Summer Holiday

by Nancy Campbell Allen

  She was helping a group of young girls decide which ribbons complemented their new glove choices when she heard the loud yip of a puppy and a crying baby. Two runners, both looking frantic, found her and handed her the familiar envelope, the puppy, and the baby.

  Her mouth dropped open. “What? What is this?”

  The boys backed away. “Beggin’ yer pardon, miss. Read the message.” She blinked, and they were gone.

  The customers around her erupted into a flurry of delighted squeals and horrified shock. One of the girls she’d been helping took the puppy from her hand, but not before it leaked urine onto Tessa’s white shirt. With one hand free, she held the baby on her hip and tore open the envelope.

  Mrs. Grimbsy-Jones has suffered a stroke on your department floor. Her son was charged with keeping the puppy outside while she shopped with the baby, but when the medics carried his mother out, he lost track of the puppy, which followed its mistress’s scent to your area.

  She was holding the baby when she fell, and the crying child has no milk, crackers, or diapers. You receive word that Mr. Grimbsy-Jones will arrive as soon as possible, but is at home in London and will have to take the next train, which will not arrive in Sommerpool until tonight at 9:00 p.m.

  Your customers are disgusted by both dog and baby.

  She stared at the letter open-mouthed, stunned, before turning to Mr. Gibbons and Mary. “This has literally never happened here! He is certifiably insane!”

  The puppy squirmed and barked, and the high pitch echoed off the ceiling in a piercing aural assault. “For the love!” She took a deep breath and closed her eyes briefly as the puppy again lost its bladder, this time on one of the girls, who screamed and dropped the animal on the floor.

  Tessa dashed forward, calling to Mary, “Grab the dog!” It slipped through Tessa’s fingers, but thankfully Mary caught it in her skirt and scooped it into her arms.

  “Monique, please cut a length of the grosgrain ribbon”—Tessa motioned the girl closer—“from the puce-colored spool we cannot seem to give away.” The girl nodded, wide-eyed, and dashed over to the ribbons. “Long enough to use as a leash,” she called to Monique.

  The baby began to wail, and Tessa bounced instinctively, suddenly remembering how it had been each time her mother had had another child. She’d never minded, truthfully, but the incessant crying used to give her headaches. She now realized adulthood had not made her immune to that.

  “Ssshhh,” she murmured as customers around them continued to gawk and comment on the chaos. She patted the child—a girl?—gently on the back and murmured in her ear. Her best guess put the baby at four, perhaps five months old. She hugged her close. She had no idea whom the child belonged to and wasn’t about to hand her off to a stranger.

  Monique appeared with the length of ribbon nobody wanted to purchase, and Tessa took it with a nod of thanks. “Mrs. Pendleton is over at the linen table, Monique. Will you see to it she receives help? Her hands are arthritic, and she doesn’t manage it well but always wants to examine each length.”

  Mr. Gibbons worked at soothing the angry teen and her equally angry mother, offering to replace the soiled skirt. Tessa motioned to Mary and the puppy and handed the girl the ribbon. “Tie it securely—and I do mean securely—on the collar.” She glanced up to take in a rough customer count presently in the store. “Listen carefully. I want you to find a young boy named Charlie Grant. He runs errands for Mr. Frederickson, the baker, and I’ve seen him several times walking tourists’ dogs while they use the bathing machines. Offer him twice his usual fee to care for this puppy until closing time. Tell him to bring the dog here at the end of the day, and I will pay him and take the puppy.”

  “Yes, Miss Baker.” Mary glanced over her shoulder. “You may have noticed Mrs. Featherington. She entered a moment ago, and I thought perhaps to assign her a different shopgirl than Monique.”

  “Excellent idea.” Tessa nodded her approval and managed a smile for the girl, who beamed at the validation.

  Tessa lightly bounced the baby and rubbed circles on her back. The child must have been exhausted. She eventually relaxed her tense, little body and leaned her head against Tessa’s neck. She viewed the relative calm that settled again over the store as customers returned to their shopping and Mr. Gibbons mollified the angry mother and daughter duo with a pair of gloves, the entire spool of puce ribbon, and half a yard of their most expensive silk.

