Taking a Chance on Love

by Joan Jonker

  Beth gasped and sat forward. ‘Haven’t yer told any of the bosses, sunshine? That’s what yer should do to clear yerself.’

  ‘That’s another thing that’s been frightening me. Suppose she puts the blame on me?’ Ginny went on to relate what she’d been told about the stocktaking, and about the implied threats in the words used by her senior. ‘Yer don’t know what she’s like, Mam, she’s really wicked.’ The tears couldn’t be kept back any longer and rolled, unchecked, down her cheeks. ‘She’s given me a dog’s life since I’ve been there – I hate her! But that’s not why I’m saying she steals money. I wouldn’t do that, not even to her.’

  ‘Yer’ve got to report it to someone in authority, sweetheart,’ Andy said, trying not to show he was shocked to the core. ‘And as soon as possible.’

  ‘I’ll come with yer to work tomorrow.’ Beth’s anger was rising. How dare the woman upset her young daughter like this? It was unforgivable. ‘We’ll go and see one of the bosses and get it sorted out. I’m not having you working with this woman any longer, she could ruin yer life for yer. No, she’s got to be stopped before your name gets dragged through the mud.’

  ‘No, Mam, I don’t want yer to come with me. They’ll think I’m a baby and can’t speak up for meself.’ Ginny sniffed. ‘This is something I’ve got to do.’

  ‘Yes, but what will yer do, sunshine? This senior of yours is a grown woman and can probably out-talk someone as young as you. It would be far better if I came with yer, at least they’d have to listen to yer then.’

  ‘No, Mam, I’ve got to do it meself. And I promise I will, honest! I’ve got to, otherwise I’ve got a feeling Miss Landers will find some way of hurting me, and getting me into trouble. She’s quite capable of lying about me and getting me the sack. And if that happened I’d never be able to get a job in a shop again.’

  ‘Ye’re talking sense now, sweetheart,’ Andy said. ‘So I want yer to show the same sense tomorrow and get it all out in the open. When I come home tomorrow night, I want yer to be able to tell me yer’ve reported this woman.’

  ‘I will, Dad, I promise.’

  ‘Who will yer go to, sunshine? The woman in the Personnel Office?’

  Ginny shook her head. ‘I don’t think so, Mam, I think I’d be better talking to Miss Sutherland when she comes to relieve Miss Landers tomorrow dinnertime. I get on very well with her, she’s really nice and has always treated me like a friend. She isn’t that keen on Miss Landers herself, and I think she had an idea she’d be difficult to work with. But she wouldn’t run her colleague down and I admire her for that.’

  Ginny lowered her head for a few seconds, wondering whether to tell the whole story. After deciding her parents deserved to know the truth, she went on to tell them about her senior being jilted at the altar. ‘I believe everyone felt sorry for her, and made allowances for her behaviour. But Miss Sutherland knows she isn’t easy to get on with, and told me if I ever needed help I could always go to her. And I do trust her. So when she relieves Miss Landers tomorrow, I’ll tell her everything and ask her advice on what I should do. And I won’t put it off any longer, I promise. Even if I’m shaking in me shoes, which I will be, I’ll get it off me chest.’

  ‘Does Marie know, or this Pat yer talk about?’ Beth asked. ‘Have yer told them about the woman yer work with?’

  ‘They know I don’t like her, but that’s all. I haven’t breathed a word to anyone about what I’ve just told you and me dad. I was too frightened that if there was any gossip, and it got back to Miss Landers, she would turn the tables on me and I’d be the one in trouble.’

  ‘I’d give her trouble if I could get me hands on her,’ Beth said with feeling. ‘A grown woman to treat a fourteen-year-old the way she’s treated you . . . she wants putting across someone’s knee and teaching a lesson.’

  ‘Don’t worry about it, Mam, I’ll definitely sort it out tomorrow, one way or the other. Then perhaps I’ll be able to enjoy a laugh again, and me headache will go.’ The smile Ginny forced was an attempt to ease the worry she could see on the faces of her parents. ‘And I’ll be able to lay me head down on me pillow at night and drop off to sleep right away, like I used to. So, roll on tomorrow.’

