Love and Marriage at Harpers, page 32
As the ground floor finally emptied, Fred and Ben Harper made a tour of the store together to make certain no child had got lost or trapped. Ben had taken off his costume, which he said had been very hot by the end of the party. Beth took the opportunity to wish the staff ‘Happy Christmas’ as they left in ones and twos, sometimes with friends from other floors. Almost everyone had gone when Ben and Fred returned, only Rachel and Maggie were lingering to say goodbye to Sally.
‘Well, that went off well,’ Ben Harper said and sighed when they took their leave. ‘I’ll lock up tonight, Fred. Happy Christmas to you – and you, Beth. And thank you for all your hard work. We’ve had a wonderful Christmas at Harper’s and you’ve all played your part.’ He smiled at her and Sally who were embracing. ‘I had a cable from Jenni, she says her wedding was wonderful and she will be sending pictures.’
‘I would love to see them,’ Beth said. ‘Sally told me it was going to be a real Christmas wedding.’
‘Yes, it is a pity we missed it,’ Ben said, looking regretful, ‘but we’ll visit in the New Year.’
‘Goodnight, Mr Harper.’
Fred held the door for Beth and they went out, carrying various parcels and bags with them. Fred saw a taxicab pulled up on the opposite side of the road and hailed it.
‘We’ll treat ourselves tonight, love,’ he said. ‘Mr Harper gave me a five pound bonus this evening – and he told me I’ll be getting a raise in the New Year. He says the store wouldn’t run half as well without me.’
Fred was looking like a cat that got the cream and Beth smiled happily. It was things like that that made her proud to work for Harper’s. She loved being a Harper’s girl and hoped her life wouldn’t change too quickly. Jack had made up his mind he wanted to buy into the hotel but there was no room for them to have their own suite. He’d told her he would look out for something close by, hinting that he had something in mind, and asked if she would be disappointed if they continued to live with his father for the time being.
‘I’m fine at the moment,’ Beth had said and meant it. Since Tim no longer lived at home, it would leave Fred on his own if they moved out and she felt that would be a little unfair. In time they would work something out, but for the moment she was happy to continue living in Fred’s house.
Tim was coming home on leave on Boxing Day and Beth would talk to him then. She knew he still took Maggie out sometimes but didn’t know if they were courting. Perhaps Tim would have something to tell them, but Beth would let him confide in her if he was ready.
Sighing, she realised she felt a little tired now that the excitement was all over. She was glad they were going to Jack’s hotel for dinner the next day so that she could have a rest.
Sally was excited about cooking her first Christmas dinner in her own home. She’d bought all sorts of stuff to decorate their apartment and treats to please the guests she’d invited for drinks and lunch on Boxing Day. Beth smiled as she thought of all the secrets shared. She hoped that Sally would be telling her husband the most important one of all that night.
‘Well, how did our first Christmas together at Harper’s go?’ Ben asked as he stretched out in the hired car taking them home. ‘Did your friends enjoy it – did you?’
‘It was wonderful, Ben,’ Sally said and reached for his hand in the dim interior of the car. ‘I loved every minute and so did those children – I gave Marion’s siblings a few things to take home. Extra food that I told them would only be wasted.’
‘Of course you did,’ he said and leaned forward to kiss her. ‘Spending all my profits again, Mrs Harper?’
‘You can talk – do you think I didn’t notice you slipping shiny silver shillings into the kids’ hands?’
‘Guilty as charged,’ Ben grinned. ‘Can’t help it – I love kids…’
‘That’s good,’ Sally said and snuggled up to him. ‘Because you’re going to have one of your own quite soon… well, about seven to eight months or so from now…’ She giggled as he shot forward in his seat and looked at her. ‘So shocked, Mr Harper? It happens, you know. Especially if…’
Whatever Sally was about to say next was muffled as she was enveloped in a bear hug, but it caused Mr Ben Harper to give a shout of joy and the taxi driver to glance in his driving mirror and grin at what was going on in the back seat of his car.
More from Rosie Clarke
We hope you enjoyed reading Love and Marriage at Harpers. If you did, please leave a review.
* * *
If you’d like to gift a copy, this book is also available as a paperback, digital audio download and audiobook CD.
* * *
Sign up to Rosie Clarke’s mailing list here for news, competitions and updates on future books.
* * *
The next book in this series, Rainy Days for the Harpers Girls, is available to order now!
About the Author
Rosie Clarke is a #1 bestselling saga writer whose most recent books include The Mulberry Lane series. She has written over 100 novels under different pseudonyms and is a RNA Award winner. She lives in Cambridgeshire.
* * *
Visit Rosie Clarke’s website: http://www.rosieclarke.co.uk
* * *
Follow Rosie on social media:
About Boldwood Books
Boldwood Books is a fiction publishing company seeking out the best stories from around the world.
* * *
Find out more at www.boldwoodbooks.com
* * *
Sign up to the Book and Tonic newsletter for news, offers and competitions from Boldwood Books!
* * *
We’d love to hear from you, follow us on social media:
First published in Great Britain in 2020 by Boldwood Books Ltd.
* * *
Copyright © Rosie Clarke, 2020
Cover Design by The Brewster Project
Cover Photography: Colin Thomas
* * *
The moral right of Rosie Clarke to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This book is a work of fiction and, except in the case of historical fact, any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Every effort has been made to obtain the necessary permissions with reference to copyright material, both illustrative and quoted. We apologise for any omissions in this respect and will be pleased to make the appropriate acknowledgements in any future edition.
* * *
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
* * *
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-83889-183-1
Ebook ISBN: 978-1-83889-185-5
Kindle ISBN: 978-1-83889-184-8
Audio CD ISBN: 978-1-83889-247-0
MP3 CD ISBN: 978-1-83889-705-5
Digital audio download ISBN: 978-1-83889-182-4
* * *
Boldwood Books Ltd
23 Bowerdean Street
London SW6 3TN
www.boldwoodbooks.com
Rosie Clarke, Love and Marriage at Harpers
