away and seemed deserted, except for a sailor lazily swabbing the deck. Sally found it very noisy, with all the chattering, laughing and cries to ‘look out’, as cars arrived and left. Piles of luggage were everywhere, men and women in smart clothes milling around, calling for a steward in shrill voices, and a throng of people saying goodbye to friends and relatives made it a fight to get to the gangway, but Ben Harper seemed to cleave his path through with ease. Sally made hurried steps to keep up with his long stride, glad she hadn’t worn one of her hobble skirts.

  He turned to look at her as they walked up the incline to the ship’s deck. ‘All right?’ he asked and she nodded, a mixture of excitement and nerves making her unable to answer.

  The deck was crowded, especially at the rails as most of the passengers seemed intent on standing there and waving to the throng on the docks. The stewards in white coats had disappeared below somewhere, taking their bags with them, and Sally hesitated, unsure of what to do next. It was her first time on board a steamship and she was feeling a little bewildered by it all.

  ‘Shall we inspect our cabins and then come back on deck?’ Ben suggested and Sally smiled, agreeing. She followed him and realised that he knew exactly where he was going. He hadn’t needed to follow their baggage. When he stopped outside a door, he looked back and smiled at her. ‘We’ve got adjoining cabins. I thought it would be better because I’ll be on hand if you need anything as this is your first time on board ship.’

  Sally drew a shaky breath. Was that the reason he’d booked adjoining cabins or was there another? ‘It is a little overwhelming,’ she answered. ‘I would never have found my way here alone.’ Looking around her, she saw there were portholes and realised that he’d secured some of the best accommodation for them.

  ‘You will soon get used to it – not that we’ll have long on board, just this night and a few hours in the morning before we disembark, so don’t unpack more than you need, Sally. You will only have to squeeze it all in again when we disembark. I don’t know why, but I can never get things to go back as they were…’

  Sally laughed.

  The stewards had deposited their bags at the end of the beds, which looked comfortable and a decent size. She’d thought they might be narrow or small, but they weren’t at all, and perhaps that accounted for the huge size of the ship. It was like a floating hotel with servants’ quarters and kitchens as well as all the guestrooms.

  In the privacy of her cabin, Sally touched her face with a faint blush of powder to stop the shine. She was glowing – a polite word for sweating – and felt a little too warm. Removing her gloves and hat, she fluffed up her hair and was applying a smear of lip colour when Ben Harper knocked at her door.

  ‘Would you like to go up on deck again?’ he asked. ‘We’ll be casting off in a few minutes. Most people like to see the shore recede…’

  Sally picked up her straw hat but left her gloves and long frock coat on the bed. Everyone was packed close to the rails and it was impossible to get near them, but since she had no one to wave to, Sally was happy to stand on a raised dais and look towards the docks. People were throwing streamers and a band was playing and she thought it was like a carnival.

  ‘We’re only going across the Channel…’ she observed.

  ‘Yes, but for some of the passengers, it is the start of a longer voyage. Many of them will be sailing round the Mediterranean, calling in at Italy and Spain and various ports. It’s just that we’re getting off at the first port in France…’

  Sally nodded. The excitement was catching and she laughed up at him as he took her elbow. ‘Yes, I can see what all the fuss is about – is it like that every time you return to America?’

  ‘More so,’ Ben Harper said. ‘I understand the Titanic’s send-off was twice as lavish as this…’

  ‘Yes, and that was terrible,’ Sally was thoughtful. If Jenni hadn’t stayed behind to help her learn the ropes as the new buyer for Harper’s, she might have been on that fated ship. In her last letter, she’d talked of the General and his little boy and of what she was doing at the store in New York. Like Jenni, her letters were colourful and full of life, while her telegrams were brief and succinct.

  ‘Shall we go and find a space to sit and enjoy a cool drink?’ Ben asked and Sally agreed.

  ‘Where are we staying when we arrive in Paris?’

  ‘Oh, I’ve arranged that with a friend…’ he said. ‘Madame Clairmont runs a small pension – or hotel. It is a friendly, comfortable place, unlike some of the big hotels, and I’ve stayed with her before. I think you will enjoy it, Sally. It is just outside Paris but not far from the workshops I want to visit…’

  Sally felt slightly disappointed. She would have liked to be in the bustling heart of the city, because she wanted to see everything.

  ‘Don’t worry; I’ll take you on the river in one of those funny little boats that go up and down the Seine. I think it is the best way to see the sights of Paris, unless you just wander the streets and get lost – it is very easy to do that in Paris…’

  Sally nodded and smiled. She’d purchased a guidebook and had a list of things she wanted to see, like Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower, but she thought it would be lovely to wander the streets and little back alleys to explore, just as she had in London when she’d first left the orphanage.

  ‘Perhaps I could do that one day,’ she said and gave him a teasing look. ‘I think I should rather enjoy getting lost on a warm afternoon because eventually everyone finds their way back to the river and then it’s easy… at least it is in London. I see no reason for Paris to be any different.’

  ‘Are you afraid of anything, Sally?’ Ben looked at her oddly.