  Ginny was a bag of nerves the next morning. Try as she might, she couldn’t stop her hands from shaking or her teeth from chattering. Marie noticed it at their morning break and asked, ‘What’s wrong with yer? Yer face is as white as a sheet, as though yer’ve seen a ghost. Or else looked in the mirror and didn’t like what yer saw.’

  ‘I think I’ve got a cold coming on,’ Ginny lied. ‘I can’t stop shaking.’

  ‘Blimey! Yer go all through that cold weather we’ve had without even getting a runny nose, and then catch a cold when the sun’s shining! Ye’re not made right, kid!’

  Pat was a little more sympathetic. ‘It might be just a chill yer’ve got,’ she said, munching on her meat paste butty, ‘yer’ll probably be all right tomorrow. But yer could go and see the nurse, she’d give yer something for it.’

  ‘No, I won’t bother. As yer say, I’ll probably be all right tomorrow. I hope so, anyway.’ Ginny was glad when the break was over. She had to keep going for two more hours, and then she could unburden herself to Miss Sutherland. It was going to be an ordeal, and she was dreading it. But she’d promised her parents and she wasn’t going to let them down. So there was no backing out.

  She’d only been back a few minutes when the lady who worked in Henderson’s walked up to the counter. Alicia Meadows called at least once a week, even if she didn’t purchase anything, and she was always very friendly and seemed really interested in Ginny’s well-being. Frances Landers had told her junior assistant that she shouldn’t waste time talking to someone who wasn’t going to buy anything, but while she would give the girl down the banks over it, she didn’t dare say anything to Alicia. For the woman had an air of authority about her that suggested she was used to giving orders and having those orders obeyed. She wasn’t hard, or bossy, it was just that she gave the impression of being able to run her life exactly as she wanted it to be run. And over the months Ginny had grown fond of the woman and was always glad to see her.

  ‘You’re looking very peaky this morning, Miss Porter, are you not well?’ Alicia fastened her eyes on Miss Landers, as if to say she hoped the older woman wasn’t responsible for the young girl’s pale face. ‘Or has something happened to upset you?’

  ‘No, I’m all right, Miss Meadows, really. I think I might have a bit of a chill, that’s all. I’ll be fine tomorrow.’

  ‘I hope so, dear, it’s not like you to look out of sorts. You have a nurse here, I believe, so why not pay her a visit? She could perhaps give you something to ease what ails you.’

  ‘No, I’ll work it off, thank you, Miss Meadows. I’ll be fine tomorrow, you’ll see.’

  ‘I shall pop in, my dear, to make sure. In the meanwhile, why not take a couple of aspirin? They usually do the trick for me. Anyway, I’ll see you tomorrow.’

  Frances Landers was seething. ‘If you waste time on that woman once more, I’ll report you to Miss Halliday.’

  Ginny turned her head, refusing to be drawn into an argument. She had more on her mind than squabbling with a woman she’d never heard say a kind word about anyone.

  Dorothy Sutherland was in a really good mood when she left her counter in Helen’s charge while she did her daily stint on haberdashery. Looking down the aisle into Church Street, she could see the sun shining down on people going about their business and it lifted her spirits. Sunshine to her was like a tonic, guaranteed to cheer her up. She nodded to Frances Landers and waited until the assistant had stepped out from behind the counter before standing next to Ginny.

  ‘Good afternoon, Miss Porter, and what a beautiful afternoon it is, too! Isn’t it a pity we have to work for a living? If we were rich, we could take a picnic basket and spend the day in the country. Or if that wasn’t to our liking, we could lounge on the beach somewhere, or even have a ga
me of tennis. But, alas, we were destined to work for a living.’

  A customer came to the counter at that moment, and it was then Dorothy noticed Ginny’s hands were shaking. A closer look showed a face devoid of colour and lips that were quivering. ‘I’ll serve this customer, Miss Porter, you tidy under the counter if you will, please.’

  When the customer had been served with a card of hair clips and a hair net, Dorothy bent down and put a hand on each of Ginny’s arms. ‘Come on, pet, stand up.’ She gasped when she saw fear in eyes that were moist with unshed tears. ‘What is it, Ginny?’ The rule on not using Christian names during working hours was often broken when there were no senior staff around. But such was Dorothy’s concern, she didn’t even give it a thought. ‘Are you not feeling well?’

