Love and Marriage at Harpers, page 31
‘Yes, I noticed,’ Janice replied, a touch of envy in her voice. Her hair was a reddish brown and inclined to curl about her face, though she brushed it back and pinned it tight each morning. However, by midday it was already escaping its bonds and suited her very well, for she had a pixyish look about her face.
‘Thank you, Mrs Burrows. I do love handling the jewellery. It is such lovely quality. I’d never seen silver pieces like this until I came here.’
‘Well, I am going to leave you in charge for a while and Marion will help you. Do not forget the golden rule – only two pieces of jewellery on the counter at a time and do not leave it unattended…’
‘I shan’t forget,’ Janice said and smiled. ‘Thank you so much for giving me the chance.’
Beth had left her and come downstairs to look at how the rest of the store was faring. Every counter was busy and the cash machines were whirring as they flew back and forth to the office. It was a safe way of handling large sums of money, because none was ever kept on the floor, but it did take time and Beth wondered if it was the most efficient way of doing things. She thought that she might speak to Sally after Christmas and hear what she thought. Sally had already brought in many changes and she would bring in more as time went on.
Returning to her department after having a quick cup of tea with Fred in the basement, Beth discovered that there was a queue at the jewellery counter. She went to help out, because there were more customers than staff and the two younger girls were having difficulty coping. The rush continued until about four thirty in the afternoon and then began to tail off. During that time not one hat had been looked at or tried on, though Maggie had done a brisk trade on the scarves and gloves, which also made acceptable gifts. Janice had looked so bored standing there that Beth had sent Marion to take over, telling her she could assist Maggie if she had no customers, and she and Janice served the jewellery customers non-stop. In the end, Beth had called Marion back to help and left the hat counter unattended, because no one was interested.
‘Well, that was exhausting,’ Maggie said when the floor began to empty and then, almost magically, everyone had gone. ‘I do not know how you coped on your counters, Mrs Burrows.’
‘No, it wasn’t easy,’ Beth said. She smiled at Marion and Janice. ‘Thank you both for coming to the rescue. I couldn’t have coped alone.’
‘It was exciting,’ Janice said, her face alight. ‘Everyone was happy and wished us a Happy Christmas, and it made it feel like fun rather than work.’
‘It was a bit hectic,’ Marion acknowledged. ‘I wondered if we would run out of those silver bangles – but I didn’t know you had more locked in the office, Mrs Burrows.’
‘We kept some back especially for Christmas,’ Beth told her. ‘Mrs Harper stocked more than usual last month and we decided to keep some in reserve. Otherwise, the display cabinets would have looked empty by now.’
‘Isn’t it strange how most customers wanted similar items,’ Janice said. ‘I know there were several styles in the bangles, but I sold at least ten and I think you sold as many again or more.’
‘I sold fifteen and Marion sold two and three brooches,’ Beth said. She was still meticulous about using the girls’ surnames when anyone else was on the floor, but when they’d finished work she relaxed the rule because she felt it made the girls more at ease. Had it not been a rule at Harper’s, she would have used first names all the time.
‘I sold a gold bracelet, too,’ Marion said. ‘I ticked it off in the book, Mrs Burrows – and a ruby and pearl dress ring.’
‘Goodness me – were they all to that gentleman who spent a long time choosing gifts?’
‘Yes.’ Marion beamed at her. ‘He asked me what I liked in the rings and I showed him and he chose that ring and the bracelet and two silver brooches, for his aunt, he said.’ Her cheeks tinged with pink. ‘He thanked me, told me I was a nice helpful girl and he would come back when it was his niece’s birthday.’
‘That was nice,’ Beth said and Marion’s blush deepened. She didn’t often speak up, usually just doing as she was told once she was on the department. For the past few days she’d managed to arrive on time for work and Beth hadn’t had to warn her a second time that persistent lateness might lead to dismissal.
‘Well, we’d best get off and all of you get an early night,’ Beth said. ‘We shall only work until two o’clock in the afternoon tomorrow. After that, this department and the others above ground floor will close and we shall all go down for the party and the visit of the children from the orphanage. Mrs Harper wants us to have a good time, enjoy the food and drink, but we may also give a hand with looking out for the children – making sure that all the little ones get their presents and their share of food.’