  Sally glanced away as she replied. ‘Lots of things, but I try not to be…’

  They found a table in a shaded spot on deck and a steward appeared as if by magic and asked what they wanted. Cool drinks in long glasses with ice and fruit and a little fan on a stick appeared. Sally sipped and smiled as she appreciated the blend of fruit juice and wine.

  ‘This is lovely. I think I’m being spoiled.’

  ‘I would like to spoil you if you would let me…’

  ‘This whole trip is a treat,’ Sally replied. ‘I know it is work – but it is very pleasant work.’

  ‘I think you’ve earned it,’ Ben said and his smile caressed her. ‘I haven’t thanked you enough for holding the fort when I was in the States…’

  ‘It wasn’t just me,’ Sally said and her cheeks were warm. ‘Everyone worked hard, from the trainees right through to the manager.’

  ‘Yes, but you held it together. Stockbridge told me that some of the stock Jenni bought just wasn’t right. You bought in new stock and slightly reduced the old stuff in price and then it balanced up and suddenly all the departments were busy.’

  ‘If I hadn’t reduced some of the goods, I would have had more for the sale in January – that was our only dip in sales and it ought to have been a boost for us…’

  ‘That wasn’t a mistake, it was just a learning process,’ Ben said. ‘I’m hoping to make a big thing of Christmas this year, Sally. I’d like to have a Christmas grotto with Father Christmas so that children can visit him – and if we can get it, a reindeer and sled piled with gifts.’

  ‘We had some lovely displays last year,’ Sally said, ‘but nothing like you’re planning, Ben…’ She stretched her shoulders, lifting her face to the sun, which sparkled on the sea and dazzled the eyes. His name had slipped out naturally, but it seemed right here. ‘It’s absurd talking about Christmas in summer, isn’t it?’

  ‘Necessary in the retail business,’ Ben said. ‘The shops in Paris will be filled with summer clothes and probably bargain prices, but we’ll be looking at winter styles and perhaps even ideas for next spring…’

  ‘Yes, I know…’ Sally laughed up at him. ‘I’ve already ordered winter coats and suits, but I still have space for a few special items – though next spring could be when the French stock would really come into its own…’

  They talked some more about the business and then Sally said she would like to get changed into a fresh dress for tea and Ben went for a walk about the deck.

  Sally returned to her cabin and took off her dress, which felt creased and soiled after being worn all day. She found a pretty voile dress that would take her through tea and into the evening, because Ben said they wouldn’t dress for dinner as they would not be seated in the main dining room.

  ‘We’ll be disembarking tomorrow, so I thought just a light meal in the informal dining room…?’

  Sally agreed. She had brought an ankle length black velvet skirt and two silk evening tops with her, but she only possessed one special dress and she didn’t want to unpack that on board ship.

  Tea was lavish – sandwiches, cakes, tiny trifles and fruit tarts with cream, so many little bits and pieces to choose from that Sally thought if she tried everything that caught her eye she wouldn’t want dinner.

  Ben ate two tiny salmon sandwiches and a slice of rich fruit cake. Sally had chicken sandwiches and a strawberry tart piped with cream. Afterwards, they walked about the deck for two hours and then went below to look in the shops that were still open to the passengers. Sally saw some jewellery she thought she recognised from one of her wholesalers, but the price was horrendous. Either the shopkeepers were being overcharged or the passengers were.

  ‘It’s hardly surprising we sell so much jewellery at Harper’s – just look at the price of that Scottish brooch. I mean, it’s silver and the stone is a pretty green – but it is too pricey.’

  ‘Supposing you were a businessman returning home and you hadn’t had time to buy presents for your aunts or your mother,’ Ben said. ‘What’s an extra pound or two to purchase something as stylish as that set of brooch, pendant and earrings?’

  ‘Much more sensible to find time to shop at Harper’s,’ Sally said. ‘They could buy something nicer for less…’

  ‘That is why we’re busy, because you have a good head for business…’ Ben’s gaze was warm. ‘I feared the place might collapse when I was away so long, but I just couldn’t get back…’

  ‘Did you have so much to settle?’ Sally looked at him curiously. ‘I had begun to think you were not coming back at all…’

  ‘It was always my intention to return, Sally – surely you knew that?’ Now there was a chiding note in his voice.

  ‘How should I have known? You did not write – and you seemed angry when you left and when you returned. I thought you might decide to sell Harper’s.’

  ‘At one time I thought I might have to – but then things changed and suddenly it all went my way; there are reasons why I don’t feel like celebrating, although I am delighted with business…’

  Something in his tone told her he wasn’t ready to explain yet and so she did not push him.

  ‘As long as you’re satisfied with the business…’

  ‘Everything is as I would wish it to be…’ Ben murmured and she felt the warmth in his voice as a caress.

  ‘I’m pleased for you,’ Sally said and turned to look at some of the exotic skin bags on display in another booth. She thought the prices exorbitant, but even as she watched, a lady in a sleek black evening dress and a white fur cloak purchased a bag in pale grey snakeskin.

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32