  In a shaking voice, Ginny said, ‘It’s not that I’m sick, Miss Sutherland, it’s just that I know something so terrible, I don’t know how to tell yer. But it’s been on me mind for weeks now and I haven’t been able to sleep for worry. I told me mam and dad last night and they said I had to tell someone before I got the blame and lost me job. I promised them faithfully I would report it today, and you’re the only one I can think of that might believe me.’

  ‘Of course I’ll believe you, pet, but try and calm yourself down while I serve this customer. And stop worrying, nothing is bad enough to make yourself ill over.’

  Ginny didn’t say it aloud but it was a bad thing, and she couldn’t help but make herself ill worrying about it. All she needed was someone like Miss Sutherland to say they believed her, and then she wouldn’t feel so alone.

  ‘We don’t have a lot of time now, Ginny, so would you rather wait until the shop closes and I can meet you outside?’

  She shook her head. ‘No, I want to get it over and done with, I can’t stand it any longer. My head will burst if I don’t tell someone.’

  ‘Go ahead, I’m listening.’ Dorothy Sutherland didn’t know what to expect, but she certainly wasn’t prepared for what a tearful Ginny told her. She kept shaking her head as though in disbelief, but never once was there any doubt in her mind that the girl was telling the truth. But she had to ask, ‘Are you sure about this, Ginny, because it’s a very serious complaint against a senior assistant?’

  ‘I am sure, Miss Sutherland. It’s been going on since the day I started, but I didn’t know then what she was doing. I mean, you don’t expect people like Miss Landers to steal money from their bosses, do yer?’ Ginny then went on to tell of the stocktaking and the veiled threat on who would get the blame for any discrepancies. ‘If she hadn’t told me that, I would probably never have noticed what she was doing. But I started to take more notice, and I have seen her putting money in her shoes. I don’t know how much, but I do know that on the day I started, the customer she served had given her a silver sixpence. When she bent down I thought she’d dropped it and offered to help. Then she got really angry with me and told me to keep away from her and not to spy.’

  ‘I’ve got to say I am really surprised.’ In fact, Dorothy was almost speechless. ‘And now you have told me, I will have to report it to Miss Halliday. But don’t you worry, pet, you won’t get into trouble. It’s taken guts to tell it like you have.’

  ‘Miss Halliday won’t come and ask her in front of me, will she? Because I know she’ll lay the blame at my door. She could even say I was making it up because I don’t like her. Well, that would be true, I don’t like her. But I would never tell lies, ’cos that would be a sin.’

  ‘Well, we’ll leave it for now because there’s nothing I can do at the moment as I can’t leave you on your own to look after the counter. However, Helen is quite capable of managing on her own, so when your senior returns I will make some excuse and absent myself for a while to seek advice. But I must warn you that no one must know what you’ve told me. Once I’ve started the ball rolling, it will be out of our hands and up to senior management how the situation is handled. I think you have the advantage at the moment, in as much as you haven’t breathed a word to anyone, not even your best friend. Management will take that into consideration because the last thing they would want is a whispering campaign. I don’t think you have anything to worry about, so try and stay calm and behave normally.’

  Two customers approached the counter and Ginny served one while Dorothy attended to the other. It was while the girl was waiting for the change of a shilling to be handed back to her customer that Dorothy whispered, ‘There’s no time for any more discussion on the subject as the break is over. Carry on as usual, but don’t let yourself be drawn into conversation of any kind. And please don’t approach me in the cloakroom this evening, we can’t afford even a hint or a whisper of scandal.’

  It wasn’t hard for Ginny to keep her promise because there was never any attempt at conversation from her senior. She watched Miss Sutherland go back to her own counter, saw her talking to Helen, and then she was hurrying past the haberdashery counter without a glance at either of the assistants. And when she hadn’t returned half an hour later, Ginny’s nerves were at breaking point. Perhaps it would have been better if she hadn’t said anything. She could have just given her notice in and looked for a job elsewhere. But even as she was thinking this, she knew it wouldn’t have been the answer. If the stock sold didn’t match the money taken over the counter, then her leaving would look as though she’d been the guilty one.