‘I’m looking forward to it,’ Marion said shyly. ‘My little sister wanted to visit Santa, but Ma couldn’t afford a shilling, even though I told her it was good value…’ She stopped and blushed again.
Beth looked at her in silence for a moment. ‘Tell your mother to bring your little sister tomorrow afternoon and she can visit Santa for free.’
‘Could I really?’ Marion looked at her, clearly uncomfortable. ‘Ma won’t come – but my middle sister will bring her. Kathy is twelve and she looks after Milly when she isn’t looking after Ma.’ She took a deep breath. ‘My mother isn’t well, Mrs Burrows. Some days she doesn’t get up at all – Kathy and me look after Milly and the two lads, they’re eleven and thirteen, and the eldest works down the wood yard.’
It was the longest speech she’d ever made and Beth looked at her in surprise, understanding now why she was so often late for work. ‘You’ve never mentioned looking after your brothers and sisters before, Marion?’
‘No, Mrs Burrows. Ma is proud – she doesn’t like me to talk about the family, but Milly does so want to see Santa.’
‘Tell Kathy to bring your sister and your brothers, Marion,’ she said. ‘I shall treat them all to a visit to Father Christmas and they can have some of the food too. It is an extra little bonus for you for working so hard.’
Marion stared at her uncertainly and then her face lit up. ‘Thank you so much, Mrs Burrows. I promise I won’t be late again.’
‘Don’t promise what you may not be able to keep,’ Beth said, smiling. ‘If your mother is ill and things go wrong, I’ll understand – but tell me, don’t try to keep it all inside.’
Marion’s eyes filled with tears but she didn’t let them fall. Beth saw Maggie go to her and the two talked for a while. Maggie had shown Beth some parcels she’d prepared for Marion’s family.
‘It’s just little things from the market mostly and a little silver dressing table mirror that was my mother’s for Marion,’ Maggie told Beth. ‘I have several things of my mother’s and I know Marion has it hard at home so I thought I would just make Christmas a little more special for them…’
‘You’re a lovely girl,’ Beth told her and smiled. ‘Happy Christmas, Maggie – and I hope you’ll spend some if it with us. Tim is coming home for a couple of days so be sure to visit then…’
‘Yes, I shall,’ Maggie said. ‘You and Sally and Rachel are my family now – and I’d love to come over when Tim is home…’
‘We’d better get on then,’ Beth said, as a few last shoppers entered the department.
They had two gentlemen rush into the department just as Beth was about to tell them to close up for the night. She and Janice served them as they both wanted jewellery. Beth sold a large silver locket on a chain and a gold-link bracelet and Janice sold two silver bangles. They were the last ones with stones set into the metal and there were no more in the office safe.
After the last two customers left, the department was tidied. Beth looked at her silver cabinet. She would have to change the display the next morning before the customers came because it looked a bit thin, and the bangles were nearly finished.
Everyone got their coats and bags and left. Beth went downstairs and met Fred. She had fallen into the habit of waiting for him to close up and so they travelled home together, either on the bus or in a cab if it was cold and wet. It was cold that evening but dry and they were both wrapped up.
‘We’ve been rushed off our feet,’ Beth told him as they sat together on the bus. ‘What about you?’
‘I’ve been taking stuff up to the fashion department and the men’s – they had a rush on the shirts and woollens, so Mr Stockbridge told me, and of course socks always sell at Christmas.’
Beth smiled at him. Fred was like her father in many ways – kind, thoughtful and considerate. He’d never mentioned her miscarriage, though she knew it had upset him, but he was too kind to say anything that might distress her.
They talked comfortably all the way home, looking at each other in surprise as they saw the lights on in Fred’s cottage. Both were wondering what was wrong, for it was unlike Jack to be home early.
When they entered the kitchen, it smelled of fish and chips, which were warming on plates in the range, and the kettle was boiling. Jack grinned at them.
‘Not bad timing. I thought I wouldn’t be far out.’
