Love and Marriage at Harpers, page 8
‘This one,’ Maggie said, pointing to an evening gown with diamanté straps over the shoulders. It clung to the model’s figure, making her look slim and glamorous.
‘We have treaties with Russia…’ Rachel said, answering Sally’s original question. ‘I suppose that is what Ralf was meaning. We might possibly be drawn into a little war if there was a conflict, but it isn’t likely…’ She then retrieved the catalogue from Sally and endorsed the gown Maggie had chosen. ‘Yes, this is the best one – but both are nice. I think the more stylish gown is for a woman in her thirties, while the other is better for a mature woman of fifty or so…’
‘Yes – so perhaps I should try both,’ Sally said, the conversation now steered completely away from conflict and war. ‘Our evening collection needs a bit of a shakeup. Jenni erred on the conservative side and I think some women are ready for something a little more daring…’
‘I agree,’ Maggie said. ‘It wasn’t a very good day what with the riot and being hit by that missile – I’m so glad I’ve got friends I can rely on. Being here with you three and sharing things like this is all I want right now.’
11
‘You’ve done wonders, Sally darling,’ Jenni Harper said as she swept into the office in a cloud of perfume later that week. ‘I love that marvellous display of summer hats in the windows and the ground floor looks very busy as I passed through. I can’t believe you’ve done so well – and after both Ben and I deserted you…’ She reached out to embrace Sally. ‘It was really too disgraceful of us!’
‘Jenni,’ Sally returned her hug. ‘It’s so good to see you. I’ve missed you and I did need your advice, but I tried to remember all you’d told me and when I urgently needed to know something I telegraphed you, as you asked…’
‘Ben is delighted with the way things are going,’ Jenni went on. She took off her expensive wool coat with an astrakhan collar and tossed it over a chair, together with her bag, gloves and smart silk hat and then fluffed out her hair. ‘That’s better; I didn’t realise it would be this warm. We’re having a cold snap back home.’
‘It has only just turned a little warmer here,’ Sally told her.
‘I noticed the window in memory of the Titanic,’ Jenni said. ‘I would’ve been here last week, but I attended a memorial service at home…’ She blinked away her tears, changing the subject to stop herself crying. ‘My brother was sorry not to get back here before Christmas but hopes to come soon now…’
‘So that means you and Mr Harper intend to carry on the business.’ Sally managed to keep her voice steady, despite her inner turmoil. ‘I know the staff have been wondering because of his prolonged absence.’
‘Yes, of course. That was never in doubt, Sally. I know things have been hectic, but we still care about Harper’s as much as ever, I promise you. Ben has asked our aunt if she will loan us some money should we need it to continue trading, though the cash flow seems reasonable at the moment – but she has promised to help if we hit a problem… and my brother can’t wait to get back. I’m the advance cavalry…’ She laughed in delight. ‘I assure you he will come the moment he can…’
Sally let out a sigh of relief. ‘I’m sure the whole staff will be relieved to hear that their jobs are secure.’
‘In business nothing is ever completely secure,’ Jenni said. ‘We’re only as good as our last sales sheet – and for the moment that is very good.’ She frowned. ‘Sadly, things are not good back home. Prohibition has hit a lot of businesses and as a result we have rising crime. The government should realise folk will drink even if it is banned…’
‘Yes, I’m sure if people want to drink they will…’ Sally said because the British papers had a great deal to say on the problems prohibition had caused in America.
‘It costs the economy huge sums,’ Jenni said, ‘and you can never be certain what will happen. The criminals have too much power. However, this is a more civilised country and I wish I could spend more time here…’ She sighed. ‘So, by the looks of things trade is bearing up well? You’ve all done a splendid job, keeping us going when we couldn’t help much…’
‘We dipped a bit during the January sales,’ Sally told her. ‘The spring and summer season looks like being excellent, at least it has begun that way, but, of course, we’ve hardly started. Last Christmas was good – but you had those figures…’
‘Yes, we did,’ Jenni agreed. ‘I wished that I might have come over to celebrate with you, Sally, but Tom’s father begged me to spend the holiday with them.’