  She took a deep breath, realizing she’d crushed the letter and envelope in the hand that cradled the baby. She looked at her tightened fist and shook her head at Blight. His audacity had reached new heights. Whose baby had he recruited for this?

  Two gentlemen stood in the main ladies’ wear area, mouths slack. David’s eyes met hers, his brows high. She shrugged.

  He tapped his companion, another handsome fellow Oxford student presumably, and her suspicions proved correct when the pair reached her and David hastily introduced him as Phillip Keyes, his business manager.

  “A pleasure,” the man said, looking as baffled as she felt.

  “Likewise,” she nodded with a smile.

  “You handled that admirably, I must say,” he told her and looked around the room at happy customers and no barking puppies. “This is a test?” He looked at David.

  David shook his head. “I’ll explain everything later. Tessa, is there something you’d like to tell me?” He looked pointedly at the baby.

  She laughed, wincing and rubbing the little back again when the infant jerked at the sudden noise. “I have no idea whose baby this is. None. I plan to give him a piece of my mind because this is beyond the pale. Did you see the puppy?”

  He nodded. “Where did you send the shopgirl?”

  She explained about the baker’s young helper who walked dogs for supplemental income. “I’ll keep this one with me, however. I do not trust a soul.”

  “Will you chat with me a moment somewhere quiet?”

  She nodded. “What is it?”

  “I’ll explain.” She led him to the employee area. She walked to the back of the room so they wouldn’t be overheard.

  “Something happened?” She looked at him and Phillip, who didn’t seem overly grave, so she tried to refrain from panic.

  “Nothing catastrophic. One of my accountants must leave town this evening for a family emergency, so I am forced to meet with the business staff now.”

  She nodded.

  “Meaning I will use the offices on the other end of thefifth floor. Word will spread quickly.”

  “Ah.” She paused as the implication set in. “So Blight and Welsey will know of your role in the store within the hour.”

  He nodded and winced. “I am sorry, Tessa. I had planned to wait until next week. I would hold the meeting elsewhere, but the files are all here, and . . .”

  “You do not owe me the slightest explanation. Truly, David, you’ve helped me more than I could ever have expected or hoped. You must run your business now.”

  He sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Do you have your collection of assorted items?”

  She nodded. “In a satchel.” She motioned toward her cabinet.

  “If I am still in meetings—” He broke off and rubbed the back of his head. “I wanted to be there when you turned this mess in to Blight.”

  “David, I shall be fine.”

  “I know. I had hoped to—”

  Phillip had glanced at his timepiece and now cleared his throat. “Apologies, Bellini, but the accountant and solicitors are most likely already upstairs.”

  David muttered something in Italian that Tessa could only assume was a curse.

  “Go.” She shoved his arm.

  The curtain was flung suddenly aside, and Blight stormed in, followed closely by Welsey and Mr. Litton, who looked at David with disdain.

  “You own the store?” Blight growled at David. “You stood in my office and withheld that information?”

  David straightened to his full height, an
d Tessa watched as before her eyes, the man she loved put on his mantle of aristocracy, laced with a healthy dose of intimidation that felt somehow palpable. “I was not aware I owed you an explanation, Mr. Blight.”

  Blight opened his mouth and closed it again. His eyes fixed on Tessa, who still held the baby he’d abducted from some poor mother. “And you!” He stabbed a finger in the air at her. “You pretended such superiority and dared to call me to task over a lack of integrity when you were nothing but the new owner’s light skirt! Did you believe that favoring him would somehow force my hand to promote you over Welsey?”

  She gaped, outraged, and the baby fussed. Before she could string together two coherent words, however, David moved forward in a flash and smashed his fist into Blight’s jaw. The man hit the ground and was still. David stood over him, breathing heavily.

  Litton looked at David with a smirk. “You going to hit all of us, then, Conte?”

  David squinted at him. “You do realize I am going to fire you.”

