Love and Marriage at Harpers, page 30
‘Speak to Stockbridge,’ Ben said and smiled at her. ‘I think you could run this place without me…’
She looked at him oddly. ‘You don’t really believe that, Ben? I wouldn’t want you to think I was trying to take over…’
Ben burst into laughter. ‘Don’t look like that, my love. I always knew you were capable and I’m proud of what you’ve done at Harper’s.’
Sally hugged him, feeling ridiculously like weeping. Perhaps it was Beth losing her baby, but Ben’s words had made her feel emotional.
‘Shall we go out this evening?’ he asked. ‘Or shall we cook something together?’
‘Let’s cook,’ Sally said and jumped up, pulling him to his feet. ‘We have some nice chops and they won’t take long – and I’ll do some creamed potatoes and beans to go with them.’
‘I’ll make us a nice salad for starters,’ he promised and followed her into the kitchen, putting his arms about her waist to nuzzle her neck as she started to prepare the vegetables.
Sally turned and kissed him. ‘I love you so much,’ she said. ‘I’m the luckiest girl in the world. I’ll find someone to stand in for Beth for a few days, because I don’t want to make things worse by putting someone in over her head – but I shall ask Mr Stockbridge to look out for another senior assistant.’
‘Whatever suits you,’ Ben said and smiled as he started to prepare a fresh salad. ‘But your friend may not wish to return.’
Beth told Jack he should return to work the following day. ‘I’ll be all right now,’ she said, though her heart was aching. ‘You need to keep things right, because it will be a while before we can get our own place, Jack. Even if the lawyer manages to sell all the shares, it will take time to find what you want.’
‘Yes, I know…’ Jack looked at her intently. ‘Are you sure you’re all right, Beth, love?’
Beth took a deep breath and then forced a smile. ‘Yes, I’m fine,’ she lied. ‘Truly, Jack, I’m not frightened to be here – besides, I think I shall go back to work tomorrow…’
‘The doctor said you should rest for at least a week,’ he reminded her. ‘What happened – it must have pulled you down at the very least. You should take a few days to rest and get your strength back.’
‘I’ll give it one more day,’ Beth said, ‘but I’m needed in the department – and I would rather be there than here.’
Jack looked at her again and then sighed. ‘If it’s what you really want, love, I shan’t stop you – you know that…’
‘Yes, I know,’ Beth said and smiled at him. This time the smile was genuine and he kissed her. ‘I love you, Jack, but I need to be alone for a while – and then I’ll go back to work. If you fuss over me I’ll just keep thinking about it…’ She shook her head because the tears sprang to her eyes.
‘I’ve told you, Beth. Losing the baby wasn’t your fault. I should have had the doctor to you immediately.’
‘He said it wouldn’t have helped.’
‘He told me it might have happened even if Gerald hadn’t attacked you, sometimes the child doesn’t form quite as it should…’ Jack’s eyes darkened. ‘It may have been for the best, Beth… and we’ll have others one day.’
‘Yes, perhaps,’ Beth agreed and then, as she saw his expression, ‘it’s just too soon to think about it yet.’
‘I was just trying to cheer you up, love.’
‘I know…’ She sighed. ‘I’ll be all right – I’m just so sorry…’
Jack nodded and ran his fingers through his hair. She knew he wasn’t sure what to say and it was his uncertainty that made her feel she would rather be alone for a while.
‘You go on,’ she urged. ‘I promise I’ll be fine. I’ve got some ironing to do and then I’ll sit down and rest, I promise.’
‘All right,’ Jack agreed and kissed her cheek. ‘I’ll go for a couple of hours but I’ll be back early.’
After Jack had gone, Beth kept busy doing little jobs that were not strenuous. She’d been told to rest, but resting only made her dwell on her loss and her guilt. Jack was being so good to her, trying to make her feel better, but she knew he was upset. He’d been so proud to think he would be a father and now… Beth swallowed a sob. The doctor had told her that after what had happened it might be some time before she became pregnant again, and, remembering that she had been an only child, Beth wondered if she’d lost her only chance to be a mother.