  It was three-quarters of an hour before Dorothy Sutherland passed on her way to her own counter. She didn’t slow down or stop, but a slightly raised brow told Ginny that she’d done what she’d set out to do. The outcome of it the girl couldn’t even guess at.

  Ginny had been so wrapped up in her thoughts she didn’t see the figure approaching until she noticed a hand resting on the counter. And when she looked up, she nearly jumped out of her skin. ‘Miss Halliday!’

  But it was on the senior assistant that the supervisor’s eyes rested. ‘I’m taking your assistant away for a short while, Miss Landers, but I’m sure you can manage without her.’

  The answering smile and voice were sickly sweet. ‘Of course I can, Miss Halliday! But Miss Porter hasn’t done anything wrong, has she?’

  ‘Good grief, what makes you ask that? As far as I’m aware, she hasn’t done anything wrong. But as her senior, you should be the one to know that.’ She turned, saying over her shoulder, ‘Follow me, Miss Porter.’

  The supervisor strode purposefully to a door at the back of the store, with Ginny hurrying to keep up with her. She pushed open the door and held it for Ginny to pass through. ‘We’re going up to Miss Ormsby’s office, and Miss Harper will be there.’

  ‘I’m sorry, Miss Halliday, I didn’t want to cause you any trouble. But I told me mam and dad last night, and I promised them faithfully that I’d tell someone in authority today. They’re very worried about me, yer see.’

  They began to climb the steps up to the first floor. ‘Of course they’re bound to be worried, they’re good parents, and it was right for you to tell Miss Sutherland your fears. But we must be very sure there hasn’t been a mistake before accusing anyone.’ She lifted her hand when Ginny went to speak. ‘No, we mustn’t discuss it now, wait until we’re in Miss Ormsby’s office. I’ve already spoken to her so she knows you’re coming, and why.’

  The office was as she remembered it, and Miss Ormsby’s smile was just as friendly. ‘Hello, Virginia, please sit down. You will remember Miss Harper, of course. She and Miss Halliday are going to stay and hear what you have to say. And please don’t be afraid, we just want you to tell us, in your own words and time, exactly what relations have been like between yourself and Miss Landers, and why you have cause to suspect her of being dishonest. Now begin at the beginning, please, Virginia.’

  Ginny’s mouth was dry with fear, and her voice was thick at first. But when she got into her stride, and was describing how she’d been humiliated and belittled by the woman who was supposed to be training her, her speech became clearer. She left nothing out from the
first day she’d started, even down to the supposed snagging of a stocking and the ensuing telling off she got for trying to be helpful. The stocktaking, the threats, it all came tumbling out. And telling of the injustices she’d suffered brought tears she could no longer hold back. ‘I’m sorry,’ she sobbed, ‘for causing yer so much trouble. I’ll give me notice in if yer want and look for another job.’

  ‘There’ll be no necessity for that, Virginia, you have done nothing wrong.’ Miss Ormsby glanced over to where Miss Harper was sitting, looking quite flabbergasted. ‘Will you ring the canteen and ask them to send a pot of tea up, please? And I think a plate of biscuits would be much appreciated. You may ring from here.’

  After the call to the canteen had been made, Miss Ormsby sat back in her chair. ‘Now that ordeal is over, Virginia, I would like to ask you some questions. I do not doubt your word on what you believe has been happening, but it would be very difficult for us to charge a woman without proof. So I want you to think carefully before answering my questions. Now, do you think Miss Landers has a system?’

  Ginny looked mystified. ‘A system? I don’t know what yer mean.’

  ‘A pattern, then. Have you noticed if this alleged pilfering happens on certain days, or any particular times of the day?’

  ‘In the morning, mostly, before she goes for her dinner break. I have never seen it happen of an afternoon.’

  Miss Ormsby sighed inwardly. After listening to Virginia, she was convinced that what they were hearing was the truth. The young girl answered each question without hesitation and never once averted her eyes. She was clearly incapable of lying, and certainly would never fabricate such a story. ‘Every day, Virginia?’