  Welsey shoved into the fray, eyes bulging. “I do not care what you do to me, but she is finished!” He glared at Tessa. “I am going upstairs to meet with your business associates, Mr. Bellini. When I tell them that you helped Miss Baker procure the items required for the emergency scenarios and that she spends inordinate amounts of time in your company—you, her employer—they will insist she be cast out on her ear. And if they do not act, I shall inform the Daily Herald!”

  He ran from the room. Litton eyed her insolently, rolled his eyes at David, and followed Welsey.

  Tessa sat back against a table, her legs suddenly weak. Everything she’d been working for was about to be upended by a horrible man she despised. What was worse, she knew he would be believed. The room upstairs was filled with men, and her reputation would be destroyed.

  David looked at Phillip. “I’m going to kill them.”

  Phillip shook his head. “You are not going to kill them. Let’s go up there and control the flow of idiocy.”

  “It won’t matter,” Tessa said hollowly. Her eyes were dry; she couldn’t even summon any grief. “He will tell the newspaper. He will spew far and wide that I’m nothing but my employer’s mistress.”

  David shook his head. “Tessa—”

  “It will not matter one whit that it isn’t true, David. You don’t understand. The world does not favor women. Welsey has won.”

  He approached her swiftly, telling Phillip to await him upstairs. Phillip looked at Tessa with sympathy and left the room, dragging the unconscious Blight out of the employee area. She heard the low rumble of his voice as he instructed Mr. Gibbons to see to him.

  David cradled her head and turned her face to his. “This is not over. It has not even begun. And I will bury that little man.” He was fierce—the count had returned—and his fingers tightened in her hair. “You do not quit, Tessa Baker. That is not what you do. Will you trust me? Will you let me fix this, just for once?”

  Her eyes finally filled with tears. “I know you want to,” she whispered, “but I’m afraid there are some people even David Bellini cannot charm.”

  He smiled darkly. “I’ve said nothing of charm.” He kissed her, hard and quick. “I love you. And I will fix this.”

  Chapter Eleven

  David stood in his largefifth-floor office and looked out over the promenade and beyond that, South Pier and the ocean. An even larger conference room adjoined his office, and a cast of thousands gathered behind the door. He’d spent the last hour sending messages via courier and telegraph, gathering forces and resources.

  Tessa’s face haunted him. She’d not crumbled or screamed or yelled. Those beautiful green eyes had filled with tears that silently overflowed.

  A brisk knock sounded at the door, and Phillip stuck his head in. “It’s time.”

  “Everybody is here?”

  “Everybody and then some.”

  David entered the boardroom. The large table had been removed, and he’d had the room filled with chairs. He turned to his business team, the city provost, and the Herald’s managing editor. “Thank you all for being here on such short notice. I would not have requested it were it not urgent.” He extended his welcome to several other familiar faces, who watched with interest. Max stood at the back of the room and nodded his support.

  He explained to his gathered guests his new role in the company, the reason for his visit, his purpose behind observing before anyone knew who he truly was. He explained the department changes, Mr. Gibbons’s pending retirement—Mr. Gibbons nodded gravely—and the ensuing application process for his replacement.

  He told them about the stipulations, the emergency scenarios, the scavenger hunt. He detailed his observations of Miss Baker, his role as a family friend, her desire to succeed by her own merits, and then told them exactly how she’d done it.

  The room was silent as he spoke, his listeners focused. He then told them of the events of the day and how they had come to be gathered in that room. He included details—all except for the desperate kiss he’d given Tessa—and his own participation in the mayhem by rendering Blight unconscious. He received several nods of satisfaction with that detail.

  “Miss Baker is under the impression that there will be those who doubt her, especially if Mr. Welsey spreads false tales not only about Miss Baker’s handling of the application activities, but also the slanderous lie that her relationship with me is inappropriate or scandalous. The woman is above reproach; she has more integrity than a good majority of the men I’ve met who manage this company.

  “To allay not only her fears but to nip any potential gossip, I’ve called several character witnesses to Miss Baker’s defense and ask that they now explain to you their involvement with her in the last week.”