‘What is wrong?’ Beth asked. ‘Have they closed the hotel or something?’
Jack shook his head. ‘Just the opposite, Beth. Don – my boss – told me that we’ve turned the corner and he made me a proposition – he’s offering me a fifty-fifty partnership for two thousand pounds…’
‘Jack!’ Beth stared at him in surprise, not sure what to think. ‘Is that what you’d like? You’ve always said you wanted your own business…’
‘In time it will be,’ Jack said. ‘Don is sixty. He reckons to retire in another three to five years – if we build the business up, I can buy him out when the time comes.’
‘But…’ She looked at him, bewildered. ‘I thought this was just to gain you experience. Will you like being a partner, Jack? Doesn’t it mean you have to agree on things? Only a few months back you were cursing him for being a fool…’
‘Don isn’t a fit man, Beth. He had let things slide, but I’ve got the hotel back in profit – only just, but it’s there. I think I can expand and improve it – and then it will be what I want. This way I don’t take much from your money – at least, not until we buy him out.’
‘It’s up to you, Jack,’ Beth said. ‘Make sure the contract is watertight, love. My lawyers will look at it for you if you like. I wouldn’t trust him too much – you’ll build the business up and then he’ll want twice as much for his share…’
Jack grinned at her. ‘I’m getting it cheap,’ he said. ‘By the way, there’s a letter from your lawyer on the table.’
Beth picked it up and read the contents with a little frown. ‘We’ve been offered six thousand pounds for all the shares; my lawyer got them up a thousand on Aunt Helen’s and apparently mine were worth as much as hers; it is far more money than I’ve ever thought of having. We could buy our own property now if you wanted…’
Jack nodded, looking pleased. ‘I’m glad for you, Beth, and if we need some of your money we’ll use it. I’ve got five hundred saved and I can borrow some from the bank. Your lawyer can help you invest the rest safely – not in shares, though. We’ll think about this over Christmas and decide in the New Year – it’s what I told Don we would do.’
‘All right.’ Beth caught a whiff of their supper as the plates were brought out. ‘I’m starving. We’ve been so busy and I only snatched a sandwich with Dad…’ Beth saw him smile as she used the term, because it had taken her a while to do it but now she really thought of him as a father and he was very dear to her.
‘Are there any of those pickled onions you made, Beth?’ her father-in-law asked. ‘They’re the best I’ve ever tasted and I can polish off this lot with a few of them.’
Beth laughed and went to fetch the jar from the larder. Jack had sprung his idea on her and she wasn’t sure why she felt it was risky, but something was telling her he ought not to trust the man who had promised him a good job and then almost folded the business after a couple of months. He was the kind of man who would benefit from Jack’s hard work and then cheat him if he could – or that was Beth’s gut feeling.
‘Shall you come to our staff party tomorrow, Dad?’ she asked. ‘I think it is going to be lovely.’
‘Wouldn’t miss it,’ Fred said. ‘Mrs Harper came down and asked me herself. Lovely smile that lass has got.’
‘This was so kind of Mr Harper,’ Beth said to Sally the next day as they watched the orphanage children line up to receive their gifts from Santa.
‘You’ve done your bit for Marion’s family,’ Sally said and nodded towards the little group who clutched their parcels and now were eating iced sponge cake and sipping orange squash. ‘You needn’t have paid – Ben would have been happy to let them come for free.’
‘Marion wouldn’t have brought them then,’ Beth said. ‘I told her it was a Christmas bonus for working so hard yesterday and she accepted that, so all’s well.’
‘Yes, you had quite a rush on yesterday,’ Sally agreed. ‘The department has been almost empty this morning, I think?’
‘Yes, they all came yesterday to make sure they got what they wanted. We’ve sold a few bits and pieces today, mainly scarves, bags and gloves. One customer was disappointed that he couldn’t get a silver bangle with stones set round it, so he bought an expensive leather bag.’ Beth looked thoughtful. ‘He ordered a heavy silver bangle set with sapphires or aquamarines for next month. It is his daughter’s birthday and he wants it for her. I said we would be having new stock after Christmas and he should come and view the fresh bangles.’