She had just sat down with some sewing when someone knocked at the front door. She went to answer it, taking a deep breath to steady herself. No one was going to hurt her now that Gerald was in a police cell. When she saw Sally standing there with a huge bunch of roses and carnations, she gave a cry of pleasure and hugged her, almost crushing the delicate blooms between them.
‘Come in,’ she said and there were tears on her cheeks. ‘I couldn’t think who was at the front door, everyone uses the kitchen entrance.’
‘It’s the first time I’ve been here,’ Sally said. ‘I’ll remember next time.’
Beth smiled and shook her head as she led the way into the comfortable kitchen, which smelled of clean washing and baking. ‘It doesn’t matter which door you use, Sally. It’s just so good to see you.’
Sally smiled at her. ‘Rachel and Maggie send their love. Maggie wants to come and see you but wasn’t sure if you were ready for visitors. You’ve had a nasty shock.’
‘Yes,’ Beth admitted. ‘Jack and his father are being kind and fussing and somehow that makes it worse. I’ll be glad to get back to work. I think I shall come in tomorrow.’
‘Are you sure you’re up to it, love? We’ll be glad to have you back. Janice isn’t quite ready to head the department and Maggie isn’t either. Both do well at selling, but as you know, being supervisor takes more.’
‘I was enjoying it,’ Beth told her, ‘but you may need to look for someone to take over, Sally. I’ve had some good news as well as bad.’ She outlined her good fortune regarding the shares. ‘So Grandfather’s investment is coming into its own at last, which means Jack will be able to start his own business sooner rather than later. He was worried he might lose his job, but now he will take what time is left to him to look round for something that suits us both. I’ll probably work in reception and hope to oversee things – though I might do a bit of cooking, but that depends whether we find a brilliant chef.’
‘So we shall lose you at Harper’s in a few months?’ Sally frowned.
‘It won’t be before Christmas,’ Beth said, knowing that the countdown to what was normally the busiest period of the year had started. ‘I’ll be there to look after things into the spring. Jack has a contract to fulfil and unless he’s sacked he can’t just walk out – so we think it will be next August before we can open our own hotel.’
Sally nodded and thanked her for making it clear. ‘Now that you’ve told me we can plan for the future, Beth. Do you think you could train Maggie to take over from you?’
Beth considered for a moment. ‘I don’t see why not – but if you don’t mind my saying, an older woman might be better in the senior job. We all looked up to Rachel and an older woman is less likely to become pregnant or leave to get married.’
‘Yes, that is true,’ Sally agreed. ‘Well, I have about ten months or so to solve the problem. I like to promote other women, but it isn’t always easy. We haven’t had any changes of senior staff elsewhere and that’s because men are in charge of all the other departments, other than the fashions, and Mrs Chambers is a widow who will be there until she’s forced to stop.’ She laughed. ‘Yes, you’ve convinced me, Beth. I wasn’t sure what to do – and I didn’t want to upset you.’
‘I wouldn’t mind if you found someone to take over,’ Beth assured her. ‘I know you have to think of Harper’s and… I may have another child…’ She drew a ragged breath, making Sally look at her sharply.
‘Did the doctor say you might not?’
‘He said that it might be a while before I became pregnant again…’
‘That isn’t the same as saying you won’t,’ Sally’s eyes were on her face. ‘Is that why you’re blaming yourself – because you think you might not have another chance?’
Beth nodded, her face working with suppressed emotion. ‘My mother only had one child and my father was an only child… I feel it was my fault, Sally – because I wasn’t ready to have a baby. I didn’t want to give up my job so soon and stay here alone looking after the house and a child…’
Sally looked thoughtful. ‘Yes, I can see why you might feel that way, love, but it isn’t why you had a miscarriage. The baby might not have been just as it ought – and being attacked so brutally was the cause of it happening.’ She reached forward and took both of Beth’s hands. ‘You’re not to blame, Beth, and you will have another child. I promise it will happen.’
Beth gave a shaky laugh. ‘You always make me feel better. I believe you, Sally, even though I know you are just saying it to make me feel better.’