‘How are the General and his son?’ Sally asked, because the family had been caught up in the tragedy of the Titanic and the boy had lost his mother, the General his wife.
‘Little Tom is beginning to sleep better,’ Jenni said and the animation had left her pretty face. ‘For months he woke having nightmares about the ship going down, though when he’s awake he remembers nothing; his dreams are muddled and he doesn’t know what is actually happening, just that it’s dark and cold and he’s lost his mother, but fortunately he has just started to get through the night without dreaming. Henry is wrapped up in his work and I have no idea how he feels…’
Sally nodded. She knew that Jenni felt more than friendship for her lost friend’s husband, but she wouldn’t ask personal questions. It was for Jenni to tell her if she wished.
Jenni had picked up the latest spreadsheet, which Sally had prepared, showing the takings during the sales fortnight. ‘Yes, I see why you were concerned. We learn by our mistakes, Sally. What works at home may not work here. Perhaps we should have done more discounting on end of lines or regular stock…’
‘I do not think I would buy in seconds again,’ Sally said. ‘Rachel Craven came up with an idea for selling some of the unsold stock and it has helped to get rid of things I regret buying, but some of it will never sell…’
Jenni ran her finger down the columns, doing the sums in her head. ‘It cost us a couple of hundred at most,’ she said and nodded. ‘I don’t think it matters, Sally. I could get rid of whatever is left to a clearance house for a nominal sum and then just write it off against the profits. It would balance out the taxation.’
‘I thought you might think I’d bought badly…’
‘No, not at all,’ Jenni said. ‘You acted on my advice and no one will blame you for a small loss on sale goods, Sally.’
They discussed the profits for a while longer and the window displays, which were not actually Sally’s responsibility, though she discussed what should go into them with Mr Marco once a week.
‘I should like to see some themed windows again,’ Jenni told her. ‘I wasn’t here to see the Christmas displays, but a friend of mine on a visit to London took photographs and showed them to me when she got home and I certainly liked what I saw…’
‘Good,’ Sally felt relieved. ‘I’ve ordered some of next winter’s stock, but I’m still in the throes of choosing ladies coats – so if you would like to sit in on the meetings I have for today you’re welcome… and Mr Marco has a lot of ideas you might like to discuss with him while you’re here.’
‘Yes, I’d love to, though you’re doing very well.’
‘But might do better with your advice…’
‘Only if you feel you need me,’ Jenni said and smiled at her. ‘I came straight here from the train – but now I’m going to Ben’s apartment to change and get settled. He has asked me to open it up for him and I’ll be staying there until he gets back…’
‘Of course…’
‘I’ll be back later and I’ll arrange some meetings this next week – but I’m sure Ben will pleased when he sees what you’ve done.’
‘Is he coming soon?’ Sally asked, deliberately keeping her voice light.
‘As soon as he finishes the business that has kept him in New York,’ Jenni said and hesitated. ‘Ben has talked to me more recently – and there is a lot of stuff I didn’t know about, Sally. I told you once to be careful of my brother, but I didn’t understand…’ She sighed. ‘He made me promise not to tell you, so I can’t – but don’t think too badly of him for leaving you in the lurch. I know he thinks highly of you professionally and personally.’
‘I’ve simply done the job you gave me…’ Sally kept her eyes on the balance sheets, not wanting to give her feelings away. ‘I’m just an employee…’
‘No, you’re not.’ Jenni laughed. ‘He believed in you, Sally, and…’ She shook her head. ‘Ben will tell you himself when he comes – and now I’m dying to have a bath and put my feet up. Shall I call for you at seven this evening and we’ll have dinner – unless you have another engagement?’
‘I should enjoy that, Jenni,’ Sally said. ‘I’ll pop home and change and then meet you back here…’
‘I shall very much look forward to seeing you this evening.’ Jenni impulsively kissed her cheek. ‘We must seem ungrateful wretches, throwing you in the deep end and leaving you to swim on your own, Sally, but we saw something special in you, believed in you, and you managed splendidly.’ Jenni was a whirlwind, accustomed to sweeping up all before her.