‘Yes, I’ll be restocking then.’ Sally smiled at her. ‘You and your girls have done really well, Beth. Thank you – and Happy Christmas to you and Jack. I hope you will like the gifts we bought. Ben chose Jack’s himself.’
‘We’ll open them tomorrow,’ Beth said. ‘We hope you like what we bought you, Sally.’
Beth had bought Sally and Ben a beautiful crystal glass vase from Harrods and she’d sent them some flowers from an exclusive florist, which should arrive when they got home from work. She’d sent a card from her and Jack and she’d also given Sally a pretty red scarf that she’d bought in a shop in Bond Street. Beth had also bought gifts for Rachel and her staff, several of them from her own department, using her staff discount wherever possible. Jack had given her five pounds to do her shopping for Christmas and she had some she’d saved besides. Beth’s money from her aunt would – all but a few pounds – be put aside until such time as they needed it. As far as Beth was concerned, she would continue to live on Jack’s wages and her own, just as they had since their marriage.
‘I’m sure we shall,’ Sally told her and squeezed her hand. ‘I have to talk to everyone, Beth. Enjoy your holiday – you and Fred can leave whenever you’re ready.’
‘We’ll stay for a while, until the children go,’ Beth said and moved off to speak to some of the others. It was such a lovely Christmassy atmosphere and one of the few times that the staff of Harper’s got to mix. Everyone was laughing and chattering and Beth enjoyed having a word with the girls from the fashion department. She spoke to Mr Stockbridge and his daughter, Becky, briefly and then talked to Rachel for a few minutes. The next moment, Mr Marco swooped up with a sprig of mistletoe and kissed her on the cheek.
‘Happy Christmas, Mrs Burrows,’ he said. ‘Have a lovely time…’ She laughed as he passed on and caught Rachel with his mistletoe.
‘How are things with you?’ she asked. ‘Is Minnie settling in well at the flat? I know she likes her job because I saw her in the fashion department discussing a gown alteration with a client; she was busy but she looked happy.’
‘Yes, I think she is happy,’ Rachel said. ‘How are you, Beth – feeling better now?’
‘Yes, thank you.’ Beth didn’t want to speak of the miscarriage more than she needed, even to friends like Rachel. Sally was the only one she’d really opened her heart to and she tended to dismiss any mention of the miscarriage, even though deep inside it still hurt. ‘I’ve been busy, Rachel. I don’t have time to dwell on it.’
‘Good. I always think it’s best to keep busy. Work is the best medicine,’ Rachel agreed. ‘I found it so after my husband died.’
Beth nodded and looked at her. ‘What about you – have you been out with your gentleman friend again? He came to the department yesterday and bought a couple of things.’
‘He took me to lunch and he showed me the speech he intended to give in the House if he’s elected in the next by-election, Beth. It seems that he is now a convert to our cause as well as that of the miners.’ Rachel smiled, a faint colour in her cheeks. ‘I think perhaps I may have had a hand in that – and I am glad of it. We need men to stand up for us and make the world see that we should be treated as equals. Women are as strong as men in many ways, but different. Just because we have our vulnerable sides, it doesn’t mean we are weaker or less deserving. Also, not all of us agree with the militancy in the Women’s Movement.’
‘And does your friend understand that now?’
Rachel laughed softly. ‘Oh, yes, he does – and his sweet aunt is completely on my side.’
‘Well, that sounds good.’ Beth smiled at her. ‘Happy Christmas, Rachel. I hope you have a wonderful time.’
‘I am sure we shall. I’m taking Minnie and Maggie out to lunch at a friend’s restaurant for Christmas and on Boxing Day we shall all be with William for the day. He invited us all, though Maggie is going to tea with Becky Stockbridge, and I know it will be perfect.’
‘Jack has arranged for us to have Christmas lunch at the hotel,’ Beth said. ‘He said it was to give us a rest – but I shall cook a large joint of beef at home on Boxing Day.’
She parted from Rachel and then spotted a small child crying and went to discover what the problem was; a quick visit to the toilets made the tears disappear and by then the children were departing with their tummies filled with Christmas treats and their gifts clutched in sticky hands.