‘No, I’m not,’ Sally said. ‘I’ve never said this to you or anyone before, Beth – but there are times when I feel things will happen and they do. It’s a bit worrying sometimes, especially if it is a bad feeling…’ She gave a little shiver and then shook her head. ‘I know you will have a child to love, perhaps more than one and so shall I, and we’ll always be best friends. Even if you leave Harper’s, you will always be one of the first Harper’s girls. That makes you special to me.’
‘Oh, Sally…’ Beth was suddenly crying, but the tears were a release of the grief she’d stored inside her, not just for her lost baby, but her aunt’s murder and, even before that, the unhappiness of her mother’s long illness and the heartache that had brought. It was as if a dam had burst and suddenly her feelings were no longer numbed. ‘I do love you, Sally. You’re special too – the sister I never had.’ She smiled. ‘I feel so much better now – and yes, we’ll always be friends and keep in touch, even when Jack finds his hotel and I leave Harper’s.’
‘Good,’ Sally said, ‘and now, do you think we could have a cup of tea and a slice of that delicious cake I can see under that glass dome?’
‘Yes, you can have as many slices as you like,’ Beth said and got up to slide the kettle on to the range. ‘Now, please, tell me about all the plans you’ve made for Christmas at Harper’s this year.’
38
‘More than four hundred men were trapped underground by an explosion,’ Rachel told Beth as they talked over a cup of tea in their lunch break some days later. ‘I think I told you that William had taken up the miners’ cause, didn’t I?’
‘I saw the headlines this morning as I travelled in on the bus,’ Beth said. ‘It said the pit was on fire, but I haven’t had time to buy a paper. We’ve been busy all morning.’
‘The pit is in the Aber Valley in Wales and they could hear the explosion in Cardiff, eleven miles away. The shaft entrance was shattered and the works were mangled. It must have been terrifying for those underground and their families…’
‘Yes, terrible,’ Beth agreed and shuddered. ‘Those miners have a hard life.’
‘Yes, they do. I understand that many miners have been lifted to safety, but those still trapped – well, there isn’t much hope, if any.’
The two friends looked at each other in shared sorrow. ‘It makes you realise how lucky we are,’ Beth said and held her hand.
Rachel sighed. ‘William came to tell me, he has decided to go down there and do what he can for the families. There’s nothing he can do for those poor trapped men – but he can start a fund for the widows and children, and he will lobby the government to do something. He’s been selected for a seat and at the next election he will be standing for Parliament, but his cause will be the plight of the miners – and it is something I can share with him, Beth.’ Her grip tightened on Beth’s hand. ‘You’ve had your own tragedy. I haven’t spoken of it, because I know how it feels to lose a child that way.’
‘Oh, Rachel, yes, I believe you told me. I’m so sorry.’
‘I don’t often mention it – it was a long time ago.’
‘Yes.’ Beth smiled and touched her hand. ‘I’m glad you’ve made friends with William, Rachel. It is always good to have friends…’
‘Oh yes,’ Rachel agreed and smiled. ‘William is a friend. We may become more in time, his aunt wants him to marry me – she is an absolute dear and invited me to lunch with her on my own. She told me she longs for William to marry again and it seems she approves of me.’
‘Shall you marry again?’
‘Perhaps; I thought once I would not – but now…’ Rachel nodded. ‘Yes, perhaps I might.’
Beth glanced at the wall clock. ‘I must get back to the department.’
‘And I to my rounds.’ Rachel nodded as they both stood. ‘We have to set an example to the younger staff, Beth – and especially as Harper’s grows. I’m wondering how long it will be before Mr Harper starts looking round for bigger premises…’
The weeks since Beth’s miscarriage had gone quickly and it was almost Christmas. At Harper’s, Christmas was something special, Beth observed as she let her eyes travel round the ground floor. Mr Marco’s incredible windows with their pantomime themes were pulling in the crowds, who stood staring at his magical scenes for ages despite the cold. As well as a Christmas tree and various lanterns, sparkling decorations and baubles, a part of the ground floor had been converted into Santa’s grotto for the children. Ben Harper had purchased toys, sweets, puzzles, picture books and games and he and Sally had sat for hours wrapping them in paper and tying them with ribbons. Father Christmas was sitting on his sledge with a large sack by his side and a life size model of a reindeer was standing by the sleigh. A small queue of children had been brought in by their mothers and nannies to see him and looked excited, their faces scrubbed and shining clean.