Sally gathered up the various spreadsheets and accounts and locked them in the safe. She had an appointment almost immediately with a jewellery manufacturer in Hatton Garden and needed to get going or she might be late.
The department that Rachel Craven was head of was thriving and getting larger. They were now selling a selection of carefully chosen gold and silver jewellery, some of which had semi-precious stones. Thus far Sally had not ventured into rings and that was one of the decisions she had to make today, whether or not to begin a range of dress rings to complement the other jewellery. It would depend on the range she was shown and whether or not the price offered would keep them within her parameters so that her prices were still competitive with other jewellers in the area.
In the end, Sally decided to try a small range of gold rings set with precious and semi-precious stones. They were what was often described as gypsy rings, which meant they were a band, set with either three or five stones, such as garnet and pearls or sapphires and diamonds, but surrounded by the gold of the actual shank rather than a prominent claw set. Rings of this design set well with wedding bands and were often bought as eternity rings, but men could wear them and sometimes did, with just one diamond set in the thick band of gold, and many ladies wore them on the middle finger or on the right hand.
Sally bought a ring pad that held eighteen rings, with another six rings in reserve. She spent nearly two hundred pounds on the stock altogether and hoped the rings would sell, though the jewellery maker had told her that he would be willing to exchange for bangles or brooches if she decided that they did not sell in sufficient numbers. Display space was limited and everything had to earn its place because they needed a constant turnover.
Most of the afternoon was spent in carefully pricing the rings and Sally herself took the stand down to Rachel and saw it locked in the display cabinet.
‘I shall put this in the safe at night together with the spares,’ Rachel told her and smiled. ‘These are gorgeous, Sally. Funnily enough, I’ve had two requests for rings this week – both by men looking for gifts. They both bought bangles from me and leather bags from Maggie… but I think they might have bought one of these if they’d had the chance.’
‘They are the most popular sizes according to the designer,’ Sally said. ‘Of course, they can be sized to fit and we have a ring sizer who can undertake the work for a modest fee. Actually, I can just order the same ring in the right size…’
‘I think that’s an excellent idea,’ Rachel said. ‘We’ll see how it goes. I’ve been amazed by how this part of the department has expanded. I mean, why come here to buy jewellery rather than one of the other jewellery specialists?’
‘I think it is because we’re reasonably priced and more accessible,’ Sally suggested. ‘I’ve done a bit of research at some of the nearest jewellers on Bond Street and at four of them I had to ring a bell to be let in. Once inside, I had to ask to see whatever I wanted and they showed me one thing at a time and I felt as if I were under scrutiny the whole while Here, we are still careful not to get out more than two pieces of jewellery at a time, but the displays are easy to see and people walk in and out of the department as they choose. Rich men may wish to be asked to sit down and be shown expensive jewellery, but the man in the street wants to make a quick purchase in his lunch break…’
‘Yes, I agree – and you seem to have the knack of choosing what people like,’ Rachel said. ‘I always feel intimidated when I enter an expensive jeweller’s and I don’t get to see half of what I’d like to see – because the stock is so expensive I dare not ask to touch it.’
Sally nodded agreement. ‘I’m always pushing for something different and I asked Jenni to bring a few pieces of American silver. I’m hoping for something exciting…’
Leaving the department, Sally went home to change out of her formal skirt and blouse into a pretty dress. It was a pale grey silk with three-quarter sleeves, a white collar and a wide belt that accentuated her narrow waist. Her ankles were on show and, though not quite a hobble skirt, it was rather narrow. She wore it with a short boxy red jacket and a smart red cloche hat with a rose at the front.
There was still more work to be done when she returned to her office and Sally was deep into a report from the men’s clothes department when Jenni opened the door and walked in. She was wearing a smart black silk dress and coat trimmed with white fur at the sleeves and hem, and she had a little white cloche trimmed with a black rose at the front. Seeing Sally’s hat ready for her to put on, Jenni laughed delightedly.