  He stood back and handed the floor first to Mr. Frederickson, who explained that Tessa’s competition had purchased his entire stock, then Mrs. Dyer, who had sold Tessa the marzipan treats. They heard from Mr. Farr, who grudgingly admitted Tessa’s competition had told him lies about her and his subsequent refusal to help, and Mr. Timely, the clockmaker. Next was the storage-unit manager at the docks, who explained Tessa’s arrangements to have the missing material packaged, tracked, and delivered to the store in under an hour. Lastly, Mr. Gibbons, Mary, and Monique recounted the events of the day, including the puppy and the baby. Young Charles, the dog walker, was even on hand to tell about his adventures with the dog and Tessa’s monetary reward, which was indeed twice his usual fee.

  David thanked the gathered character witnesses and excused them, but before they left, Mr. Timely asked for the floor.

  “Ya should all know that Miss Baker is one of the kindest, smartest women I have known in my life, and the amount of business she continually sends my way has increased my profits by nearly forty percent.”

  Mr. Frederickson nodded. “She sends folk to the bakery, and she remembers my wife’s favorite ribbons.”

  Mrs. Dyer added her two cents at the door before exiting. “That girl came to my rescue once during a wedding where all of my sheet cakes and favors had been destroyed by my sister’s hellion ten-year-old. Miss Baker spent her entire Saturday with me when she heard—helped me finish and deliver every last item on time.” She shook her head. “That some buffoon thinks to besmirch her name and malign her character is criminal.”

  The room was quiet after Tessa’s supporters had left. The newspaper editor raised his hand. “Where are Mr. Blight and Mr. Welsey now?”

  “Mr. Blight is nursing an aching jaw and looking for a new job. Mr. Welsey has been arrested on assault charges and slander. Fifteen of the store’s shopgirls are rendering depositions to the Yard as we speak. He is a predator who waits in secret to attack unsuspecting, vulnerable women.”

  The editor’s pencil scratched in his notebook. “And the slander charges?”

  “Filed by the company on behalf of Miss Baker for spreading potentially harmful vitriol and maligning her character and reputation.”

 
The city provost nodded. “Seems the store has needed a good scrubbing. The city is grateful for your influence. I hope to see you or a representative at our commerce meetings.”

  David nodded, thanked the remaining guests, and excused them. When he was left with Phillip, two accountants, and a solicitor, he sank into a chair next to them.

  Phillip clapped him on the shoulder. “Nicely done. And while we’re here, I have a matter to put to the lot of you, and it concerns Miss Baker’s future with the store. I do not believe she is meant for the department supervisory position she seeks.”

  Chapter Twelve

  The hour was late, the store was closed, and Tessa climbed the final stairs to thefifth floor. The store was enormous and eerie in the dark. Security guards walked patrol, but David was correct—they needed more. Several gentlemen passed her in the hallway outside the large conference room doors, introduced themselves, tipped their hats, and filed out. She stared after them, deciding David must have put the fear of God into every male employee the store had.

  She entered the conference room to see Phillip Keyes, who stood and beckoned to her. “Miss Baker, thank you for returning to the store. I hope you’d not gone all the way home?”

  She shook her head. “I was on South Pier with my aunt and uncle.” She was tired, weary, and she hadn’t spoken to or seen David since his hasty departure earlier, after a desperate kiss and a promise.

  “Please have a seat. I won’t keep you long, but wanted to discuss something for your consideration over the weekend. I believe your talents on one department alone are wasted, to be frank. What I witnessed today was unlike anything I’ve seen. After asking around each department, I realized that you know at least a handful of shopgirls in every department and have favorable relationships with the majority of department managers.”

  She nodded, unsure of his intentions.

  “I have seen a trend in other large companies. There is benefit to having a central employee who sees to the concerns and potential issues of the employee network as a whole. In short, I would like to offer you, with the business team’s approval, a position as general manager over all the shopgirls. Your duties would include building relationships, training, aiding with paperwork, checking references, those sorts of things.”