Beth liked the poster on the wall, telling the tale of Saint Nicholas who had visited the poor in the snow, taking a sledge filled with firewood and food for the families he chose to bestow his gifts on. It was the origin of the myth of Santa Claus and had begun many centuries ago. Sally had commissioned it and a talented young artist on the staff of Harper’s had illustrated it beautifully. It was something different and had caused many people to read it and exclaim that they had never known where the legend originated. The children didn’t much care. All that mattered was that for one shilling they could talk to Santa, the bolder ones sitting on his knee and whispering what they wanted for Christmas. Ben, who was beneath the padding, red suit and white beard, had told Sally that most boys wanted a set of lead soldiers or a train set and that the girls wanted dolls, a doll’s pram or a pretty dress.
‘At least the mothers get good value for their shilling here,’ Ben had said to Sally as they wrapped their parcels, for each contained not only sweets, a picture book or a quality jigsaw puzzle and either a tin whistle or a bead necklace but also a silver sixpence.
Beth knew what was in them, because Sally had told her. She made time most days to visit Beth or sent someone down to ask her up for coffee in her office.
‘I told him he would never make a profit this way.’ Sally had confided that she’d scolded her husband when he’d shown her what he intended to give the children in their parcels.
‘Of course you did,’ Beth had said and laughed at her, because Sally was joking. ‘What did Ben say?’
‘He just grinned at me – and then what do you think he said?’
Beth had shaken her head.
‘Just what I expected, “I didn’t intend to,” he’d said, laughing all over his face – and then he told me the clever bit, ‘‘I’m hoping the mothers will come back to buy Christmas presents and clothes for themselves. What I’m doing is investing in loyalty, Sally. I want to make Harper’s the store that gives value and cares for its customers…” so what could I say to that?’
‘Kiss him might be the best…’ Beth had suggested and laughed as she saw the truth in Sally’s face and knew that was just what she’d done.
‘I told him we already did that – but I love it that he’s done this for the children. It is something no one else is doing – not like this anyway – and it gets even better on the afternoon of Christmas Eve. We’re having a party. We’ll close the departments upstairs early and everyone can come down to the ground floor. Ben has invited an orphanage to bring its children here and he plans to give them gifts for free – and free drinks. Sausage rolls and some sort of iced and decorated sponge, to be offered to the children and all the staff. Orange squash for the kids, of course, but sherry for the rest of us.’
Beth had smiled and nodded. There was no doubting Sally’s happiness for it shone out of her. Beth’s own life was easier now and she was happier too, more content than she had ever been. She’d enjoyed buying surprise gifts for Jack, Fred and Tim, and her friends at Harper’s, and putting up decorations at home, something she’d missed in the years of her mother’s illness.
Now, it was the day before Christmas Eve and the shoppers were queuing early in the morning. Beth’s department was decked with tasteful decorations that she and her staff had made at home and brought in. They had a Christmas tree made out of coloured paper and silver ribbons and several tiny glass balls, also a large figure of Father Christmas made out of papier-mâché, which Beth and Fred had spent ages making in the evenings when Jack was still working at the hotel. Standing near the large figure was a sack, really a box covered in red paper, and inside it were scarves, gloves and a handbag, suggesting that they made lovely gifts.
‘How are you doing on hats, Janice?’ Beth asked when they had a brief pause mid-morning.
‘I’ve sold some of those velvet berets and three felts,’ Janice told her. ‘It’s not the best time for hats, Mrs Burrows, we’ll get that in the spring and summer.’
‘Yes, I agree with you,’ Beth said. ‘You can have a turn on the bags and jewellery while I go to lunch. Marion and I have been rushed off our feet all morning.’