‘I knew we had the same tastes,’ she cried. ‘That dress is just perfect for you, Sally. Are you ready – surely you’ve done enough for today?’
‘Yes, I was merely looking at the sales in the men’s department. The new range of jackets Mr Brown bought seems to be selling well – particularly the tweeds…’
‘Yes, I haven’t met our new buyer yet,’ Jenni said. ‘Mr Stockbridge said he was well recommended but, between you and me, didn’t have your flair…’ she winked at Sally.
‘That’s a bit unfair actually,’ Sally said. ‘The sales have certainly had a steady increase since he arrived – not huge but definite…’
‘Enough work for now,’ Jenni announced and swept the remaining paperwork into the safe. ‘We’re going out to enjoy ourselves. The work can wait until tomorrow…’
Inevitably, their conversation turned to the store as they ate. Sally told Jenni of the changes made to the jewellery department and Jenni smiled.
‘Strangely enough, I’ve brought some rings for you to approve,’ Jenni said. ‘The stones are amethysts, onyx, blue topaz and moonstones, and they are all set in silver. It will be interesting to see how the prices compare…’ She took a ring from her pocket and showed Sally; it was a large square stone set on a thick silver band and looked almost too heavy for a woman to wear on her hand. ‘What do you think?’
‘A little clumsy…’ Sally said. ‘I think our customers might prefer something smaller…’
‘Like this…?’ Jenni drew out a pretty pale moonstone oval ring, set in silver, that had been chased with unusual markings and Sally exclaimed, taking it to try on her own hand.
‘Yes, this is lovely, Jenni.’
‘It’s just as well I bought more like this than the large stone,’ Jenni smiled. ‘They sell well at home, but I’ve learned that it is two different markets. The suits you couldn’t sell here sold out in days at home. I gave them a small mark-up and could have sold twice as many.’ Jenni put the rings back in her handbag. ‘I’ve left the rest in the safe at Ben’s apartment,’ she said. ‘I’ll bring them in tomorrow – and that really is enough shop, Sally. I want you to tell me what you’ve been doing on a personal level. I hope you’ve had time for some fun?’
‘Yes, I have,’ Sally said and smiled at her. ‘I’ve been out to lunch with friends and I had supper at a nice pub that another friend has invested in – and I’ve joined the Women’s Movement… not the WSPU, but the peaceful branch… although the police don’t seem to know the difference.’
‘Ah,’ Jenni said. ‘That is interesting. I’m a member of the Women’s Movement back home and I really think we’re making progress, what about over here?’
‘They’ve brought in that awful Cat and Mouse law and it has put some of the members off attending the meetings as well as refusing to go on the marches, for fear of arrest and imprisonment…’ She frowned. ‘I sometimes wonder if King George V knows what his ministers do in his name…’ The way the Act allowed the prison governor to let the women almost starve themselves and then let them go free only to re-arrest them a few weeks later was cruel.
‘It’s quite wicked,’ Jenni said. ‘I think our members are a little more civilised at home, less inclined to acts of violence, but our members are getting organised and we intend to march and to lobby our government more…’
Sally smiled and they talked eagerly, comparing notes and discovering how much alike they thought on all manner of subjects. It was a pity, Sally thought, that Jenni’s life was in America, because she would have liked to see more of her. They worked well together and they were also friends, something that didn’t always happen.
Jenni’s stay in England was to be all too brief. She had a week of visiting new suppliers with Sally, lunching or dining out with her and discussing the stock. They also found time to visit the theatre together one evening and the ballet another. It was a new world for Sally and one she was beginning to enjoy.
Sally was allowed to choose those things she liked best from the jewellery and bags Jenni had brought over. She trusted Sally’s judgement and if Sally thought it wouldn’t sell, the article went back in Jenni’s trunks to return to New York with her. If it was approved, Jenni would order larger quantities to be shipped over when she returned home.
